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Tomato Fresh Food Café - CLOSED
Categories: Restaurants Canadian (New) Restaurants Breakfast & Brunch Canadian (New), Breakfast & Brunch [Edit]
2486 Bayswater StreetVancouver, BC V5Z 2W6
Neighbourhood: Kitsilano
(604) 874-6020
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Good For:
- Lunch, Brunch
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
33 reviews for Tomato Fresh Food Café
Review Highlights
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"...my money, Tomato does the best eggs benny I have ever had." In 5 reviews -
"Thumbs up for it being family friendly as well." In 4 reviews -
"I also loved the sourdough toast." In 3 reviews
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33 reviews in English
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Review from Tara C.
Vancouver, BC
3/18/2011
Although I have been going to Tomato Cafe for about 10 years, I feel inclined to write a review after having absolutely the best halibut that I have had in quite a while at dinner last night. Absolutely perfect (chef James you are a bloody genius in the kitchen). For around $25 this dish was better than anything I have had recently at the top restaurants in the city, but for $10-$15 less. Well done !!!
The atmosphere is casual, the restaurant is family friendly (we've been taking our kids since they were babies) and the food is top notch yet not pretentious.
Well done Tomato. -
Review from M S.
4/24/2011
Went for late Easter brunch. It was pretty dead on a Sunday afternoon. We were in a group and nearly all of us ordered the Moroccan Turkey burger which sounded delectable based on the menu. Also had the banana bread and Salmon bagel. We were with 2 tots in high chairs and a child.
Maybe this place has gone downhill - it was our first time but the food was bland. The bagel had a side of pickle. Bizarre. It came on a plate and it looked tiny, not in a scenic way but the plate was just too big and the bagel was too small for the price. The banana bread was quite nice but it's hard to make banana bread go wrong.
The turkey burger was bland. And I had such high hopes. The kids pizza was so so. The food altogether wasn't bad but for the prices, it was not a good value in my opinion. Over $35 later, and we were still hungry.
However, the service was crap. It took nearly 15 minutes just to get the waitress to take our order. Then nearly 40 minutes to get our food. And the place was nearly empty. I never got a refill on my water glass.
I just found that the place doesn't quite deliver decent service. The menu looked interesting to try again but I was quite disappointed by the taste of the food. Given the ingredients, I could make most of these at home much more cheaply (with organic ingredients) and taste a lot better.
One thing to note if you have babes in diapers. There's no changing pad in the ladies bathroom (no idea about the mens room), only a metal wall shelf which is very dangerous. For a restaurant that touts itself as family friendly - this is not at all very helpful. Thus I would not recommend this place for kids unless you are comfortable changing a kid at the dining table. -
Review from Victoria R.
Vancouver, BC
We're a brunch couple, and thanks to yelp we are able to search for new places to try out. I had driven by this place several times, always thinking that it was a cute little cafe from the outside. When we went in we were surprised how large it really is!
The atmosphere here for brunch is awesome: couples, families, everyone, and it's large enough that you don't even hear screaming babies.
The service was amazing- our server was filling up our water before it was even half empty- nice.
The food, oh the food! When I took a sip of the lemoned water I knew this place was going to be a good one. The full coffee bar meant I could have a latte. The brunch menu had a lot of great options, and offered non-pork meats as an alternative. I had the tomato omelette, with a salad instead of potatoes in an effort to be healthy. The omelette was divine: basil, tomato, and gorgonzola cheese- wow! I also loved the sourdough toast.
This place is a must for brunch-goers.. We are definitely coming back.Listed in: Brunch Love
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Review from Dave Y.
Vancouver, BC
4/20/2011
I ordered the eggs benny tomato style. The dish came broiled which seemed odd as no one else was. It took 20 mins for the food to arrive. The coffee was actually pretty good. Service was average and friendly. Parking isn't too bad to find on the street.
My final thought was about the hollandesse sauce. It tasted like it had mayo in it. It was good but I kept thinking why the mayo taste? Next time I wont be ordering the benny. -
Review from Crystal H.
Vancouver, BC
2/9/2009
I'm a raving fan! I remember how star struck I was when a movie called Saving Silverman was filmed at their old Cambie location. I liked their Cambie location but love their Kits one better. Parking is easier (especially with all of the Cambie Corridor construction) and there is oodles of space.
Brunch, lunch and dinner - I am yet to have a meal I didn't like! It's actually where I go for my comfort food.
I am such a fan that I also have their cook book which has become a staple in my kitchen. Totally recommend making the Portabello Mushroom burger and the goat cheese and pear salad - yummy!
Last time we were in for dinner we got dessert for free because I asked what dessert I should make out of the recipe book for a dinner party I was attending the following night.
Of course, it goes without saying that the service here is incredible and the owners Star and Christian and delightful. -
Review from Lynn H.
Vancouver, BC
11/5/2010
I love tomatoes. I am actually notorious for chomping down on whole tomatoes like they are apples and crushing entire Trader Joes boxes of mini-tomatoes in one sitting. It is rather unnatural. Imagine, if you will, my jubilation at an entire restaurant devoted to my 2nd favorite pastime: eating tomatoes (I will let you speculate on my favorite pastime as long as you get your mind out of the bloody gutter!)
Went to Tomato Fresh Food Cafe for brunch on a Thursday so the restaurant was relatively empty. We got a seat by the windows (I imagine that in the summer they open up the big firehall windows... must be awesome!) and ordered almost immediately. Tea came in cute little individual pots and as many hot water refills as we could take.
This should surprise no one who has read my other reviews... I ordered eggs benny. Mmmmm... eggs benny. Ok, I'm back. The eggs were perfectly cooked, back-bacon was yummy and the hollandaise sauce was tart and fresh. 5 Stars for the eggs benny. The only downfall was that Tomatoes didn't really feature that highly in the whole affair. My friend got the omlette with smoked salmon and cream cheese and her only complaint was that there wasn't that much smoked salmon inside. Truth be told though, lox is expensive, I just can't blame them for cutting back a bit.
Pros: clean, good location, top-notch eggs benny, makes me think about how much I love tomatoes
Cons: potatoes were a teeny bit dry and I felt a little let down in the Tomato department... that being said... If I go to a restaurant called Giraffe, I don't expect to be eating Giraffes.... maybe I need to re-evaluate this whole judging a book by its cover deal... *drifts off into thought -
Review from Anita C.
Vancouver, BC
7/20/2009
I finally had a chance to try out Tomato's ever since the move from Cambie Street. I was sad to see it go but understood and vowed I would try it out in the Kits area. I finally had a chance to go and that was today for brunch.
1. I ordered the tomato's omelette. It looked good to me because it looked like a signature dish and had simple, "fresh", ingredients that would appeal to me. The dish was presented beautifully that I even took a picture of it although it surprised me that dried basil was sprinkled on top of the omelette as the word "fresh" is in your name; what your restaurant should be all about AND basil should be plentiful right now. I liked the sourdough toast and the potatoes were very flavorful. When I tried the omelette, there was absolutely no flavor in it at all. I kept wanting to give it a chance but .. bite after bite it was just disappointing.
2. My boyfriend ordered the blueplate special. The scrambled eggs were overpowered by oregano that it was not even edible.
We both just had the toast, nibbled on the potatoes and had the coffee (which was very good) but felt that our appetites were ruined. My boyfriend is from out-of-town and I was so embarrassed to be giving him such a disappointing meal. He's only here on the weekend and we regretted not just making breakfast at home.
We told our waiter and he was very apologetic and I'm aware that it is not his fault. He took my meal off the bill and the total was still just under $18. We should have just gone to the market to buy groceries with this money and made our own breakfast.
It's a little sad when all we could say was "the toast is good; the coffee is good" when both those items should not have been the highlight.
We left and disappointed was the exact word for it. I couldn't believe that I actually had this kind of experience at such a popular restaurant. We even talked about how it was so weird how the first meal of the day can set the tone for the rest of the day.
I really wish I had a better review. -
Review from Luisa S.
Vancouver, BC
11/22/2008
I used to frequent Tomato Fresh Food Café when it was still in its original location on Cambie Street. I think I've admitted to this in the past, but I am generally very resistant to change. Feet firmly planted, I cling to memories of tastes and flavours, to old friends and familiar music. I went into this place ready to hate it. The new location already proved to be a hurdle. Much farther now, it can no longer play the role of "neighbourhood" café in my life, nor is it as easy to pop over for Sunday brunch.
This being said, I did make the sojourn to this area one morning and decided to have brunch here. I find it hard to deviate from egg breakfasts whenever they're on offer so I ordered their signature Tomato's Omelette (a tomato-, cheese- and basil-filled omelette). The accompanying potatoes were actually seasoned with something other than salt (yay!). The eggs, though a bit on the oily side, were quite fresh tasting, thanks to the added depth of flavour courtesy of the basil.
I guess change isn't that bad... This being said, though, the new location isn't terribly inconvenient. And the dining room is significantly larger, making it much easier to get a table -
Review from Pia W.
Updated - 9/20/2009 5 photos
Came here for dinner, a tad pricer than what I had for brunch, but portions just as great!
Even my burger came with a huge serving of salad...I don't know what the salad was called, but it was VERY fresh and VERY tasty! I don't really recall what the burger was called on the menu, but here's my description for it: A freshly made beef patty with fresh mozzarella cheese, bacon, lettuce and tomatoes, and argh, I forgot what kind of bread they used for a bun....but it was delicious!! I will definitely come back here in the near future, and I promise to note down what the burger is called!
The burger wasn't huge, but just the right size....very very fresh ingredients, I'm impressed!
Most people won't appreciate their relatively small menu, but for a person like me who loves and appreciates fresh food, I'd say it's worth it!1 Previous Review: Show all »
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9/18/2009
First time ever going to Tomato, it was for brunch with my brother. Both of us were pretty hungry,… Read more »
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Review from David F.
Vancouver, BC
9/20/2010 2 photos
I'm writing about breakfast, so the five stars are about the breakfast only. For my money, Tomato does the best eggs benny I have ever had. Why? Because the sauce is light, fresh, tangy and delicious. Not one of those gloppy yellow things.
The eggs are always perfectly cooked. The potatoes are really nice and the service and the coffee are excellent. Love the airy, plant filled room too. I only ever get the benny here because it's so good! -
Review from Reena M.
2/9/2009
I was first attracted to this place based on their name, because that's how I choose my restaurants. I loved the name of this place. And after checking out their menu, I was dying to go there! I finally ended up dining at Fresh Tomato Food Cafe in the beginning of December 2008.
I love the fact that they are very supportive of the local, seasonal food market. We ordered the crabcakes, which were quite tasty and had nice presentation. For mains, my dinner company ordered the prawn/artichoke pasta (I can't remember the official name for it), and that looked and tasted nice. I really appreciated the fact that the pasta was NOT overcooked, which seems to be the bane of most restaurants that serve pasta. The flavours were balanced and executed nicely.
I ordered the margherita pizza because I travelled Italy this summer and since I've been back I was just dying to try an aunthentic pizza again. I decided to give this restaurant's pizza a try. And my God! It was delicious! It was just as good as a pizza I had eaten in Florence, Italy at a tiny cafe that if you ask me about I'd be more than happy to divulge the story of. But to make the story short, it was fantastic pizza in Florence, and fantastic pizza at Fresh Tomato. It was simple. It was perfect.
Additionally, the service we had was very nice and friendly. The server was chatty and joked with us. Added to the pleasantness of our evening.Listed in: Reena M's Guide to Kitsilano
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Review from Tee D.
8/8/2009
I woke up today with a huge hankering for brunch. Fluffy omelettes, waffles, toast, that sort of thing.
Unfortunately, the guy and I had a very late start to our day. And doubly unfortunately, it felt like most places only served brunch until 2.
It was 2:01 when we went to restaurant 1. Their kitchen was closed.
2:34 when we got to restaurant 2. They stopped brunch service at 2:30.
Restaurant 3 did not fare any better.
Frustrated with the situation, we were happy when we found that Tomato Cafe was open. It was 2:56.
ME: Excuse me, can we order off the brunch menu?
SERVER: Nope. The kitchen closes brunch service at 3.
ME: *Looks at watch* Hmph.
Their "afternoon" menu was somewhat limited - mostly sandwiches and salads.
The guy ordered a turkey sandwich that he only ate a couple of bites of. The cranberry on the sandwich was sweet and tart, but overwhelmed the entire sandwich. You could only taste the heavy mayo and cranberry sauce they layered on top of the sandwich. At least the ingredients tasted fresh.
I ordered a salad with grilled chicken. Overall, your typicaly salad, except they had charred the chicken, so there were bits of the chicken that were completely blackened. On top of that, the serving size of chicken was miniscule; there were maybe 4 pieces. I normally don't complain about this, but 11.50 for a basic salad with burnt chicken is really outrageous.
Service was slow and quite unattentive. Our server walked past our table 4 times and never noticed that our glasses were empty and never came back to check up on us. Maybe it was an off hour to be eating, but I'm tired of restaurants and their lame excuses. -
Review from Gina I.
2/7/2010
I'm a pre-judger, that's just what I do. I've walked by this place so many times on my night walks & never really gave it a thought.
The other day I was meeting a friend for brunch & I decided what the hell, Yelp the place & if it has good reviews we'll go. So we did.
The juicing smoothies are wonderful, seriously yummy and fresh and not full of sugar.
We each got a plate & shared. It was a nice filling of food, though I wish they would have put more of those yummy potatoes on my plate!
Thumbs up for it being family friendly as well. It's like diner style with a finer edge. -
Review from Grant T.
North Vancouver, BC
4/28/2009
Once upon a time I loved Tomato. It's where I went for bouillabaisse and I was happy. I could overlook the sketchy service and take the parking as a challenge that added to the experience. It was a green and golden time on Cambie Street.
The last time, alas, a certain je ne sais quoi had been lost. The bouillabaisse had gone to hell and the service had not improved. The new location lacked the hole-in-the-wall neighborhood feel of the old one. And I, bereft of good bouillabaisse, wander forlorn, wondering whether I shall find its like again. -
Review from Rick C.
9/17/2010
This is a great place for brunch or lunch. Their breakfast menu is superb. I love their waffles and potatoes. All their sandwiches look tasty. Their milkshakes and coffees are also good.
The location and restaurant are cool. They have a big dining area with ample booths. It's a friendly, cool place on Broadway with great food and service. -
Review from Sarah O.
1/19/2011
Another Sunday, another new brunch place to try. I ventured out to Kits, entoxicated with the same promise that Abigail had delivered to me the previous weekend. Tomato Fresh just didn't measure up. Sure, I loved the big space and the open kitchen. Sure I loved that it was family-friendly and the servers were nice. Sure I loved their fruit juice options. But my actual food is where they deflated my hopes of this being a regular place for me. It wasn't horrible though, just bland and uninspired. What can I say? I wouldn't make the same trek to visit again.
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Review from Tara T.
BC
12/2/2008 1 photo
The Tomato Café has succeeded in perfecting the trifecta: food, ambience, and an eco-conscience. The menus here are created with the seasons and local producers in mind and whenever possible the food is organic.
I came here for brunch and was blown away by their delicious muffins, eggs, and freshly squeezed juice. I also thoroughly enjoyed the atmosphere. All the usual positives: warm interior, friendly, bustling vibe, and polite, attentive staff.
Opened for breakfast, lunch, and dinner this is a great spot for every meal and I'd gladly come here again in a heartbeat. -
Review from Matt S.
Vancouver, BC
6/27/2010
Really good Fresh food. We enjoyed a great breakfast, loved that the eggs were real (free range, or omega 3).
Nice open cafe atmosphere.
Reasonably priced. Well done!! -
Review from Stephan W.
Langley, BC
I have to say the Tomato cafe may have the best ambiance in Vancouver. I was in Kits today with some time to kill so I opted for a long lunch chez Tomato. Great choice, the open feel, high ceilings with skylights, sunny day, fresh decor all melded perfectly to make this the perfectly idyllic hump day lunch. My friendly young server brought water to the table when I arrived and kept my coffee topped up regularly, plus she had a great accent to boot. Northern France I think she said. The feature was a Monte Cristo sandwich with roasted potatoes. Long curious about the MC, I decided this was the day to try it. Tomato didn't disappoint, although the roasted potatoes and their accompanying sauce were so good I finished them first! Merci Tomate, I shall return.
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Review from Mazie C.
Vancouver, BC
6/8/2011 1 Check-in Here
Solid Benny. Love the fresh fruit juices. Menu is a little more minimal that I was expecting but still hits the spot.
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Review from Bob P.
Vancouver, BC
1/10/2011
Excellent food and establishment. Tried the benny and their Mexican scramble and both were superb. For those that like decaf coffee they have one of the best ones around. Their large specialty coffees are served in a funky-looking bowl. A bit hard to drink out of when full but cool nevertheless. The place is nicely decorated and has a very nice open feel with good use of skylights and large windows. A definite repeat visit for me when I'm in the area looking for brunch.
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Review from Andrew M.
Vancouver, BC
5/8/2011
Went for brunch on a Sunday. Nice place with lots of space and high ceilings. Food was great (got French Toast), but serving was a bit small. I don't eat a lot and rarely leave a place hungry, but I did here.
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Review from James P.
Vancouver, BC
11/8/2010
Rotten Tomato - Family lunch was a bad experience. We gave drink order to one server and food to another. When kids pizza finally arrived it was undercooked and bland - even by our kids standards! Our meals never arrived. We waited 45 minutes before being told the order was misplaced and if we waited another 7 minutes they'd be out. By then kids were fed and antsy and we had things to do. We bailed. They presented the full bill for drinks and kid food - no HQ no promo no policy. Christian, the owner, caught me at the door to apologise and took my email. He has emailed and promised a gift certificate by mail. Poorly handled. Don't feel like returning.
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Review from Brett C.
Toronto, ON
6/27/2009 ROTD 8/1/2009
I have to admit I was expecting simply over-priced, healthy food at Tomato. But instead I got reasonably priced, healthy food which is a nice change of pace. Service was also reasonable. The only thing keeping Tomato from getting five stars is being mind-blowing good or having more options on the menu that are below $20 a plate.
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Review from Lee N.
Vancouver, BC
8/19/2010
I really think they got better with the move to Kits from Cambie Street. Or I haven't been very often since the move. Note to self "head west to The Tomato more often", the wine list has improved and the food is I think better, and I was a regular on Cambie. Try the Bouillabassse du Pacific, though not a real Bouill... it one heck of a fine fish stew.
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Review from Emily C.
12/23/2008
I've only been to Tomato's a couple times, but it's by far one of the best brunch places in the city! Too bad it's out of my way (deep into Kits), but the atmosphere, service and quality of food is far underrated. Love the eggs benny!
Listed in: Best brunch in Vancouver
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Review from Cameron M.
Toronto, ON
11/3/2008 1 photo
Tomato is hands down one of the best restaurants on the West Broadway strip. I've gone there for breakfast and dinner and have never been let down. Lots of people never seem to have heard of it or know what it is, which is a bit surprising considering it's been around on Cambie and off Broadway forever...oh and it has giant tomatoes on the outside.
But beyond the ummm 'unique' outer decor, Tomato's big draw is it's reliance on local organic foods. This means both delicious fresh tasting food and, what I enjoy most, a constantly and rapidly rotating menu which means there'll always be something new on the menu.
Tomato tends to be well known for seafood, and my friends have all enjoyed the candied salmon, but my best experience came with a great Lamb dish. Everything was so fresh it almost tasted like a homemade dish, but of course I knew it wasn't because it was actually good (haha).
Since it has moved locations Tomato is a little quiet, though lately the Sunday brunch is pretty full, I'd definitely recommend anyone looking for great local flavors check it out. -
Review from David C.
Calgary, AB
5/5/2010 1 Check-in Here
My wife and I found this place with yelp for iPhone when looking for a breakfast place. It was affordable, no line up and had amazing freshly squeezed OJ! We'll go here again, try their egg benedict with... Tomato!
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Review from Mark H.
1/3/2010
Came here for brunch. I ordered their eggs benny. It wasn't super busy but our drinks too way too long as did our food. Taste wasn't anything great, nor was the portion. I wouldn't recommend it.
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Review from jenny m.
Vancouver, BC
3/15/2009
Tasty food and really friendly service. A good sign of a good breakfast is thick and fluffy toast, so we'll be back again. A funny snafu for me as an American was ordering the "Classic Cesar" thinking it was a salad when in fact I learned today that Canadians call their version of the Bloody Mary a Cesar. Just another one of the subtle differences we're learning as we go as newbies here. The waitress was really sweet about it and we had a good laugh.
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Review from Silvia C.
Vancouver, BC
6/18/2010
This place had been on my radar for years now. My friend and I chose Tomato to spend a leisurely weekday breakfast. She ordered the French Breakfast that included toasted sourdough, wedge of brie, butter/jam, fresh fruit. I enjoyed fluffy sourdough french toast served with a sweet/tart cranberry compote, maple syrup, and fresh fruit. We both ordered fresh juice and coffee. Our server was pleasantly friendly and the restaurant was drenched with sunshine on that nice day.
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Review from Jon P.
10/14/2009
Love frequenting this place for weekend brunch when we come into town from Seattle. Great food, nice neighborhood ambiance in Kitsilano and it was nice having a place we could easily take our newborn. Definitely plan on coming back in the future.
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Review from J G.
Vancouver, BC
11/14/2008
Tomato is a pretty popular hangout, and although it hasn't been on Bayswater for that long, it had a long life over on Cambie before its move West. The menu here offers plenty of local and organic fare, and there's an emphasis on fresh food: salads, seafood and pastas with plenty of vegetables. I came here for lunch and the service was quite good. My lunch consisted of a veggie burger and a salad, and both were good, but I wouldn't say the veggie burger was outstanding, but it was pretty good, and combined with the convenient location and cheerful service, I'd say Tomato is worth a visit.
