Café ZUZU is the all-day café from the Gusto 54 group, serving Italian-influenced casual dining in a bright Regent Park space. The breakfast pastries, the lunch sandwiches, and the evening aperitivo program make it one of the most versatile dining spots in the neighbourhood.
Neighbourhood: Regent Park · Address: 555 Dundas St E, Toronto, ON M5A 2B7 · Hours: Daily 7am–11pm · Phone: (416) 815-2660
Why Visit
Café ZUZU is the Gusto 54 group's all-day Italian café — fresh pastries in the morning, Italian sandwiches at lunch, authentic aperitivo in the early evening, and small plates and pasta for dinner. The bright Midtown space and the genuine Italian casual dining make it one of the neighbourhood's most versatile spots.
What Makes It Unique
No other Midtown restaurant combines house-made Italian pastries, an authentic aperitivo program, and the Gusto 54 group's kitchen quality in an all-day format. The morning-to-evening shift creates a dining experience that adapts to whatever time you visit.
Café ZUZU opened in 2022 as the Gusto 54 group's all-day café concept, bringing Italian-influenced casual dining to a bright corner space in Midtown. The design is contemporary Italian café: natural light, warm wood, a display case of pastries and sandwiches, and a bar that serves espresso in the morning and aperitivo in the evening. The atmosphere shifts throughout the day — quiet and productive in the morning, energetic and social at lunch, relaxed and convivial in the evening.
The breakfast program is the morning anchor: house-made pastries (croissants, danishes, bomboloni, sfogliatelle) baked fresh daily in a small kitchen visible from the dining room, espresso from a serious coffee program, and light breakfast dishes (yogurt with granola, toast with house-made jam, eggs prepared simply). The pastries are the kitchen's strongest morning work — the croissants have the correct lamination and honeycomb interior, the danishes are filled with seasonal fruit, and the bomboloni (Italian filled doughnuts) are fried to order on weekend mornings.
The lunch menu is built around Italian sandwiches and salads: porchetta with crackling and salsa verde on ciabatta, mortadella with pistachio pesto, burrata with heirloom tomatoes and basil oil, and grain bowls with roasted vegetables and Italian cheeses. The bread is baked daily, the ingredients are sourced from the same suppliers that serve the Gusto 54 group's higher-end restaurants, and the execution is precise even at the lower price point.
The evening aperitivo program (4–7pm, Tuesday through Friday) is Café ZUZU's most distinctive offering. Aperitivo is the Italian pre-dinner ritual — a spritz (Aperol, Campari, or Select with Prosecco and soda), a small plate of snacks (olives, cheese, charcuterie, bruschetta), and the transition from work to evening. The program is authentic rather than themed: the spritzes are built correctly, the snacks are genuine Italian aperitivo fare, and the atmosphere captures the conviviality of the Italian original.
The dinner menu shifts to small plates, pasta, and grills: arancini, calamari, house-made pasta with seasonal sauces, grilled fish, and simple meat preparations. The wine list is Italian-focused with by-the-glass selections that rotate weekly and bottle options that span affordable to special-occasion. The gelato program is the dessert highlight — house-made daily in classic flavours (fior di latte, pistachio, hazelnut, chocolate) and seasonal specials.
Service is warm and efficient — the staff are trained for the all-day format and understand that a 7am guest wants different pacing than a 7pm guest. The morning service is quick and quiet; the lunch service is energetic; the evening service is relaxed and conversational.
Café ZUZU is moderately priced for its all-day format: breakfast $6–14, lunch $14–24, dinner small plates $12–20, pasta $18–28, grills $24–34, aperitivo $12–18, cocktails $14–20, gelato $8–12. A full dinner with wine is $55–85 per person before tax and gratuity.
Reservations are not required for breakfast or lunch but are recommended for dinner, particularly Friday and Saturday. Book via OpenTable or the restaurant's website. The bar accepts walk-ins for aperitivo and a la carte dining.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Café ZUZU only a breakfast spot?
No — Café ZUZU is an all-day restaurant. Morning brings pastries and espresso, lunch offers Italian sandwiches and salads, the aperitivo program runs 4–7pm Tuesday through Friday, and dinner serves small plates, pasta, and grills. You can visit at any time of day.
What is the aperitivo program?
The aperitivo program (4–7pm, Tuesday through Friday) offers Italian pre-dinner drinks — spritzes with Aperol, Campari, or Select and Prosecco — accompanied by small plates of olives, cheese, charcuterie, and bruschetta. It captures the Italian ritual of transitioning from work to evening through convivial drinking and snacking.
How much does dinner cost at Café ZUZU?
Dinner small plates $12–20, pasta $18–28, grills $24–34, cocktails $14–20, aperitivo $12–18. A full dinner with wine is $55–85 per person before tax and gratuity. Breakfast is $6–14, lunch $14–24.
Do you need a reservation?
Reservations are not required for breakfast or lunch but are recommended for dinner, especially Friday and Saturday. Book via OpenTable or the restaurant's website. The bar accepts walk-ins for aperitivo and a la carte dining.