Best Breakfast in Oakville? - Ben & Florentine

“Simply the best breakfast in Oakville!” enthuses Gabriella Juhasz, owner of Ben and Florentine.

It’s tough to disagree with the Montreal-inspired menu, beautiful surroundings, and happy, friendly staff. From avocado toast to Eggs BEN-edict and FLORENTINE and a variety of crepe and waffle options, as well as Lox and old-fashioned skillet dishes, Ben and Florentine at 146 Lakeshore Road West, right across from Fortino’s, is a breakfast lover’s paradise. “You can’t forget our amazing smoothies!” insists Gabriella.

Interior Ben and Florentine's | Gabriella Juhasz

Open for lunch too, Ben and Florentine is re-opening after facing some unique challenges through the pandemic. Soon after the May re-opening for patio and takeout, vandals entered through accidentally unlocked doors after hours, doing only minor damage but setting a fire. The fire didn’t spread, but the smoke damage meant that everything had to be replaced for health reasons. This meant a prolonged closure, really challenging after the COVID-19 lockdown. The silver lining is that everything was updated, and the setting is now spectacularly beautiful.

“We are very COVID conscious, with plexiglass dividers throughout and a patio where we can serve anyone unvaccinated. We have great parking in front and behind and are wheelchair accessible.”

Through it all, Gabriella was able to hold on to her entire staff, including her wonderful chefs. “The food is just amazing, and the service is great because as soon as we re-opened, the whole staff came straight back!” With many hospitality businesses suffering staff shortages, Gabriella’s staff retention says a lot about the atmosphere at Ben and Florentine’s, which welcomes a huge variety of customers. Ben and Florentine has a party section and is very family-friendly.

Ben and Florentine’s can accommodate all allergy restrictions, as well as faith-based dietary requirements, and offers a great selection of vegetarian and vegan options. From a hospitality business family in Hungary (with, among other things, a steak house near Budapest), Gabriella loves Canada for its tolerance and freedom, qualities in scarce supply these days in her home country. Indeed, her daughter plans to be a lawyer to advocate for those who have no voice, of which Gabriella is immensely proud.

A fifteen-year Oakville resident who came to Canada in 1996, Gabriella took the leap to restaurant ownership in 2017. “I have travelled all of Canada, from the East Coast to the West, and it is such a beautiful country. Of all the places I visited though, Oakville is to me the most beautiful.” And here, local people have really supported us local business through the pandemic. “Oakville people stick together and are kind to each other,” she says. “Why some of our customers told me that when we were closed, they had dreams of sitting in the restaurant having breakfast.”

It’s that feeling of being in a village (even if Oakville is a City that calls itself a Town) that inspires Gabriella to keep bringing wonderful, delicious food in clean and comfortable surroundings to Oakville’s residents, seven days a week. “Just a warning,” she says, “We are not open on Boxing Day.” Yes, that’s right, they are open on Christmas, New Year’s and every other day of the year.

Ben and Florentine’s, 146 Lakeshore Road West, Unit A, 905-339-3336, [email protected]