Jessica TangWith a cozy yet cute atmosphere, Pip is a must go for those looking for an affordable yet high-quality (read: bougie) brunch date.
Tucked away on the corner of 83 Avenue, the small 28-seat eatery Pip lies beside its sister business and Whyte Avenue staples The Next Act and MEAT. Though under the same management, Pip brings to the table its own unique vibe and approach to food. Serving Brunch till 3:00 p.m. and then dinner afterwards, Pip offers a smaller menu of elevated comfort food such as eggs benedict and french toast on their brunch menu and roast chicken and beef ragu on their dinner menu.
My companion and I decided to hit up Pip for a spontaneous brunch session and thoroughly enjoyed our time there. From the cute decor to our very pleasant server, there are many more reasons to return to Pip besides the food.
To start, my companion and I got iced lattes. The coffee was rich and strong and although it was essentially a regular latte, it definitely tasted of quality.
For our main course, I settled on the sweet french toast bake with bacon and my companion got the brunch special of the day: a dutch baby with bacon.
The french toast was very rich and decadent, coming with a large dollop of maple cream cheese and a berry compote. The bread was thick, super moist, and drizzled with maple syrup. My favourite part was the edges, which were caked in caramelized sugar, making the crust a crunchy sweet delight. The bacon was on the thicker side and had hints of sweetness and smokiness.
For those who don’t know, a dutch baby is a pancake made from an egg batter that is baked in an oven, rather than fried like a traditional pancake. This iteration of a dutch baby came with tomatoes, red onion, a poached egg, and bacon. It was light but savoury, making it a great brunch choice. The dutch baby itself, however, is on the eggier side of flavours, so beware if you’re not fond of eggs.
The only downside to Pip is the size of the restaurant. Though it is cozy, when at full capacity it can be a little overwhelming and it can feel like you are quite close to adjacent tables.
Overall, I really enjoyed Pip and will continue to use it as my go-to brunch spot. The food is fresh, flavourful, and though it’s not the cheapest, you also won’t break the bank for high-quality ingredients. If you don’t mind tight spaces, definitely check Pip out for your next holiday brunch date.
