Motto brings zippy Mediterranean flavours to a bustling strip of Toronto’s Queen Street West. A family-run spot fuelled by diligence and a catalogue of treasured recipes, it feels like a natural fit for the area.
Things are always in flux in West Queen West. A neighbourhood that’s rarely quiet, it’s as home to change as it is to scurrying hordes. So, when Hanky Panky, a saucy love shop, closed this summer, the space it vacated wasn’t empty for long.
By late October, locals discovered Motto, a bright, Mediterranean-style spot flooded with light from a row of lofty skylights. Customers seeking out the location’s former tenant are, no doubt, shocked by the transformation.
“I wanted to make people feel like Greece, the west part of Turkey,” says owner Deniz Telli, of the restaurant’s sunny look. “I chose terrazzo tiles, white and green colours.”
He also chose a name that’s catchy and motivating, in a pleasantly subtle way. “What’s your motto today?,” reads a sign on the wall, inviting you to reflect, for at least as long as it takes the team to prep your order.
Despite it being a first solo project for Telli and his family, Motto is the culmination of years in the hospitality industry. “I used to run a juice business,” he explains, adding that he also once had a food truck.
“My aunts came two years ago from Turkey, and they are really good chefs. That’s why we started in the restaurant business together.”
A place for vitalizing sips and lavish brunch and lunch spreads, Motto’s lengthy menu jumps from bracing cold-pressed juices and specialty hot drinks to handheld meals and entrées composed of sundry savoury items.
“The menu was designed by my aunts,” says Telli. “We tried to touch on Mediterranean cuisine—French, Italian, Turkish—all mixed. We are Turkish, but we didn’t want to make just Turkish dishes.”
Motivated by 2026 resolutions, or perhaps just a general attempt to consume more natural foods, you might want to begin with a Motto Beet ($12) or Motto Green ($12). Made with fruit and vegetables sourced from the Ontario Food Terminal, each is a study in produce mixology.
A blend of beet, carrot, apple, ginger and lemon, the first tastes like beets with spicy back notes. The second? Made from heaps of kale and celery, with pineapple, apple, mint and ginger, for palatability, it’s the best way to feel virtuous about what comes next.
To be fair, most of Motto’s plates are wholesome and fresh, with a from-scratch quality that feels honest and satisfying. Telli’s aunts feed customers as if they knew each and every one, making it impossible not to feel at home at their table. If anything, it’s the portion sizes that can inspire regret to creep in.
Heaving under the weight of fried eggs, sausage, mücver, olives, salad, toast and spreads, Mediterranean Breakfast ($26) could also be lunch (maybe even a snack), as well. A dish that covers savoury and sweet needs, its biggest surprise is in the promise of a sausage culminating in a wiener on the plate.
Equally hearty, Eggs Benedict ($24) and Brisket & Avocado Breakfast ($25) are strictly for enthusiastic eaters.
For their Benedict, the team slathers English muffins with herbed cream cheese, then layers them with smoky ribbons of salmon, perfectly poached eggs and lemony hollandaise. On the side, green salad and properly creamy roast potatoes put the dish squarely in leisurely brunching territory.
An avocado toast for overachievers, this one is made with tender slow-cooked brisket and scrambled eggs, in addition to the usual sourdough and silky avocado spread.
Depending on where your tastes fall, you might find yourself bypassing the abundance of savoury dishes, scanning the menu for sweets. The aunties are way ahead of you, with a selection of pancake and French toast offerings topped with gooey, syrupy, sticky foodstuffs.
Rising social media stars, their Pistachio Pancakes ($18) are cloaked in luxe pistachio sauce, two snowy knolls of mascarpone cream standing at attention to either side.
Made in the kitchen’s signature share size, Berry Cheesecake ($12) and Pistachio Cheesecake ($12) are rich and tangy. For a birthday or pick-me-up, either one would successfully fit the bill.
At Motto, the food is fresh and filling, the team is cheery and welcoming, and the juices are guaranteed to put a pep in your step. The team may not sell sex toys, but they’re definitely in the business of making people feel good.
Motto is located at 764 Queen Street West.
Dining and Cooking