Breakfast may be the most important meal of the day, but it’s also the least fun, associated with early mornings, rushing out the door, and bran. Brunch, by contrast, is a completely different affair, an opportunity to linger, catch up with friends, and cure hangovers. It’s a ritual that Vancouverites wholly embrace, some willing to stand in line for an hour or longer for their favourite Bennies. There are now more must-try spots to add to the list, with recent additions to the daytime dining scene.

Having opened on the site of Vancouver’s first jail in Blood Alley just over four years ago, L’Abattoir (217 Carrall Street) has become one of the city’s strongest restaurants thanks to chef Lee Cooper’s French-influenced, consistently flavourful, unfussy fare. Building on its success, it’s now offering weekend brunch (Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.).

“We felt it was time to take the restaurant to the next level,” says general manager and owner Paul Grunberg by phone. “The product is directly in line with L’Abattoir’s food, service, and atmosphere. You’re getting the L’Abattoir experience, but you’re getting it at 10 a.m.

“Vancouver is such a brunch city,” he adds. “I think it’s a cultural thing. People really like the idea of meeting up with friends and family on weekends and connecting over good food and good coffee. It’s a time to talk and to celebrate.”

Grunberg himself is fond of L’Abattoir’s breakfast burger, which has a hash-brown patty and a fried egg atop a beef patty; he also likes the poached eggs served with burrata and tomato fondue on grilled bread. There’s simpler fare too, such as short-stack buttermilk pancakes. Grunberg notes that L’Abattoir’s brunch is a kid-friendly experience and that diners are welcomed to their table with a basket of large, freshly made pastries, such as jelly doughnuts, raisin Danishes, croissants, and currant scones with Devon cream. Potent JJ Bean coffee is served in a French press, but for those wanting something even stronger, there are unique cocktails like the Bourbon Cinnamon Toast Milk Punch, which mixes whisky with Becherovka (a herbal liqueur), cereal-infused cream, cinnamon, and cocoa bitters. Mains range from $14 to $22.

Elsewhere, the daytime meal gets a new lift at Altitudes Bistro at the top of Grouse Mountain (Saturday and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.) with its magnificent views. (In addition, Grouse has a special Easter buffet going on this Sunday [April 5] at the Observatory and in the Timber Room.)

“We recently began to offer brunch because it seemed like a natural fit for us,” says Jacqueline Blackwell, the mountain’s manager of public relations, who notes that weekends draw locals and tourists alike. “Brunch has become such a popular activity throughout the Lower Mainland; we knew we could provide an outstanding experience along with an incredible view and one-of-a-kind activities.”

Among the signature items are the pulled-pork Bennies, topped with caramelized onion and chipotle hollandaise, and the Grouse Grind salad, a hefty jumble of quinoa, kale, avocado, pistachio, dried cranberry, and goat cheese in lemon honey dressing, with optional chicken, vegan Chick’n, wild sockeye salmon, garlic prawns, pulled pork, or albacore tuna. Dishes range from $7.50 to $25.

Those not looking for fresh air with their home fries but rather a boozy brunch would do well to stop by Steel Toad Brewpub and Dining Hall (97 East 2nd Avenue). Aside from Bennies and sandwiches, menu items (ranging in price from $8 to $26) include 12-inch pizzas (like the Breakfast, with smoked pancetta, eggs, and cured tomato), as well as a trio of “skillets”: vegetarian (with zucchini, spinach, and potato), turkey sausage, and smoked meat.

“The Montreal-smoked-meat skillet pairs well with our darker beers,” says brewmaster Chris Charron. “Right now we have a brown ale and an oatmeal stout, but the brown ale is just a one-off beer and may not be around for more than a few more weeks, whereas the stout is a permanent fixture.”

Steel Toad’s brunch isn’t strictly about bitter and blond ales, though: the brewpub also offers a range of cocktails, including a bloody mary using tomato juice that’s made in-house.

James Iranzad, co-owner with Josh Pape of Wildebeest (120 West Hastings Street), says he’s always loved going for brunch, which is why the Gastown restaurant now serves it on Saturdays and Sundays (from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.), with main plates ranging from $12 to $26.

“It’s a very wonderful, lazy weekend where you get together with people you like and you can take your time,” he says during a phone conversation. “I love eggs and I love meat and I love cocktails and the sneakiness of having a mimosa or some kind of drink a little earlier than you’re supposed to. It really forces you to relax a little bit.”

The decadent menu consists of classic brunch dishes with a Wildebeest twist. These range from the perfect-for-sharing Wilde‘brunch’—with Cheddar-infused smoked bierwurst, thick-cut bacon, Angus beef bavette, three fried eggs, and thrice-cooked potatoes, all in a peppercorn sauce—to lighter fare such as freshly shucked Sawmill Bay oysters with a Scotch mist. Then there’s bone marrow and eggs.

“Bone marrow is like meat butter,” Iranzad says. “It’s so rich and savoury; it’s comfort food. We take that and mix it with eggs and some beautiful, freshly picked herbs and scramble them together, then serve it back in the bone with some perfect potatoes. Especially if you’ve had a couple drinks the night before, which is often why people do go for brunch, it’s a way to straighten you up the next morning. That’s the kind of dish that makes people really happy.”