** This restaurant is now closed. **
Brunch has always been popular; it is, after all, the only socially acceptable excuse for day drinking. Nowadays, I feel it's become even more of a trend in millennial culture. Thanks to Instagram, Snapchat, etc. etc., there has never been more photos of breakfast plates uploaded on a Sunday morning.
Though it's been getting somewhat better, Edmonton's brunch scene has always paled in comparison to other cities. Someone out there must have heard our cries because fear no more! Duchess Bakeshop has come to the rescue in the form of Cafe Linnea, a French and Scandinavian-inspired restaurant that caters exclusively to the brunch circuit.
Located in Holland Plaza, Cafe Linnea is just a quick drive away from Duchess on 124th. It sits right next door to the newer and larger Duchess Provisions. Duchess Atelier, a teaching kitchen, is also slated to be open in the fall. (Sign me up!)
Although there hasn't been an official grand opening, the restaurant has been soft open for a few weeks now. Our waitress explained that they wanted to work kinks out and get a feel for things before an announcement was made (in other words, before things get too cray). Closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays, Cafe Linnea is open the rest of the week from 9:00 to 3:00. Sundays are 10:00-1:00 since they will also be offering two sittings of high tea on the same day. High tea is available by reservation only with time slots of 3:00 and 3:30. I'm thinking future birthday plans? (Hint hint). KN and I went in on a Monday afternoon, and considering how busy it was, the word is definitely out -- and it travels fast.
What they've done to the restaurant space is truly incredible. With a skylight and windows all around, the space is airy and bright. Greenery and copper accents complete the look. Very on trend; it just evokes feelings of freshness.
Our waitress was super nice and made sure to check in often. Since they're paying their servers a fair living wage, Cafe Linnea is a no tipping establishment (GST is also included in the menu price). This was something that was echoed by our waitress a couple of times. It felt a bit odd to not tip, but it's a commendable business practice that they're following.
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