Symposium Cafe Restaurant Oshawa

Symposium Cafe Restaurant Oshawa is a full-service restaurant at 2630 Simcoe Street North in Oshawa, serving breakfast, lunch, dinner, desserts and drinks in a dining room, bar area and patio. Diners across North Oshawa and the wider Durham Region use it for everything from a quick weekday lunch to a slower weekend brunch, and the mix of an all-day breakfast menu, a full dinner list and daily specials is what shapes the decision to go there rather than somewhere else nearby.

The bill at Symposium Cafe Restaurant Oshawa moves with the meal and the day of the week more than with the dish itself. Ordering breakfast or a weekday lunch generally lands closer to the advertised specials, while a full dinner with appetizers, a main and dessert runs higher, and adding drinks from the full bar changes the total again.

Weekday lunch specials are listed from $14.95, an early bird breakfast is listed from $8.95 Monday to Friday, and a three-course early bird dinner is listed from $24.95. Beyond those windows, dinner mains such as striploin, ribs, salmon or the seafood linguine sit at regular menu pricing, and shareable starters, soups, salads or desserts add to the total. Rotating day-of-week deals — burger and fries, half-price pasta, wing specials, a date-night pairing, fish and chips, or rib and wing plates — also affect what a table ends up spending, so timing a visit around one of these specials is a straightforward way to plan a budget. Drink pricing follows the same pattern: happy hour and weekly cocktail or pitcher specials bring costs down at set times, while ordering off the regular bar menu at another hour does not.

Dine-In, Takeout and Delivery

The restaurant offers dine-in seating in the dining room, bar and lounge, plus a seasonal outdoor patio, along with takeout and delivery for guests who would rather eat at home or the office. Breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner menus are each available across these formats, so the choice between eating on-site and ordering out does not limit which part of the menu is accessible.

A short call ahead of time clears up seating, timing and group size before arriving at 2630 Simcoe Street North. Because the specials and hours change by day, confirming details over the phone avoids a wasted trip, especially around meal-time rushes or when planning for a larger group.

Worth asking: whether a table is available for the size of the group and whether the patio is open that day, what that day's food or drink special is running, whether high chairs are set up for young children, and whether the space can accommodate a wheelchair or a stroller.

Regulars tend to build a routine around the daily specials, treating the restaurant as a go-to spot for a particular day of the week rather than a one-off destination, while first-time visitors are more likely to comment on the room itself — the stone-art walls, mural-style decor and booth seating that set it apart from a typical quick-service stop.

Longtime guests often lean on the weekday lunch and early bird windows to get a full sit-down meal at a predictable price, and they know which night pairs a food deal with a drink discount. Newcomers, by contrast, usually notice the range on a single menu — a hearty breakfast plate, a rice bowl, a steak dinner and a slice of carrot cake all coming from the same kitchen — and the option to sit outside on the patio when weather allows. Families appreciate that younger children eat free on a set day of the week, and groups meeting after work or class from the nearby college and university campuses use the bar and lounge area for a more casual visit than a full dinner seating.

Frequently asked questions

How does the first contact with the restaurant usually go?

Most guests reach the restaurant by phone at 905-440-4448 to ask about seating, current specials, or hours before a visit, and directions are also available through its website.

Can a meal be ordered without dining in?

Yes — the menu is available for takeout and delivery in addition to dine-in seating, so a full breakfast, lunch or dinner order can be arranged without sitting down in the restaurant.

How much time should be planned for a visit?

A quick breakfast or lunch can be a shorter stop, while a full dinner with appetizers, a main course and dessert, especially during a busier evening near Costco and the surrounding shopping area, calls for a longer, more relaxed block of time.

Is parking or transit access available nearby?

The location offers free on-site parking as well as bike racks, and it sits along Simcoe Street North near Highway 407, making it reachable by car for visitors coming from across Durham Region.