The Thompson Diner is a standby favorite but the recent menu changes are a big downgrade for this former Toronto treasure. Now resting on its laurels, the quality of the food, the service, and the overall attention to detail seems to be flagging. The take away is that when you offer outstanding food and service in a hip, cool atmosphere, you can get away with charging a fortune for the food. When the food is lackluster and the service is poor, then the menu prices should reflect that. Unfortunately, that's not the case at the Thompson Diner. The prices are as high as ever, and the food has slid a few pegs.
The famous omlettes served on a piping hot griddle are still here but the griddle is no longer even warm and the signature choices (caramelized onions) and variety of add-ins (like green peppers) have been significantly downgraded and the limited number of choices makes me think that the kitchen is more of a heat-up pre-portioned place than it is an actual kitchen. The choices for vegetarians and gluten free folks (compared to the former menu) are almost nil.
Definitely a significant step down from its former self.
In addition the place seems understaffed compared to a few years ago and the hipster edge seems to be gone. Now, it seems like any other diner with a resentful crew -- lots of attitude and not a lot of smiles.