Outfitted like a Provence patio and outdoor market, Palavrion is a friendly and inviting way to start your day, assuming you can figure out the system, of course.

Walking in, you see uniformed staff behind stations designed to look like a marketplace - here a cart of muffins and baked goods, there an omelette station, and various places to pick up other comestibles like bagels, fruit, drinks, coffee and the like. While this may sound like a cafeteria, it is more like what cafeterias aspire to be - visually interesting, culinarily dynamic, and generally light-years from prepackaged, wrapped sandwiches.

Unfortunately, it seems that they assume you know what you are supposed to do in this lively set-up. Trays are in one place, plastic silverware in another, and no clear idea of when or how you are to pay. It would be helpful if the staff, when greeting, could ask if you had been there before, and, if not, explain the process.

Once figured out, the system is quite pleasing, and the food is of high quality. Freshly made omelettes (one veggie, one ham and cheese) are made with about two eggs and are filling. The Danish (we had an apple cheese) was moist and flaky. The coffee was excellent, although disappointingly served in styrofoam cups.

If you are visiting Toronto and are in subway or walking distance of a Movenpick, I can recommend a visit, as it is a notch up from standard hotel breakfast fare.