A Two Part Series
Living in a major city like Toronto has many perks, one of which is that coffee is never far away. If simply getting caffeinated is your jam, then there’s a plenitude of Tim Hortons or Starbucks on almost every street corner to scratch that particular itch. But if you’re a coffee aficionado who seeks out third-wave cafés that offer something other than the scorched, chocolatey coffee that most shops peddle, then you’re also spoiled for choice in Toronto. Below are a slew of specialty shops in no specific order where you can enjoy sweet, fruity coffees from countries like Kenya, Ethiopia, and Colombia.
Sam James Coffee Bar
Sam James started off with one location in the Harbord neighbourhood just over 10 years ago and slowly grew his humble offering into a slew of locations, all the while retaining his trademark outspoken personality. Despite all five of his cafés—Harbord, Toronto St., Park, Oz, and Path—servicing different locales and crowds, they all retain the same clean visual sensibilities. And thanks to the beans that Sam and his team roast in-house, you can expect a synonymous experience across the board. Given Sam’s ties to the skateboarding scene, you can also expect to see some sweet merch on offer if you’d care to advertise your allegiance to the rest of the world.
Boxcar Social
Boxcar Social is another café that has grown to include multiple locations, but this doesn’t mean they’ve cheapened their brand in the name of expansion. That said, their original Summerhill location is the one I’d recommend if you were looking to make the pilgrimage, as it is situated in some cushy Victorian gigs. Boxcar’s main draw is the rotating cast of roasters it pulls from to flesh out its lineup; you could go one week and drink a shot pulled using Brooklyn’s Sey, and return a month later to be greeted by one using Canada’s own, 49th Parallel. If you’ve never been to a coffee cupping, (the practice of analyzing a coffee for things like aroma, mouthfeel, or sweetness), Boxcar offers free cupping sessions at Summerhill every Saturday at 1p.m. Their baked goods are also to die for.
Neo Coffee Bar
Although they’re relative newcomers to the game compared to the rest of this list, Neo Coffee Bar have quickly positioned themselves as a spot worth checking out. Opened in 2015, Neo is a beautifully designed space that attempts to foster a sense of community to those who frequent it. While the coffee is excellent, sweet treats from the in-house bakery are a major calling card. Drawing from the owner’s Japanese heritage, the café offers a slew of roll cakes with different fillings depending on what’s in season, although matcha is ever-present. If you plan your trip right, you can enjoy lunch across the street at St. Lawrence Market before heading over to Neo for dessert.
de Mello Pahleta
While the design of their café might not compare to the others on this list—‘whimsical’ might be a kind way of describing the off-beat decor—de Mello can afford to be caught slacking on the interior design front, as their coffee is delicious. Because they rely on beans they’ve sourced and roasted themselves, de Mello offers a dialled-in experience that is noticeable from the first sip. This café might be a bit remote depending on where you live, but it’s certainly one to keep on your shortlist.
a-ok
Clothing companies have been known to toy with in-house coffee programs, but they often haven’t been executed to the standards of other specialty cafés. Enter Aritzia and a-ok, their new in-house café opened in February of this past year (full disclosure: I work for Aritzia). Known for marketing to upper-scale clientele, the Canadian clothing company has spared no expense in making the café attached to their Bloor Street flagship location a beautiful spot to meet a friend or grab a drink after shopping. Aesthetics aside, the in-house offerings that Dylan Wu has sourced hit just the right spot. As an added perk, the drinks at the Burlington location in Mapleview Mall are currently complimentary.
Tune in next issue to see what other shops make the non-exhaustive list!