My Favourite Cafés in Toronto

Toronto has an incredible coffee culture. Cafés are a dime a dozen in these parts, and I feel as though I'm constantly discovering different spaces to enjoy my morning brew. While I have fun exploring the city in search of the perfect coffee spot, there's a select few that always keep me coming back.  These places rank high for me on aesthetics, quality of coffee and friendliness of service -  because let's face it, who actually enjoys aloof hipster attitude? Here is my roundup of my favourite, most instagrammable cafes in Toronto.

Dineen Coffee Company

Dineen holds a special place in my heart, as it was one of the first cafés that drew me into coffee culture. Right on the edge of the financial district and close to the Toronto Eaton Centre, you can expect to be rubbing elbows with high-powered executives, tourists and coffee snobs alike at this gorgeous space. The café is absolutely breathtaking, and the energy is absolutely electric; don't expect quiet, or even a table in this place - it's usually packed. I always come back to Dineen Coffee Company to enjoy a lunch-time coffee and ogle their gorgeous tiles.

Hailed Coffee Company

Those of you who follow me on Instagram will recognize Hailed Coffee Company as one of my most frequented cafes in the city. The design of the beautiful café really speaks to my soul; lots of light, with beautifully minimal details and a tiled floor to boot!  To make matters even more addicting, the staff is absolutely wonderful and Hailed offers lots of variety from your typical latte. I love enjoying a matcha tea latte or one of their cardamon-infused espresso based drinks.  If you haven't visited Hailed Coffee in Toronto yet, don't think  - just do it.

Colette Grand Café

There are certain places that capture the heart of everyone within a particular group; for Toronto bloggers, Colette Grand Café is the mothership. With a design that invokes the most beautiful corners in Paris and plenty of light, it's easy to see why Colette is an industry favourite. I like to visit on a weekday when there are plenty of tables available for enjoying a latte with one of their famous macarons - weekends are reserved for dining room patrons only.

The Walton

I've only just visited The Walton within the last month with Rebeca and Sabrina, but I had to include them in my lists of favourites because I was so impressed by the service and warmth of the space.  The Walton has the energy and feel of a cozy neighbourhood joint, with two tables encased in windows to enjoy your coffee and watch the world go by.  The staff were amazing on our visit, and patiently waited as the girls and I exercised our own brand of crazy and picked out which china we wanted for our coffees from their vast collection. The Walton is one of those rare places in Toronto that make you feel comfortable to sit and chat all day - in fact, that's exactly what we did.

Roosters Coffee House

Roosters Coffee House is a neighbourhood staple for me, and their friendly service is hands down what keeps me coming back. Rarely are you greeted with a warm 'hello' and genuine conversation in a big city like Toronto, but I have come to expect this sort of warm reception at Roosters. I also appreciate how Roosters strives to keep their prices low, making it one of the most affordable spots to get an espresso-based drink in Toronto. Heads up - they also do matcha lattes!

Neo Coffee Bar

Another neighbourhood coffee joint for me, I always come back to Neo Coffee Bar for their incredible matcha lattes.  The space is beautifully industrial, and they make all of their treats in-house  which means that you're often greeted by the smell of fresh baking when you walk through the doors - amazing! Neo also exercises consistently amazing latte art, so if you are in the market for a fancy coffee, this is your spot.

Safehouse Coffee

Another new addition for me, I visited Safehouse with Tara and Sabrina and we were all blown away by the warm reception we received. The owners of Safehouse really care about making their space inviting, and their coffee is incredible! Can we also talk about these tiles; I'm a sucker for world-play in tiles and the cheeky tiled 'hi' captured my heart.

Calii Love

While Calii Love is known for their poké and açai bowls, it's also one of my favourite places to get a coffee. Not only is the space an absolute dream, but I've really come to enjoy their coffee - I'm talking walking over 20 minutes out of my way just to get an americano with coconut milk! If you find yourself in the entertainment district, or wandering around King West then definitely give Calii Love a try - you won't regret it!

That's it!  I tried to keep my list as concise as possible, but there are just so many amazing cafés in Toronto.  Which cafés are your favourite? Does your city have a rich coffee culture?  Let me know!

xo Joëlle

SaveSaveSaveSave