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Balzac's

4.0 (86 reviews)
Closed 7:30 am - 6:00 pm

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BALZAC'S ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Moderate noise
Good for kids
Outdoor seating
Good for working

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Recommended Reviews - Balzac's

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Nicole E.

Time for a warm up. Grabbed an apple caramel latte with oat milk and a hot apple cider. C$14.01 It's the busiest roaster at the market. The apple cider is just barely warm, not hot. They have nice insulated to go cups for us. The Caramel latte was good.

Left: Iced Matcha Latte Right: Cafe Frappe
Rachel L.

This may be a flawed review because I didn't really try what Balzac's is known for, coffee, but instead tried an iced matcha latte and cafe frappe. The matcha was so bland, watery, and unappetizing. Really had to force myself to drink as much as I can as to not put my money to waste. The cafe frappe was incredibly sweet, too sweet for me. My mom thought it was okay and it helped cool her down from the heat. Service was rude. Guy working the cash register was super impatient. My mom was having trouble paying with her card and he walked away before she could ask for help. When he returned and saw that we still hadn't paid, he sighed and told her what to do. The inside of the shop is pretty cramped with all the seats really close together. Overall, an unpleasant experience and I'm pretty disappointed.

Christy Y.

After grabbing food at St. Lawrence Market, I was craving some coffee and saw Balzac's right across the street. It's a super cozy spot and really convenient if you're already at the market. When I stepped in, the place was packed--pretty much all the seats were taken by people working or studying on their laptops. The vibe was really laid-back, and the staff at the counter were super friendly. I went for the iced maple latte, which was a nice switch-up from a regular sweetened latte. The maple gives it a different flavor--definitely sweeter than sugar--but it still felt like a healthier option. The drink was good! Not mind-blowing, but if you like a sweeter iced latte, it's worth trying. Overall, it's a great spot to grab a coffee and chill after walking around the market. Definitely worth checking out!

Salted caramel latte
Quinton B.

The service, ambiance and coffee is amazing. Great location with great vibes. I can see myself starting every morning with a Balzac's coffee.

Capucino and drip coffee $9
Bojan P.

I would come here to get a coffee and get away from the bust st Lawrence market. Atmosphere: 5 stars. A very cozy place. People are reading books. Having a conversation. There are a few large desks where people brought laptops and are doing work. There is enough space to sit down. Coffee: (3 stars) The coffee is ok, nothing special. Service: Friendly staff.

Chocolate banana muffin, hobbit muffin, cheese and spinach pastry, raspberry pistachio danish
Ali B.

While walking in Toronto, my wife and I started craving something to eat -- something sweet and savoury while also feeling light. As we walked back home from St. Lawrence Market, we recalled seeing a coffee shop / café a few days prior, where there seemed to be a steady stream of people going inside to enjoy a cup of coffee and some pastries. When we saw that, we made plans to go visit when we were in the area the next time -- and today was that day. As we went inside, the light and dark contrasting décor and the fresh smell of brewing coffee indicated that we were definitely in the right spot. The counter was lined up with different foods, from pastries, to scones and muffins. We weren't exactly sure what we were craving so we ended up going slightly overboard and ordered a few different items. We ended up getting a chocolate banana muffin ($3.50), a hobbit muffin (because of the cute name -- $3.50), cheese and spinach pastry ($3.50) and a raspberry and pistachio Danish ($3.50). Again, we only went slightly overboard... Since we were in a hurry, we decided to take the treats to-go and warm them up to enjoy in the comforts of our home. The treats definitely hit the spot, and even though we didn't eat them right away at the café, they were still fresh when we had them. Hopefully next time we'll have a bit more time to enjoy the ambiance of the café.

White chocolate hazelnut latte, oat cookie latte, and chocolate croissant.
Raquel R.

Cute coffee shop. Loved the outer layers of the croissant. We had the chocolate croissant.

Amber J.

Nice coffee shop with a lot of coffee and drink options to choose from! There are always a LOT of people here when we visit, but we seem to find a table despite the busy-ness. We ordered a mocha and rose tea, both "for here", but for some reason, they gave the tea in a paper cup but coffee in a glass cup. Even though we ordered a hot mocha, they gave it in a glass cup, which I thought was cool. The mocha tasted pretty good and the tea was just a regular tea bag tea (although they have unique flavors). We've tried their pastries before too, and they were pretty good. They have vegan and GF options too. They've expanded the coffee shop with the space next to the original place since we last visited, which I think was a good move.

Kelly T.

Great spot for coffee that's close to St. Lawrence Market! This coffee shop is a good place to sit down and chat or do some work. It was our first time here so we took some recommendations from the barista. I decided to get the Oat Milk Cookie Latte (iced). The drink was really sweet, but if you are not a fan of sweet drinks you can get it less sweet. My boyfriend got the Salted Caramel Machiatto. I took a sip of it and it was so much better than the one from Starbucks! There was a perfect amount of expresso in the drink without it being too bitter. I really enjoyed my experience at this coffee shop. I would recommend it to anyone who visits Toronto!

View from my seat.
Risa S.

Wanted coffee and some place to kill some time. The staff was friendly and the place is spacey. I think it's a great place to get some work done. (There's WiFi). I can tell there were some regulars around so that's always nice to see. I got an americano and it was made so you can let the barista know how much water you want to add. Which was nice. Flavor was nice and more mellow than I expected which I think is a nice touch.

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6 years ago

Tasty iced mocha, friendly people. Looking forward to enjoying coffee on their patio sometime.

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10 years ago

Great coffee, cozy setting, great for watching the activity of the Market. Get some pastries to go with that excellent coffee

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9 years ago

The ambiance alone is awesome! Lots of great options for souvenirs. The cups have a great look and, oh yeah, the coffee is great too. ;)

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7 years ago

Love this shop. Great staff, great coffee. Great experience! Baked goods always on point.

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12 years ago

Great coffees. Great service. Must try the Zucchini chocolate muffin! So moist and heavenly!

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Balzac's Reviews in Other Languages

Review Highlights - Balzac's

Lawrence Market next door is oversupplied with raw meats and undersupplied with delicious beverages, so I ventured outside to grab a cup here.

Mentioned in 20 reviews

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NEO COFFEE BAR BAY X COLLEGE - Basque Cheesecake

NEO COFFEE BAR BAY X COLLEGE

4.1(97 reviews)
1.7 kmDiscovery District, Downtown Core

This pains me to write but I have to. I love Neo coffee! It's one of the best ones in the city…read more However, I recently visited to try their ube latte and doesn't even begin to cover it. I know that the ube trend is taking over but PLEASE before you advertise your product as such, DO YOUR RESEARCH and make sure that you are actually serving the thing. I'm Filipino and not only did I feel so offended by how this tasted, I also felt like I should be refunded. First of, the ube mixture was RED. I don't know where you're getting your ube mixture from but ube is PURPLE. The powder was chunky and did not at all taste like ube. Please, I get it we all want to make money from whats popular but take time to educate yourself. Get it from the right source OR ask a person who knows the product if its being presented right or if tastes remotely close. I'm very disappointed and would no longer be advertising Neo to my friends & family

After getting lunch in the area yesterday, I swung by Neo to get caffeinated before getting on with…read moremy day. I noticed they had a seasonal menu and a Cloud 9 on the menu. The staff shared that it's an Earl Grey tea latte. Since this is a flavour I really love, I had to try it out. I don't know if it's the quality of Earl Grey tea leaves or what, this tastes really good and nothing like any other Earl Grey latte I ever had. I hope it sticks around because it really like it! And of course presentation of their drinks is always on point!

Photos
NEO COFFEE BAR BAY X COLLEGE - Matcha Latte  https://www.instagram.com/the.wanderin.foodie/

Matcha Latte https://www.instagram.com/the.wanderin.foodie/

NEO COFFEE BAR BAY X COLLEGE - Strawberry Cake Roll https://www.instagram.com/the.wanderin.foodie/

Strawberry Cake Roll https://www.instagram.com/the.wanderin.foodie/

NEO COFFEE BAR BAY X COLLEGE - Matcha latte

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Matcha latte

Balzac's - coffeeroasteries - Updated May 2026

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