Really good cortado-strong without being bitter or acidic. Egg sandwich with pickled onions is fantastic but sometimes sold out. The muffins are amazing, particular carrot coconut and berry marscapone. Very relaxed atmosphere with a lot of friendly regulars. read more

I've tried this place a few times and there coffee is consistently good. The place is rustic and has some seating space. I tried Americano and the coffee had lot of flavour. The barista was courteous and made the coffee to perfection! read more

Capital Espresso - a brick wall with art on it - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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I'm obsessed with coffee shops. Not coffee, but coffee shops and Capital Espresso delivered. It's a spacious coffee shop in Parkdale on West Queen Street. It opens early for the super early crowd and sells quality coffee and fresh pastries. I recommend the latte and chocolate chip muffin. If you're here to stay, they have WIFI and plenty of seats for all. If you want a great atmosphere and friendly service, stay for awhile! read more

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An interesting find in this up and coming area. I have only recently started to explore this area and it seems to be up and up in terms of good cafes/dessert spots. This place fits right in. I was immediately taken aback by the Epic roast bags from 49th Parallel of Vancouver. This being one of my fav espresso blends I was already looking forward to my drink. This is a complicated roast and once one gets it right it can do wonders. Here is the verdict for the cappuccino Espresso: Medium Crema': Good Milk: Frothed well Latte Art: Decent. 4 Stars for the drink. Now for the other items they didn't look appetizing to me but one can easily resolve that by just walking across the street and getting a decent dessert fix. 3.5 Stars overall. read more

Capital Espresso - Cappuccino - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Hidden in plain sight in Parkdale, Capital Espresso sits quietly almost unannounced with no signs on a corner. I didn't even know it was here for the longest time. When we arrived, it was packed on a Sunday morning with most tables taken up by a leisurely reader. This place definitely has it's regulars. I have to admit that the cafe has that cute and quaint feel ... slightly on the hipster side but without the pretentiousness. There is a decent amount of tables but I already mentioned, most had one person sitting just reading the news. So if you're planning to sit and enjoy... that probably won't happen. As I was looking at the clean & simple menu, I noticed they had a lot pastries on offer. As for the service, big smiles & a really great friendly personality. I got my almond milk flat white and I was really pleasantly surprised by the cost. Less than $5 including tip... really? thats so rare in Toronto. As for the flavour, it's quite nice... rich, robust, no bitterness, and good balance. Is it my favourite in Toronto... no but it definitely rates as one of the better ones especially at this price. read more

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Came here one early Friday evening. Food: This rating is pretty much dominated by the carrot coconut muffin I got. I was hoping for it to be heated but it was given to me as is. This muffin was the most scrumptious muffin my teeth ever sinked in! The muffin is moist, not overly sweet, the toasted coconut on top was a nice addition, I am not doing this muffin justice... The inside of carrot cakes tend to be brown, the inside of this muffin was a light yellow. I am definitely going back to try it again as well as other muffins. If I sit in next time, will remember to keep in mind to let them know this so they place it on a plate instead of a to-go bag. Service & atmosphere: Good service, the staff get your order in a jiffy. This coffee shop is frequented by the locals. All the tables become occupied so if you want to catch up with someone here make sure you grab a spot early. Price: *two thumbs up* Worth the value! read more

Capital Espresso is located at Queen/Dunn in Parkdale. The bustling coffee shop is always filled with customers sipping their beverages or working on laptops. The coffee shop has a welcoming vibe and the staff are super friendly. As one of my favourite coffee shops in the city, they make a great Americano that keeps me coming back for more. They also have some baked goods on sale that I have yet to try! read more

Capital Espresso - a kitchen with a brick wall - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Huge Storefront Window overlooking Queen West.... Sunny and Warm Sunday Afternoon... A well made Americano ($2.75) in a mug is all I need... And an electric outlet right under my seat with Free Wifi.. Capital Espresso has all the elements that makes me a happy camper.... read more

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I like this place a lot. Good coffee for the morning. Staff are always friendly and the baked goods are tasty

Went here for the coffee. My first sip of my flat white made me nervous - seemed a bit watery. I realized as I finished it however, that I had thoroughly enjoyed it - it had a lovely mouth feel and finish. I also tried a pastry - a chocolate croissant - and it was good but not a standout. The staff is reserved, they really weren't willing to engage in a quick friendly exchange. I did see them chatting with people who seemed to be established regulars. So that's fine. (Not everyone running a coffee shop is an extrovert.) The overall feel is one of calm. Lots of book readers and laptops and a steady stream of customers. Would I return: Yes Would I recommend: Yes read more

On my way home a couple weeks ago, this space appeared. I thought to myself , ``How did I not notice this before?`` I really wanted to go in! The space itself is filled with hipsters and folks with tattoos then well, people like me. (ummm....americano to go, please? said while carrying groceries in tow and not wanting to be a scenester. My friend, you cannot be cool in there with a blockbuster bag). They use Origins coffee which I had not heard of. So this was an exciting moment to try something new. I was incredibly surprised! I'm drinking my cup slowly so it doesn't disappear as I write this. It is a smooth, velvety cup of wonder with an aftertaste that lingers an uh-huh/ oh yeah - on your palette. It's that good! My only criticism is I think they need more seating. In addition, although I love the setting, it is modern and clean but it felt a little cold. I would love maybe a few pieces of art up or something. Haven't quite figured it out. But the big part, the most important, the coffee, is incredible. read more

Just came back from my first visit here where I had a cappuccino and a "dark chocolate espresso with nutella" muffin, and sat for an hour to watch the interesting mix of people come and go. My cappuccino was perfectly made (and very pretty) and my muffin was fresh (still warm actually), fluffy, and tasty. They had a nice assortment of muffins when I arrived, but by time I left they were all gone, and they just had a small assortment of cookies available. The place is catching on fast and I wouldn't be surprised if they have trouble keeping up with the demand. The previous reviewer commented that they don't have enough seating, which I don't understand. They have as many tables as they can possibly pack in to the place, and 4 or 5 bar stools at the counter, which is cool if you're alone. It was very busy in there though and I can see how it could be hard to get a seat for sure - I happened to luck in to a table as someone was leaving as I placed my order. My only criticism is that the staff could have been a little friendlier. No one was rude at all but I certainly was not greeted enthusiastically. That may have had more to do with the Saturday morning rush than anything though, and I'm not so high maintenance as to think that it's a big deal. The menu is VERY simply - basically espresso, cappuccino, macchiato, americano, latte, muffins, cookies, and a small assortment of bottled drinks. My cappuccino and muffin came to $5.75 (taxes are included in the prices and they accept CASH only). read more

Capital Espresso - Capital Espresso - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

It really shines as a place to go and have a cup of coffee. I had the latte which was rich and sweet from the perfectly steamed whole milk and the use of Social Coffee espresso; a favourite of mine. Atmosphere benefits from an amazing instrumental and experimental music selection that supports both chatting with friends or working alone. The real stand out is the freshly baked muffin which shares flavours and textures with other traditional breakfast baked goods. It's crusty muffin-top all around a light and fluffy mid section with a moist English muffin/pancake like center. Will enthusiastically return to try the solo espresso and another muffin. read more

Capital Espresso - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

I highly do not recommend the oat latte. It tasted rancid. We make much better ones at home with the Barrista Oat milk. Staff was 50/50. The hipster Barrista was as personable as a bag of nails but the other staff was responsive, at best. I've been here in the past years ago and recall having a similar experience. Rating score = meh. read more

Best coffee in Parkdale! The staff always remember your order Great music Always cozy read more

On multiple visits, staff is quick, easy going. Hipster central. Very good flat white, beautiful building, great corner. read more

Capital Espresso - Parkdale - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

My husband's a huge coffee snob (the woooooooooooorst), so this is where he buys his beans. Minus a bajillion temperature, pushing a newborn in a snowsuit, in a snowstorm, uphill both ways... all for his coffee. The people that work here are super sweet, though, and I enjoy their espresso drinks very much, so I can't hate too much on bean pilgrimages. I especially dig their lattes in the winter, iced americanos in the summer. read more

One of the local coffee shops I visited on my last trip to Toronto. Great espresso! I was hoping to stay a bit and read but the place was really busy and I couldn't get a seat unfortunately.. Seems like a neighborhood favorite. read more

Gorgeous space at the corner of Queen West and Dunn Ave. You don't know where that is? Let's just say it's in that pseudo-not-quite-that-sketchy lane of Parkdale smackdab in the centre of Blondie's and Mother India. Capital Espresso how do I describe thee? With compounds like hardwood, and coffeeshop, and cutehipstergirls. This corner café offers tonnes of seating, scads of natural light, and a mean espresso. The atmosphere was pretty chill. I'd like to say the shredded up stools at the bar were charmingly dishevelled, but they just looked busted to me. They stuck out in a space that was otherwise almost flawless in terms of layout and hardware. The couch at the front is a great place to gab, and there are plenty of thick-slabbed two-tops at the back for the bold-spectacled Macbook( Pro)-toting douches like myself, to pretend to do "work." Espresso prices are pretty reasonable. When I asked for a cortado "for here," the barista replied "we only do those 'for here'" which to me means they know what's up. Their espresso was spot on. They also serve up muffins, cookies, loose leaf teas, hot chocolate, "soda pop" and smoothies. An excellent find. Come here and decompress. Obligatory Title Pun: Two buck Americanos? CAPITAL idea. Menu Readability: Their menu is a marquee style backlight sign with bold black oversized sansserif lettering which, if you know my feelings towards bold black oversized sans-serif lettering (BBOSL), is obviously the best thing ever. Need to mention: Free wifi, cash only and TAXES INCLUDED. What this place teaches me about myself: There should be a category on Craig's List called M4BBOSL. read more

I started out liking Capital, but I finally came to my senses once I started going regularly and spending some time there. The baristas are very pleasant and the coffee is fine. But you can never get a seat and the internet is horribly unreliable. The bench seats are uncomfortable. It's hot in the summer. The crowd can be loud and obnoxious too. They once had a great big sign in the front window that read: "Long Live the Working Class". What a joke. The working class don't noodle around on their macbooks sipping $4 lattes all day. maybe this was some sort of art installation and I missed the point. Whatever. Still a bunch of knobs in my books. It has suddenly become hard to find a good cafe in Parkdale. I miss The Mascot. Parkdale needs a Starbucks. read more

The coffee crew over at Blondies have uprooted themselves and moved down the street to a new local and have adopted a new name as well: Capital Espresso. Pretty much everything I said about Blondies rings true here for great tasting coffee. I do like their espresso, I believe it from Origins Organic Coffee in Vancouver. As for regular brews...Hey I see some bags of Social behind the counter. The baristas are coffee geeks and pull great shots so expect high quality all the time. As for the new digs, I like the space. Much more open. Reminds me of Crema in the Junction. Though I did like the cozy dark woody tones of the former Blondies as well. This place though should light up in the summer, even if the view to outside is Parkdale. Should be a nice place to meet n hang for the locals. What else, what else...I assume their baked treats are from the same supplier. The choco-banana muffins are to die for. Most treats are gone by 11:30 am. I recommend, one of if not the place for coffee in Parkdale. read more

This has to be one of the most over-rated coffee experiences in the city. The muffin was gross and stale (and strangely salty), and the espresso is pretty bitter. It was also rammed with hipsters using their laptops without coffee. Blah, Parkdale needs a Starbucks. Bonus point for soy milk latte art! read more

Ever since Parkdale was taken over by a slew of hipster cafes, which employ latte-sipping tree-hugging tattooed folks wearing toques in summer and with a never-ending penchant for proper coffee, this place quickly became one of my favourites. Living ten minutes, more or less, away from here only encouraged me to walk over in my pajamas and cast one dreadfully drowsy look at the barista who without waiting for any further instructions gave me a quick shot of espresso. Their coffee is quite good and if you come early in the morning you'll get a treat of fresh baked goods. yum! I don't frequent this cafe anymore since my place and routine has changed and for some reason I am unable to work in a high-traffic high-noise cafe anymore. Nevertheless I have nothing but good things to say about them as I just did in the paragraph above. cheers, Priyank (http://finaltransit.com/) read more

Really nice place, with a warm, woody vibe. Alex (co-owner?) was very friendly and welcoming. Great deal too...well made and tasty cortado for 3 bucks. Beans from Social. Check it out if you haven't already. read more

Tucked away in parkdale, this coffee shop is pretty good. The coffees are well priced and decent. its probably one of the most well priced lattes I've had in the city. Its got a hipster vibe to it with lots of people on their laptops, which may case difficulty finding a spot. read more

Capital Espresso - Latte - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Really surprised at all those high rated reviews. Whenever I've visited this café, I never get a "hello, how are you? What can we get you today?" OR SOMETHING ALONG THOSE LINES. No acknowledgement of the customer AT ALL. It would be fine if it was a one time thing but EVERYTIME? The nerve to have a tip jar haha. If you are so miserable to serve coffee in this super plain café, then dont and dont make my life miserable too. I blame the hipsters honestly. I am flabbergasted at how these people get hired. Coffee is ok. No wow factor. The coffee shop is in a great location which can attract a lot of customers. Such huge potential. Too bad owners don't seem to care at how plain it is and at how snobby their staff is. Bottom line: Perfect spot for pretentious people aka hipsters. As a customer, I shouldn't be the one greeting the staff and try to make their day better. As a barista, I wonder how you people still have jobs. read more

Delicious London Fog. Colleagues said latte and americano were good too. Unfortunately no baked goods at all and it was maybe around 12:30-1. They produce them all in-house and can't keep the supply up with the demand. That's disappointing; I'd have loved to try them. I'm never in the area so I doubt I would be there again anytime soon. Super busy cafe.. Computers, reading, chatting.. Pretty loud and crowded. Very lively. The woman working and talking about the baked goods is really chipper and friendly and brings a nice vibe to the place. read more

Capital Espresso - Cortado! - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Received a tip from Thor coffee shop to check this out, and was extremely happy with my trip out to Parkdale. Tried an espresso and macchiato, and both were excellent. The highlight, however, was a blueberry muffin that was pipping hot straight out of the oven. I am not a particularly huge muffin fan, but this was simply spectacular - I bought a second one without flinching and wolfed it down as well. They appeared to be made from scratch, ingredients out on the counter, all the better for it. Plus the banter between the two employees working was amusing, they were trying to understand what was going on with the Americanos lately (some sort of unusual water/espresso reaction), as well as sorting out options for the next muffin batch. I love an improv feel in my coffee shops, seems like a fantastic place to hang out (plus the muffins are cheap - same price as the espresso). read more

This place is overpriced and the service sucks. The only reason I go here is because it's close to my place and the coffee is actually quite good The service is so bad and the barista are so rude. Every time I go in there it the same thing. I order a coffee and the guy immediately barks "that's 3.50!" And walks away. No please no nothing. They act like you're bothering them when you walk up to the counter. I was sitting at the bar one day ...directly next to the counter and the guy informed me that he didn't serve that area so had to go to the counter and order .. which was 2 feet away. Literally. read more

I loved my experience at capital! The baristas were a helluva team and the coffee burnt my tongue but I loved it! Will I return? Yes, today!!! Will I buy a muffin again? Yes definitely! read more

I had a few minutes to kill before a class so I headed out in search of a coffee shop with the lil one. Ended up at Capital. The atmosphere has a rustic chilled out type of ambience going a bit spartan on the furniture. The place was very chilled. On that Sunday morning, the place was quite full but at the same time was practically library quiet. Got my drip coffee and a croissant. Both were solid although not exceptional. The staff was friendly and service was prompt. I see this as a good place to work or gather your thoughts over a nice hot cup of coffee. I'd go back. read more

The coffee here is good, there's free wifi, and a generally good vibe. I like how they put the ice coffees in mason jars in the summer. Only complaint is that its a crapshoot as to whether you'll get a seat on a weekend afternoon. read more

Great coffee, great place to hangout and chill for an hour or several more. Likely the best coffee shop in Parkdale so far. read more

Capital Espresso - a black and white photo of a coffee shop - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Amazing and friendly service here! Love the seating arrangement and natural lighting. They also have great instrumental music here which is perfect for studying and writing! (I didn't even have to listen to my own music). Looking forward to coming back! read more

Capital Espresso - Awesome music and lighting - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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+Good coffee + Okay service by aloof waifs +toy/book corner and platform for kids (huge bonus) ..(if you feel comfortable letting your kid actually play amidst stern looks by hipsters on their Macbooks) +cool, laid back vibes +great because there's a flat surface at the door for strollers! +like the seating arrangement and view of Queen St - The Abbott cafe on King and Spencer staff team is much friendlier and has more of a community vibe than Capital, which is important because we are humble Parkdale, not snooty Queen West. ;) It feels so West Queen West in there.... read more

The best. Perfect spot to sit down with an Americano and a book, especially if you want to catch up with all of the Parkdale locals. read more

I live in Parkdale and went to Blondie's for the occasional weekend coffee before they moved to Capital. Great latte! My measure of the perfect latte is that it has to be nice and creamy and that I don't have to drown it in sugar. I'm happy to throw the lid on my coffee and enjoy it straight up. Also, if you're not a fan of muffins, I suggest you try the muffins here. They are the best muffins EVER! Chocolate chip and banana is my favourite. And the blueberry bran is pretty good, too. read more

Best americano in Toronto in my opinion. The vibe in the place is off the charts too. The staff is super friendly and either sitting at the bar talking with them or a regular is always nice, or taking it easy on the church pew with a book or computer is excellent. You get this awesome feeling like you're hiding away from the rest of the world when you're there. Also for proof that espresso is what these guys are ALL about, you should check out Damien's video series: SPROJAM.COM read more

This place was once part of Blondie's Bar until Vice Magazine moved out of their office in Parkdale. I've been here a few times but it's not in the part of town I hang out so it's a bit of a trek for me. Drink - I've always had good espresso here. The espresso has good body and chocolate notes. The guys and gals pull the shots well. Food - Fresh baked muffins. Can't beat the smell of coffee and baked goods. Service - Friendly and definitely no hipster attitude Atmosphere - high ceilings and spacious but reminiscent of your typical indie coffee shop in Seattle/Portland as well as in Toronto as far as looks are concerned. Nothing new here but a large window does provide plenty of light. I hate dark dingy coffee shops read more

Wow. Thought and language police work here. Having an innocent conversation and my friend said the word "gay". The barista walked over and told us that not to use that word in this place. 5 minutes later the police came in to have a talk with us about offending the establishment. The police were much more polite and reasonable than the ridiculous staff. Never coming back. Should be called Fascist Espresso. read more