Service: 0/5. They're understaffed, wait times are long. Cash only. Novelty: 4/5 An interesting menu with items such as early grey waffle (which we tried, it was alright), tiramisu latte, cotton candy coffee (which is coffee with a small cotton candy), and charcoal waffle (which is just waffle batter with black sesame powder). The ambience was cute. Food and value: 3/5 The food was alrigt but a bit pricey. Overall: it's an interesting place to try if you don't mind waiting a long time. read more

Fancy, cute little place. Food presentation is great. Dessert was a treat. The lobster roll was yummy. Great for a light meal. read more

Light Cafe - Matcha and cotton candy - Cafes Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

I visited this cafe twice and absolutely loved it! It's a friendly environment and the food is really good. Their desserts are also super creative and delicious, especially their waffles! read more

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The decor is very nice, service is good and the place looks really clean. I did not like the food however. I got the vegetarian sandwich with mushrooms that is served in a croissant. It was too bland for me. read more

Light cafe is a restaurant that serves waffles, desserts, tea, coffee and some light meals. I came here two times, and have found it good enough to get by. It's not superb, as the food quality is a bit cheap compared to their desserts. If you're coming here, eat the desserts, NOT the food. Disclaimer: they don't accept card, you need cash. For desserts, I've tried the infamous charcoal waffles and the strawberry waffles. Although the former is def insta worthy, please go for the strawberry one instead. It tastes better, and the strawberries taste fresher. For food, I've tried the duck salad, the hot potato dishes, and the grilled chicken sandwich. The duck salad is not worth the hype. It tastes like they use the cheap frosted duck and defrost it for serving. The grilled chicken sandwich tastes nasty. The protein seemed like leftovers from another dish they used. Tasted also bland and unfresh. The hot potato tasted like normal potatoes you can make at home. Don't waste your money. The service was good, but I was annoyed at the fact that they don't accept cards. They have a small shady ATM near the washroom. This is illegal and should be reported TBH. I would come back here for the desserts, but wouldn't dare to order any of the food as they taste very unfresh and bland. read more

Light Cafe - Strawberry waffles: tastes delicious and much better than charcoal waffles - Cafes Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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A cute cafe that is perfect for that perfect instagram shot. I heard this is a Taiwanese chain so I was excited to try it out. We ordered a chicken club sandwich - which came with egg, bacon, teriyaki chicken, lettuce and tomato. It also came with a side salad and a side of fruit. It was good and the flavours blended really well together. The downside was the bread was a little on the 'rough' side but it was still a good decent sandwich. We also ordered the black charcoal waffle - which came with ice cream and a side drizzle of black sesame sauce and the mixed fruit Mille-Feuille. The desserts were good. Different from most places that have waffles and cakes. (Again instagram worthy looking food). The waffle and Mille-Feuille were good, but some improvements can be made. The waffle was a little dry and the cake was just A-OK. The service was good but the food did take a while to make when they are busy. Another downside is they only take cash - which is typical of asian places. read more

A nice cafe. I had the lobster bisque which was really good. The wait took a bit of time because it was a small place. read more

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With all the Instagram hype around their cotton candy coffee, I took my mom and brother to check it out. We ordered the cotton candy coffee, chicken club sandwich (with a side salad), Mexican taco baked potato and the egg and bacon potato. We waited a lifetime and a half for our food to come. They microwave the baked potato which was a BIG turnoff for me.. Everything tasted good (minus my microwave disappointment) and the interior is cute- earthy and minimalistic. NOTE: They only accept cash. read more

Really good coffees (Viennese and the Light cafe special) and waffles (strawberry) !! Decor and vibe is really nice and relaxed, good place to work or meet up with friends read more

A cute little cafe perfect for a date or get togethers with friends! I've been here twice and would definitely keep coming back and recommend to others to come for lunch or dessert. Both times I've been here I did not make a reservation and had to wait about 30-45 minutes each time. This was not an issue as the street it is on (Baldwin Street) had a few neat stores to check out, as well as a huge BBT place to wait at next door (Charidise) The strawberry Waffle was good. Not amazing by any means but it was still tasty. The Earl Grey Waffle was a huge disappointment for me though. I felt Iike the waffle was a bit dry and the ice cream was not Earl Grey flavoured enough. The food here was much better than the dessert! I loved the lobster bisque soup. There was no actual pieces of lobster in it, but it was still delicious​! The smoked duck breast salad was also really yummy! read more

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Lovely interior, spacious seating area, however, the food and drink fell a little flat (for a cafe I had high hopes for). Friends and I ordered two waffles (matcha red bean and charcoal black sesame) as well as two drinks (earl grey rose steamed milk and president blend drip coffee). Menu is extensive here with light lunch/dinner options as well. We were underwhelmed by the waffles - as someone who love HK waffles for the fresh from the waffle iron, eggy taste and fluffy texture, these were a bit "cardboardy" and flavourless. The black sesame ice cream was already melting when served to us, and the black sesame drizzle barely added any flavour to the waffle which basically tasted like a black-food-colour-dyed eggo. The matcha red bean came with mochi and red bean but again the waffle itself was unappealing. Drinks-wise, the drip was fairly smooth but we've had better. The earl grey rose steamed milk tasted like a regular London Fog with some rose petals on top for presentation (but added no additional flavour). All in all the pricing is fair for a dine-in in the McCaul area, and I would recommend it as a place for studying given the interiors but there is definitely better for food/drinks. read more

This is such a cute place for either lunch and/or desserts. There's a huge selection of food, desserts & drinks. Must order the truffle mushroom croissant and charcoal black sesame waffle!! Both are worth it! Definitely want to come back to try more off their menu. read more

Light Cafe - Charcoal black sesame waffle, so damn good!! - Cafes Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

The food is soooo good, and the little notes they write for you on the boxes are really cute. Highly recommend.

3.5 is my rating. Lobster roll ($14.75) A good amount of lobster chunks in the roll. The lobster rolls were tasty, flavorful but not drenched in mayonnaise like what most places do. The bread roll that it comes in was toasted just right, not greasy or oily. Comes with a side of salad and as well as a small bowl of fruit salad too. I didn't really like the salad dressing but the fruit salad was refreshing. Truffle mushroom croissant ($10.25) The croissant was reheated in the oven, crunchy but not flakey like it was freshly baked. The croissant sandwich was tasty though, love the mushrooms and the truffle sauce was really good. Messy to eat though. Comes with a small side of salad and as well as a fruit salad too. The salads were refreshing. Cotton candy coffee ($4.95) This was cute and interesting, but more of a gimmick. You place the cotton candy in the mug and pour the hot coffee in to melt the cotton candy, and the cotton candy essentially acts as the sugar to the coffee. I like how it come with a bottle of hot milk to add to your coffee or you can drink it on the side as well. In terms of coffee brew, nothing special to me. Also had the lobster bisque to start. I was expecting chunks of lobster instead of crunched bits. Tasted nothing special, I've had better. Overall love the food presentation but the food alone was average, nothing special and slightly expensive for what it is. I do love the decor of the restaurant - nice and bright and nice furniture. read more

Nice atmosphere, solid food (their yuzu dressing is the bomb!), friendly and attentive service, reasonable price (everything under $13 except for the lobster roll. Check out their website for full menu). The only complaint I have is that they ONLY accept CASH, not even debit.They do have an atm machine in the back though in case you forgot to bring cash. My boyfriend and I came here for their grand opening event. We got 25% off (their promotion). The quality of the food and service was beyond our expectations. We wouldn't have minded paying the full price. With that being said, we can't wait to come back and try other items on the menu. We got a Montreal smoked meat croissant sandwich, a wasabi mayo grilled chicken salad, and cotton candy coffee. Both sandwiches came with salad and a side that could change depending on the season and what they have in the kitchen. You get to choose the dressing for your salad, and trust me, their yuzu dressing is SO GOOD. The croissant was buttery and flaky. They give you a generous amount of chicken breast (very moist). We enjoyed both dishes. The cotton candy coffee really was just for the experience. They also give you chocolate covered coffee beans to finish off (the menu said coffee beverages come with biscuits or you can substitute with a macaron for $1.5. I assume chocolate covered coffee beans were just for the grand opening event). Overall, I highly recommend this place to anyone! They also participate in Ritual which is an app that you can order and just pick up the food without lineup! (use the promo code KATIE8981 to get $5 off each of your first 2 orders!). But only savory items, baked items, smoothies and slushes are available for take-out. read more

Light Cafe - Mtl smoked meat croissant sandwich, wasabi grilled chicken sandwich, and cotton candy coffee - Cafes Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

This cute little shop on Baldwin street has now become my go-to spot for dessert. It is conveniently located near a few other food spots. I usually end up having dinner and then stopping at this spot for the dessert. The ice cream was a little too cold for my liking but the waffle was perfectly made, crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. I also got an extra side of vanilla bean ice cream to taste. The little tube/syringe (whatever you want to call it) is supposed to add in more of the chocolate sauce but because it was filled to the top, which made it hard to get the sauce out. Other than that, I loved everything about this spot, the waitress was very kind and the desserts are great! I'll definitely keep returning! read more

Light Cafe - Cafes Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Went with a friend to drop off her resume. They said they don't hire Japanese workers. Because we can't speak English properly. Completely offended. Racists, don't apply here for work! read more

I've been here twice so far. The most recent time was on the weekend about 30 min after it opened for a table of 4. While the food is decent, sandwiches are pretty good portions, the service was mediocre. From ordering to having the food ready, it must have been 35-40 min. Not only that, they brought everything piecemeal, so you couldn't even really eat together. Everything came separately with prob 5-10 min interspersed between. Perhaps it was an off day but it left a bad experience and prob won't be back. read more

This is a 3.5 star review. Typical Taiwanese cafe owned by five young people. Couple of them had studied at LE CORDON BLEU in Ottawa. What is a typical Taiwanese cafe? 1. Selections of coffee, tea, slushes, and other nonalcoholic drinks. 2. Sandwiches, croissants, personal-size pizza. 3. Desserts: waffles, cakes, etc. 4. Nice deco. Came here with husband for a light dinner. We ordered: - House soup: mushroom soup. - Truffle mushroom croissant. - Grilled wasabi chicken sandwich. - Earl grey tea. - Cotton candy coffee. Soup was ok. Pieces of mushroom, onions. Can be creamier in my taste; however, for a typical Taiwanese tongue, this is upto standard. Truffle mushroom croissant is good. Croissant is freshly baked in store daily. Wasabi chicken sandwich is decent. Tender, well-seasoned chicken. Earl grey is nothing to rave about. Regular Pluck tea taste. Cotton candy coffee: you get the chance to adjust coffee/milk ratio, and watch cotton candy melts into coffee at the same time. Will I come back again? YES! This is a place for friends to chill, gather or just simply enjoy personal quiet time with light meals. read more

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One of my friends is the best of the best to finding new places for us to eat at so when she said she had a new cafe for us to try, I was more than ecstatic! It lived up to my standards too, considering I took a couple of my other friends back. Although I recommend getting reservations first, the wait when you show up unexpectedly isn't that long. When we showed up out of the blue, we were told to leave a number so that we free to roam the streets until a table cleared up for us. Reservations shed off the most, ten minutes of your time since we had walked down the street and back before we got a phone call, telling us our table was ready. It's a small cafe fit for small groups rather than large parties. Quiet and calm, so some of the customers there were there to study or catching up with friends. All in all, the environment was warm and looked beautiful! Perfect for those of you who want to sneak in some photos for Instagram, hehe. Speaking of Instagram, the food was great! Their menu carries a variety of dishes from sandwiches to pizzas to desserts! The first time I went I got a Philly Steak croissant with a strawberry milkshake. If you're getting a sandwich, prepare for it to get a bit messy on your plate bc they're stuffed! A crispy croissant topped with steak and warm cheddar cheese with a small salad as a side. The milkshake was huge, but the sweet familiar goodness and perfect for a hot day in the summer! Definitely filled me and was perfect for a brunch meal. The second time I went I got strawberries waffles with an iced lemon tea - again, the perfect meal for the summer day and who doesn't love dessert? The waffles were soft and all the components on the plate were perfectly incorporated (the syrup + strawberries + ice cream = yum!). An iced tea is always a safe bet but The Light Cafe served a refreshing tea that I downed in minutes. The cafe also has some desserts on display for you to take home, such as cakes and macaroons. The only problem is that they only accept cash but there's an ATM there so this shouldn't have that big of a problem. In the end, The Light Cafe is the perfect place to go for any occasion with a small group of friends or even by yourself. It's my new favourite cafe and I cant wait to go back! read more

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Clean cafe with a live plant wall. Good place to hang and study, reliable wifi. They have charcoal waffle that actually taste charcoal-y! read more

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I had probably the worst service and dining experiences of my life. I was very excited to try Light Cafe and drove all the way from North York to try the brunch boxes. We arrived at 1:23 pm. After placing our order, we waited almost two hours.. our food came cold (I saw other reviews that said the same). Cold eggs, cold potatoes, cold cauliflower and cold pancakes. My partner never received his order at all. Our server never came by to check in on us. After an hour of waiting I stood up to use the washroom and the server said "thank you have a nice day". She obviously thought we had received our food.. because she never checked in on us and had no idea half our order was missing and the other half of the order was very cold.. After paying two extra hours (it was now 3:15 pm) of parking in the hopes of receiving our food, we told the server we were leaving and she offered us a 15% discount. This was extremely disappointing, I understand the restaurant was busy but the service was really missing the mark and both my partner and I have worked as servers. In any restaurant i've worked at, if I gave that kind of service I wouldn't be kept. read more

This taiwanese inspired new age cafe is absolutely adorable. Their decor looks like something straight out of Instagram/Pinterest: clean and bright with a lush wall of green vegetation. Their food is just like the decor: very aesthetically pleasing. I've tried their mango and strawberry waffles, their mushroom and asparagus baked potato as well as their taiwanese fruit tea. Both waffles were super delicious and the presentation incredibly adorable. They were served with, in both cases, fresh fruits, ice cream and fruit sauce and turned out to be perfect to share! The baked potato was very yummy as well, very flavourful and not too oily. read more

I had light house special coffee and it was so great! They have tubes and I just mixed coffee w milk together. Haha like we're doing bench work in the lab Lol read more

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Cool decor. Desserts are good. Service is pleasant. Overall a nice experience at this Taiwanese-style cafe. Tried the black sesame waffles and oreo smoothie. Both are quite unique and interesting. The waffles are not too sweet with a nice hint of the black sesame flavour. The oreo smoothie was a bit bland initially but after it started melting, allowing me to stir everything together, it started to be much better. I'm curious about their bakery-style hot dishes; wouldn't mind coming back in to try those if I'm ever in the area. read more

Hard to see from the outside, both me and my friend initially missed it. It's right under pan pan noodle bar with bright white signage. This place was good, my friend and I tried a couple of things from here. She ordered a tiramisu latte, which she really enjoyed, I'm not sure I would because the cocoa power can be overwhelming. She also got their kimchi waffle fries which she said were also very good. I got myself a mushroom baked potato, the mushroom croissant and a little cinnamon apple dessert jar (no judgements, I was studying for finals and was in there for a long stretch of time). Baked potato was alright would probably not get again, mushroom croissant is a must try, this rating is really solid because of this one item. It is served alongside fruit and salad, both accompaniments were good. Lastly the cinnamon apple dessert was really good, but I try to stay away from sugar and it was really sweet so I might not get that again. Perhaps cheat day treat. read more

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I had a really nice experience eating there. I was recommended there, but I wasn't too sure if the fusion Asian food would be good. I brought my parents and that day they only had 1 server, but she was so kind and gentle and kept pouring water for us and running all over the place. (It was a hot summer day) The ambience is super nice ad we were sitting in front of the leaves, and the food was very yum!! We had the squid pasta and also the lobster risotto. The food wasn't too heavy so we felt really good after stepping out! Thank you for the great service!! :) read more

I loved this café! Their menu is truly one of a kind. I'll start off by saying, that if you're not a native Torontonian, this café can be a little tricky to find. However, once we walked in, I knew it was going to be an amazing experience. The atmosphere is bright and inviting. The staff are courteous, bubbly and especially helpful when trying to decipher the menu. They're one of the reasons why Light Cafe is so successful. Light Cafe has unique items on their menu that are both familiar and foreign, and while we truly shared a "kid in the candy store" experience, we decided on the Tiramisu Latte and the Charcoal Waffles. While the Tiramisu Latte could have used a little less Cocoa topping, the Charcoal Waffles and the accompanying syrup and fruits, were delectable, as well as, eye catching. We'll definitely be back to try their other menu items. You'll probably catch us at the back of the Café, shamelessly Instagramming through their menu. read more

A nice interior with light wood theme (love the green leaves wall at the front but we were seated at the very back). Maybe better for drinks/snack as my lunch meal was not filling (I guess hence the name 'light [meal] cafe') I had the Lobster Bisque soup combo - comes with 4 thin slices of garlic toast (good) and small bowl of salad. The soup was surprisingly not bad - hot enough, and not too heavy/salty as most lobster bisques are. Comments on friends' dishes: Truffle Mushroom Croissant lacked truffle flavour; the smoked salmon-topped baked potato looked nice but was small portion and messy to eat; Black sesame waffle was dry and hard. read more

I don't think I've EVER been so excited to write a review before. This cafe was breath-taking - from outside on the streets looking in, the cafe has a very minimalistic yet open design. Glass doors and open kitchen allows the cafe to appear as though it's more spacious, the *real* plant wall on one side of the cafe makes the place look a lot more alive (lol). The decor is simple yet everything is so meticulously designed. Me being a girl who loves pretty things, I fell in love with the cafe before I even got to sit down and try anything. Saw a BlogTo post a few days ago about this cafe and HAD to come for a visit. Dragged my best friend here on a Saturday afternoon (around 4 PM) with no reservations thinking that we probably came at a more low-traffic time but nope, there was a lineup crowding the entrance and we were told upon arrival that the wait would be approximately 30-50 minutes. With that being said, we didn't come all the way here just to turn around and leave so we decided to just wait it out. The wait took about 30 minutes which wasn't so bad as the place was packed. Upon sitting down, we were given this adorable newspaper-themed menu. At first glance, you can tell they prepare every single one of their dishes and desserts diligently. Everything just looks so good and you just have the urge to try every single item. They had a large selection of desserts and drinks which made it so hard to decide on what to order. In the end my friend and I both ordered the lobster bisque combo, a strawberry waffle, and a charcoal waffle. What I DIDN'T like about the service was that it seemed like they were a bit under-staffed. It looked like only two servers were on the floor and the food prep was longer than I had expected. After ordering I remember thinking that I had forgotten to ask for the soups to be served first, then the dessert. But I didn't bother mentioning it to them after because it was so hard to wave them down and I figured they probably knew that anyways. However they gave me the strawberry waffle first, then the two lobster bisques, then the charcoal waffle which in my case was exactly what I didn't want. Bad on my part for assuming that they would serve food first like other restaurants and cafes. My strawberry waffle ended up melting by the time I finished my soup and the waffle part wasn't very warm or crunchy as I had hoped for. The lobster bisque was so good - one of the best I've ever had, and the salad it came with was fantastic too. Still very pleased with the food and desserts nevertheless. Apart from the long wait times and slow service, I loved my experience here and this place definitely has a spot on my list of Toronto go-to cafes now. Although the prices are a bit steep, I'm willing to splurge when they put this much effort into making their food look good. Everything from the food, the desserts, the drinks, and the decor of this place is so aesthetically pleasing. I will definitely be back soon (with a reservation) to try the rest of the menu. read more

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Favourite place for me and my friends to eat at for dessert or lunch, the price are decent and the servers are very kind. Would recommend people to come here to try it out read more

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Had lunch here on a Saturday afternoon before heading to the AGO. Ordered two salads, the roasted mushroom and smoked duck breast; both were good and happy to have the carb free and veg options. Also ordered a hot tea (peach green tea, I think) and we're able to share it between two poepAm looking to come back to try croissant sandwiches. read more

Light Cafe - Duck breast salad - Cafes Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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Although we came around 10 mins before the kitchen closes (around 11:30) our waitress gave us enough time to put our order in and recommended to try their cotton candy coffee (deconstructed coffee you can pour according to your taste) their light caffe special is the same as their cotton candy coffee except they give you sugar cubes instead of the cotton candy (and at a cheaper price too) Their waffles are delicious made with fresh fruit, beautifully presented and can be pulled apart into bite sized portions(great for sharing). The black sesame waffle is a classic choice if you're not that into sweet desserts but the mango waffle was on point. Their creme brûlée sampler is also great if you don't want a huge dessert. If you're in town this place is a must try, definitely willing to come back here again next time I stop by Toronto read more

Staffs are friendly and super helpful! It is a great place to spent some quality time with your friends. I truly enjoy the environment there and also the yummy desserts and savouries. I have been to to this place twice and so far I had nothing bad but great experiences. My favourite is the Earl Grey waffle. Yep. You didn't misread it! They offer waffle in Earl Grey flavour. It is infused with right amount of earl grey tea flavouring in both the waffle and the maple syrup. I think this is a must try item for those who loves to drink earl grey tea. Besides, the ice creams (vanilla and chocolate) that come with the waffle also tastes amazing. My friend and i love the vanilla one the most. It has some crushed pistachios on top and we poured some maple syrup on top of it. God! It is just perfect! My friend ordered the creme burlee set. It comes with 3 different flavours. (Red bean, Caramel Custard and Coffee) The red bean is the lightest out of the three and then coffee as the 2nd, Caramel custard as the 3rd. They all look cute and most importantly tasted good. We paid around $25 including tips for both dishes. p.s. I asked them a question for my friends who need to eat Halal meal and hopefully it helps others who shares the same preference. This store used vanilla powder for all their waffles batter rather than vanilla extract. So there is no worries as it does not contain any alcohol sustains in it. You can also swap the vanilla ice cream into another flavour without extra charged. But no luck for their creme burlee set though. read more

This place is super cute, right on the edge of Kensington Market, a little hidden in plain sight (I walked past it by accident because I wasn't paying attention). They have a cool green wall, and all of their dishes are pretty cool (and instagrammable). I had dessert here and shared a bunch of different things with friends, Charcoal Black Sesame Waffle (so cute, heart shaped, crispy on the outside), Choco Banana Mille Feuille, and Coffee Creme Brulee. They were all quite good but I think my favourite was the Choco Banana Mille Feuille! Everything served here is presented very carefully and in a cool/different way, which was pretty awesome. I would love to come back and try savoury dishes to see how those are presented as well. read more

What a sweet place! The coffee is really good, I had the almond milk latte and it was delicious, had a nice kick to it. I started with the smoked salmon salad and it was great and the sesame dressing is worth mentioning as well. I love the dishes at this place everything is so quaint and decadent. I've been a few times and never been disappointed :) Love the greenery on the back wall, it\s nice to see a place with fresh plants... read more

I was pleasantly surprised by this cafe in Baldwin Village! The food was pretty good and the atmosphere was wonderful. We ordered a salad and a waffle to share. The roasted duck breast salad with the sesame dressing was really nice - my gripe is with the duck, it was cooked in a way to caused shrinkage and the flavours that were used was too much like ham and overwhelmed any duck flavour the may have been. The charcoal black sesame waffle was really nice - chewy in the middle and crunchy on the outside. But the black sesame sauce didn't add anything to it for me, the ice cream was a nice accompanying sweetness. read more

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Innovative recipes, awesome decor, and great service make this an essential place to visit on the Baldwin Street(which is shaping up to be one of my favourite streets to dine on). I tried the salad which was much bigger than I expected and tasted great. I also tried the ice cream coffee which was also awesome. I'll be coming back to try so many of the other interesting items they have on the menu. read more

A simple cafe with a taiwanese flair. I found the food to be average. I think the big sell at this restaurant are their drinksA few people were ordering their cotton candy coffee and the presentation looked great. This seems to be a hit with students as I saw many studying there. If I recall correctly, it is cash only. read more

This is a lovely and stylish cafe. They've got a lot of food and beverage items, some that you'd never even think exist. Like cotton candy coffee, they serve you with a stick of cotton candy, brewed coffee, and milk. Although it really just tasted like regular brewed coffee. For the cotton candy coffee we waited about 45 minutes which was just ridiculous. They need more wait staff as there was only one or two people serving the entire place read more

Light Cafe - Cotton candy Coffee - Cafes Near Me - Toronto, Ontario