Upon walking in, I was impressed by the amount of space there was inside. There were many full…read moretables of people when we arrived past noon, and I loved seeing the wide assortment of green plants scattered throughout the cafe. We got a couple of things: an Almond Croissant, Bulgogi Poutine, a Lavender London Fog with oat milk, and a Peppermint Mocha with oat milk. My Almond Croissant was okay. I know almond croissants are made with leftover pastries, but there was no texture at all. It just fell flat, and lookswise it was physically flat as well lol. It was alright. I wouldn't get the almond croissant again. The Bulgogi Poutine was pretty good. The fries were delicious and crispy. The sauce on top of the fries was slightly sweet, salty, and savory. For me, the bulgogi could've been more flavorful and it didn't taste fresh but I liked the overall dish. Lastly, the Peppermint Mocha was alright. It wasn't spectacular. And I felt the same way about my Lavender London Fog with oat milk. I wish there was more depth in my drink. I think the tea could've been steeped a little longer. Flavor was there in my drink, but it wasn't strong enough. It was slightly disappointing since I've had amazing London Fogs before, and this one just wasn't up to par. Also my drink was slightly warm, not too far off from lukewarm. I feel like the price doesn't exactly correlate with quality for most things here. If we come back here, I'd be willing to try different things and pastries. But I don't think my rating would change much.

This place is great, clean, good food and drinks, staff is great, all of them are nice, and…read moreeverything went smoothly. We came in with 6 band kids and they were fine with it, very very PEAK here.

In my (heavily biased) opinion Old Strathcona and Whyte Ave is the best part of the entire city. It…read moreprobably helps that I live nearby and have frequented this part of town practically every day of the combined fifteen years that I have called Edmonton home. The vibrant history of the area is one of Whyte Ave's defining features, each part of the streetscape telling its own story. One such example is the Hulbert block; a three-storey, brick clad, Edwardian commercial building that was built in 1912. On the street level of this building Edmontonians have been enjoying cozy cafe visits at Block 1912 (the cafe's name a tribute to the year that the building was built) since 1992. This cafe is one of the most notable spots on the avenue and their 33 year tenure makes them an iconic and reliable mainstay. Named Favourite Coffee Shop 2023 in the Edmonton Journal, it goes to show that even after this many years people seek out the familiar and comfortable spaces in the city. After all, Block 1912 really does feel a lot like going home. I have spent plenty of time at Block 1912 over the years and I have always been impressed by the immense amount of space that this cafe occupies. Full of time-weathered quirks, there is never any shortage of things to see and discover in this original-exposed-brick hideaway. Deep within the cafe the lighting dims as there are only windows at the very front of the space making natural light sparse. There are different levels of seating and mis-matched chairs. An entire nook is lined with shelves of books. I happen to know that there are secret drawers in various pieces of furniture that are filled with hundreds of notes, left by past patrons. Artists and musicians are encouraged to pitch their portfolios to the manager in order to be featured in the space - whether it be on the walls or to perform during one of the regular live music evenings. Visiting on a Saturday afternoon, I hadn't been to Block 1912 in a while and was interested in exploring everything that their menu has to offer these days. And there's a lot! The counter for ordering is about halfway into the cafe and the glass case full of pastries is an immediate distraction. Did you know that they also make their own gelato?? Of course all sorts of coffee beverages are available but Block 1912 also serves alcohol. There's a full menu of sandwiches, small plates, and comfort food. The staff is friendly and happy to answer any questions. I wanted to order a coffee to stick with the cafe vibe... But I'm not a straight black coffee kind of girl. The Ganache Mocha ($8.75) caught my eye but then I saw the list of 46 (!!) flavoured syrups that there are to choose from! It's almost impossible to decide on only one and after much difficulty I selected Toasted Marshmallow as an add-on to my mocha. Seemed like flavours that would make a lot of sense together! (If you ever want to find out what a "pineberry" latte tastes like go to Block 1912 and let me know what happens.) I settled into a table right at the front of the restaurant so that I could enjoy the small amount of natural light that reaches the interior. Receiving my coffee, I have to say that they got the memo! I was impressed at how much my toasted marshmallow ganache mocha looked exactly the part - there were even mini marshmallows on top! Was it incredibly sweet? Yes. Was there even coffee in this? Who knows! But this warm beverage was what I had been hoping for. Chocolatey with a definite toasted marshmallow flavour, I was delighted that this drink felt like a specialty cafe creation. In the interest of having an entire lunch, I wanted to order something off of the sandwich menu. The Hot Italian Grill seems like the sandwich to get. But the Turkey Apple Brie Sandwich ($16.00) felt seasonally appropriate and I picked that one. A soup or salad is also included, turning this dish into a meal. There were two daily soups available and the Vegetable Beetroot Soup also seemed to match the falltime vibe. I liked that the bread was a lot more interesting than a plain white or brown type. Instead, this bread was studded with what appeared to be cranberries - an ideal match for a turkey sandwich! The brie cheese was gooey and melty. I barely noticed the apples. It was a decently good sandwich but there wasn't a whole lot of filling and I could have easily made something like this at home. I liked the flavour combination though. The soup was warm and flavourful with a fairly fine dice of veggies within. I was expecting a more prominent beet component (maybe not a full borscht but somewhat closer to that) and I'm not sure if I noted the beets at all. If there was any, they were chopped very small and completely mixed in with the other vegetables. I also had to try the Herb Crusted Chicken Pot Pie ($18.00) from the Comfort Food part of the menu. Who doesn't love a soul-warming comfort food on a chilly day? It was even raining! Also served with soup or salad, we decided to try a salad

This cafe has a really nice interior. There was recorded jazz playing when we were there…read more Got a peach smoothie. It was a bit icey but the peach flavour was good

We tried the Honey BBQ Turkey on their menu and we got their lunch box combo which comes with…read morepickles that you can take from the fridge yourself. Taste wise it was okay, nothing crazy. Service was great, staff were helpful. Ambiance was also okay (to me), nothing fancy.

The toughest part of Leo's Cafe is finding it. The cafe is located off Whyte Ave but through a…read morewalkway between the ave and the alley. We parked on a residential road few avenues north and it was free! Upon finding Leo's we could relax and enjoy it. We were greeted by friendly staff in the character rich cafe with large tables. There were many coffees on offer but I opted for the standard black coffee that some places call Americano. For food there are lots of sandwiches, Bagels and pizza. Tip, the sandwiches have a very large buns and can be quite filling. Try the Bagels instead of sandwiches if you are not too hungry. I ordered the Leo's special sandwich. It had some interesting flavours. I would have enjoyed it more if the bun was smaller. Leo's also sells pizza by the slice. I haven't tried it but I think I will on my next. There is free password-protected WiFi. Leo's is definitely worth a try.

The butter chicken was amazing. Could not eat it all as it was a big portion…read more Service was good. Place was clean.

I'm told they're known for their chai teas but I came in looking for my usual coffee order: oat…read moremilk latte. It was delicious, reasonably priced (compared to Starbucks), and it was in a cute cup! The staff were super friendly. They had food options as well, but mostly café-style dishes (sandwiches, pastries, etc.). Huge place with plenty of tables to work, study, or just enjoy a cup of coffee/tea with friends. The coolest thing at this place is you're able to smell the tea canisters and bring it to the barista to steep for you. I'd come back for sure!

This place is a hidden gem! Delicious and simple food that warms both belly and soul. I stumbled…read moreacross this family owned restaraunt by happenstance and continue to return for the warm food as much as the friendly smiles and excellent service. My fresh brewed Chai tea was true to roots and the Veggie Roti Naan is my go to snack. Don't let the quiet, off-the-beaten track location fool you. It's an excellent choice!

I am judging this by the high tea that I attended with my daughter and not the regular menu…read more Ambiance is cheerful but simple. However more comfortable chairs need to be put in place. This is not a comfortable place to sit and chat. Server/owner (I am assuming) was friendly and helpful. Food was good The high tea is all vegatarian which was fine. My biggest complaint - and this is to all high teas the ratio of sweets to savoury is uneven. Definately need more savoury on the tray. Sandwiches were simple but tasty and not the usual ones found on the tray. Tea was lovely. I will try again for a quick bite (and i mean quick, those chairs are aweful) and try the regular menu.

A friendly little coffee shop perched onto Roots on Whyte. The room is an interesting shape, small…read morebut they made good use of the space by running seats along the length of the windowed wall. It's a bit cramped but it's not bad if the tabes are not full. I managed to bag the table with the plug in but its really cold by the window in winter. Really drafty! I ordered a soup to keep warm, it was red lentil and feta which was tasty. The portion was large and it came with two warm cheese scones. The scones were worth a star alone! I wanted a vanilla latte but they don't do any flavoured coffees. The normal latte was fine but small. It came in a cute glass :) It's a nice open spot for a short meeting, or a quick coffee and catch up. But not somewhere I'd spend a few hours working... not in winter... too chilly.

Stepped in to grab some coffee to go during a walk on Whyte. I was interested in the caffe Canadese…read moreand asked how it was different from the Americano. The girl at the cash till explained that instead of adding water to espresso, it's done by running more water through the espresso coffee grind and therefore making it much stronger than a Americano. So basically their version of a lungo. I enjoyed it but I can't say I'll order it again simply because it tasted like a stronger brew of a dark roast, which I can get at many other coffee shops. The cappuccino was delicious! I almost wanted to go back to ask what the secret was! It's possible that they milk with a higher percentage in fat or cream, which gave it a very nutty flavour. I'll definitely be coming back for a cappuccino the next time I'm in the area, as well as looking forward to trying their affogato and gelato when the weather is warmer.

The hot chocolate is the best in the city! Extra special! Wonderful ambiance in the cafe. The…read moredesserts are amazing and the service is top notch! Highly recommend!

So I went here because they had a deal 2.50 mini cheesecake tart. I bought four because this is…read morethe maximum to try. However I split them because my oldest was over and a starving student...lol. So she recieved the apple spice and stawberry tart. Tarts themselves were well constructed. I liked how the base didn't crumble. We had the marshmellow chocolate and the creme brule. Those two were tasty. I especially enjoyed the creme brule. However, if I paid full price for these I would be annoyed. (close to 6 bucks for each tart). They were tiny. Staff were okay but not helpful when selecting a tart. I asked which ones were part of the deal and they didn't answer, and I had to ask for the apple and the creme brule even though they were part of the deal. Now they changed the deal. So it is not near as cheap. I would say unless you love these things skip it. There are way better desserts out there for the same price.

Tried the full size creme brule. It was good. Creamy, soft, but not as flavorful as I thought…read more Caramelized sugar on-top looks and tastes great but makes cutting it hard. So many flavors to still try!