This was my first visit to Hayaat Cafe. I had heard about it shortly after it opened and had it…read morebookmarked ever since. Located on Yonge Street, parking can be a bit of a hassle, but we felt it was worth making the trip to try it at least once.
We visited on a Sunday morning around 9:45 a.m. Although they had opened at 9:00 a.m., the cafe was still fairly quiet, with only about three occupied tables consisting of a few individuals and one family. Upon entering, we grabbed a menu from the counter and took a seat to carefully decide what we wanted. A staff member came by to greet us and ask if we were ready to order. Since we needed more time, I later returned to the counter to place our order and was told we could relax at our table while our drinks were brought out.
We ordered the Pistachio Latte ($10.99) and the Ma'joon Shake & Smoothie ($15.99). My first reaction was honestly sticker shock, as I found the prices quite steep for beverages.
That said, when our drinks arrived, they were absolutely beautiful. The Pistachio Latte featured lovely latte art, and I appreciated that it was served in a clear cup, allowing the layers of pistachio paste to be visible along the sides. Flavor-wise, it was excellent, being perfectly sweet with a nice balance between the coffee and pistachio.
The Ma'joon Smoothie, made with banana, dates, ice cream, honey, cinnamon, and milk, was topped with fresh dates, banana slices, and coconut strips. It was another visually stunning drink. While it became a little too sweet for my liking by the end, I still thought it was very well executed overall.
While waiting, I noticed they use gourmet syrups and Madd Oliver coffee beans. Their dessert display was also impressive, and I was pleasantly surprised to discover a beautiful back room with additional seating. The washrooms are individual male and female rooms that were clean, spacious, and well maintained.
Overall, the cafe was clean, the staff were friendly, and the drinks were both visually appealing and thoughtfully prepared. While the pricing may make this more of an occasional treat for me, I can certainly see why Hayaat Cafe has been generating attention.