Really cute cafe in the Upper Beaches neighbourhood! I wish I had more time to chill in the cafe,…read moreas it was a sunny winter day and a lot of other people were also working/reading inside. The staff member was prompt and friendly. I got a chai tea latte and ginger molasses cookie to go, and was pleasantly surprised to taste ginger chunks in the cookie!

Paper Route Café located along Kingston Rd near Brookside Dr. is the newest coffee shop in the…read moreUpper Beaches neighbourhood. The neighbourhood café serves up caffeinated beverages (coffee and tea), cold drinks (juice, sparkling water) as well as baked goods (muffins, cookies, quiches, scones). The café is bright and welcoming where the accent wall with the yellow wallpaper brings life to the space. There are a number of tables to enjoy your treats and beverages as well as wifi if you'd like to get some work done. The café uses Pilot Coffee beans as well. I stopped by Paper Route Café on a Monday late morning to grab a cortado. I also ordered a banana coconut oat muffin. The coffee shop only had a few customers and service was friendly where my coffee was made at a reasonable time. I sat down to enjoy my coffee as well as enjoy the space. As the sunlight filtered through the big windows at the front, the brightness of the café filled me with happiness. Such a cute wonderful place to spend some time alone, with friends, or with family. I ate the muffin later in the day for snack and it was moist and delicious with hints of coconut that didn't overpower the other flavours of the muffin. Overall, a great new addition to the neighbourhood! Definitely will become a new favourite among the locals for sure.

After a long walk along the beach, we visited Oro Cafe as a rest stop. Ordered the iced matcha…read morelatte and hot chocolate. Since it was closer to the end of the day there wasn't much savoury food left so we got the last pepperoni pizza slice and croissant sandwich. These were tasty! The iced matcha latte was more milky; the matcha flavour was not distinct. I probably would go for a different drink next time.

Cute little cafe located in the beaches area. I wanted to try their affogato coz I was really…read morecraving one since a few days. So, I ordered one affogato with chocolate chip ice cream and was charged $10 for an average portion of it in a plastic-y cup... I thought it was a bit too much for an espresso with ice cream considering I've had it at a much decent price for better quantity. They had a variety of menu items though starting from cheesecakes, tart, to ice cream and coffee. The service was good and they had a nice patio where you can sit for hours and people watch.

Located on Kingston road which is usually quite busy, this unassuming cafe is serving up amazing…read morepies, pastries and sweets. Service: Super friendly and mom-and-pop vibe which is pretty much most of the stores in the area. We tried both their beef and chicken pies. Both are amazingl. Savory, filled with meats and veges, delicious light and flaky crusts. Honestly, if I had less self-control, I'd eat one whole pie on my own! Price: I think the price is absolutely fair for the quality and quantity of food you get. Amazing location and definitely recommend!

This place is absolutely amazing. Owned by the creators of Gerrard St. Bakery, there's lots of…read moredelicious baked goods including unique flavoured empanadas, brownies, nanaimo bars, pies, and my favourite - rotating flavours of blondies - best in the city! They also occasionally do collabs with other local bake shops - follow them on social. They also have some great coffee/espresso options and a small dine-in area. Super close to the beach if you want to grab & go and enjoy some treats on the beach. Staff is great, friendly, and accomodating. Super pet-friendly and complimentary pet treats for your visit. Don't let anyone tell you anything but great things about this place!!

This is a cute cafe in the Little India area serving up brunch made with local/Canadian…read moreingredients. As their name suggests, there's daisies throughout their restaurants. I personally really enjoy their buttermilk biscuits and therefore always go for their sandwiches. I tried the Son of a Rise and Rise 'N' Shine. They're the perfect portion and definitely makes a great meal. Be prepared to wait a bit for a table. The times I've visited, the wait was between 10 minutes to half an hour which isn't bad. There's also plenty of free and paid street parking in the area. There's also shops in the area for you to kill time while you wait for a table.

Came by for Sunday brunch and was surprised to see it was already packed with people at 10am!…read more I ordered the lavender latte which was so soothing and delicious on a cold winter day. We tried the cinnamon bun pancake and biscuits and gravy. The cinnamon bun pancake was fluffy and not too sweet. The biscuits and gravy however were bland. I have not tried this dish before but I felt like it needed more flavour. The service felt very rushed unfortunately. We also were not instructed how to use the machine when we tried tapping with our card. Turns out the tip had to be manually entered. Anyway, it is a popular spot for brunch with decent items. Not sure if worth the hype based on the dishes tried and service. But I would highly recommend the lavender latte to try.

I came on a Saturday morning and 80% of the place was packed with toddlers and young children. Not…read moreexactly the kind of vibe I'm looking for to start the weekend. The food was ok. The spanakopita croissant looked interesting, but didn't taste that good because it had very little spinach filling in a very large empty hole. Maybe if the pastries can be warmed up it'd be better. Coffee was good. I got an iced americano. Wife got drip coffee. Honesty, the amount of kids and strollers killed the mood. I felt like I was in a daycare and just wanted to finish my food and get out haha. Prob just came at a bad time.

The service is great, Spencer is the most friendly person ever. Everything there was so well…read moretasted. I do recommend the croissants and the crispy chicken sandwich. -Judah

Great drinks, good food, super bonus points for the cozy interiors and really friendly people…read more Stopped by for brunch and got: - The chocolate pistachio croissant and spice pear coffee cake were both pretty good. - The longganisa and luncheon meat rice meals were a tasty savoury option to go with the pastries. - The highlight of the visit though was definitely the vanilla bibingka cream espresso. Strong flavour, frothy, and just the right sweetness level. Overall, a nice welcoming cafe with enjoyable treats.

A few Saturdays ago, I bought a mystery bag through the Too Good to Go app. It was to pick up some…read morebaked goods from The Haven Low-Carb Cafe. First, I love a good bakery. Second, I enjoy checking out places that offer low-carb baked goods and more. Third, this cafe is in my old neighbourhood of the Beaches. It was perfect to return and fetch some yummy mystery goodies. Parking is always interesting in the area. Parking is limited along Queen Street East. This cafe is located on the northwest corner of Willow Avenue and Queen Street East. Willow Avenue runs one-way southbound. I parked illegally in front of the store. It didn't appear to be a valid parking spot. I took a chance flashing my hazard lights and it worked out. Your parking options are Willow Avenue or Queen Street East. If you want free parking at a lot, you could hit the Valu-mart a block away. This lot is unmonitored during the day, so you can get away with parking there without doing grocery shopping at the store. The cafe is cozy and inviting. I'd break down the offerings as follows: - Specialty drinks - Sugar-free treats (some are gluten-free and vegan) - Prepared meals - Low-carb mini market This place has a coffee section. It also offers coffee, lattes, and iced drinks that accommodate keto and vegan diets. There are dairy-free beverage options, too. I loved the prepared meals. There are low-carb ones that are ready to pick up, and either heat up at home or eat immediately. The mini market is also cool. I recognized a lot of the products, as I shop at the Low-Carb Grocery often. This cafe has a decent selection of items that I buy often, from Catalina Crunch cereal, to Quest snacks. I got to the counter and spoke to two women. One was the owner. The other helped me with my mystery bag. I showed the latter my order and she put it together. They were both so nice. The owner gave me a brief background description of her business. She offers low-carb options. Some items have natural sugars, so they aren't completely sugar-free. There are also vegan and gluten-free options, including cookies, pies, and cakes. I got a rundown of what was in my mystery bag. I got a slice of chocolate cake and cookies. All were low-carb. I was thrilled. I got them in a paper bag with handles. I also looked at the Boston cream dessert item in the display case and knew that I needed it. I was asked whether it was okay to put it in a paper bag. Yes, it was fine. I was going to devour it quickly. I paid with a debit card. I tapped and all was great. I thanked both of them and headed to my car. It was still there. I had the chocolate cake after dinner. The cake was yummy. It wasn't as moist as it could have been, so you do need a beverage to wash it down. The icing on top was sweet. I ended up putting most of it off to the side. I had the Boston cream. It was delicious. There was cream underneath the hard chocolate dome. It tasted like a fancy cupcake. It was yummy. I sadly don't know what the three cookies were called. They were a cross between a sink cookie with anything you want to put into it and fruitcake focused on the fruit bits. The cookies were scrumptious. It had little bits of fruit that were slightly sweet. If fruitcake had these morsels in them, I'd eat it and would be a fan! Each cookie had a medium denseness to it. I felt full eating each one on separate days. They hold up well. The mini pretzel on top with caramel drizzle was perfect. I loved the salty sweetness duality happening. I can't wait to return and pick up a prepared meal. I'm intrigued. I also want more cookies and an iced latte. This cafe is a winner. I can't wait to return. (185)

The Haven is located in the West end of the Beaches at Queen St W and Willow Ave. By public…read moretransit, it is located near the last stop of the 501 streetcar. The cafe offers a variety of baked and savoury items, as well as a large pantry full of low-carb, gluten-free and healthy options (meals, sweets, and more). During my time there, this neighbourhood cafe definitely had a lot of regulars where the staff knew them by name. I stopped by The Haven on a Friday morning where I opted to purchase a flat white with oat milk as well as a Bacon Breakfast Sammy (low-carb gluten-free bun, fresh cracked egg, crispy bacon, thick cut cheddar). I opted to eat my breakfast sandwich inside the cafe as they had about 4 tables available. Service was friendly and staff brought me my sandwich as it took a little longer to make than my coffee. The breakfast sandwich was delicious! The low-carb gluten-free bun was a great vessel to hold the bacon, egg, and cheese. The cheddar cheese was hot and all melted making the whole breakfast sandwich delicious. My flat white was also made well. Overall, great option to check out if you are ever in the Beaches area, friendly staff, and delicious food!

I am so glad I found this place! The manager was incredibly sweet and friendly and the interior is…read morejust as cute as can be. I decided to try the Hazelnut Crème Brûlée latte paired with the Strawberry Matcha Pain Suisse. The pastry was bursting with a strawberry and matcha filling that was so yummy and I was pleasantly surprised by the strong hazelnut notes in the matcha. I didn't think that nutty flavoring would enhance my drink like that... but it was a perfect match (ahh) ... I'm also thrilled to hear that another location is opening soon... It is great to know that no matter where I am in the city, I'll never be too far...I will definitely be back!

It's been exciting these restaurants and cafes from the west is now expanding into the east. I was…read moreexcited to try this new cafe specializing in matcha beverages. I ordered the Earl Grey lavender latte in hot. When my partner brought over the drink from the counter to table, he made a comment that the cup felt light. I removed the lid to find my drink was a bit of a distance from the top... Being priced at $8.50 and option of one size, I expect a full cup. But aside from not getting a full cup, the drink tasted great and looked presentable with lavender sprinkled on top. The floral flavour was not overpowering, it was just right.

What a lovely place to happen upon. My girlfriend just noticed it while we were driving and we…read moredecided to stop by. So happy we did. Really friendly gentleman working behind the counter and what a gorgeous place. I wish I could sit down, read and have a cup of their amazing coffee. We got a latte and a chai latte. Mmmm so good. The coffee was flavourful but not too acidic and the chai was so delightful. They had a ton of great looking treats to try as well. I highly suggest this place if you need a little pick me up. Even the music was great

Plaxton is a little neighborhood coffee shop that's giving Starbucks a run for its money (or trying…read moreto, anyway). I stopped by in a recent visit to Toronto when it made more sense to wait for my wife than to drive back and forth from our hotel in Mississauga amidst... hey did you know that (unscientific as this may be) traffic may actually be worst on weekends than during the week? Reason is that, while many folks commute using public transit, car owners drive to their destinations on weekends. This is a small, sun-shiny kind of space, with Wifi. The front part, especially, is a good place to bask in the rays. They seem to offer a few food choices for breakfast and lunch, but since I was just looking for a place to hang out for 90 minutes, I was going to be "minimal patron". I thought about another coffee, but decided against it, since I already had double the caffeine I usually consume before noon, I opted for the "cheapest" choice, in the form of a Perrier. Cha-ching and "ouch" and $3.74 later (OK it's CAD, but still), I'm left wondering whether I could have made a better choice: as in, a cookie and that bottle of water I had with me?

Oscar Coffee & Espresso Bar has a nice set up. Love those sofa like booth at the back. Chilling at…read morethe back just feel like lounging at a friend's house. On a Sunny Spring Sunday afternoon, Oscar was busy but the line moved fast. My Cappuccino has really nice milk froth, smooth and silky. I should have ordered a double shot of espresso as it is just too mellow for my liking. I would definitely be back to Oscar when I am in the neighbourhood.

It's been a while since I've said I've found a great coffee spot. I got an Almond latte…read more.. Couldn't wait... And it is awesome!! It's a nice to be close to the Queen East terminus for the streetcar.