The best cafés around the University of Toronto
An oasis tucked away from the busy din of its surrounding streets, the St. George campus of the University of Toronto offers an easy excuse to while away a day admiring its stately green spaces and age-old architecture. You’ll also find some of the city’s most charming cafés in the area, perfect for a study session (Wifi included), some pre-class reading or a caffeinated catch-up with a pal. [Photo: latte at Voodoo Child]
Café Pamenar
307 Augusta Ave, Toronto ON M5T 2M2Blink and you’ll miss it, this Kensington Market café is a welcome refuge from the sights, sounds and smells of Kensington Market. Upon entering, the café reveals itself to a large and peaceful garden patio, just close enough to the bar for a robust Wifi signal, where you’ll find the requisite population of MacBook wielding, totally-not-Facebooking intelligentsia. Pamenar boasts a rotating selection of craft brews on tap too, for when beer o’clock rolls around.
Voodoo Child - Espresso & Cocktail Bar
388 College St, Toronto ON M5T 1S7Don’t ask for a drip: espresso is the name of the game here, and it’s as serious as a heart attack. Offering micro-batch roasts from local TO bean burners, as well as some choice cuts from other caffeine-addled epicentres like Vancouver, Portland and beyond. Ask the barista about the daily brew’s tasting notes, and pair it with some of the baked goods on offer. Check out the namesake drink Voodoo Child, a machiatto made with crème instead of milk, giving it a sweet, sultry finish that’ll stay with you all day.
Almond Butterfly
100 Harbord St, Toronto ON M5S 1G6Gluten-free doesn’t necessarily mean flavour-free. Exhibit A: Almond Butterfly’s supremely satisfying cakes, cookies, loaves and pies which, despite their gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free sensibilities, are some of the best baked goods we’ve ever crammed into our gaping maws (we’re especially partial to the vegan chocolate espresso cupcakes). This Harbord and Spadina haunt makes a mean espresso too, roasted locally by the good folks at Social Coffee and Tea Company.
Diabolos' Coffee Bar
15 King's College Cir, Toronto ON M5S 3H7Student-owned and operated, Diablos’ will be the best grinds you find within campus grounds. Located in the Junior Common Room, (just ask where the JCR is) coffee here is served black, hot and fair-trade, but the lattes and cappuccinos are up-to-snuff too.
Dark Horse Espresso Bar
215 Spadina Ave, Toronto ON M5T 2C7As Toronto as Drake’s turtlenecks, and as warm and inviting too, this locally-owned caffeine-slanging chain serves deep, flavourful espresso drinks that are consistently on point. They have a custom espresso from one of Ontario’s best bean roasters, Detour, which is dark, flavourful and the perfect pairing for the tastebud-triggering house-made brownies.
B Espresso Bar
111 Queen St E, Toronto ON M5C 1S2Sleek, shiny and the most Europe-y café on the list, the espresso here is elegant and crafted with an Italian-level of fanaticism. The wraps and paninis go way above-and-beyond your standard tasteless takeout lunch and there’s more biscotti than we ever knew existed. Located within the Royal Conservatory of Music, don’t be surprised when you’re rubbing elbows with some of the city’s most acclaimed, (albeit perhaps overcaffeinated), composers.
L'Espresso Bar Mercurio
321 Bloor St W, Toronto ON M5S 1S5We might be going out on a limb here: but this may be the only café on the list with a vintage car parked a few steps away from its inside counter. If the vintage Fiat doesn’t tip you off, this café offers Italian-style espresso and snacks with an epicurean flair. Whether you’re sitting down for a long overdue coffee date or grabbing an expertly crafted Americano to-go, Bar Mercurio is where in-the-know U of T-ers get their daily fix.
Annex Common
408 Bloor St W, Toronto ON M5S 1X5One of TO’s most beloved local coffee chains boasts a location in the Annex and you’ll find it stocked at all hours of the day with U of T’s most hip students. Philosophy doctorates and liberal arts undergrads comingle at this bright and airy café, and the espresso-based are some of the city’s best, bar none. Plus, the chilled-out interior and comfy seating make it a great spot to speed through that critical theory paper before your next class.
