Toronto has a thriving coffee scene. Independent coffee shops are popping up all over town. During my time there this year I had the chance to explore and consume lot’s of coffee in Canada’s biggest city.
While on a run through the Kensington Market neighborhood one morning I randomly came across Jimmy’s Coffee on Baldwin Street. The arrow on the welcome sign pointing inside was no factor in me going in. The world coffee was all I needed to see. 🙂
Upon entering I immediately noticed Jimmy this and Jimmy that. They have artwork, pictures and more throughout the coffee shop of Jimmy Hendrix, Carrey, Dean, Morrison, Carter, Hoffa and more. Even the coffee beans they sell are named after famous Jimmy’s.
They serve locally roasted coffee along with cupcakes, croissants, macaroons and other pastries all coming from local bakeries. My coffee of choice was a basic latte. I enjoyed it amongst bookcases filled with old-school books and encyclopedias. The place had an industrial, homey feel to it.
Kensington Market is their second location to the original in Downtown which opened in 2009. I went outside to the patio to get a closer look at the Jimmy mural.
I met up with Pola of Jetting Around, another coffee lover, to hit up La Gourmand Café. The upscale bakery sits on the outskirts of the Downtown Core in the Entertainment District on Spadina Avenue. They serve gourmet, in-house made pastries, lunch and brunch and have a good coffee selection.
It was the heat of the day when we were there so I went with an iced latte. 🙂 We hung out and chatted for a bit amongst the French cafe décor and atmosphere.
The stack of newspapers at the entrance made me think of Sunday morning. This would be a great place to come with my Dad or solo and read the paper to breakfast and some hot coffee. 🙂
Pola and I also randomly found and went into Fahrenheit Coffee on Lombard Street in Corktown and the Downtown Core.
We walked into the coffee shop and espresso bar and engaged with the friendly and passionate baristas. They knew their coffee and we started talking about the popular places and brands in the states. We sat on some bar stools at this small coffee shop off the beaten path. They have wi-fi but can’t see it as a place to work all day but to grab a coffee to-go, check e-mail quickly or to hangout with a friend as Pola and I did enjoying our coffees and pastries.
I ordered an iced latte from here too. They use locally roasted coffee beans from Te Aro, customized specifically for them.
Checkout the time I have also spent at Moonbean Coffee Company and Dark Horse Coffee in Toronto.
Follow Pola as she is always Jetting Around, having coffee every step along the way.
This year was a great introduction to the Toronto coffee scene. What other coffee shops in Toronto would you recommend checking out?
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The Adventures of elATLboy 