The cafe serves a list of breakfast, lunch, sweet and savoury snack menu options made fresh. They have a curated selection of Toronto-based PLUCK teas that are freshly brewed and available for purchase, fresh coffee and espresso-based drinks made from Rufino Espresso.
Mercury Espresso Bar is a cherished Leslieville treasure, and it's because of the staff's immense coffee IQ and how the macchiatos, flat whites, and overall selection of speciality drinks pairs with a homey atmosphere. If you're feeling adventurous, let the barista recommend an espresso or an entirely new creation from the touted slow bar.
Sam James has always kept it simple and because of that, there isn't a reason for the indie coffee shop to change. As any SJCB diehard will tell you, it's all about the classic drip coffee from the cafe's own brand Cut Coffee. Trust us: the hospitality at all of the locations can convince anyone to take home a one-pound bag of CC espresso blend.
Tokyo Smoke looks like an Urban Outfitters transplant -- it's practically a remodeled shipping container -- but the coffee trumps trendiness. The espressos and drip beverages are made with custom coffee beans from North Toronto's de Mello Palheta, and the Vietnamese and Canadian drinks are sweetened with condensed milk or maple syrup. There's also loose leaf teas from Pluck, seasonal picks from its own fashion house, and a collection of international candy.
Sumach Espresso is the new kid on the block in Corktown, thanks to owner Mike Cullen. The spot used to be a shady convenience store called New Regent Variety and now it's a family-friendly coffee haven that uses Classic Coffee's Rufino beans for espressos, mochas, and cappuccinos. There's also tea from the Metropolitan Tea Company and in-house brownies that are said to be inspired by Thomas Keller's Bouchon Bakery.
On the fairly unassuming corner of Palmerston and Barton, a residential pocket of the Annex got just what they needed with Emily Rose Cafe, a lovely new coffee shop that brews strong espresso, bakes up homemade goodies and sells a few retail items to grab on your coffee run.
The coffee beans come from Rufino Espresso, a family-run, Vaughn-based Italian coffee maker who roast rich and complex beans that are perfect for espresso-based beverages. All the classics are present on the menu at Emily Rose, plus the optional added touch of a few house-made syrups for lovely flavoured lattes: vanilla, maple and lavender.
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