the top cafes near york

1. NUTBAR

Location:  1240 Yonge Street, Toronto

Dori's Notes:

Nutbar is only two blocks away from the school. Get there by walking south from the school towards Summerhill. Don’t cross the road – Nutbar will be hidden down below just before Acorn Avenue. 

On the other hand, Nutbar is expensive. A coffee is five to ten dollars, and their food options are a lot of “buck” for a little “bang”.

Also, everything has nuts in it. So, if you go here, make sure not to bring anything back to school! Nut milk is in almost everything, except maybe the Soba Noodle Bowl. 

The store is quite small: limited seating, and no washrooms. The music is medium to quiet, and you’ll likely be hearing indie or alternative. 

Nutbar has free internet, but I found it hard to connect to. 

Keep in mind that Nutbar is a “health” food store. There are lots of substitutes for ingredients.

2. IMPACT KITCHEN

Location:  1222 Yonge Street, Toronto

Dori's Notes:

Impact Kitchen is also quite close to the school. Walk to Nutbar then keep going until the street across from the entrance to Summerhill station and you’ll find Impact Kitchen. 

Unfortunately, Impact Kitchen is also expensive. A small bowl of oatmeal at Impact Kitchen costs $7, the same amount as Nutbar. Impact Kitchen also considers itself a “health” food store, although it doesn’t use nut milk. 

A real pro for Impact Kitchen is its size. Impact has clean washrooms, an upstairs room (usually closed in the mornings) and an outdoor dining area for springtime and summer. 

This cafe also has free internet! If you have a VPN, I would recommend studying here and using their internet to make sure you’re safe online. For this reason, I rate Impact Kitchen a great place to study in. 

The music is medium to loud, and you’ll usually hear pop music, although a few times I’ve heard classical or jazz. Occasionally the kitchen plays different music then the main area, so if you are seated near the kitchen this could be bothersome. 

3. BOXCAR SOCIAL

Location:  1208 Yonge Street, Toronto

Dori's Notes:

Keep walking South of Impact Kitchen and you’ll reach Boxcar Social. 

Boxcar Social is great for studying alone. You’ll hear quiet rap or RnB music, and there is a super quiet upstairs area with couches! Couches! Never have I been in a more comfortable coffee shop. 

Boxcar’s outdoor seating is also excellent. When it's nice out, there are usually about 10 people working at Boxcar on any given day. 

Boxcar also has free internet, but I found it difficult to access compared to Impact Kitchen’s internet. 

There are also washrooms at Boxcar Social. 

Boxcar’s prices are similar to slightly higher than Impact Kitchen and Nutbar. 

Note that Boxcar Social and Impact Kitchen turn into a bar (for adults) at night, so don’t stay too late!

Overall, Boxcar Social has good hot chocolate, good tea, and lots of pastries! Make sure if you’re ordering tea, you don’t order it to go. You’ll get a nice cup and teapot. 

4. AROMA ESPRESSO BAR

Location: 1407 Yonge Street, Toronto

Dori's Notes:

Aroma Espresso Bar is the opposite direction. Go North of the school towards Yonge and St. Clair, cross the road, and you’ll find this coffee shop. 

Aroma Espresso Bar is not cheap, but if you’re looking for a place to eat, this one has the best variety of food. You can get salads, bowls, breakfast options, sandwiches, vegetarian options, and more. If you just want tea and study time, the tea here is about a dollar cheaper than the stores mentioned above. 

Aroma Espresso Bar is large, but usually very busy. It includes washrooms, and one huge boon is every time you buy something, you get a chocolate.

Aroma closes at 4:00pm, right when school ends for the senior school. Another negative is that Aroma’s garbage often is littered around the street beside it. I don’t know if this is Aroma’s fault, though. 

Overall, Aroma has good food! Come here if you need a filling breakfast, brunch, lunch, or linner. 

5. PRESSE CAFE 

Location: 40 St. Clair Avenue West, Toronto

Dori's Notes:

A bit further North on St. Clair is Presse Café. Last but certainly not least, this cafe has amazing hot chocolate! The music is grunge and soft 90s with a mellow vibe. Presse Café is in an office building, so if you go, you’ll see office workers flowing in and out. 

Presse Café is usually pretty empty in the mornings, and it opens from 8:00am to 4:00pm from Monday to Friday. You’ll find internet access here.

The tea at Presse Café is cheaper than Boxcar Social or Nutbar (about $3), but their coffees are a similar price ($5 to $8). Sweets are much cheaper at Presse Café than health food stores like Impact Kitchen and Nutbar. You can also get sandwiches and lunch at Presse Café, but I prefer their drink menu. 

Presse Café was formerly JJ Bean before the pandemic. In my biased opinion, JJ Bean had better cookies, but their hot chocolates are both good…