Coffee In The Hood

Toronto’s coffee shops reflect the ambiance of their neighbourhoods: from posh to edgy, from nostalgic to ultra-modern, from hip to homey. Part of being an agent that specializes in Central Toronto is knowing the café culture, and knowing what it means about life in that part of the city. It’s about indulging in localism by finding a spot that exists only in that one place.

And I’ll admit, coffee is one of my passions. I’m always on the hunt for the freshest, richest brew. I look for coffee purveyors who take care with their craft, to produce a coffee that’s distinct and serve it up in a setting I’ll remember.

Here, I’ll share some of my favourite neighborhood cafés. I’ll tell you what’s great about the atmosphere, the brews, and why you might want to check one out as part of your new neighbourhood hunt.

The Company We Keep

03.19.2025

The Company We Keep: A Cozy Retreat in St. Clair West Village

GOLDSTRUCK COFFEE

09.18.2017 - Mark Lebovits

Walk into Goldstruck and the first thing you’ll notice is the soft gold halo that emanates from this café. Next, you will surely notice t...

Oakwood Espresso

09.5.2017 - Mark Lebovits

After a busy week, I set aside some father-daughter time on the long weekend. Our first stop, Oakwood Espresso, a local favourite of the O...

BOB Coffee Bar

08.27.2017 - Mark Lebovits

In what seems like an overnight transformation, the southwest corner of Davenport and Christie, has morphed from a local variety store, to w...

Krave Coffee

08.14.2017 - Mark Lebovits

What are you ‘Kraving’ this week? For those who know me well, my diet doesn’t consist of too much dairy, but from time to time I do li...