Toronto has heaps of great cafes slinging single-origin flat whites, but the best spots to grab a cup of joe roast their own beans. These five roasters supply most of the other cafes in town and have cute coffee shop fronts to boot.
- Balzac’s Coffee Roastery (Building 60, 55 Mill St.; tel. 416/207-1709): This airy cafe invites lounging upstairs in the loft living room or downstairs near the roaster. Beans are fresh-roasted and then micro-roasted on the premises for super freshness.
- Ezra’s Pound (238 Dupont St.; tel. 416/929-4400): You can sit down to warm croissants, a light lunch, or just plain great coffee—organic and fair trade—where Wi-Fi invites lingering in the pretty space. This place is more tranquil than most coffee bars.
- De Mello Palheta (2489 Yonge St.; tel. 647/748-3633): The roasts might have silly names like Dancing Goats (from Brazil's Serras de Minas) or Dead Man Walking (a blend of Ethiopian and Brazilian beans), but the Aussie expats who run this North Toronto spot are serious about their coffee.
- I Deal Coffee (Nassau St.; tel. 416/364-7700): Eccentric Kensington Market regulars camp out on the sunny patio where an impromptu jam session isn’t out of the question. Buy a pound of fresh-roasted beans and get a free espresso-based drink on the house.
- Propeller Coffee (50 Wade Ave.; tel. 416/479-3771): Grab a crema-capped espresso and tuck into one of the communal tables, which look into the glass-encased roasting room where the alchemical coffee magic happens—in small batches, of course.
- Reunion Island Coffee Bar (385 Roncesvalles Ave.; tel. 905/829-8520): Oakville’s 20-year-old roastery opened a bright, minimalist room on Roncesvalles where their beans are sold by the pound and turned into foam-feather-finished lattes. Bean heads will swoon over the Modbar espresso system.
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.