Dark Horse Espresso Bar

I went to Dark Horse for the first time yesterday and it was so lovely! There was a mistake with my order, but it was fixed immediately. Staff were extremely friendly and helpful! I ordered an iced chai and a pistachio chocolate croissant. Both my food and drink were delicious! I’m excited to try more food and drink items from here!

This was the coffee shop that got me into coffee culture and lattes! I’ve always loved their espresso flavour. Recently, I have returned to the area due to work. Not too long ago, I walked in there and I started having a conversation with Kaz. Turns out he’s the manager. He’s so friendly and gives the best recos on all things dark horse. I’m hooked on the ‘dear grain’ porridge sourdough (better than blackbird bakery, sorry) and Holiday blend coffee beans. Yesterday, I had the egg mushroom asiago sandwich. That is the best egg sandwich of any Toronto coffee shop. Love the atmosphere and staff. Full circle moment where my coffee addiction began!

Located in Riverside, one of the best neighborhoods in Toronto. Very cool, unique atmosphere. They got lots of coffee beans and supplies. They have non alcoholic drinks, pastries, cold treats and of course coffee. I had the latte. Came to $6.72 (15% tip included) It wasn’t great, it wasn’t bad, it was just alright. The lady at the front counter was very welcoming, but the barista serving the drinks wasn’t the most pleasant.

The Owner and the staff are exceptional! The best drink ever is the lychee matcha, highly reccomend. The cafe makes amazing drinks and very consistent baked goods. Also they have an amazing selection of both alcohol, tinned fish, sandwiches, bread and honestly the best item they have is the cheddar thyme loaf. This is an amazing location great feel, check it out when in the area.

Just had espresso but that is often the ultimate test. Delicious. Complex and bright without acidity.

I lived nearby for just a month, and I’d been curious about this place since I moved in. On moving day, I finally decided to stop by—and I’m so glad I did! The vibe inside is amazing, and they had a flat white on the menu, which I’d been wanting to try for ages, so of course, I had to order it. It’s a bit on the pricier side, but totally worth it. Highly recommend! The staff were super friendly, too! It’s medium and costs $5.10 +tip

First off, the space is bright and clean. Washroom is clean as well. Staff didn’t provide too much service or welcoming attitude, they are pretty chill and talking to each other instead of focusing on the customers. Coffee quality is great, smooth and aromatic. Nice latte art. The croissant is hard and not tasty. $10 for a cup of coffee and croissant is “normal pricing” in downtown but wish the quality is better. Parking on the side street is 1 hr free between certain hours.

Solid coffee. Decent scone (but nothing too special). Space to sit! And use a laptop! They have tubs of vegan ice cream that’s made nearby which is cool (Honeys ice cream, it’s very good).

First visit to Dark Horse Espresso Bar! This location was very spacious and clean. With two accessible washrooms in addition to a non-accessible washroom, plus a floor layout that seemed to be designed with accessibility in mind (wider pathways, not overly packed with tables/chairs), this really stood out for me. I'm not usually one to order chai lattes, but wanting a non-caffeinated drink in the evening, I went with the barista's recommendation. 100% satisfied - just the right amount of spice & sweetness, and the cinnamon sugar sprinkled on top tasted like cinnamon roll filling! I was also excited to see that they offer Detour coffee for their drip brew (I'm a fan, clearly), and such a wide selection of delicious looking grab & go salads, baked goods, and sandwiches. Next time, I'll have to try their espresso to see if I'd give it that 5th star.

I'm always here. So close to home. Maybe I am just in love coffee.... But I love the iced espresso here. So good. The staff are always great when I'm here and the space is quiet enough for me to get some work done when I want a change in scenery from my 4 walls. Always my go to!

Dark Horse has become a defining feature of South Riverdale, and in particular, the strip of businesses between The Don bridge and Broadview. The coffee shop feels spacious, and suits those meeting friends for coffee, business, or the laptop crowd. I love the tall ceilings and creative light fixtures. Employees are lovely.

I luv their deep rich dark espresso. I sometimes even get a few shots to make tirimisu at home. It's the perfect balance of deep intense yet bold and acidic flavours. Their pastries are also worth a try especially the chocolate beet muffin.

This place has been solid for over 8 years. Now has more than just coffee. There is picnic/ convenience store but we're you can get wine/beer, local honey and lots of little take away items for that walk up the Don Valley pathways.

Come for the coffee, stay for the vibes. Dark Horse on Queen fills the niche nicely between bottle shop, bakery, and café - with a spread of interesting Torontonian goods and supplies. However, it is quite busy and chaotic with all of their merchandise spread out around the storefront, and the queuing is not simple to follow when looking to order, pickup, or peruse the store. The staff are super nice, and the quality of goods and café staples are very nice for the area, especially if you're in need of a quick stop. There is great access to transit, and there is normally *some* parking around on the nearby streets. The patio and outdoor space make up for the chaos inside, but I can imagine that during winter, space is at a premium. Overall, this is a great place! It would be awesome to see fewer products, and maybe a rotating/seasonal selection of products to make this more interesting as a café/store business model.

The Espresso is nice with a rich flavour. The ambience is inviting and comfortable. With an open concept, you can enjoy the sun through large French windows. They also provide some snacks, cakes and beers. A perfect place to rest and relax for a while after walking or remote working.

Humble opinion Leslieville and riverdale have improved so much, spots like dark horse add a lot. Used to skip the east (west snob), highly suggest a walk down queen St east. And the coffee is great!

The place is so big and cozy.. the staff is very friendly. Cappuccino was great and also the pecan butter tart was flaky and perfect. Overall the shop is awesome and spacious, very nicely located not too far from Queen and Broadview intersection. Always wanted to go here but glad I did soon as I would definitely go back again!

Today marks a low point in customer service I that I have experienced in my 50 years of life. The barista at the Queens Quay location of Dark Horse Espresso Bar actually followed my girlfriend outside to confront her about a review she left TWO WEEKS AGO! Worse, he could have talked to us while we were int eh establishment. yet he purposely waited until we left, adn saw that I had said goodbye to my girlfriend and started walking the other direction to my office. I saw him come out to chase her down and confront her and I went back, in case she needed protection. This is insane! I will NEVER go back to Dark Horse, and we are considering whether or not we should alert the police to this potentially dangerous behaviour. My girlfriend has been followed before and this was extremely triggering for her. She is still quite upset.

Nice welcoming and open environment. Lots of natural light and windows for people watching. Comfortable seating. The coffee is quite good and the pastries are made with fresh ingredients baked to perfection.

Dark Horse Espresso is the busiest stops for our Koffee Krawl.. Buzzing with energy and activities!! People! Beautiful interesting People! (Does that includes us Yelpers? Or Vivek's "just get out of bed" sexy look?) Not easy to try hoarding some seats for us... sitting right at the Espresso Bar was fun watching the Baristas making espresso drinks non stop! Dark Horse Espresso has this party action vibe even in the Sunday noon hour. Thanks Wayne C for queueing up to get me my cappuccino while I chatting up with all the other yelpers.. isn't it what a good host should be doing? Cappuccino is A-OK!

Hip, chill and perfect for hanging out for a coffee and getting some work done! Communal style tables means sitting together. There aren't enough electric plugs around so come with a charged laptop if you can.

Nice espresso bar, pretty good coffee. Often the espresso lattes are great. Nice delicate hint of bitterness and rich flavor tones. And I like the ambience, obviously very modern. Service is often polite and personable enough. Staff seem to listen and remember things. Thanks Ed and Deana for keeping the new location on this block. The centre of the New World in Toronto, as it were... Queen Bridge over the Don... There's even a neat new city park just north of here to chill it in the shade.

I had already had my coffee thanks to Starbucks (don't judge me), but I was in the mood for the taste of something sweet! Kat F was going on her 2nd cup of coffee, but she suggested I order a butter tart, which is apparently a Canadian dessert. When in Canada...right? And so I ordered away! Kat mentioned that butter tarts can be so sweet that she often has trouble finishing them, but no problemo here! This was delish! Mine had pecans on it and tasted an awfully like a pecan pie. My butter tart also prompted the discussion of whether they should be served with raisins or not. No raisins in this butter tart and pretty sure I like mine without, but the pecans were a very nice addition! Besides serving uh-mazing butter tarts this is a great place to get some work done. There's lots of communal tables downstairs if you're looking to make a friend or head upstairs for more privacy. There is free wifi, but you need a password to sign on (they text it to you). My one complaint is that the restrooms are kinda far away, which is a pain in the butt when you're 7 months pregnant and have to go every 10 min. However, tasty butter tarts made up for it!

They're a bit too cool for school in the customer service department. Most coffee places in Toronto have a bit of ambivalence to customers and smiling, so this is not abnormal... But today I swear the guy behind the counter rolled his eyes when I put a loony in the tip jar. I was also annoyed to find out that they have the wrong times posted online. They are observing winter hours, so they are not open until 9 like it states on Yelp and Google... I am currently writing this from an overpriced cafe down the street.... I would have planned my day a bit differently had I known. Nobody is dead, so not the end of the world. But customer service in places like this seem like an after thought to the cool aesthetic.

This Dark Horse location is one of the few reasons I wish I was still an east-ender. The staff here isn't holier than thou about their lattes, the communal table is usually filled with kind writers/new moms, both with spunky "we're all in this together" attitudes and there is a handy TTC stop right out front to whisk you downtown. Big windows and ample seating with lots of lunch locations nearby earns this Dark Horse the gold metal in the race. Five stars. PEPPER POINTS for impeccable wifi.

- ~ Koffee Krawl ~ - # 3 Dark Horse(Queen W) was so busy, I thought I stepped inside a Tim Hortons during Lunch time. No roll-up-the-rim here but lacking that the overall design had quite uniqueness separate from their Spadina location. As Dark Horse expands their brand, it gives me that JJ Bean feel from the westcoast. As I wait in queue because the Koffee Krawl UYE Host too lazy to get off her ASS, I notice they display 3 bags of Beans all different Bean variety showing the Detour brand(Dundas, ON?). Did I mention how BUSY this place is?? Baristas working at speed-of-sound, wow. 3.5'd Cappuccino($3somethin) - A-OK Who was it that told me to chug the remaining half of the Capp???@@ # Location ------l------------------------------------------- ----- ? I Sam James Coffee Pocket 1 I Sam James Coffee Bar 2 I Cafe Pamenar 3 I DARK HORSE (Queen W) 4 I Thor Espresso Bar 5 I Jimmy's Coffee( I Timed Out @@)

Dark Horse Espresso Purveyors of hip coffee A yuppie magnet Watered down coffee People seems obsessed with it Overrated much Come in and do work Everyone's staring at laptops Feels like an office.

I'm not a local, but Friend had a Groupon for car maintenance check at Toyota across the street. We came here early on Saturday morning: 8 AM early. Up at this ridiculous hour, I needed caffeine and lucky for me Dark Horse was right in front. Great eclectic decor. There's a communal wooden table, benches or comfy chairs w a coffee table that you can sit at. Baked goods are plentiful. We had the cheddar and green onion scone. Not too greasy, which is always nice. Latte was strong and loved the presentation - latte art is always a PLUS. Staff were hipsters (the super pretentious kind who roll their eyes at you because you're not 'cool' enough), but whatever . All in all, a solid 4 star.

This Dark Horse on Queen St. W. is I believe the latest extension of their cafe business. Though I've reviewed Dark Horse in the east end already I thought it worth reviewing this particular spot as I like it a little bit more. The cafe has a nice cozy feel and the staff are friendly and really make the effort to satisfy their customers. I love the liberal use of blond stained wood, the vintage style bulb lighting, the whole decor of the place. Some may not care for the seating arrangement but I call it unique. As with the other Dark Horse establishments they serve both Epic espresso from 49th Parallel and their own Dark Horse blend from Detour Coffee. I really like their house blend espresso, it's flavor is multidimensional and rolls around the tongue nicely. Fantastic in milk based drinks the Dark Horse espresso makes a fabulous cappuccino. In fact I think the cappuccino I had here is perhaps one of, if not the best, cappy I've had in recent memory. A really top notch place to get espresso based drinks and the odd side pastry. I do wish they'd also offer a selection of regular brewed coffees though. At any rate I don't think you'll be disappointed. Highly recommend, 4 1/2 stars.

As a chain of sorts coffee place, this is really good. There truly is very little that I can add that has not already been said about the coffee. I will say, if you have a choice, pick this for your walkabouts on queen as opposed to some other , shall remain nameless chains. So I shall add a few other worthy notes. The design of this place is interesting. I rather like the cozy corner options, sit at the bar or communal table and it`s, how can i put this? Funky desk/laptop station-esque L shaped tables. The staff are friendly and helpful. They will freely describe their myriad of pastries with you! I will say they offer sandwiches but they are on the pricey side. My particular fave - the washroom. Clean and modern. YAY!!! To me, public bathrooms are an extreme source of anxiety. So it was a great relief to me to not have to walk to the basement and to not see a gross bathroom.

All the Dark Horse(es) I've been to have been a fun experience. This new-ish location look fantastic inside, but like my coffee going mate noted you can definitely get the feeling of it turning more chain-like by simple things like their furniture/seating. My americano smelt great and was flavourful so they do their drinks right for me here. And my friend's drink (can't recall if it was latte or cappuccino) had some amazing latte art! Just like a marine in an Avatar body, latte art coupled with instagram is a potent mix for me! This area is just crawling with all kinds of coffee shops that it's becoming harder to choose. But if I were to bring a first timer to an coffee shop in the area I would certainly choose Dark Horse as a safe bet. It does not really garner friendly charm, but their drinks are good and they have a solid option of food to choose from as well. Staff while never going over the top awesome have been friendly and easy going so that's always a plus. Those benches opposite the counter are weird and tiny, but fun to sit on regardless. I prefer this location to their Dundas/Spadina one as it does seem more cozy and welcoming but overall I am a fan of Dark Horse!

Stopped in this morning enroute to work, and grabbed a non-fat latte for myself and an Americano for my husband. It was a great latte! Smooth, creamy, and not too bitter, but not too sweet either. And it was made with love! Literally - the barista left a little latte art of a heart for me. I don't know why, but that gets me every time. I'll try and support this place more often - always happy to support local businesses, especially when I'm happy with the product!

Great communal tables and consistent wifi signal. The french press coffee is tasty. They also have different types of sweeteners, cane sugar, agave and honey. I took one star away because they often toast my food longer than necessary. I took another star away because they have forgotten my order more than once.

Awesome coffee joint with large windows that let in tons of natural light. A really great place to work, and unlike a lot of East End coffee shops - this place is opened in the evening as well. Everything I've had here has been delicious! The interior design is very pretty and instagram-worthy, in my opinion. They even have a patio. What's not to like?!

Really great to see this spot after being away from Toronto for over 7yrs. Know the east side pretty well. Hello from down the street from the former Coleman factory :) Staff are chilled - Cortado was served up perfectly. Tough negotiations around "Song & Dance" for cookies :) Seating is albeit a bit eclectic but love the communal work table. Interesting to see how folks interact in this space. Seats along the wall and the windows -- all works out. Definitely will be back. Lots of friends have told me to get here to slurp on some good coffee. Also, great snacks - tried the chocolate and walnut cookie. If you arrive at the right moment - you might get a joke from the barista

Just HAD to check this place out after reading the reviews here. I really wanted an excuse to see the old neighbourhood now that it has been renewed. I once lived nearby when there were NO cafe's.... but now there are a few good choices and Dark Horse has a competitive edge. The espresso is rich with an almost Chocolate whisper at the base. YUM. Nice Cappuccino and I was nicely surprised to find Non Gluten treats to enjoy! The big guy had a Double Chocolate Chip cookie and commented that it was the best cookie he's had lately, with out realizing that it was G.F. and D.F. ! Sitting outside on the antique benches watching the countless streetcars go by. I happen to love the sound of streetcars. It made me melancholy for days gone by, yet happy to be here now to enjoy the moment. :-)

3.5+ I am not really a latte drinker but had a decent cup here. Or perhaps I just don't know what a good latte tastes like cuz I'm too used to the 'cheap sh*t' :). However, my friends LOVE this place. Great atmosphere & friendly staff. Love how they always decorate the drinks! You almost don't want to drink it! :)

Katy Perry, you make good coffee. Just kidding. this place is pretty good tho. Low key, quiet, communal table, hipsters discussing organic, free trade, socks. The lattes are not bad either.

3* for the coffee because the beans are on the fruity side and I like the old school beans. 5* for the ambiance and decor. Huge glass windows with tons of sun and large tables.

I've only been here once but it was enough to make me want to come back and again and again. Located on a great corner in Leslieville, Dark Horse has carved out a niche for itself on a relatively eclectic block. The inside features random pieces of decor, like a mannequin standing at the doorway. The coolest part of the place has to be the communal wooden table that houses college kids studying, yuppies reading the paper and Leslievillians enjoying the sights of Queen East. I had a jasmine tea which was delicious - served its own mini kettle and mug. I also had a brownie which was so delicious. If you're into coffee, they do a great job of making cute designs in the latte foam - and the cinnamon bun thing looks like ooey gooey goodness. This place is definitely worth a visit!

Dark Horse Espresso Bar is a good coffee shop. It's located outside of downtown Toronto and offers good coffee and baked goods. The plus of Dark Horse is it's HUGE with plenty of seating and free wifi. Also, their double chocolate chip cookie is good!

The best espresso I have ever tasted yet! Excellent coffee, friendly staff, never a disappointment when you go to Dark Horse.

Lovely place, awesome tea!!! HORRENDOUS MUSIC.... I literally sat down for 10 minutes and got the biggest head ache ever caused by garbage music played by the barista! This is of no fault of the owner, but the barista who thinks the coffee shop is his bedroom. He has to understand that this is a communal place where people come to relax and not be reminded of their horror moments. Please for the love of God, tell this guy to never play this garbage.

After being rejected by two other coffee shops on a Saturday evening due to early closing times, my (platonic) friend and I were delighted to be able to get hot beverages at Dark Horse. Rather than ordering my usual extra-caffeinated sans-lactose latte, I opted for a hot chocolate this particular day. Dark Horse wins for richest, creamiest, most chocolaty beverage. It was served with an adorable heart created in the foam on top. (I should have taken this as a hint.) It was also somehow the perfect temperature: hot enough to warm my soul, but not hot enough to scald my tongue. My (non-sexual) partner and I grabbed seats at the large communal table in the center and continued our catch-up session. We both kept pausing mid-sentence when the make-out sessions (yes, plural) started to get out of hand. We didn't realize Dark Horse was such a romantic place. Maybe it was something in the coffee? My hot chocolate certainly didn't have the dash of PDA. The two of us weren't there long enough to become more than friends because they, too, have an early-ish closing time (8pm). Dark Horse would be a great place for a first date!

Average espresso (oftentimes burnt) on the occasions I patronise the cafe. Below is my experience today at the counter. Me: Single espresso for here please. DH barista: I can give you a single but I gotta charge you for a double. Me: hah? why? DH Barista: I only have the double espresso cup for the machine. Me: no thanks. (and walked out) There was no sorry. Most businesses I know offer the customer the upgraded product for equal price if the store can't provide what the customer requests, namely a single espresso. There were no apologies, staff who think they are too cool for you and upselling and it's not a bargain, 2,51$ + tax for a single shot, 20-30% more than neighbouring joints.

I'll keep this short and sweet (like how I take my espressos). The coffee, location and aesthetic all receive full marks here. No question. I mean they wouldn't have expanded as quickly as they have in Toronto if they didn't have these things nailed down. Where they fell short was in some basic service areas. The Wifi, not one of my 3 devices was able to connect (phone, tablet, laptop), none. I was coming here to enjoy a cuppa Americano and do some work but that became quickly apparent that wasn't going to happen. Further to this, no plugs for laptop or phone charging... like anywhere. Not even a little bebe plug for 2 min. I understand it's to motivate turnover but come on... daddy needs to earn his pay folks. A little wifi and a power bar in the back wouldn't hurt. Lastly seating - is this for people under 5'2? I felt like my 6 ft frame had to do some auto-bot type transformer shifting to squirrel into one of their tables. I mean they look hella cool, but I was short fall away from a Yoga class, imagine if I was taller (or more rotund?). At the end of the day this is a laundry list of #firstworldproblems, and their coffee is good, next time, I'm coming with a fully charged laptop, setting up my personal hotspot (on my phone) and bringing in my own recliner for seating. Last note - that patio is pretty sweet, next time Dark Horse, next time!

Barely open for a day and the new Dark Horse Espresso has become a second home for many in the neighbourhood. Dark Horse opened in the space that once occupied the former Square Fruit Market and the owners have done a fine job transforming it into a cozy yet airy cafe. Beautiful dark wood floors, red painted walls, tin ceiling make up the decor. Like the other Dark Horse cafes, a communal table is located at the front near the windows. But if you're shy about sitting there with strangers, there's plenty of seating found at the bar and at small individual tables along the wall. They're open until 7pm, which seems to be the norm for most coffee joints in the city. But they make a damn fine Americano so I'll forgive them for their somewhat limited hours.

I've had my fair share of iced lattes as I tend to get super HOT in the summertime. Everywhere from NYC to the midwest to Cali. But I've got to say, this place has the BEST ICED LATTES I've ever had, def try it. $4. Other than that, the place has nice ambiance, isn't too loud, and has comfy furniture, which is key if you're like me and like to sit at cafes to work. Be aware that there are no plugs, so come with your laptop fully charged.

After a couple years hiatus from Toronto, I came back for a visit to the city and was excited to try Dark Horse on Queen W after really enjoying the Queen East location. Overall: very disappointing. The 2 surly dudes behind the counter were less than welcoming with the one remark "whadya need" with a bit of an attitude when asking about Wi-Fi network. Its DHQW btw. They offer french press, but said it took 4 minutes so would i have an americano or drip cup/pour over instead, a more expensive option. sure. I went to sit down, and there's no outlets to plug computers, which is fine and should have looked before sitting down or ordering, but was hoping to get some work done. Plus side, is the sunny communal table in the front, free newspapers, lots of eye candy of passing traffic, decent coffee and the 50+ gent in plaid who just walked in with a skateboard in hand. rad. This place would be 4 or 5 stars were it not for the underwhelming service.This city is brewing with indie coffee houses, so next time I'll try one of those.

My fav local place for coffee. It's also the hipster place to be seen on Queen St W, if that's your cuppa' tea! They expanded the outdoor seating area, adding benches conveniently tucked away at the side of the building making it perfect for people watching, but keeping the cig smoke out of the front entrance way. Love the latte's, because I'm more of a traditionalist. But everything is a guarantee.

Dark Horse staff are so decent and have HAD to expand because they have the best coffee in town. Purveyors of the 49th parallel brand of espresso roast, I buy beans to take home and I've tried a lot of their drinks. One of the best parts of this place- the Cortado is on the menu. Have you ever said to yourself, "A latte has so much milk, and I like the taste of the espresso, but need a bit of milk to tone it down."? The Cortado is just for you- a bit of milk, not so much foam that you get through to the coffee- I'm looking at you, Cappuccino; and some sweet heart shaped design to brighten your morning. This Dark Horse, like all the others, is how I wish my house looked. Big, thick wooden tables and sparse, but great lighting. Couldn't have wished for a better establishment to take over this little corner.

To get to work, my Queen streetcar starts from Yonge to Carlaw. To get to Dark Horse Espresso, I actually got off the streetcar, buy coffee, get on the next streetcar. And so! I'd do that just to get a coffee here :) they make amazing lattes! I also had the Americano and that was great as well. I usually come in here at about 8:40am and it's pretty busy! Customers here are very friendly :) How do I know? Because this place is so small, I turn around and I'd almost crash into them.... happened a few times. They're apologetic, smiley, and very polite. It's not often like this at Timmies ;)

Dark Horse is about a 5 minute walk from my house, yet I rarely get in for coffee. Their lattes are good, not the best in the city, and can be a little hit and miss depending on who the barista is the day you are there. They carry the standard variety of baked goods from local bakeries such as Circle Square, including gorgeous mulit-berry muffins. Very delicious. Service like their lattes can be hit and miss. I've had great service but also super surly, snobby service which kind of turned me of last time I was there. The decor is spacious and open, with tons of seating and free wifi. Really cozy.

As far as the coffee and the vibe of this place goes, it would get a 5, as far as I'm concerned. They've got some of the best cappuccinos I've had on the North American continent. (...the best cappuccino I've ever had was in Japan. Weird, no?) My friend got some fresh mint tea in a french press and seemed best pleased. Staff is friendly, considering the constant stream of customers they get pummeled with. The atmosphere is also super chill. The huge tables and large picture windows in the front are a definite plus. Excellent for people watching, and excellent for spreading your work out without having to worry about encroaching upon your neighbor - and the fact that they're communal tables means that you can most likely strike up a conversation with the person slugging down their latte next to you. The industrial accoutrements are also lovely - exposed brick, wood tables, exposed pipes, leather chairs. Overall, this is a great place to stop by if you're looking for a damn good cup of coffee in a pleasant environment with wonderful people-watching. So why three stars, then? 1) I found the bakery items to be underwhelming. Granted, I didn't go for the butter tart, which seems to be their star item, but the oatmeal berry muffin I got was super dry and tasted more like compressed cardboard than anything else. After how awesome the coffee was, this was disappointing in the extreme. 2) NO POWER OUTLETS. Now, I realize this is a measure to keep people from camping out, but, seriously. I had some work that needed getting done, and after scouring the establishment and finding nothing in the way of outlets, drastic measures had to be taken. I ended up in the hallway of the office next door, sitting on the steps next to a wall plug so I could get my writing done. I suppose this experience wasn't a total bust, since I got to make friends with the Vietnamese guy who was mopping the floor and laughing at me at the same time, and I seemed to engender a lot of sympathy from the office workers who were passing through ("Looks like you need a better office, eh?"), but, really? If I'm forking out 4 dollars for a cup of joe, that should purchase me as much time as I want to stay at a coffee shop. That is the way that coffee shops work. Also, they don't take American debit cards. Okay, okay, i know that Toronto is in Canada and paying for things with Canadian money isn't an unreasonable request, but still. Panhandling for loonies outside so I can get my cappuccino is not how I wish to spend my vacation. In fact, half of Toronto doesn't seem to take American debit. Bewildering. Just like how the Tim Hortons in Canada manage to accept both Mastercard and American paper money, but not Visa. Oh, Canada, Canada, wherefore art thou of boundless mystery?

Another beautiful spot in the east end to relax and chill with a cuppa. There's free wifi, communal tables and benches a decent amount of seating though not as big as it's twin on Spadina. This also appears to be a popular hangout for locals in the area, I can usually spot a group of cyclists or joggers outside on the weekend enjoying a post workout drink. Good selection of baked goods, I like the pumpkin or blueberry bran muffins from the circle and squares bakery-these things are moist and flavourful enough that you don't need butter. One more literary bonus about the Dark Horses: they have a fantastic selection of newspapers for your reading pleasure. There's almost always a globe or star kicking around daily and on Sunday's folks clamour over the new york times.

The Dark Horse has pretty much been covered in previous reviews. I have to say - I am a fan. My favorite things here are the baked goods, and while I was walking down there to get a banana chocolate chip muffin the other day and I composed this jingle for them in my head: BA-nanananananananana chocolate chip! BA-nanananananananana chocolate chip! baNAna chocolate chip, banana CHOcolate chocolate chip, BA-nananananananaNAna chocolate chip. Then, they were out of Banana Chocolate Chips muffins, but they had banana chocolate chip loaf slices instead which turned out to be a fine substitute. I occasionally get beans there to go, and although they don't roast the beans themselves, they only stock top tier product. People here have raved about the communal table, which I am also in love with. Not because I enjoy sitting with strangers, but because it appears to be made of reclaimed bleachers (I don't know if it actually is). I much prefer the decor here to the new Dark Horse at Dundas & Spadina. I only rate it 4 stars and not 5 stars because I really appreciate Mercury's feature menu where they have a new type of espresso about once a week - Dark Horse always uses 49th parallel espresso, and I would like to see a weekly feature added. It is otherwise perfect.

When it comes to espresso or lattés, people don't mess around, and neither do I. You will NOT find your Starbucks style latté here. Dark Horse is EASILY the best place in Toronto to score a perfect latté.