Manic Coffee

Service is alright, atmosphere is nothing of note and the espresso is a bit sour. Ordering a cortado, vanilla latte, and drip coffee I would definitely recommend the vanilla latte as it is delicious. But the cortado is a pass, and the drip coffee is pleasant but maybe could be stronger. While I wouldn’t sing praises for this place, it was still a decent experience.

Been coming here every day for 4 years. The best part of coming here is the silly faces of all the staff, always up to some cahoots Unpretentious, caring and kind. The coffee is good and serviceable, made by a rotating staff with interesting stories. The pastries are made in house, and it's worth showing up at 7am to have them fresh. The shop itself has a beautiful light that comes through its South facing windows on sunny winter days. There's a reason this shop was here before Starbucks and will be here long after. On a good day you'll see couples, parents, writers, old friends a church group and even an artist or two sit in one of the few spaces left that you can feel comfortable in. Also vinyl/plexiglass squirrels if you're into that.

I stopped by this café on a Sunday afternoon while walking down College Street. Right away, it had a clear college student vibe. The seating at the front was packed, but there were a couple of small tables in the back if you were lucky enough to grab one. The staff were really friendly, which made the visit even better. Just a heads up, since it’s a popular student spot, it can get pretty loud with all the chatting. It’s got a lively energy, so if you’re looking for a quiet place, this might not be it. As for the coffee, it was good! My first sip didn’t blow me away, but the flavor grew on me as I kept drinking. I also noticed a small shelf in the corner selling coffee beans, including their own brand and some from other roasters. And a cool little detail! Their coffee cups. The design is unique and really stands out.

We ordered iced americano and cortado. Cortado tasted chocolatey but a bit light to my taste. Iced americano tasted better. It’s a bit hot sitting inside. Staff is friendly and looks like it’s a neighborhood favorite.

The “matcha” is just milk with green clumps in it. The chai latte tastes like they sprayed cologne in it. They both taste like they are not FDA approved I don’t see how it’s even on the menu. The downtown cafe seen is competitive I’m shocked that they are still open.

They.Serve.Killer.Pasta!!! Ordered takeout today and it still came piping hot and absolutely incredible.

This is one of my favourite cafes in the city! The espresso is rich and delicious. Today we got an espresso shot and an americano. I would also recommend the granola - it’s fresh and a favourite!! Definitely worth a visit either to sit inside, or to takeaway!! Love this place!

I ordered a cappuccino. It's supposed to be served in a regular glass, but they made it in a small one and said that's how it should be... -((( The inside is dirty!! The coffee is bitter! I don't recommend visiting!

What a find- only on streets like College can you go for a stroll in a Saturday morning looking for a coffee where you come across this unique spot. For $2.75 walked out for a rich rich bold drip coffee and continued on my way. For those who aren't on a low carb, lots of delicious looking muffins and other baked goods to enjoy. In particular this giant muffin looked absolutely delicious and definately would have grabbed one but for the carb and glycemic thing. College is an amazing stretch of unique and independent shops and people. I highly recommend Manic Coffee and other shops on shops in which I encourage you to patronize. Enjoy your coffee! -Zuk

Fantastic ambience, food was delicious and tasty, service was fast and efficient. Perfect experience!

Love this place. Pro tip - their soup and salad are both delicious at amazing prices. They use fresh ingredients and is a great place to go for a light lunch. Their coffee and baked goods are also delicious but the best deal in the house is defs the salad and soup of the day. At around $4 for soup and high quality 4 pieces of toasted bread this is place is heaven for my wallet. The salad with meat comes to just around $10 - it's a really big portion with good ingredients (sometimes there's guacamole). No wifi though so be aware, but really maybe we should all get offline for a while and have a conversation with people. The only reason it doesn't get a 5 is bc 5 is reserved for amazing mind-blowing food, but I still really highly recommend this place and even kind of selfishly hope that not too many people find it so that I will still have a seat during lunch .

I liked the coffee here, just wish I had time to enjoy the coffee in Manic vs having it to-go because we had to get a move on. My Latte was warm and creamy and I could see the barrister putting some care and attention into latte art. The Gelato looked good, but again, no time!

There are only so many cafes that feel like a nice place to be, and this is one of them. Bright, airy and some chilled jazz music makes this a great place for me to relax, read or chill with a friend. Looks like they have around 50 seats so you should be able to get a seat. Their pastries are a notch better than the usual as they get them from Jules. The hardest part for me on this first visit was deciding what to get! They all look so good. I'll definitely be back. Putting it on my Toronto cafe list.

If you're a java connoisseur who hasn't been to Manic Coffee, you're missing out. This quaint indie coffee shop is located on College Street, just north of Kensington Market. As the sole distributor of Intelligentsia beans in Canada, it's apparent that Manic Coffee's mission is all about brewing a perfect cup. Every drink tastes like they put a lot of love into preparing it. On top of that, warm smiles and small talk from the baristas always make guests feel welcome. In addition to plenty of espresso-based hot beverages and nitro cold brew, tea lattes and other non-caffeinated options are also available. This isn't just a coffee shop - Manic also offers plenty of freshly-made sandwiches and local baked goods (gluten-free options available) that hit the spot when you're craving a treat to accompany your beverage. The next time you need to replenish your stock of coffee beans, consider checking out Manic's online shop as well.

I always try to visit boutique cafes as they not only serve better coffee but show the character of the neighbourhood! As I entered with the most boring laptop bag in the cafe, the music playing set context on what I should expect. I decided to try Kyoto - which was a matcha coffee. It was made flawless, as I enjoyed people watching from the corner seat. I could have had something to eat if there were more options than croissant. Perfect place for a hangout, catch-up on some work or just enjoy coffee & conversations!

Manic Coffee is nice and calm 20 minute before closing... I can sit anywhere I like.. No crowds.. and I have the full attention of the 2 nice baristas who advice me I have only 20 minute to drink my coffee... that's more enough time! The Cappuccino is bold, strong and smooth. And the heart shaped Latte art..awesome!! Maybe he knew I am on a way to Anti Valentine Elite event.. or I just need some love since I am alone drinking coffee?? The cups so cute.. love that they have their own name branded coffee cups.. and that remind me of the thicker cup for HK style tea!

I like this place, but NB they are doing a ton of construction right now. It's still open but there are only a few tables at the front and no bathrooms. Their ice lattes are nice though.

Barista treated customer like crap today. Came here many times, good espresso, a few interesting different coffees. Not a bad place to linger and read. Discount price after 3 or so. Great location. Today when customer asked if could use washroom before getting a simple four dollar coffee, barista was rather mean and she treated the polite and well-dressed customer like a criminal suspect trying to pull a fast one. No it's a call of nature. You would not appreciate being put on the spot and forced to wait, while the server demands 'WHAT are you ordering?' You unnecessarily humiliated the person in front of other customers, and then you didn't even have a key available for the washroom. You seem quite selfish and mean. Some free advice: get over yourself. You are charging people good money to go and ruin a good experience. Foolish & puzzling actions, and assume this is another entitled & out of touch Toronto business owner. Just trying to support local. ....... Weird experience.......

I had read quite a bit about this spot before visiting though it was the second choice on the bookmarked spots. The first one had to be skipped as they had no AC on a very hot day. The place is nice and clean and even offered gelato/sorbet. I tried the black currant and it was decent especially on a nice hot day. On to the cappuccino Here is the verdict for the cappuccino Espresso: Medium Crema': Good Milk: Frothed well Latte Art: Good. A decent cappuccino though I prefer a bold taste. 3.5 stars I will be back if I am in the area.

Though this place has changed hands recently (OG owner went to focus onto amazing ice cream at Put a Cone on it), I feel the quality didn't dip. If anything, this spot feels like one of the true independent coffee spots before Starbucks made venti pumpkin spice latte with extra whip and cinnamon popular. Like most original spots, it's not the bright sunlit or gleaming metallics industrial loft vibes of today's coffee spots. It's on a quieter part of College and kinda near Kensington. On a Saturday afternoon, I would say that it was quite packed with a lot of people on laptops. Unlike most crowded spots in Toronto, this actually had a lot of tables open up for most people to grab a table to themselves. If I think of it, it's quite large for a coffee spot. The place itself is not heavily decorated. It's clean but quite spartan with some wood accents that reminds you a bit of a college dorm rec room. Service here was great... they had at least 3 people working behind the counter and so you're never waiting for a drink. They're constantly at it getting drinks ready. I do like how they're open later as well... most places shut down at 4 pm or 5 pm on the weekends. Here, they're open till 7 pm everyday. BONUS. It is SO hard to find good coffee after 5 pm in Toronto. Flat White - It has a good kick. Something you'd need in the mid morning after you had your gentle wake up with a softer bean. I wouldn't call the bean to be acidic but it's definitely punchy and strong. Perhaps it was closer to a cortado but either way, it taste good and I wasn't expecting the strength of it at 5 pm. Drinkable for the experienced coffee lovers. For first times, be warned... get a latte with some sugar in it. It definitely is strong... I couldn't sleep well that night. Oh well 4/5 Matcha Latte - This was actually well done. Creamy with good balance with the naturally bitter tea. There was no extra sugar so it allowed a lot of the matcha flavour to come through. They took the time to really ensure the powder dissolved nicely. It's a good one for the city. 4/5 For a local spot, this hits all the right points... good coffee, seating, fast service, and opens late. For those who are searching for the best coffee, it might not make your top 3 list but it should definitely be considered a good one above most spots. Bonus points to the ridiculously cute Ice Age-like squirrel that is their mascot. Cute mascots always get bonus points

A cozy little coffee and tea shop.... with no wifi. You can't get online work done here unless you're willing to use your own data. The tea I tried was decent. Nothing particularly good or bad about it.

Every time I visit a cafe, I always go for latte. Latte here, on average, is worth 4 stars. The only thing is that the turnover of staff is super quick, always ends up having different staff to make my latte. So, the quality is up (5 stars) and down (3 stars).

Great spot to grab a coffee that isn't Starbucks. Beautiful lighting and colours inside which go nicely with the idea of drinking coffee. Nice seating and it's on the sunny side of the street so you can even stand out front and drink your coffee and enjoy the rays. I had a latte and croissant and they were quite good. I'll be back again for sure.

This has been one of our best coffee's in Toronto, good pastries, and great Caribbean music playing (old school classics). Lunch time sandwiches looked delicious on focaccia bread, didn't try as I was heading into Kensington markets, so was necessary prep.

Amazing spot. Was visiting my bestie who lives down the street from this gem. Being the coffee junkie that I am this was the first spot she took me to. Introduced her to cold brew, and theirs in amazing, a creamy and smooth cold bevy. so good. the man working, who is presume is the owner, was exceptional. he was very kind and even gave us some delicious gelato samples after we grabbed our coffees. would highly reccomend.

I came in to work (like everyone else in the front of this bright, comfortable cafe) in the late afternoon. I drank a drip coffee (delicious) and got to work. They only keep their drip coffee until 5pm (clearly posted on their menu) and I went to ask if there was any drip left just in case. The very friendly guy behind the counter apologies that there was none left, but then offered me an Americano. I said I didn't really want a full coffee, but he just GAVE it to me. What a guy. Super nice. Highly recommend. Some of the best coffee in town. Good tunes. Nice folks behind the counter. Good baked goods. Can't go wrong, people.

If we lived here, this would be our go-to. Staff is amazing, food is great and reasonable, and the cold brew is SO SO good (smooth, nutty and floral). Vibe is chill as are the staff. Such a great find in this equally great city!!!

We had coffee and some muffins / croissants here. Coffee and especially the muffin was really tasty! Their latte art was also really nice :) service was fast and friendly, although the place was pretty busy at the time we came in. No wifi.

Even though they don't have wifi, word on the street is there's an open connection. I recently moved into the neighbourhood and this place keeps me coming back to grab stuff to go. They don't have a lot of flavour shot options--only vanilla and chocolate (for mocha). I had a vanilla latte and it was delicious. The mocha wasn't as impressive. The espresso base is nice and rich. I saw a pour that looked like it could be an americano but it basically looked like 3 to 5 shots of espresso in a glass, meaning their americano looks thick and rich. Mmmm. I've grabbed a latte here twice already and both times the art was beautiful! Art is all poured, no stir-stick action. It was really impressive! The chocolate chip cookies (with sea salt!) are quite good. Nice and chewy. According to their website they're baked fresh on-site. Having lived in Vancouver and knowing quality coffee shops, I'm glad I live so close to such a great coffee shop. Rarely do I find the combination of excellent coffee and baked goods in the same establishment in Toronto. They're a "disloyalty card" shop, meaning you can get a stamp from here as well as other high quality coffee shops in the city to eventually redeem for a free drink. Manic Coffee doesn't need wifi to keep me (and the rest of the full house of patrons) coming back. I don't think I would ever come here to do work anyway, it seems too busy for my liking. The espresso based bevies and chocolate chip cookies are enough to keep me coming back, especially since I live so close!

You have Intelligentsia coffee. I know I'm supposed to care. I just don't. I drink coffee for caffeine and can tell if it's horrible, but I just don't give a woe. Manic is adorable and has tasty and cheap paninis (I'm partial to the chicken and cheese) and a rainbow of gelato flavours. It's also conveniently located at the corner of College and Bathurst, which I've always sort of thought of Toronto's coming of age corner. Like you're finishing college and moving west to biggest and nicer apartments. Philosophical waxing aside, if you like Intelligentsia you are going to like this place... you also pay too much for coffee. PEPPER'S PISSED about the lack of free wifi. In this age of tethering you're not keeping us laptop people from staying, you're just making us grumble a bit.

This is a wine bar for coffee. Finally a star that's worth the bucks. A brilliant selection of beans. Perfectly prepared. It's worth splurging for the 5 dollar cups of Clover-produced coffee. A true mid-day treat. Always busy. Always worth it.

Super friendly staff, THE VANILLA LATTE IS OUT OF THIS WORLD, PLEASE GET IT. My boyfriend was boring and got just regular coffee, but he said it was good. We stopped in on our way to a food tour, so we didnt get any good, but it all looks delicious in the case, anyway!

Oh, wow! This was a great coffee experience! Upon deciding to move here, I was told of Toronto`s coffee culture. I feared for the worst. I had read online the comparison between Vancouver and the Tdot and frankly, I was worried. I did some research and discovered that the two most awesome representatives of Vancouvers best, the Elysian Room and Caffe Artiggiano, had to decided to relocate to Toronto to give that city a shake up. That was two years ago - i think. So, I can`t tell you how I excited and absolutely thrilled I was when I found the place purely by accident. Sitting there I enjoyed I fine brew with great crema. It was rich yet delicate americano. No bitter after taste. So smooth to the palate. I wanted to savour every sip. It was one the best cups of coffee I`ve had in awhile. On top of that, the customer service was spot on!

You know what they were doing in there today? They had a Massive Attack remix playing and it just made the whole place seem so passé. The coffee? I don't know. I don't know. You're putting me on the spot. It's kind of like the squirrel peed in there. It's not very strong. Or maybe it's just because my tongue is burnt now. EDIT: I've revised my squirrel comment. It's not that it tastes like pee. It's just that it's too subtle. It's like when the restaurant tells you that they are putting truffle into the pasta but you can't taste it and so you question whether they are lying to you.

Unfortunately the coffee wasn't good. Nice, quiet, bright space and great service. I would've liked to come back if the coffee were better.

Spacious cafe but they dont have wifi and not enough charging ports. Not an ideal place for working. They offer a decent variety of cookies and croissants. The coffee is alright.

Great coffee. They make a nice latte and have a delicious iced coffee. They also have a tasty selection of 12 or so ice creams. I have tried the Nut Brittle and Burnt Marshmallow- both scrumptious. The staff here are super friendly and helpful as well.

The hype was true--I read about this coffee shop in a Phaidon book on notable coffee shops around the globe. Being a Montrealer, Toronto coffee regularly disappoints me but Manic Coffee was an exception. My capuccino in a rainy snowy cold day was a perfect pick-me-up and a bittersweet remembrance of Montreal's third wave culture. The inside is clean and organized, great for work but they have no wifi (only downside IMO). But sometimes, the greatest coffee comes with no wifi. I am definitely coming back here.

As everyone else has noted there is no wifi and limited number of plugs. If it was just based on the drinks, I would give 5 stars. Their matcha latte and tokyo smoke are both delicious. Coffee is also great! Latte art is beautiful and the ambience is really nice.

Definitely a great place for a coffee however they don't have wi-fi which in this day in age is just ridic!

One of my favourite coffee places. Nice and cozy atmosphere but beyond the environment, they make a nice cup of coffee. I mainly come in for their cappuccino, it's absolutely delicious.

It has great latte, friendly staff, and lovely ambience. There is no wifi or power outlet though, so I would recommend it just for hanging out with friends and relaxing! I pretty much enjoyed their chai latte and almond chocolate croissant! The latte was perfectly foamy with the strong flavour and aroma of chai. The croissant tastes fresh and homy. My only problem was I couldn't get much work done because my laptop died and I found no power outlet. Next time, I will come back just for the taste of coffee and relaxation.

Good coffee shop with a wide variety of tea and snacks...But no Wifi. Here's the thing, when at least 70% of your customers are using computers, you need to have wifi. Now I'm sure the owner's response is, "hasn't been a problem so far." To which my response would be, you don't know the customers you don't have. I need wifi. I don't want to use my data. And as I look around, the majority of people that come here, use their laptops. So fork over the wifi. In this day-and-age, if you don't want to have wifi and are a coffee shop, you need to have a No Wifi sticker on your door. Cause we just expect it. That's my rant. Now onto everything else: Customer Service - Great. Not overly friendly in a Starbucks kind of way, but many may actually enjoy it. I find the staff are helpful, straightforward and quick. Environment - Relaxing but music is a bit loud. I find the staff like to have music at the volume that THEY enjoy it, not at the level that customers would want it. If I have to step outside to talk to someone on the phone, your music is too loud. Food - Really nice! I love their Manic Cookie. Coffee & Tea - Both as great as any other coffee shop. Nothing better or worse. Washrooms - Clean enough which tells me the staff are conscious of having a clean environment. Conclusion: It's a good coffee shop but you can find the exact same elsewhere, and with Wifi. Some reviewers noted that they like how their isn't Wifi. But when most of the customers are on laptops, what's the difference? Have the darn wifi. If you're in the area, it's not a bad place to stop by and pick up something.

I gave them my business but that was not enough to let me use the washroom. Fortunately there are businesses nearby that offer patrons washroom access.

This cozy place has excellent organic coffee, in-house made ice cream, and healthy desserts. The place is brightly lit and modern. The main entrance is accessible, but unfortunately, the washrooms are not (there's stairs to the basement) There's also no wifi.

Decent cappuccino, nice space, friendly staff, no WiFi, newspapers available, good looking snacks.

Beware of predatory upsells here while in an uncaffenated state. Happened to me with extra shots of flavour syrup. Will be bringing my business elsewhere in the future.

Was optimistic at first, had heard good things and it's obviously quite popular. Unfortunately it didn't meet my expectations for a number of reasons on my two visits. - Service was INCREDIBLY slow. Baristas seemed perpetually distracted some more concerned with socializing than doing their job. Waited in line behind one person for several minutes while they chatted with them, they could've at least taken my order. - Second visit, I ordered a chocolate hazelnut croissant, no lineup this time. After the server tried to push a drink on me (seemed pissed off and indifferent when I declined). They began to talk with the other person behind the counter. The croissant was in reaching distance yet I just stood there being ignored while they chatted. Eventually just left. - Full of annoying pretentious people, screaming children, gigantic strollers. Seriously loud, basically had to raise my voice to talk over it. Not even joking. - Perhaps most importantly coffee tasted burnt AND was lukewarm, pretty inexcusable for $4 beverage. At least they could've delivered on that.

Manic Coffee is one of the pillars of coffee geekdom in Toronto. Meaning that whether you are a self professed coffee geek or coffee snob, or just an average Joe looking for a cup of Joe, Manic Coffee will do you right. They take particularly strong interest and pride in the coffee they serve and you should be able to taste the difference such attention makes. No doubt this is the reason why Manic is as successful as it has been against a sea of other nearby cafes both indie and corporate. Coffee is supplied both by Intelligentsia and the local Social Coffee company. Both top notch coffee importers/roasters in their own right. Aside from espresso based drinks Manic also offers drip and coffee brewed through the infamous Clover machine. As I'm already familiar with Intelligentsia's Black Cat Espresso I decided to partake in coffee roasted by Social and brewed through the Clover. I was recommended their Panamanian coffee and as it turned out it was an excellent suggestion. The Clover machine produces an excellent cup and the Panamanian coffee was like a hug and a kiss from a loved one. The staff are friendly, knowledgeable, competent and more than willing to discuss coffee with you. The cafe itself is comfortable and spacious with plenty of seating, though the popularity of this place (oooh, pretty college girls) may make getting a seat at a table a bit of a challenge at times. Aside from coffee they also serve up munchies like muffins, scones, etc. The croissant I had with my coffee was good. Highly recommend this cafe. It's the cat's meow.

C O F F E E P A S S P O R T S T O P (#13) dun dun dun.... get it? Drink: Soy Chai Latte Atmosphere: Modern chic little cafe with lots of seating. I find it funny because I remember walking past this place a few times before and probably wouldn't have gone it if it weren't for my passport, and boy am I glad I tried this place! Almost all seating was occupied when I had gone but luckily I was having it to go. And as I recall, when I did used to have a peek inside while walking past this place, it'd be pretty empty, but now it just seems like it's bustling with people. My Soy chai latte had just the right amount of spice in it, and not watered down or anything at all. Some places either water it down hard, not put enough milk, or way too much spice. I think this place got some competition with Bisogno's chai latte. But they're both really good. Also, it had just the right amount of foam. I hate how some places leave you a bad foam to drink ratio. Cheap bastards. Verdict: Didn't you read? My thumbs be up.

Yeah, this place is manic and it drove myself and who I brought here manic. She was cursing under her breath the words "sometimes you just gotta dance with the date that brung ya," because her date was this guy from San Francoffeesnobbery who noted that Manic held Intelligentsia beans behind their bar and *just had* to get here. One, for the coffee, but two for being that a damn good pour over cup with craft roasts in Toronto is hard to find. Exemplary is Manic in their manic ways of: 1. Carrying Intelligentsia beans but not always offering them as they don't have pour over. It was batch brew of something else, along with the cold brew. This really sort of, totally entirely, defeats the purpose of having these bags of bean on deck, other than for me to buy beans and schlep back to brew myself (which is a-ok in a weird manic way but I really don't like living the manic lifestyle that this promotes). 2. Allowing so much room and outlets for people to gather and laptop but not have wifi. That makes no goddamn sense. Just set up a network. I felt guilty for tethering and then felt more guilty for not giving out the tethering password for all around us. Look, I know I'm clearly the guy that you'll remember that asked about Intelligentsia at the counter three times, but I'm okay with it. I dragged someone across the city who could care less about it all, and really I had no remedy whatsoever to justify the trek. She's a better trooper than I am. Still... strip away the experience to just what happened inside the shop and still this is the last time I'll do this manic dance.

Manic offers coffee, teas, espresso-based drinks, baked goods, coffee beans and more in their little crowded place. Their coffee drinks and cup size options are limited and they don't have wi-fi. After going to Manic a couple of times, I realized that I'm not so hot about this place. The staff just rubs me the wrong way. They don't seem friendly and stare at you to see if you're even worthy of stepping into their café. It seems like they have the attitude that they've pioneered the best tasting coffee in the world and have amazing coffee-brewing art ever. Reading their 'coffee conspiracy' on the wall against other coffee establishments didn't give a nice feeling either. After encountering unfriendly staff, a completely unorganized line and being overcharged for my large latte (which isn't that large), I realized that the latte was not really worth it. The coffee was strong, not acidy which I like, and the milk/foam had a nice velvety texture. However, the latte was lukewarm as if it was already sitting out waiting for me 10 minutes prior. Also, I've had their overpriced loose leaf green tea- so bitter and tasted burnt! I tried to like Manic, but I don't think I'll be back here again.

When I bought the indie coffee passport I expected to stand out in most locations as nothing much about me is....."indie"? I just like coffee, trying out new places and exploring the city. But almost every single location I'd visited until Manic seemed very easy going and relaxing, however Manic was very crowded on a Sunday afternoon and I did not expect to find a seat at all (although we did end up being lucky and got 2 seats as we were placing our order). And everything seemed so rushed that for a first time customer I did not have time to properly go through the menu (even though I would have got a latte either way). And I didn't even see their food selection until just before paying. Like it's been brought up here, customer service is not their primary focus, but rather whipping out drinks and it's hard to criticize that too much since their drinks are very good! Prices I found were a little cheaper than most other passport stops (but then again with the passport I've not been paying too much attention to prices). My drink was fine, I'm not some coffee expert to go on about the specific taste etc of the drink except that I normally prefer no added sugar, but my latte was just that tiny bit too strong for me to enjoy without a bit of sugar added. Even with it being a full house, it was not uncomfortably cramped (we sat in the back) and I never really saw a line up that was considerably slow. So yes, they are crowded but their drinks are good and you won't have to wait too long to get it. Just don't expect too much warm and fuzzy love thrown your way. The lack of wifi is also a minus point for here. Although that would just attract more people to occupy seats for longer! An ideal spot to get a drink on the go I say!

The second half of a coffee crawl brought me to this place. Whether it was because of a coffee cleansing grilled cheese for lunch or the fact it was only the 5th stop or so, I have to rank this coffee with some of the best I have tried. Of course I had to try a coffee from the suckling of the renowned clover machine. With their X thousand dollar machine (I've heard a range of cost) my first experience could be no else. There are only about 3 or 4 different beans to choose from, they are all quite potent. When they grind up the beans they let you smell it. Luckily I had witnessed the process of obtaining a clover coffee and I knew what to do when they handed me a cup of ground coffee beans. I do like the smell of coffee and although I don't see the point of smelling it (since coffee smells like coffee to me), I did feel important. When the cup of joe arrived and took my first sip, my palette was satisfied. This coffee shop is filled with your stereotypical hipster crowd, many people with their macbooks writing screenplays (one can only assume), and people with open textbooks and writing stuff like its a library. I don't fit into the coffee crowd culture here, but I do enjoy what they serve up.

I fell in love with Manic the moment I sat in their smooth wood seating, reading a book and enjoying a good, strong coffee. Their coffee is strong, yes, and so good that I have only had their espresso a couple times. Now, I have the caffeine tolerance of a caffeine-a-holic and let me tell you, after one of their lattes I feel that sweet kick one only gets after getting their fix. Comfortable, artistic atmosphere, great staff, awesome thinking place. So Manic Coffee, thanks-a-latte for being awesome.

Reviewed café for my blog - I've probably visited a dozen or so times. Given the increased competition, I probably hadn't been in the café for about 6 months. Last Sunday was definitely not one of the best visits. I asked for an espresso, and asked what blends were available. Black Cat was the answer. I asked if Alphabet City was available (I have never tried it and was curious from Coffeegeek reports), but I was told no because it wasn't dialed in. I decided not to push the issue. I waited my turn as a couple of milk drinks were being prepared, and then my shot was next with nobody after me. The measured grind went into the portafilter and tamped very carefully and hard. The cup was then setup under the portafilter, a little elevated with a mini bowl. The shot was then started, and the barista turned her attention to washing another portafilter and cleaning the area near the grinders. Completely obvlivious to my shot. Another barista in the area ended up turning off the shot when he thought it was done. The cup was a nice thick-walled tulip shaped that was classically styled brown and white, and the shot looked good in terms of size, colour, and generous crema. The aroma had some chocolate notes with some bright fruitiness. The first sip revealed a shot that started off overly bright with citrusy, cherry notes, and continued into rich, deep chocolaty notes throughout the long aftertaste with bright citrus at the very end. The shot had good body and the aftertaste was long although it was lost in the brightness as was the sweetness that I usually find in Black Cat. I then revealed myself as a blogger of cafés and espresso to the barista. I then asked if the intention was a bright shot? The answer was that it was a new bag of Black Cat, and that it might be that way now. No offer of another shot or mention that it might require further dialing in. There were many disappointments during this visit: the overly bright shot of Black Cat, the lack of attention during prepration of the shot, and the overall indifference to the customer. I was never asked for feedback on the shot, and when I hinted at it, the response was one of "that is the way it is". Based on the reviews that I have seen circulating, this is not an aberation. It's too bad, as this used to be a place that I could depend on for getting an awesome shot. The quality of the shot was definitely not what I've had in the past, and I am starting to believe more the other reviews that I've been reading. I am weary of the passion for great coffee that exists at this café. Please someone say this was a really off day.

Finally managed to snag a seat at the ever busy Manic. Service seems to have taken a slide from my last visit, as I was thoroughly ignored for two minutes. (One usually expects to be ignored for no more than 45 seconds in a too-cool-for-school cafe like this.) The americano was quality (and served in a mug heavy as a cinderblock), but I am now disillusioned about my desire to chill here. Seating in the back seems strangely hot and humid and I could swear I was feeling the onset of malaria back there. No wifi either. What gives guys? OTOH: my wild blueberry scone was a delicious and crumbly adventure. I'm still undecided about this place, so three stars it shall remain.