At Origin Coffee is an Istanbul-based coffee roaster, and this Toronto location is their first ever in North America.

At first, specialty roasted beans were shipped from Istanbul, but a satellite roastery in Toronto is meant to be the main supplier. At Origin only uses single origin, micro lot African beans.

There are roughly eight seats at the front of the cafe clustered around mosaic-topped tables, actually made by mosaic artist Mehtap Mertdogan who runs this cafe with husband Cuneyt.

She actually has a small mosaic workshop at the back of the cafe where events and classes can be hosted. There’s also a large communal table seating six back here.

Though the focus here is on the simple purity of coffee, it’s always meticulously prepared to achieve the best results, weighed out painstakingly at every stage.

Cold brew ($5.75) is made over ice with a large amount of coffee and less water than a typical coffee over a shorter brewing time, in order to get the maximum flavour extraction from Tanzania beans. 

This brings out the full flavour of the juicy, delicate medium roast.

There are three options for pour over priced starting at $4.50, a traditional Nel drip method starting at $5.50.

We go for the classic Chemex, invented in Japan in the 1940s, the other options a V60 or Kalita. A pour over coffee typically takes about five to six minutes to brew.

The mug it’s served in is warmed with hot water before pouring the coffee in, a gooseneck kettle used to control and accurately measure the flow of water over the grounds.

We have the Kenya beans with this method, which definitely brings out more of the nuances of the caramel-y coffee’s flavour.

The most intense brew method here has to be the Turkish coffee ($3.25), which is seven grams of the Burundi roast packed into the tiny cup, then very finely ground.

If you’re not familiar, the beverage is sort of like an unfiltered espresso, very bold and strong. It’s served with a little water to cleanse the mouth before and after drinking, as well as a sweet Turkish delight with a hazelnut in the centre to balance out the bitterness.

Baked goods such as blueberry scones ($3.45) are premade and then baked fresh in house. There are also organic vegan energy balls for $2.50 made with dates, cocoa, sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds.

Bags of the beans are also available to take home from the coffee shop.

The walls here are decorated with work by many different emerging artists. At Origin also has two Istanbul locations.