Balzac's Coffee
55 Mill Street
Phone: 416-207-1709
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When I'm in the Distillery District, chances are I'll swing by Balzac's for a snack. It's one of my favourite cafe's in the city. In the winter, it's a good place to curl up with the weekend paper over a coffee and energy cookie on the comfy chairs upstairs. When the weather is nice, there are plenty of outdoor options including an expanse of picnic tables on the south side of the building.
Balzac's is a progressive cafe, meaning that unlike, say, Tim Horton's, they offer up soy milk, chai and wheat free snacks. More photos:
Inside the cafe. The lower level where all the action happens. This photo is taken from upstairs which offers a nice reprieve from the bustle below.
A package of their house blend.
Outside the cafe, at the south end of the Distillery District.
Balzac's Coffee, 55 Mill Street in the Distillery District
Comments (18)
I recall the days when "progressive" referred to real politics, not to bicycling and fad diets. Sigh.
Sigh...we can't all be Dooney's. I thought progressive meant moving towards better conditions, better ideas, better methods. I'd say that a diet conscious shop is a start - transportation and diet have an awful lot to do with "real politics".
Wow, a coffee shop that has soy and chai. I've never heard of that before. I bet Starbucks would never do that, they're just so evil!
As for Dooney's, it is the absolute worst restaurant on its strip of Bloor. The service at the Brunny is light years ahead of the lackadaisical, coked up airheads that occassionally meander around to see if you're still there. I'm not a fan of message businesses, but the important thing to do is to excel at your business, then do politics. Doing the reverse is a bad idea, hence why they're doing all sorts of things to try to actually make money, rather than serve as a deficit laden haven for faux commies with million dollar real estate portfolios.
Balzac's runs a coffee shop first and foremost. They also happen to buy/sell fair trade coffee beans as opposed to many chain shops who buy rotten reject beans, roast the hell out of them and hope no one notices.
I don't understand where the argument is. A coffee shop that buys/sells fair trade beans, offers alternatives to dairy, is a haven for cyclists, etc - is more progressive than Tim Hortons or Starbucks anyday.
Perhaps Balzac's is not Alternative Grounds... yet. But for goodness sakes, we need more businesses moving towards these ideas. Let's help them instead of being so negative and critical.
Why so down on Blazac's - because of it's in the trendy distillery district?
Follow up - must give a shout-out for their croissants as well which they bring in fresh from Clafouti.
Overrated, taste like piss coffee.
Latte review: Crema was slightly disappointing. Too much milk. Integration of coffee and milk horrible - shows lack of skill with barista. Coffee blend lack depth and aroma.
Have you seen their roaster!!! Its like racing in today's F1 with a car from the 50s. Most people focus on the beans when the roasting equipment actually plays an equally important role in the quality of coffee you cup.
the coffee is terrible. it tastes burnt. the tables are always filthy and the service is terrible. you can get a better cup of coffee with better service elsewhere in the city. it's only due to the location. and don't bother complaining to the management nor the owner because they both a bitter attitude like their coffee.
It looks like some people don't like Balzac's coffee. Simple solution: don't go there and don't buy and drink their coffee.
As for their coffee being burnt, awful, or whatever, such comments are OPINION. In my opinion, their coffee is fresh and tasty, and the roasters (each location has its own) are in fact new technology.
Having been a regular at the original Stratford location since its opening in 1996, I can attest that it is busy year round, with locals and tourists alike coming back time and time again.
Are you critics suggesting that we are wrong? By all means, enjoy your Starbucks (bitter and overpriced in MY opinion), Second Cup or Tim Hortons.
I'll stick with Balzac's.
Oh, and I've never found Diana to be anything but friendly and polite. Then again, I've never gone up to her and told her that her coffee's terrible and burnt.
Oh, and it would appear to be the case that the New York Times' food critic thinks it's not so bad:
Someone know what theyre talking about here. Im sorry, but that coffee is horrible. Love the space though!
We went there for the first time and we simply loved the place. We thought that their coffee was delicious and the ambiance is so worth it. A definite stop at the district!
There coffee not memorable. Sorry and this is the coffee shop I usually go to when I am there but coffee or latte leaves no distinct impression.
However I love the interior there. I prefer the upstairs area way more chill with great seating a view. Cool place to just chill if your in Distillaries.
Service there although busy is not that bad.
It's true, their coffee is awful.
it's true, their coffee is awesome.
Just depends on who you ask. That's the thing about personal taste - it's personal. Some people realize that and don't assume that everyone else has their tastes.
Personally, I love their coffee, and sometimes bring bags of it on visits to my home town to share with my friends, who also love it.
I can not say enough great things about Balzacs (both Stratford and Toronto locations). My ONLY comment remotely negative is that the lattes are served in tall glasses rather than mugs and at times it's just a wee bit too hot to carry - but I forget all about that when I take my first sip. One of thee best lattes in the city!
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