Cafes
Dark Horse 3
Dark Horse has once again proven to be one of the most tenacious purveyors of coffee in Toronto, and their new location proves three isn't just a crowd. With this new corner spot on Queen West, Dark Horse has really hit its stride but maintains the same signature look we've all grown used to: communal tables, glass jugs, lots of knotted wood and a fancy and well-organized cash register/order system.
Found next to Sydney's at Queen and Euclid, the new Dark Horse Espresso (affectionately referred to as Dark Horse 3) is clearly going to be able to hold its own against the nearby Quaff and Niche cafes.
The first thing I order is a shot ($2.51). My first impression was that the crema had little elasticity, but the shot went down well. I was first told that my shot was a Detour Panamanian blend (later corrected to 49th Parallel's Epic Espresso), and it was incredibly sweet, without being too bright. This espresso (whichever it was) had the distinct sweetness of a green apple.
I have had 49th's Epic Espresso many times, and I am almost certain this wasn't it. The apple-like sweetness of this coffee caught me off guard, but it's still worth a try. Epic tends to taste a little bit heavier on the tongue.
Next I ordered a cappuccino ($3.10), and it was pretty good, but not great. Served in a nice tulip-style cup, I appreciate the clean and stylish look of the drinks coming across this bar.
Technically speaking, this cappuccino had a couple of flaws, but thankfully the unique flavour of this espresso held everything together. The milk was much hotter than I would have preferred, and the head of foam was much thinner than I think a good cappuccino deserves. That said, this Dark Horse only opened a few days ago so it's hard to be critical at this point.
One of the most striking aspects of this cafe is the gorgeous tin ceiling. A ton of construction work was done to get Dark Horse 3 into shape and it shows. Strong lines, re-claimed furniture and materials make this one of the most appealing cafes to hang out in Toronto. Rivaling the well-calculated design of Hula Girl, this most recent Dark Horse is definitely their best. And that's saying something.
A latte is $3.57, americanos are $2.86 and a selection of grilled paninis is in the works for this location.
Dark Horse 3 is located at the corner of Euclid and Queen St, west of Bathurst, and is open from 7 a.m.- 7p.m. during the week and 8 a.m.- 7 p.m. on the weekend.
Photos by Dennis Marciniak
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A small part of me, though, hopes that it won't go more than four locations. Is that selfish? I don't care.
I've biked by a few times now in the morning (right about 7am) and seen them pretty quiet. Is Queen West an early-morning-crowd neighborhood? They have the youngest demographic of the whole city. The average age of a resident on Queen West is 23.
Good luck, Dark Horse 3!
I was motivated to write something here, knowing fell well that I will sound like a wanker to most of you, because the week that Square Fruit Market officially was given notice was an interesting time on Queen West. I would go so far as to say that there was an outpouring of love as well as something akin to mourning for the loss of that space. Posters were put up and meetings were held to try to prevent this space from becoming what it now has become. All of this is meaningless, of curse, except that it’s worth remembering that this nice new coffee shop had a different incarnation in its past life, and that, to an unusual degree, people really cared about it and it was an important part of the lives of the residents of this area. A new Loblaws is moving in down the street, and this will satisfy the need to buy groceries, but I don’t doubt that shopping there will be a less personal experience, and that is just the point. It was the personal aspect of shopping daily for fresh veggies at a neighborhood store with familiar faces that was one of those things that made this a neighborhood and not just another strip of more of the same.
Seeing as this has become a discussion of neighborhoods, I'll add my two cents. I've lived in a number of downtown neighborhoods over the years and recently a spent few years right on Queen street.
I agree that many landlords can be short sighted about making a few extra bucks. I have watched a number of useful neighborhood stores (hardware, books) close due to rent increases. Ironically, the next tenant is often unable to succeed given the high rent and the space keeps getting flipped (until yet another corporate store moves in). In other cases, the place sits vacant, like the former Pages books, which was a daily destination for many in the neighborhood.
Meanwhile, if we want neighborhood stores to survive, we have to frequent them in favour of to going to the big chains as a habit.
Wongs across the street is permissible but not up to par, I hope they'll step it up. Loblaws is going to be brutal. When I need a handful of grapes, a baguette or some other random items I'm not going to roam the aisles of a SUPERmarket when I'm happy with a FRUIT market.
I live in this neighbourhood and I loved that grocery store. However, what Dark Horse has done to that building is amazing! They have restored the classic luster and filled it with a place to gather, chat and think. Perhaps go in and ask each patron where they are from, my guess is within a 1-3km distance. Not "I came here because I read about it in Fromer's guide to Toronto".
Relax, your neighbourhood will be OK with a Dark Horse espresso bar.
Welcome Dark Horse, and all the best.
For my coffee challenged friend, do they serve hot chocolate here?
For my coffee challenged friend, do they serve hot chocolate here?
For my coffee challenged friend, do they serve hot chocolate here?
Now if only Czehoski, that fucking shithole run by a crook, would go out of business...
Congrats DH3. You will do the neighborhood well.
"While the coffee is good, it's not great (not even close to the realm of Sense Appeal or Te Aro), and since they decided to get rid of all their electrical outlets for laptop users because the "cost of the electricity was too high" I've shunned and spent my money elsewhere."
Probably more like they were tired of the deadbeats that would hang out all day and surf the net and only purchase one item...
Regardless, the neighbourhood does need more grocery stores. There is a Loblaws opening at Queen and Portland sometime in the near future, so that should provide a place to do some comprehensive grocery shopping for those fortunate enough to actually live in the area and not just buy clothes, records and coffee there.
Not sure about any coffee fields in Canada (that comment was 99% facetious). Really, once its been transported from South/Central America, Africa, or Asia, the impacts of a cross-country trip is negligible. There's also the ambiguity of the middle-man. Intelligensia and 49th Parallel are both direct trade operations, meaning the green beans likely aren't making a stop-over somewhere between the farmer and roaster. Reunion Island coffee is a mix of fair trade, Rainforest Alliance, and uncertified beans, meaning there's probably a mystery stop at a distributor before getting to Oakville. Not knocking independent certification (different argument for a different day and different site) but I think the carbon footprint argument is a moot point.
Who wants their coffee roasted on a big mechanized machine?? If you do, it probably means you enjoy starbucks or tim hortons.
I prefer an artisinal approach as well as small batch roasting, and therefore enjoy coffee coming from the likes of Stumptown, Intelligentsia, Parallel 49, Sense Appeal, Te Aro, and Detour......
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Their website is a rip-off of the S. Pelligrino website.
Also their pastry menu is a rip-off of other independent cafe's.
Like exact same...
Shit service also.... DH staff need to pull their heads out of their asses.