Cafes
The Good Neighbour
The Good Neighbour is an artsy, airy space with exposed brick walls and plenty of different sized tables and nooks for sitting. With WiFi and lots of natural light, it's an ideal place for work, leisure or small group catch-ups. Owner Max Mancuso and his wife Amara opened about three weeks ago on Annette in the Junction and they already have regulars.
The coffee beans are from Intelligentsia, and Mancuso says it was a five-month process before they made their decision. I try the espresso macchiato ($2.75) and swoon over the white foam heart floating around my cup. Stefania has a latte ($3.75) and her foam art is in the shape of an intricate leaf, with no extra charge for specialty milk.
The French desserts, such as the delicious plum Danishes ($2.50) come from Jules Patisserie, and more traditional desserts come from Circles & Squares bakery.
We share an almond croissant ($2.50) and Mancuso warns us beforehand that they're addictive. Within a few bites, I can't stop eating it. The flaky crust is sprinkled with powdered sugar and crunchy almonds, while the inside is full of creamy, custard.
The pastries are seasonally made, and the dessert choices change everyday. From chocolate chip banana muffins ($2.50) to lemon ginger scones ($2.50) the options are diverse. The tea ($2.50) is from Tealish and comes in a variety of loose-leaf flavours and is served in a mini glass teapot.
My favourite touch was the free cucumber and orange infused water that thirsty people can enjoy while waiting in line. I can foresee this being very popular when the temperature starts to rise.
Mancuso is endearing and kind to his customers. I overhear two elderly ladies telling him he looks like some actor from The Young and the Restless, while he smiles and listens attentively. While he and Amara both come from an advertising background, he says they were lulled by the romantic idea of having their own café. They wanted to make something small, simple and beautiful.
I believe they have succeeded.
The Good Neighbour is open Monday- Sunday 7:00am - 7:30pm.
Discussion
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The junction/high park/bloor west area seems to have ample demand to go around for lovely, independent cafes--I'm not surprised there are regulars already. The location truly does make it a "neighbour" cafe: there's not much (commercial) around it! (Not that this is a flaw!!) I wonder if the highschool students go there between/after classes, or if parents drop by on their way to or from picking up their kids from the elementary school?
Also, please do a profile on Cafe Novo that just opened on Bloor West across from High Park.
I'm so glad to see the independents succeed and I'm happy to see people know what they are doing.
The preview post for Good Neighbour on the main page mentioned a second location near Yonge and Bloor. Does anyone know where it is? I did a quick Google search but couldn't find it.
Well then, where's that Crema? Their website only mentions the Dundas location.
Comment:
One thing I find a little annoying about all of the restaurant/cafe/bar reviews on this site, is that when I click from the main page of the site to read the review, I'm takin to a page that tells me click here again to read the review in the restaurant section. Can you not just link directly to the review? Why an intro page to put me one step away from the review I want to read?
the pastries are also delicious! This is the place to try!
I can't wait for the paninis... coming soon!
im already addicted to the their muffins, and it is, as many have said before, an awesome spot to sit and catch up, get some reading done etc...the natural light there is far too ample.
Of what no one has mentioned is their teas...solido...
toss me a glass of cucumber water while im waiting...
perfect...
the staff here are also very nice. I will definately to continue support this place...worth the effort indeed.
but Jer, I'm totally with you. Where are all the late night coffee places in this town? No night owl (or at least evening) freelancers/laptop workers out there? I come from a land where a 7pm close time for a coffeeshop would be instant death.
Great spot, fire up the loud speaker and let Franz Ferdinand get everyone in the mood for great coffee!
Rrrrrrrrggggg...
Why anyone would go here when crema is just down the street is beyond me. Don't waste your time at Good Neighbour.
I go in the mornings, on m y way to work, get treated wonderfully, get a great latte, and a great start to my day, to each is own i suppose, definately worth a try if you have not been, but definately not worth a tirade.
As for the supposed rudeness of the staff, I have never experienced that here. Every staff member I've encountered has been nothing but warm and helpful with me. I do tend to find that those customers who find staff rude tend to be rude and demanding themselves though...
It is hit and miss ranging from average to rude with a few exceptional occasions where I received better than average service. I am definitely treated better when I go in without my baby. Perhaps at one point it was kid friendly but perhaps there have been complaints or the staff got annoyed because now they seem pretty rude. Today I felt like I was being treated like a huge inconvenience just for placing an order. Later I asked if they had a phone. I wanted to know if I could call ahead to see if they still had sandwiches in stock because they often sell out. It would be nice to call ahead to know before coming for lunch. The staff promptly told me they had no phone and didn't try to offer any other options.
it made me think of this http://yourscenesucks.com/
They talked to my kids like they were real people (a rarity in Toronto, I can tell you!) and they served us our drinks quickly while keeping us entertained while we waited.
The Good Neighbour is a real gem, we will certainly be back.
Awful service. Lukewarm espresso.