Te Aro
"Te Aro," as it revealed itself through a Google-mapping, does not mean "I love you" in Spanish after all. Of course, I jest. But I also, upon my first couple of lazy reads, was positive that this hot, new café I was searching for was, in fact, called "...te amo?... or something?"
In actuality, the meaning was much further linguistically and geographically than I would have ever guessed, one that satisfied my desperate need for something exotic and balmy on this cold, Monday, "holiday" morning. Named after a New Zealand suburb, this spacious and spanking-new addition to the ever-changing face of Leslieville is modern and sleek yet comfortable , with a glorious patio space that is so sprawling it feels more like a parking lot (in a good way; such a good way), or at least a very big drive-way. Who can compete with that?
Working on everyone else's holiday, waking up at 6 am, and braving a five-degree-Celsius Victoria Day should be unbearable. And unbearable it all would be, if not treated as novelty and peppered with things like decadent, leisurely hour-plus meditations in joints like this. Strong Americano ($2) and an exceptionally moist maple and oat scone ($2.50) from Circles and Squares Bakery sustained me, body and soul (seriously), through the long morning that followed. Fresh sandwiches made possible by the usual, yummy, ethical and health-conscious suspects (Rowe farms, Fred's Bread), could have taken me into the afternoon with a ham and cheese croissant ($4.50), or BLT ($5.50), had I only let them.
A chalked greeting out front to "Come say hi! [we're new]" carries the promise below, in fine print, that the coffee is "fresh, air-roasted in Leslieville." The shelves inside boast pounds of eponymously-branded beans, bagged with the same cheerful aesthetic as the wall-painted descriptions of various blends, cutely named: "big-bro", "little-bro" and "easy-mate"(from strong espresso to Swiss water decaf, respectively).
The friendly demeanor permeates everything, and little touches like a water pitcher and glasses, magazine collection, and a couple of prominently-placed high-chairs all strengthen this air of hospitality. Had duty not been calling, I would have pulled out the ol' laptop and stayed for hours. The steady flow of regulars, after a mere two weeks in business, seemed to feel similarly, and were a testament to the awesome rapport between the staff and their customers.
In bonding with my server over our holiday work schedules, I asked how she felt about Toronto, moving here two years ago. "I love it!" she responded without hesitation and more enthusiastically than I've heard in ages. Damn right. The relative serenity of this day's streets, looming warmth after frost (it was the coffee, I tell ya), and a new face in a familiar landscape sent me off to work feeling similarly blessed: Te amo, Toronto. Te amo, Te Aro!
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My husband and I checked this place out on our day off Friday, I am so happy to have this new spot in the neighbourhood. The staff were so friendly & helpful, they recommended the chocolate banana muffin and it was so delicious. It was nice to sit outside and watch the people go by on Queen - great location and I love how they converted the garage into this neat space!
It took me a surprisingly long time to remember what place this could be ... and I was really delighted when I recalled the garage on that side of Queen. What a clever change of that space. Can't wait to drop in next time I'm in the neighbourhood.
I'm jealous. Share the wealth, Leslieville! :)
Nothing can ever beat Tango. No matter how good it is.
I'm pretty excited to know that next time I'm in Queen Street I'll be able to get coffee that's up to Wellington standards. My son lives in Toronto (Hi Ben!) and I'm sure he'll be haunting it.
Good luck from another Wellingtonian.
Well done guys. Te Aro looks amazing, I wish I could drop in for a coffee, maybe next year. :o)
What a BEAUTIFUL looking place. The photos are so rich I can almost smell the coffee. I hope to visit the next time I'm in Leslieville.
Looks amazing.. Well done the NZ/Canada collective!
The place looks inviting and delicious (just like the coffee). I'll be sure to visit when I'm over that way
I moved to Leslieville 5 yrs ago and whenever I told people where I lived (in response to their question), the reaction was always a look of confusion. But 5 yrs later, people react with enthusiasm and dare I say envy! And it's precisely because of great places like this coffee shop!
FYI - there's a new coffee spot (very humble by comparison) that serves EXCELLENT espresso/based drinks and has free wifi on the north side of Gerrard E., at Redwood (one block east of Greenwood). No awards for interior design but it's cosier than Mercury and the people are much nicer...actually, they're nice period.
Well, The above article was very... positive. It wasn't too critical - in a positive sense - however.
Firstly, I completely agree with much of what Dar said about this place. I not only find the folks here to be friendly and attentive, but very appropriately positive. I'm not convinced air roasting is the best way to go (but it's a very interesting method of roasting which I think is worth exploring). However, I'm convinced that running this sort of business the way these people are running theirs is the way to go. The roast master is intensely focussed on all aspects of his craft. He already knows how to air roast his beans, after finding them. But he's also keenly interested in feedback from his customers and, it seems, he's willing to experiment with his roasting profiles based on ideas he gets from that feedback. I don't know whether my feedback, specifically, influenced him, but he did tell me that he had been experimenting a bit when I let him know that I found his Americano and espresso to be, to my taste, improved from my last visit.
Te Aro is conveniently located for me, as I'm always on the Queen St streetcar coming from Coxwell further east. If I'm not off exploring some other, newly discovered, bean joint, and just want to relax and enjoy a good espresso or Americano, te aro is, amongst a few other spots I like, top of mind. I like to 'bar hop' actually. It's comfy in te aro and that has to do, in no small part, with the friendliness of the owners and staff.
Oh, And they don't hit you with overly foreground, on and off music. I guess I just happen to be lucky in that we have similar tastes (on) in music. But I think they also have some common sense about volume levels and how they affect customers' comfort level as well.
I love it here!!!!
everyone smiles together!
Finally....coffee that is actually consistently good in Toronto
No attitude at this new hot spot. Cool vibe, nice staff with none of that attitude you find at cafes on the same street. Poured a beautiful espresso, and then tried a macchiatto. Nice smooth chocolate taste, nice body.
One of the baristas, Nicole, rocks. She makes an awesome espresso, and her cappuccino is the best in Toronto. Trust me, I've tried them all. She actually asked me questions about how I wanted my drink - finally, someone who knows what they are doing, and cares!
I fell in love with this place about a month ago. The staff were friendly, engaging and in no way pretentious. The espresso I had was delicious with a thick golden crema on top. I will absolutely be back
wow i must have gone on an off day. because the girl who served me was so unfriendly it actually made me laugh out loud. No hello, she just stared at me...
the coffee was good, but that unfortunately threw me off completely.
Amazing coffee, amazing food, great space.
great coffee and great staff.
the espresso came great 4 out 5 tries.
good to have some good coffee without some noisy music and attitude like other joints.......
Wow. Don't come to this side of town too often, as I live on the other side of town where I frequent Crema.
Te Aro is roasting some very unique beans. I was recommended their Kenyan, and it was a seriously enjoyable cup. Light to medium roast and had some unique characteristics.
Finished up by having a chocolaty and full bodied espresso - I was so impressed. Can't believe we have a roaster in town up to this standard and it's still a hidden gem (or is it?)
Oh, and who is that hot girl that works there???
Which one? There's a few. !
In my opinion the very best coffee in the city! I'm not a coffee connoisseur but in my opinion their coffee is perfectly roasted and prepared! And of course I second all the comments about the incredible service and vibe. Keep up the great work Te Aro!!
We were drawn in to Te aro on a rainy Sunday after lots of walking on Queen, it looked inviting and they served an awesome chic pea soup and chai lattes at a good price. Thumbs up!
Dropped by here the other day and was overwhelmed at just how good my espresso tasted. Why have I not been here before? I rarely write comments about coffee I drink, but in this case, it has to be mentioned. I don't live in the east end, but i will be back. And I will be recommending this place to all my fellow coffee geek friends. Te Aro, your espresso is truly amazing - great balance of flavours, full bodied, and like chocolate. Great finish.
I've dropped in several times to try the coffee, and each time I have been UNDERwhelmed by watery Americano, big bubbles in my cappucino. So are they better than Dark Horse Chinatown? Not in my view.
Dropped by today as part of an espresso crawl. The espresso I had here, and at Mercury were by far superior than what I had at Dark Horse. My friend was in agreement. This was my first visit to Te Aro and I was very impressed. Not only with the decor, but the friendly staff, and most of all the quality of the coffee. The place had a great buzz going on as well.
anyone know if they gave free wifi?
Yes, they have free wifi. And amazing coffee.
Te Aro, you have the best coffee in the city, and you are truly pushing the standards UP! Your staff are great too, it seems like they are all one big happy family, and it gives your place such a cool atmosphere.
I LOVE THIS PLACE. I've just moved to the east side, and I was devastated to not have Manic down the road anymore. Te Aro, however, is the perfect replacement. The best coffee, coolest design, and such a comfy place to hang out. Love love love the vibe, and the best cappuccino I've had in the city! Outstanding.