Lyla's House feels comfortably worn-in and homey: the type of café where people sink into the furniture only to resurface hours later, it's a laidback addition to Toronto's Bloor Street West.

Part of a steadily expanding local chain, Lyla's House was founded in Georgetown in 2023. "I had no experience. I had no idea what I was doing," laughs owner Alex Ratcliff. Still, he adds, "we built that up over two years to a point where it was doing quite well."

While looking to expand to Oakville, Ratcliff found a prime location on Bloor. "It seemed like a really good opportunity," he says. "We opened here in December and then in Oakville earlier this month."

Despite a lack of restaurant experience, Ratcliff did bring marketing savvy to his coffee shop venture. He also learned a thing or two from an industry heavyweight. "I actually worked with Starbucks," he explains. "Starbucks inspired me to do my own thing. I thought, 'If I was in charge, I'd do this way differently.' That gave me a lot of ideas."

Designed to mirror a home, each Lyla's location features distinct areas— from a living room and kitchen to a lounge. "Every location has the same green couch, similar coffee tables, lounge chairs. That's kind of the consistent theme for us," says Ratcliff.

Less easy to describe is the intangible energy of each space. "We just think a lot of cafés are very serious. In Toronto, not so much, but in the suburbs, everybody is super serious about coffee. We just want it to be younger and fun, and have disco balls and loud music. That's kind of the vision."

A café and wine bar, Lyla's on Bloor also boasts a larger kitchen than its sister spots. "Here, there's a pizza oven," explains Ratcliff. "Instead of getting rid of it, we wondered what we could do with it. We have a talented chef, and he decided we should try making our own bagels. He does an incredible job."

Stout and heavily seeded, chef's bagels boast chewy insides. Available by the dozen, they can also be ordered singly — toasted or as a canvas for one of the team's signature creations. To keep things straightforward, says Ratcliff, they're only available in three flavours—sesame seed, poppy seed and everything.

The cream cheese everything bagel ($5) is the most spartan of the lot, despite a luxuriously silken inch of filling.

Owing to its simplicity, it's the one that makes the most sense alongside chef's monster of a hash brown ($2). Deep fried until caramelized, craggy and crumbling, it should be tackled ASAP, before time and temperature ravage its delicate nature.

The shop's top seller, the Wake-Up Call ($12) is a hulking breakfast sandwich layered with scallion cream cheese, egg, bacon and hot honey. Smoky, sweet and savoury, it's best approached with an unhinged jaw, considerable time to kill, and a nonchalant attitude toward sticky situations.

Dill cream cheese, tomato, cucumber, pickled onion and beet-cured salmon pretty up the Lyla's Classic ($18), the team's take on the classic lox bagel.

Beyond bagels, the café also serves lofty sourdough sandwiches, a handful of breakfast plates and assorted pastries from Circles & Squares.

A daily special, Spanish torte ($8) offers those looking to sate a savoury tooth another option to mull.

From Detour, Lyla's signature coffee is a medium roast blend with notes of chocolate, hazelnut and cherry. Dubbed Accompany, it's used in a straightforward menu of drinks, plus seasonal options.

"Our seasonal drinks feature house-made ingredients, like banana, Earl Grey and honey vanilla syrup," says Ratcliff. "It's really fun for the staff; it allows them to get creative. It also allows us to do things that I would never think of."

From the spring menu, the caramelized banana iced matcha ($7) and espresso coconut cloud ($6.50) are clear front-runners.

Built to the same more-is-more dimensions as the bagels, the first blends grassy green tea with sweet, cinnamon-laced banana syrup. The second offers refreshment by way of coconut water alongside a serious jolt of caffeine.

The wine bar, another part of the Lyla's House equation, comes alive in the evenings and on weekends, when hours are extended and table service takes over. "We work with The Living Vine, and keep the focus on organic and natural bottles," says Ratcliff.  "We have a bigger selection here. I find this area knows their wine more."

To enjoy in the relaxed space or at home, options range from spicy Spanish reds to local gems and citrusy orange wines from France. Thanks to a small retail pantry area, it's easy to abide by Ontario's bottle shop rules.

Lyla's House is located at 2196 Bloor Street.