RGLR (AKA The Regular) serves up coffee, music and vibes in a relatively sleepy stretch of the city.

Nestled between the Junction and Bloor West Village, the space is a third wave coffee shop but also a blank canvas for creativity.

Situated in a former furniture store, photography hangs on the walls and a turntable takes up residence in one corner. 

A formidable Victoria Arduino Black Eagle espresso machine looms at the end of a long counter, actually brought over from Revolver on the west coast, where the owners met.

There are typically a few options from Canadian roasters available at a time. During my visit, they're making the transition from Vancouver's Luna to Toronto's Quietly. There are even some beans from Calgary's David Kim stocked behind the counter.

The default for espresso and drip while I'm there is the versatile Dawn Patrol from Oakville's Brothers, a well-balanced blend of Guatemalan and Colombian beans.

All coffees, including lattes ($4.50), are typically served in glasses, in order to show off the delicacy of the coffee beverages as well as control portion size and temperature.

An unusual Love Seat offering ($3.75) sees a shot of espresso paired with a macchiato, apparently more common on the west coast, also known as a duet or a one and one. 

This option allows for the opportunity to taste the espresso as-is, as well as with 3.25% milk. Oat milk is the only dairy alternative here, as they find it works best with coffee.

They also do pour over here ($5.25), giving me the chance to taste Luna's caramelly Guatemalan roast.

They're using Kalita Wave equipment for pour over here, carefully controlling the flow rate of the water over the beans using a gooseneck kettle.

This method of brewing typically takes at least a few minutes.

Pour over is served in the kettle with a small glass so it can be poured little by little, remaining as close as possible to the ideal temperature, and therefore taste.

Pastries like a smoky, buttery ham and cheese croissant ($5) are provided by local Drake Commissary.

There are also royal-looking puffy chocolate croissants ($4.50) and regular croissants ($4).

For a vegan option, there are chocolate chip cookies ($3.50) with a touch of salt.

You can also opt for a blueberry scone ($4). 

RGLR is open to hosting pop-up kitchens and events when it comes to heartier food options, and they're also going to be serving wine and craft beer.