Toronto cafe going mega-viral for the most 2016 latte you could possibly imagine
As throngs of Instagram users share their best photos from 2016, marvelling that it was somehow a decade ago, one Toronto cafe is seeing a major wave of renewed interest in a menu it introduced that very same year.
Oh, 2016. Justin Bieber's "Love Yourself" was the top single of the year, Kylie Jenner's lips and whether or not they contained filler were the centre of relentless discourse, and a trip to Coachella was basically the highest aspiration a person could have.
The year (and those on either side of it) was defined by a meteoric shift in the role social media played in the lives of those who used it.
Influencers became a thing. Businesses recognized that it could be used as a form of free advertising. People drooled over the #foodporn on their feeds, and restaurants realized it would be prudent to start emulating the trends people were resonating.
For Church-Wellesley stalwart, Bulldog Cafe, it was the Rainbow Latte. One of the first third-wave coffee shops in Toronto, the cafe also became the first in the city to offer technicolour latte art back in 2016.
After seeing the technique for the first time in Las Vegas, cafe owner and former champion latte artist Stuart Ross brought the concept back home. It took seven years, Ross says, to perfect the multicoloured swirl, but he got there.
A decade later, it's still a permanent feature on the cafe's menu — and, thanks to an Instagram reel, it just became more popular than ever.
Posted on Jan. 9, 2026, a video of Ross pouring his signature rainbow latte has thrust Bulldog Cafe to new heights of popularity, going mega-viral and drawing attention from viewers around the world.
At the time of publication, the post has garnered a whopping 19 million views, with 174,000 likes and 6,000 comments. Commenters have lovingly noted the latte art's resemblance to Colgate toothpaste and Jawbreaker candies.
"Now THAT. is the coolest thing I've ever seen today," one Instagram user proclaims.
"I had this latte from you when I visited Toronto last! It was delicious," writes another.
Ross tells blogTO that he's already seeing new faces and fielding order requests directly due to the video's popularity.
While some people have come in to get their hands on the rainbow latte, Ross explains, others, upon discovering the cafe for the first time, have other requests.
"Some viewers are starting to inquire about my logo shirts to buy and if I will sell my beans," Ross says. His proprietary blend, he explains, has been the base of all Bulldog's award-winning lattes over the years.
"It's amazing," he says, "so smooth, dark, chocolately and caramel notes. A traditional Italian bar roast."
At present, Ross's rainbow swirl is available as a coffee latte or atop hot chocolate, but he adds, he's currently experimenting with matcha to create what could quite possibly be the most colourful caffeinated beverage in the city. As long as it's not a unicorn frappuccino, I'm on board.
If you want to get a taste of 2016 by ordering a rainbow latte for yourself, you can pick one up for a comfortable $6 at 89 Granby St.
Hector Vasquez
