Toronto's exclusive new cafe sells cup of coffee for almost $70

A new reservations-only Toronto coffee bar that boasts only eight seats is redefining coffee culture in Toronto, and its $68 cup of coffee is a key piece of that.

While some cafes in Toronto are cutting their prices to become even more accessible, others, like the Junction Triangle's recently opened Roasters Pack Lab, are showing just how exclusive good, old-fashioned java can be.

It's not that exclusivity is the goal for Roasters Pack, though, but rather a necessary condition to showcase their coffee in the way it's meant to be experienced.

Originally established as a coffee delivery service (which they still do a big business in), The Roasters Pack set out to create the type of coffee bar they wanted to see in the city: one where the team can dream as big as they want to and push the envelope of what the city's residents have come to expect from coffee.

Thus, the Roasters Pack Lab, which officially opened to the public in late February, was born.

The focal point of the space, a 16-foot, eight-seat bar, is open to customers by reservation only, which can be booked with a $10 down payment through the Roasters Pack's website.

Behind the bar, the team serves up coffee and matcha-based drinks that are just as impressive as the space itself, with baristas at the ready to serve up a healthy pour of education along with your caffeine.

Flights of roasts from around the world range from $22 to $28, curated to tell different stories, like processing techniques or rare countries of origin.

Two espresso-based beverages, the Split, which combines an espresso and your choice of cortado or piccolo, and the Dirty, wherein hot espresso is layered atop freeze-distilled milk, each go for $10 or $14, depending on which blend you choose. 

There are even two non-caffeinated options on the menu if you want to avoid the jitters.

But it's the lab's selection of rare and competition coffees that are the cafe's real crowning achievement, and of them, a $68 pourover cup of Panama Gesha is the crown jewel.

Lauded as one of the most premium coffees in the world, Panama Gesha holds the record for the highest auction price, but, more importantly, an exceedingly elegant flavour profile which The Roasters Pack describes as "a pretty perfect cup."

Another Panama Gesha option, with notes of florals and nectarine, is also available at $58 a cup.

It's not pricey for the sake of being pricey, but rather, pricey as a result of the bean's already high prices, presented in a gallery-like format like the rare and formidable product it is.

Sure, the Roasters Pack Lab isn't a place you'd go for a cup of joe on any given workday, but for budding coffee experts, it's primed to become a particularly sought-after reservation. If we can have fine dining, why can't we have fine coffee, too?

The Roasters Pack Lab is located at 87 Wade Ave.