The best café patios in Toronto
There’s nothing that beats hunkering down with a hot cup of joe at one of Toronto’s many quirky cafés. But when the weather’s warm, switch that steaming mug for a latte on ice, and find a seat at one of the city’s café patios, for a perfect, caffeinated day in the sun. [Image credit: iStock.com/Jacob Ammentorp Lund]
Boxcar Social
1208 Yonge St, Toronto, ON M4T 1W1Boxcar Social is certainly a midtown gem (bonus sans-patio location in Riverside). All year long, the café churns out everything from killer Rwandan espresso to craft beer, whisky and charcuterie. Given its two-floor expanse, you might miss the patio located at the rear. With twosome wooden tables, a cement bar, and an oak tree providing some much-needed shade, this patio is like the backyard study party you never had. That’s if you’re lucky enough to nab a spot.
Café Pamenar
307 Augusta Ave, Toronto, ON M5T 2M2Situated right in the heart of Kensington Market on Augusta Avenue, Café Pamenar has everything you ever wanted in a café – intellectuals, black tea as flavourful as its coffee and of course, an inspired back patio. Amongst the lush greenery provided by the café’s serious plant game, shining sun and the plethora of Apple laptops, you’ll feel right at home.
Te Aro Coffee Inc
983 Queen St E, Toronto, ON M4M 1K2Leslieville’s most-loved café from local legends Pilot Coffee Roasters has a very unassuming front patio that’s an extension of the café inside (after all, the front of the place opens up just like a car garage.) It’s very Manhattan, but also an ode to the trendiness of Toronto’s east end. Spend an hour there, and you’re guaranteed to see a person from every walk of life pass by –the mother with her baby, the freelancer, the international folks.
Bar Buca
75 Portland St, Toronto, ON M5V 2M9Bar Buca hails one of the best cups of coffee in the entire city. Their secret? Aside from the handsome baristas, it’s the cremina – sugar stirred with espresso froth. Put a spoonful in your coffee and you’re instantly in love. The whole experience gets even better when you sit outside on their pristinely white front patio facing Portland street, which is usually surrounded by well-dressed millennials.
Dundas & Carlaw
1173 Dundas St E, Toronto, ON M4M 1S1For an after-dinner coffee, Dundas and Carlaw’s sizeable side patio cannot be beat. East end quiet through and through, you won’t ever hear the ear-splitting shrieks of sirens or an overzealous crowd at this neighbourhood café-bar. Locals come here to sit outside in the moonlight and chat over a nighttime espresso, or tuck in for a pint with pals.
Thor Espresso Bar
35 Bathurst St, Toronto, ON M5V 2P2Thor Espresso’s benched patio might just be the most serene café patio in the city (there’s not been more than four people spotted on there at one time). If you’re looking for workday quiet, this is the one for you. It helps that the WiFi is super speedy, there’s a stack of indie magazines for anyone to read, and the baristas make sure their matcha green tea lattes are always on point.
Early Bird Espresso And Brew Bar
613 Queen St W, Toronto, ON M5V 2B7On Queen West, an area densely packed with cafés, Early Bird stands out from the rest – not just because of its exposed brick and hipster aesthetic, but because its patio can hold up to 20 people. The seating includes a picnic bench and more intimate, two-to-three person tables. All you need is some nibbles, cappuccinos and few friends, and you’re in business.
