It was a frosty morning when I headed out to visit my latest coffee shop discovery. These posts are part of ongoing articles on coffee culture in Toronto and what I think are interesting places to visit to have a coffee and do some work. The daily morning habit of venturing out for a jolt of java (aka - Tim’s), has or can became much more of an adventure than what it used to be. Now of course it doesn’t have to be - you can continue to do the drive-thru of Tims for your double/double. Or in my case at the bottom of my street there is a Tim’s located in the building of the gas station.

Coffee shops have long been an integral component of coffee culture as they can offer a social aspect to the consumption of coffee. If you have been fortunate to experience this in Europe you will know that many coffee shops are places to meet friends, argue about politics and or sports and experience the daily life of others.

There has also been a steady growth in the choices of types of coffee, micro types of beans, espresso, latte’s, teas and assortment of foods. Things that I look for are free WIFI, comfortable chairs and or tables to work from and as a bonus - the ability to plug in for power.

One could ask - why do we seek out these types of places? I suspect at the core is a need for people to connect with others. Especially since we’ve spent more than two years in a semi-comatose locked up world. In many coffee shops you can see groups of students studying or simply friends having a catch-up conversation. In some cases the coffee shop has replaced the office by creating a similar environment and at the same time tapping into the desire for people to connect - the new watercooler maybe? Coffee shops can offer this for much lower price tag - with no membership fee’s attached! Just the cost of a coffee. It would be a lot less expensive for me to simply turn on my Nespresso machine at home (yes, Sheila), and for about $1.25, I can make a very good latte. However what you don’t see is the intangibles such as the exercise from the walk or bike ride to get there, and the filling up of a day now no longer taken up with power point presentations and needless excel documents. I may not verbably connect with others as I sit there, but I feel that I’m part of a group. No idea what the group is called, but I’m a member. (And in good standing)

I began my search by looking up “the best coffee shops to work from in Toronto!” My search gave me a long list of places to visit and one of the more interesting one’s was a bit out of my neighbourhood. The reviews seemed interesting and the images looked very promising. The GPS indicated it was 5.6 km and it would take around 20 minutes by bike. I headed out and after an easy ride (it is a e-bike after all), I arrived at my destination - AM Coffee Studio .

It’s located in an area of the west end of Toronto called Roncesvalles Village - 2233 Dundas Street West. The area has always been a well-known part of the city for locals to eat and shop. On a side note there is a very good BBQ joint nearby called - Barque Smokehouse. Been there a few times and worth the drive.

I parked my bike and headed in - and wow - clearly one of the prettiest coffee shops, I’ve ever visited. They have a few bistro style chairs at the front of the shop outside. When you enter you can see it’s very spacious with a great counter area and tables at the front, and more seating along the side of the cafe towards the back. Most of the tables have pretty flowers and candles sitting on them.

The menu offers the typical coffee shop selection - latte, cappuccino, flat white, cortado, macchiato, espresso, americano, drip coffee, red eye, hot chocolate, babyccino and a flavour shot. There are also choices of milk’s offered for those with dietary issues - plant, oat, soy and almond. I ordered a flat white and it was tasty and attractive in it’s presentation. They also offer a selection of foods from smoothies, various bagels and different types of “toasts” including a great looking avocado offering. The atmosphere is inviting, with soft music, various types of seating, not too crowded and perfect for a business meeting, studying, or simply wanting to catch up with a friend or do some quiet reading.

I did a little bit of digging and the owner/founder has a strong belief in wellness and fitness. I ventured to the back of the shop and to my surprise, I found a community wellness room at the back of the shop. They offer classes and workshops both in yoga and wellness which you can learn about from their website.

BLOG TO had this to say on their site -

AM Coffee Studio is a combination coffee shop and wellness studio space with regular classes and an elevated cafe menu. The spot has been transformed from a raw space by exposing brick and putting in a bar for a New-York-like feel.

Best of Toronto went even further - AM Coffee Studio is what comes to our mind when we hear the word “Instagrammable.” Its gorgeous interiors and relaxing ambiance will attract anyone, but its warm customer service will make them stay. You’ll probably spend most of your time here admiring the decorations and taking pictures of them, but we can’t blame you as that’s what its regular customers are doing anyway. Apart from its specialty drinks, the space itself is another main attraction.In my opinion the atmosphere was 3 stars…..comfortable seating, free wifi (worked well) and I didn’t feel any pressure at any time to move it along.

In closing this will be a tough one to top and I highly recommend you give it a visit.