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    Balzac’s Coffee Roasters

    3.4 (62 reviews)
    Closed • 7:00 am - 8:30 pm

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    BALZAC’S COFFEE ROASTERS ATMOSPHERE

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    Chris C.

    I stopped in at Balzac's to rest my weary feet and pass some time while waiting to meet a friend for dinner. Okay, they also had a spot to plug in my phone charger. Top score for that! It's a busy little place with a good selection of hot and cold coffee beverages. I had an iced Mocha that went down too easily. I should have savoured it a little longer. The one odd thing that stood out to me was the layout of the counter. You order and pay at one end and pick up at the other end, nothing unusual there. All their pastry stands, however, are at the pickup end of the counter. Should I have started at that end to make a selection before placing my order? I didn't so all I had was the coffee. That was good.

    Tina Y.

    I can't believe I've never seen this place even though I've been walking past the library for the past 3 years. Their Iced Matcha Latte... oh my GOD. So good. I may be exaggerating because it's a hot day and I'm drenched head to toe, so the first sip of that delicious green beverage just completely floored me. Pricing is a little high (around 4-6 dollars for every drink), but around this area I think all cafes will have this price. There is free wifi from the library.

    a cup of coffee and a muffin
    Sam F.

    so cute and the food and coffee is great! i had the chocolate banana muffin, the greek yogurt parfait, and a peppermint mocha latte with oatmilk!

    Bizy
    Owen R.

    I liked how quickly the line moved. For very strong coffee drinkers you might really appreciate this, for me, it was too strong (flat white). Great addition to library.

    Steph L.

    This is a convenient spot to grab a coffee if you are by the Reference Library. I like the coffee. The baked goods are decent. There is free WiFi! However, it's pretty hard to find seating. I'll keep coming here, but it's really hit or miss whether you can actually sit down here!

    Joey S.

    After hours of perusing books that appear to have been last read when Sir John A. MacDonald was Prime Minister, the sights and smells provided by Balzac's was a very welcome change. I've been here a few times and their dark roast coffee has been nearly perfect. They have lots of sweets to choose from, mostly of the cookie and brownie variety, which are quite good (guilty pleasure as a pre-cycling get-me-upper). The modern decor is easy to look at and the seats are reasonably comfortable, as long as one isn't planning to stay there for hours on end. Lots of floor to ceiling glass, which makes for a great people watching experience on Yonge Street, and a great respite from the sometimes dank and dark areas in the Reference Library. Good atmosphere, good coffee, good treats, I'll be back again for sure.

    The ceiling has a really interesting design.
    Lasagna M.

    I love Balzac's and love that they have a location in the library. It's a shame that it doesn't have the same French-style decor that other locations have. There's always a mix of students and homeless people there, and it can get pretty crowded. If you just wanna check out Balzac's, I would recommend a different location. If you're going to the library though, it's a good place to grab a coffee :)

    Diane S.

    I love this local chain of coffee shop. The decor is nice and stylish. Lots of seating but way too busy for me since it's attached to the library.

    Cla S.

    Balzac's has a certain nerdy charm to it, and there's something about having a coffee right at the foot of the reference library that stimulates wonderful conversation, or so I like to think. But the pastry I had (almond chocolate croissant) was tasty but too buttery. The cappuccino was borderline revolting the first time I had it, decent the second time. I won't be ordering it a third time. So overall, Balzac is more ambiance than appetissant. But still charming in a passing way.

    Ham and mustard roll
    Ahalya S.

    I work minutes from this place but only been here twice. Guess it is because I have a gold card to Star... you know what. I am glad I decided to drop in on a Friday morning for a treat. The ham and mustard roll was so good I had two! I also like that they have almond milk available. I had a salted caramel latte made with almond milk. It is one of the best lattes I have had in a long time. I am a caffeine freak and I love coffee in any form! I love the coziness of this place. It is so airy and bright and they've painted and decorated with the color yellow. You feel like you are in an European café.

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    11 years ago

    Great place, from the causal atmosphere, warm welcome and good taste of food here. Will come back again and try couple other dishes.

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    Review Highlights - Balzac’s Coffee Roasters

    “It's attached to the reference library.”

    Mentioned in 8 reviews

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    Wu Wei Coffee - Medium Iced Hojicha Cheesecake Latte (~$8 CAD)

    Wu Wei Coffee

    4.5(34 reviews)
    2.3 km•Kensington Market

    TLDR: Delicious matcha in Kensington market that you could easily miss because it's tucked away…read morebelow ground floor :') I know "coffee" is in their name but I'm not really able to tell good coffee apart from bad coffee, hence, the matcha -[MEDIUM ICED PEACH COBBLER MATCHA LATTE] $9.00 - the small size is $8.00 and +$1.00 for a medium :D Made up of velvety matcha poured over their house-made peach compote which is then topped off with their silky egg custard foam and brown sugar oat crumble. My goodness, genuinely reminded me of a peach cobbler in the best way! I will admit, the pieces of oat crumble made the drink slightly tougher to sip through the straw but so worth it still NOTE: You can swap from 3% milk to oat milk for free! Also, their online ordering system makes it so easy to order ahead and just grah it when you arrive. Will definitely be back again!

    Very small space. Theres no seating inside or above along the sidewalk. It's a steep downward…read moreentry, and hard to find as it's below another business. Down some steps to the lower unit through doors to two kiosks where you place your order. Depending on the day, it came get quite crowded as there's no room to really wait in a line. We showed up on a Saturday and it was busy and crowded. Three baristas working but no one offered to take orders so everyone used the kiosks. Wu Wei Coffee | 无为 style drinks with Signature Wu Wei M2 Matcha: My mom got an Iced Strawberry Matcha with oat milk, light ice and I got Iced Strawberry Matcha Mascarpone which was same as strawberry matcha just with a layer of mascarpone cheese cold foam. Both of us liked our drinks, great matcha mix and strawberry puree. They didn't charge for milk alternatives but whether it was hot or iced.

    Photos
    Wu Wei Coffee - Strawberry Matcha Mascarpone

    Strawberry Matcha Mascarpone

    Wu Wei Coffee - Hojicha cheesecake latte + matcha einspanner

    Hojicha cheesecake latte + matcha einspanner

    Wu Wei Coffee

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    El Pacho Coffee Roasters - Matcha seaberry

    El Pacho Coffee Roasters

    4.3(22 reviews)
    2.9 km•Downtown Core, Bay Street Corridor

    Solid matcha, beautiful latte art, delicious croissant sandwiches…read more Came just before 9am on a Saturday and managed to order before a morning crowd started to form. We got a matcha latte with oat milk, cappuccino, and the breakfast sandwich w smoked salmon (forgot the name). Matcha latte was great, I loved that they clarified whether I wanted sweetened or unsweetened. Sometimes cafes serve them sweetened without me realizing. It's not super crazy high quality but it's definitely better than most cafes. I only had a sip of the cappuccino but I could tell my mom didn't love it. It's just on the fruitier side so it tasted more sour and not creamy/smooth (which is what my mom prefers). Depends on your preference. She really liked the latte art though and didn't want to ruin it by drinking it! The sandwich was big and delicious. There's a hint of dill flavor which paired well with the salmon. I could tell my mom liked it. The cafe itself has a few tables and high top counter seating, as well as seating outside. There's two restrooms in the back. They seem to bake everything in house and it smelled wonderful as they brought stuff out the oven. Loved the all female staff!

    Great third wave coffee AND open at 630a on a Sunday. Cheerful service and baked goods made in…read morehouse (didn't get to try but would have if I was hungry). There are a handful of tables and a counter with high tops for enjoying your delicious brew. By the numbers: Food N/A Drink 5/5 Service 5/5 Ambiance 4/5 Value 5/5 Espresso - Excellent. Bright and acidic the way I like it.

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    El Pacho Coffee Roasters
    El Pacho Coffee Roasters - This chili scone was out of this world good! Crispy on the outside and super tender on the inside plus lots of flavour.

    This chili scone was out of this world good! Crispy on the outside and super tender on the inside plus lots of flavour.

    El Pacho Coffee Roasters

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    Found Coffee - Front - Espresso service.

    Found Coffee - Front

    4.6(14 reviews)
    3.0 km•Entertainment District, Waterfront Communities-The Island, Downtown Core

    I'm always up to try a new coffee place and Found Coffee seems to be expanding rapidly, so I…read morefigured the time was right to check 'em out. After reading some reviews, the consensus seemed to be that The Doctor is the thing to get, so that's exactly what I did. (For some reason I was upgraded to oat milk at a $1 surcharge even though I didn't ask for it, but whatever.) It's a terrific coffee. It's strong without being overwhelming, and the flavor is rich and balanced. I really enjoyed it. It looked like they had some interesting pastries too, so I'll definitely be returning.

    Stumbled across this coffee shop downtown. Staff are quite friendly, and the shop seemed to have a…read morelot of regulars. Very cutesy warm interior. It's nice that they are open early-ish at 7am, though even a little bit earlier might be nice. The coffee is alright. The heart they draw for warm lattes is cute. Never tried an Aussie coffee brand before -- heard that they have high coffee standards there, but tbh couldn't really tell a difference. Maybe I'm just not a fan of fruity/sour beans. Can't say I get the hype, and quite overpriced too at $7-8+ for coffees. Guess it's the location and rent. It's better than Starbucks, but I don't think that is saying much. I do like that they have vegemite pastry, which you won't see at other places! Nice Australian touch.

    Photos
    Found Coffee - Front
    Found Coffee - Front
    Found Coffee - Front

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    Balzac’s Coffee Roasters - coffee - Updated September 2026

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