A Cabbagetown institution on Parliament Street, pulling strong espresso since the early 1990s long before the city's third-wave coffee boom. The room is small, loud, and covered in cycling memorabilia — it has a deep association with Toronto's bike-courier and cycling community, and the baristas are known for working fast.
There is no drip coffee and no fuss: the menu is espresso-based, the staff have personality, and the regulars are loyal. It is a good jolt before or after a wander through the neighbourhood's Victorian streets.