Vancouver-based café, Caffe Artigiano has opened a spot in the heart of Toronto’s financial district, on Yonge, just south of King Street. The café offers a wide array of caffeine-based drinks as well as sandwiches, salads, soups and pastries. I had the opportunity to attend a media drop in last week and was able to sample some of the offerings Caffe Artigiano had.
Scones!
The space is fairly large, with seats on one side and the counter on the other. Sandwiches are behind a glass and options range from wild salmon to chicken, beef and an array of vegetarian-friendly choices. Sandwiches are served pressed, with a tiny portion of greens while salads are available to pick from an open fridge. There are also pastries. While I was there, I saw at least three different kinds of butter tarts. There are plenty of scones, croissants and more.
Spanish Latte
Latte art demo
In addition to the standard espresso and drip coffee drinks, Caffe Artigiano also offers drinks that are a little more unique, such as the Spanish latte. As it uses condensed milk rather than fresh, this is more or less like a hot version of Vietnamese coffee using espresso rather than drip. This is a treat – I don’t typically sweeten my coffee drinks – the sweetness is just perfect as it isn’t too heavy, unlike flavoured syrups that are often used, especially for seasonal drinks (the Spanish latte is NOT a seasonal drink but a staple on the menu). It also doesn’t have an aftertaste. Another feature of Caffe Artigiano is the interesting latte art. While typically, they’ll create the “standard” leaf or perhaps a heart, I had the opportunity to see a drink with a turkey!
Tomato and bocconcini on baguette
One thing I would have preferred to see are more salad options and the ability to pick and choose a salad combination rather than selecting something from the fridge that has already been prepared. What if I want to have quinoa with arugula and beets? Unless that was made earlier and already packaged, I don’t have that choice. Many of Caffe Artigiano’s competitors, on the other hand, have that option. However, I like that they offer a wild salmon salad sandwich as most places either offer Atlantic or smoked. This is probably due to the café’s BC heritage. The pastries are not bad (especially scones), but I’ve tasted better – even at non-bakeries.
Caffe Artigiano’s Toronto location is on 67 Yonge Street, just south of King. Its hours are weekdays from 5:30 AM to 8 PM and weekends from 7 AM to 5 PM. Hoping to see more locations soon!
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