Empire Espresso

Empire Espresso is wonderful, whether you’re looking for a cozy place to catch up with a friend, or a quiet spot to read. It’s super stroller-​friendly (no steps) and pet-​friendly too. The barista who usually works there knows just what you want (even if your caffeine-​deprived brain can’t articulate complete sentences yet!) and the food is good, fresh and delicious. I highly recommend their savoury hand pies (good for a meal for one, or shared as a snack for 2), and their bars (the Best Bar is addictive and packed with good stuff). The food/​drinks and atmosphere will make you feel happy.

The temperature started falling again tonight, driving pedestrians indoors and reminding me of this city’s potential for cruel cold.
I thought I’d take shelter here. I’d rode past earlier and thought it looked nice; it really is. The décor reminiscent of a pre-​school classroom, it has an atmosphere that’s hip, vintage, and cozy without feeling slick. Progressive magazines are strewn about. Unfortunately, there’s just not that much room to sit. Be one of those early people, grab the nook in the window, and look like a successful creative professional taking a well-​earned break.

Great coffee. Cozy inside and nice patio. Great tunes are always playing.
And most importantly amazing, unique baked treats. Apple crisp hand pies are great, just to make one of the many goodies!
Caffinate and treat yourself!

Completely won over my heart with the charming décor and feel good vibes. I picked out a homemade cookie called «OMG Becky look at this cookie», partially because I have a «OMG Becky» bottom and because who can resist such a fun sounding snack?! Along with my Becky cookie, I sipped on a flat white, it was rich and smooth and completed this simply sweet moment.

Often times when you ask yourself: at which café should I get my creative juices flowing today? Vika and I asked ourselves that and off the top of our head — there’s this charming little place off the top of our heads that we really wanted to check out, and that place, my friends, is Empire.
The colour-​fest of Empire Espresso, is very much a shot of mental espresso by itself as it really wakes up your senses the moment you step into this beautifully curated space.
It’s not the best place to bring out your laptops and get work done, but rather, a more suitable café to whip out your old school notepad and write away as you people-​watch through those glass windows and get inspired in Little Italy.
So bring your friends, share a coffee and enjoy this home away from home.

Everytime I came here, the lady was very nice. On top of that, espresso based drinks taste great. I would lIke to try there pastries soon as well, as they look gorgeous. Definitely a great place to grab coffee or tea, and it is very well decorated with plentiful colors.

I’ll return for sure! I had an Americano, based on the reviews here, and it was the absolute smoothest I’ve ever tasted. Rich, with the wonderful, subtle, caramelly sweetness that espresso should have. Cute décor, though it didn’t look especially comfy so we took our things to go.

Best Americano in the city!
Empire has a lovely, comfortable décor and the best Americano I’ve had in Toronto.
It’s nice to have something a little more casual in Little Italy.
Also try out their wide assortment of homemade baked goods, including lots of gluten free.
Free WIFI was fast and reliable.
Great place!

A wonderful treat in Little Italy! This quaint coffee shop boasts an amazing selection of fresh, thoughtfully-​crafted baked goods to warm your heart and make you smile. The smells will remind you of fall but that’s okay… Somehow this works anyways because you have never tried such delicious treats at another coffee shop.
The coffee carries it’s weight too. It is consistently rich, deep in flavour and smothers your taste buds with instant satisfaction. The serving sizes are smaller than your traditional brand name shop but you get what you pay for here — all quality!
The only draw back is that the seating and tables are quite small and hard to actually use so it is best to just grab your Americano and pastry to go.

This place was rated best coffee shop in Little Italy by BlogTo, and deservedly so. It is the antithesis of all other «typical» coffee shops in the neighborhood, and leaves them all dead in the water as a result.
Truly fantastic music that complements the bright and shabby chic vintage décor, comfortable and plenty of natural light, it boasts a super chill ambience for taking time out to enjoy a smashing cuppa coffee… And is never filled with solo drinkers on their laptops hammering out the next award winning email or essay (thank God!)
With a friendly expert barista who ensures the coffees are consistently one of the best in the city, Empire Espresso is undoubtedly one of my top 3 coffee experiences in Toronto, and is a must visit.
Gems like this reinforce Starbucks as a place to visit exclusively for need of using the washrooms only.

After lunch at The Fish Store, we hopped in here for a cup of coffee. It is the most cheerful coffee shop I have been too. Its a small place but the menu is pretty fun. There is also an array of sweet stuff on the counter, cookies, bars, muffins, cupcakes to name a few.
Mr. H tried the espresso and I had the Lavender Honey Latte. It was absolutely the best! Although I was a little unsure of how lavender and coffee would go together, let’s just saw it went really well. There were actually pieces of lavender in there. The food too looked really nice but since I had had lunch, I didn’t really have the space for more.
I will definitely be coming back for more!

I want to give these guys like 8 stars. This is my favorite coffee spot in the city. They make an amazing americano, latte, flat white — you name it. They also have some really unique and seriously delicious menu items (lavender honey latte– like seriously common!). The treats are all phenomenal and are made in house — the hand pies are just little pieces of heaven you can hold with both hands. Lots of tea flavors too. I’ve never been disappointed with a coffee from this place, they are consistently great. The owner is always trying out new (local and canadian) roasts which is really lovely! Great vibe, good tunes and a huge window for people watching. Best coffee in the city, hands down.

Great café in little italy. One of my new faves without a doubt! You’d be a fool to go to the nearby Starbucks w this gem nearby. The owner is very friendly and open to answer any questions about his products. The layout is very small but cozy and creates a nice open concept. Pricing is very fair. There are a variety of delicious goodies and savoury items to pair with your coffee. I love the window sill w the set up w cushions. Very easy to get to right along college streetcar line in little Italy. This’ll be a new regular spot for me without a doubt! Also, they have free wifi which can be far and few w many cafés nowadays. Seating is very limited but the open concept creates a friendly atmosphere as well as the crowd who comes here is friendly so it almost forces you to socialize w ur neighbour in a good way!

Finally, decent coffee in little Italy!
This is my favourite espresso place of all time. The owners have poured their hearts and souls into this place, and it shows. Reviews that state the slightly pricier pastry aren’t wrong, but then again, everything you eat is baked in house and is lovely.
I find the prices on lattes and americano fairly standard for an independent café, but by all means if you like your espresso burnt and cheap, go to Starbucks to avoid the «fedora and unicycle» crowd, who are suggested to hang out here by another reviewer.

We would have given it a high rating — however — if you want to pay a lot of money for decent pastries and a snooty staff — then this is the place for you.
If you feel that you can pull off the fedora while riding a unicycle — then this place is for you.
If you want to feel that your patronage matters at an establishment — then this place is not for you.
As someone who lives in the neighbourhood — I am always excited to see a business open up on the strip that is not a bar masquerading as a restaurant. However, if I need to choose between my mortgage and a latte — I am afraid — that my mortgage wins.

I am so glad to find this espresso bar after dinner in Little Italy as this was the only place that had soy milk (other than the traditional Starbucks). It was just about closing but the guy that was working greeted us nicely. The establishment was cozy and it looked like they held maybe classes of some sort here and/​or made their pastries in house. I also remember that they had a bridal shower another time when I walked by. They have some seating where a group can sit and play games perhaps but I would assume most people just grab and go.
As expected since this was an espresso bar, the price would be slightly higher than other traditional establishments, which was fine since I like trying different coffee places.
I quickly got my soy latte– great flavour and very enjoyable! They also had agave syrup as an alternative sweetener which was good to see as various options for customers is always good to have.
Hope to be back to try some of their new drinks on the chalk board.

Finally really great coffee in Little Italy!!!
Serious seriously amazing coffee. Probably my favourite in the city. The baked goods are consistently awesome and the small but cozy seating area is more chilled lounge room than buzzy café. Sarah and the team are amazingly friendly too.
Try the Perfect Storm! Mmmm

This café caught my eye while riding the 506 streetcar with it’s splashes of neon and cool type face. While there isn’t a ton of seating, the little reading nook at the front is super-​cozy and makes you want to stay a while! There are colourful pillows and furry throws, books and games. I wish my living room looked like this! Hanging lanterns and other details give a sort of Moroccan vibe. There are no desks, so don’t bring your laptop! (But there is wifi).
As for the goods, the cappuccino I had was solid. Don’t forget to get a loyalty card (your 10^th drink is free). Their baked goods look fresh and yummy. I tried their quinoa cake. Make I should’ve asked for it warmed up because the middle was soft and tasty, but the outer layer was a bit tough/​dry. The filling however was a nice mix of quinoa, feta, spinach, and egg. Mmm…
The barista was very friendly and music was upbeat and fun. I also like that they are open later than most other independent cafes.

I heart Empire.
Their lattes are super delicious, perfectly balanced. The perfect storm is fantastic if you’re not a lactose fan, or just fancy something different. It’s a great space to sit, especially with all the snow we’ve been having lately, super cosy. All their baked goods are done in house so if you’re lucky enough to be there when things come fresh out of the oven, the whole place smells delicious, and then tastes delicious as well — butter croissants, oooo yea :)

Empire pulls some of the best shots I’ve ever had in Toronto. All of their baristas are super knowledgable and owner Sarah is extremely nice. Their regular rotation of beans from roasters like Pig Iron, Pilot and Detour provide a nice variety, while their house blend is sweet and smooth. Always flavourful shots. Plus, they’re open until 10pm!