Cafe Unwind

Only been once. But had a peppermint tea that was excellent. They make their own tea bags which I think is awesome. Nice atmosphere and great customer service. Highly recommend.

3 stars.
There is nothing flashy about this place. It is totally off the beaten path, which I loved, but was just an average place overall.
With no washroom and no wifi it seems to be more of a take-​out place than anything else. I will say though I think the no wifi thing is great. They don’t have wifi because they want people to engage in conversation with each other. This I totally respect. Unfortunately there won’t be people coming here to sit and work for a couple hours. Well, unless they have unlimited data… which I do not.
The coffee was surprisingly good. I have been on a string of some average coffee places, so I wasn’t expecting much. There are not many pastries available at all. As I said above this place is mainly a take-​out place.
Being off the beaten path there has to be something exceptional within this place for it to work. Unfortunately there isn’t. I do wish this place all the best though.
That’s it.

This neat little café near Toronto Western hospital is tucked just steps away from Kensington Market but really closer to the corner of Bathurst and Dundas.
It probably caters to hospital staff as its’ not open on weekends. They do this neat frequent buyer program that from another Unilocaler, says it’s yellow pages pages. Each one has this big word of what appears to be a street name to identify the frequent buyer. Pre-​buy 10 and next one is free. If I lived close by or worked nearby, I’d opt in.
What first drew my attention a while back even before I went was the muffin with mango that was advertised in the store window or signage out front. That caught attention and when indie coffee passport had them on their list I had to go try their drinks.
Really friendly staff. Not very busy. Place is a bit small, not really for hanging out. Got a chai latte ordered extra hot. I think it needs a bit more chai flavor but it was smooth and tasty. I like the color of their espresso machine!
Come for the coffee, and be lured by the muffins!

I checked Café Unwind’s twitter this morning and was immediately tempted by today’s muffins: Sweet Red Pepper [savoury] and Caramelized Pear [sweet] ~ $ 2.63 each. And they were amazing: not too crumbly, soft with a bit of a crust, just the way I like them. The Red Pepper was satisfying enough to be lunch, and the Pear had a gentle sweetness, not overly so. Each had slices of pepper or pear throughout, real pieces, not chopped up bits. I will definitely be back to try more of their baked goods, and salads, and sandwiches, and soups …
Because it was a blustery day, my friend and I sat inside on stools by the window, but there are picnic benches on the patio for those days when outdoor seating is a good thing. When we were settled we were given a bottle of water and two glasses which made us feel very welcome and kind of special, and our hot beverages were brought over as soon as they were ready.
My friend had an Americano and I indulged in a soy latte, both on the Indie Coffee Passport.
Because I had the Red Pepper muffin first, I didn’t drink much of my latte until I started to nibble at the Pear, but the latte stayed a perfect temperature under its layer of foam and tasted rich and smooth right through.
Café Unwind is currently open Monday to Friday, 8:00 to 5:30
but I’d recommend checking their twitter updates to see what they are up to.
For example, they’re considering a «Baked Goods Only» sale on Saturdays.
Mmmm, I’ll be looking out for that.

This is the perfect little café to enjoy a tranquil and quite lunch in a hidden corner of Kensington market. The café has a nice selection of sandwiches, soups and salads. I have tried most of the sandwiches and have yet to be disappointed. This place is great during the warm months as it has a nice outdoor patio. In the cold months it is really just a take out and therefore as enticing. Service is friendly but a bit slow.

Located outside of Kensington Market shopping district is Café Unwind. It is conveniently beside the Toronto Western Hospital, which makes it a hotspot for the workers to drop by in the morning and during lunch.
When I arrived to this café back in March (I know, and it took me this long to review!), I was taken by the size of it. Similar to Fahrenheit Coffee, ten people would completely crowd out the space. Whilst I was there, I got to chat with Maddie, the barista. She was absolutely sweet and talkative and I learnt that she was going to Peru for community work sometime this year (best of luck to her!). When I asked if the café used stamp cards, she pointed to the tear-​outs taped against the wall under the menu. Since there was really no use for Yellow Pages anymore, the owner turned them into stamp pages for the regulars. Another fun thing they do is that they have two tip cups, each one with a different food or snack written on a paper attached. The cup with the most tips will have that food made as a special for the following week!
The chai latte I had was simple, but not as sweet as I wanted. However, I thought their Japanese Treasure tea smelled heavenly. It was very light and had a bit of peach to it, I believe. Their high chairs were not the most comfortable since the tables were a bit higher (or it was the chairs being a bit lower than it should). With no Wi-​Fi, it was not exactly the most ideal place to work either. I do think that it’s a nice place to be early in the morning since it’s so tiny and quaint. You would be able to sip on your tea or coffee and observe the outside in peace as the day begins.

Although small in size, this café is bubbling over with warmth and enthusiasm. The food – an assortment of sandwiches, soups, salads, and baked cookies and muffins – is nothing short of incredible and delicious. I had the almost imponderable joy of getting lunch (chicken, avocado, and tomato sandwich and sweet potato chickpea curry salad, with an Americano and Nutella cookie for dessert), which surprised me with the complexity of flavor. Who knew a simple chicken sandwich could be so interesting? The chicken itself had some sort of subtle spice rub that turned it a reddish pink colour, and the salad was fairly mild without an overly-​strong curry smell or taste. The Americano could’ve been stronger, but it was still fantastic and I have to reason to complain. I will absolutely be a regular!

This café is kinda hard to spot as there is no prominent store sign. There are small blue logos signs on the windows but one has to get close to read em.
There is a bit of seating area outside and inside has nice cozy feeling interior.
Service was excellent or maybe I was the only one there. I wanted to use my indie coffee passport 2012 (ICP) and unfortunately they didn’t have the go to drink cappuccino on list of drinks one can order on ICP. The barista was kind enough to accommodate my request so kudos again for service. Now for the drink:
Espresso: Mild
Crema’: Medium
Milk: Frothed OK.
Latte Art: Feeble attempt and nothing to write home about.
The cappuccino is nothing special. So the search for a decent cappuccino in this neighbourhood continues maybe some things are not meant to be.
2 Star for the drink

How could you not love a spot with such friendly staff & delicious coffees? The food is nothing to complain about either. It’s a perfect spot to chill and relax in the middle of the all too frequent Kensington gong show.

PROS:
–The sandwiches are delicious and most cost $ 7.
–Big windows and nice and breezy
–Patio
–Pulled coffee is good (only had Americano)
–Quiet, subdued, a little off from the market buzz (a nice getaway if you’re tired of wading through the throngs to get to ideal)
CONS:
–No drip/​pressed coffee.

Here is a great, relaxed Kensington café that doesn’t require dreadlocks to enjoy. And here I was thinking they’d become extinct (relaxed cafes, not dreadlocks). Arrived in the dwindling minutes of the AM to a bustling crowd but still managed to get a seat at the window on one of the very cool vintage stools. The place has an earthy feel, but not in an incense and drum circle kind of way. Splash boards are an attractive found wood and the corner location allows for plenty of light. I had the chicken sandwich which was fresh and delicious, just the right amount of avocado and sauce to make it hearty but not sloppy. But the real thumbs up is for the coffee which I typically don’t care that much about. Quickly made and not burnt immediately sets Unwind apart from most cafes, but the balance with the properly frothed milk was what really made my tongue do the happy dance.
It’s unlikely to be on the way to where you’re going, as it’s a bit hidden away, but if you do stumble upon it, you’re in for a treat.