Sense Appeal Coffee Roasters in Toronto, ON

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Telephone:	+1 647-527-6234
Website:	senseappeal.ca
Address:	96 Spadina Avenue Suite 101, Toronto, ON, M5V 2J6 Downtown Core
Nearby public transportation stops & stations:	280 ftKing Street 380 ftSpadina Avenue 450 ftOxley Street
Categories:	Coffee & Tea

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Bussiness info

Accepted Cards	Credit, Debit
Parking	Street
Bike Parking	Yes

Outdoor Seating	No
Wi-Fi	Free
Good for Working	Yes

Today

Today	7:30 am – 6:00 pm Open now
Local time (Toronto)	08:58 Thursday, 22 May 2025

Business hours

Monday	7:30 am – 6:00 pm
Tuesday	7:30 am – 6:00 pm
Wednesday	7:30 am – 6:00 pm
Thursday	7:30 am – 6:00 pm
Friday	7:30 am – 6:00 pm
Saturday	9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Sunday	9:00 am – 5:00 pm

Description

Specialties

We’re Toronto’s only experimental coffee and food lab.

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20 reviews of Sense Appeal Coffee Roasters

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Mary D.

Place rating: 3
Toronto, Canada

It had a nice cute little location with amazing light fixtures and ambiance including wooden benches, a traditional Canadian motif & very personable staff. The caramel shortbread cookie that I paired with a chai tea latte could have been better, but I would definitely suggest getting their specialty coffee when you go there. The initial pairing of the 2 to start was delicious minus my distaste for shortbread, but the chai tea died down in flavor especially as it got cold. This was probably because my taste buds got used to it as well. I unfortunately was not a shortbread but a caramel person so the majority displacement of shortbread which I did not realize was there as it was covered with nuts was not to my liking. They make a lot of their stuff from scratch which I find a nice added feature.

Michael L.

Place rating: 4
Toronto, Canada

3.5÷5
Note that Sense Appeal was recently rebranded as Café by Carbon. I’ve been here a handful of times — I enjoyed the cortado but found the espresso macchiato a bit on the sour side, and while the Turkish Latte was okay I was not blown away as some other reviewers were. The atmosphere is strange, it is very much the first floor of an office building. High ceilings and a chandelier do little to make it feel cozy, although there is free Wi-Fi and the times I’ve been here there always seems to be seating. The bathroom is inside a locked door into the rest of the building so you have to ask the staff for the key.
With tough competition in the area from Milano, Quantum Coffee and Early Bird, there isn’t much to separate Café by Carbon from the rest.

Anna H.

Place rating: 5
Toronto, Canada

Everybody is right about the coffee here: Amazing. I like a cup of Piccollo or Maple Sap Canadiano for a little pick me up. My favourite thing about this café is the on point playlist. I find myself shazam-ing every other song: Shlohmo, Tokimonsta, Bearcubs, Burial and more. Also, I recommend the counter by the windows for optimal people watching/working/music listening.

Kyla S.

Place rating: 4
Toronto, Canada

I’ve only been to Sense Appeal a handful of times, so my thoughts aren’t super detailed. With my handful of visits consistently being short and to-the-point (which is what I prefer when I am caffeine deprived), all I can say is this:
They have one of the offer one of the most perfectly pulled, silky smooth espressos I have ever tasted. And the gluten-free espresso brownie can beat the crap out of any normal brownie, any day of the week.

Brandon J.

Place rating: 4
Grand Rapids, MI

A classy coffee shop nestled in a high-rise near the intersection of Adelaide and Spadina. Enter and climb the short staircase to the barista counter to place your order.
The design of the shop is awesome! Beautiful wood counters and black and white signage contrast perfectly with the sophisticated building design and large store-front windows.
I ordered the café con leche and took a seat in front of the sun-soaked windows. The coffee was great. A perfect combination of subtle beans and quality foamed milk. Sip away slowly while watching the crowds go by and you’ve got the perfect recipe for wasting away an afternoon.

Steve Y.

Place rating: 4
Baltimore, MD

The Turkish latte was well-received. Excellent free-trade bean options. They take their time to source excellent quality.

Jane L.

Place rating: 3
Los Angeles, CA

I am a huge coffee drinker and go all over the world in search of a good cup of coffee. This place should really receive a one star because they cleaned their machines 15 before closing (or more)…that’s just when I got there. That is not good customer service. However, they have descent coffee and for that…

Kun C.

Place rating: 5
Toronto, Canada

A hidden spot for great coffee. The atmosphere is trendy and cozy. Got their coffee beans for home. Strongly recommend.

Deanna T.

Place rating: 4
Orange County, CA

The exterior of this tiny coffee shop appears run down which explains how we nearly missed it. I actually came looking for a cup of tea. Yes, judge me. :) I’m just glad they offered a great selection of the lightly caffeinated/non-caffeinated beverage. The downside was their ice machine happened to be broken that day so I didn’t get my iced tea. I would have loved to try a sip of their coffee, but my friend was not keen about drinking hot Americano on an exceedingly warm day. Oh well, I can at least say I thoroughly enjoyed my hot Sunset in Provence rooibos infusion tea, courtesy of Pluck. MmMm… elderberries. :)

Margie L.

Place rating: 3
New York, NY

The location is a bit hidden, but worth a visit! The décor is nice and the barista was friendly. I had an americano and it was quite aromatic. Tried going again last Sunday morning around 9:30AM but it was closed (even though the hours say 9 – 5) on Sundays — maybe because it was a long weekend.

L C.

Place rating: 4
Elk Grove, CA

Small little coffee shop. I’m a visitor in Toronto, Canada but like always, I look for places to have some good coffee in the morning. This place was great!

Laura B.

Place rating: 5
Toronto, Canada

For the first time in my life I am a «regular» at a coffee shop! I was never really one of those people who stopped at a coffee place every morning, but I can’t help but stop in at Sense Appeal for my morning cappuccino now. I’m hooked!
–Great Coffee (and specialty drinks – Cappuccino and Turkish latte are wonderful)
–Super nice baristas. Every morning it’s the same two people and they are really pleasant and have a relaxed demeanor
–Quick service
–Decent prices
–Delicious looking baked goods (have yet to try anything)
If you’re SUPER short on time and there’s a line you can take a drip coffee which is self serve OR you can use the Ritual app to pre-order and pay for your coffee.
Also, if you’re one of those people who likes to check out small coffee shops while walking around the city this is a good spot to visit. There are some seats, not a ton, but honestly I’ve never seen all the seats taken so chances are there will be a place for you.

Justine C.

Place rating: 5
Toronto, Canada

The barista is also the cashier! SO BE PATIENT. But it’s worth it. I always get a Flat White here and makes my day. It’s kind of hidden because of the scaffolding hiding the entrance and there is no big «SENSE APPEAL» sign at the front so you might miss it. I kept walking back and forth and back and forth to find this place. There is no a lot of seating, maybe enough for 5 people at most. TIP YOUR BARISTA, HE/SHE IS WORKING TWO JOBS, ESSENTIALLY!!!

Sonia A.

Place rating: 5
Toronto, Canada

Ok so this time I walked in without focusing on the outside construction noise and the havoc outside their location, and went straight for the kill and ordered their Kashmiri Chai. Being of the South Asian descent and have had several share of my nano’s (grandmas) Kashmiri Chai, I wanted to see if this place was going to cut it?
And slice my tastes buds in two and send me back to my nano’s chai pot, they did!
Kashmiri Chai was Devine! I could taste the saffron, pistachios, coconut, and the perfect melody of East meeting the West! I am glad I gave them another chance. They won me over with their Kashmiri Chai and I will be back here again!

Jeff M.

Place rating: 4
Belleville, Canada

All the reviewers were right. One of the best Americanos ever! Beautiful crema and a great full bodied espresso with a really nice finish. Staff is friendly and happy to help. Definitely will be returning.
As for the location, don’t blink! We were in Toronto during some construction on Spadina (when is there not construction on Spadina?) The small banner facing the street is not very easy to read from across the road and walking under the scaffolding doesn’t help. I’m always impressed to see how businesses make use of small spaces. This location is practically a glorified stairwell in an office building. As a previous reviewer said, aim for the big red «90» sign on the side of the building. Make sure you look between the scaffolding and go through the door beside the «90» sign.

Joseph H.

Place rating: 5
Richmond, Canada

Amazing coffee. Balanced, deep aroma. Smooth taste. Just perfect. Ridiculously small, even with the tables outside in the lobby. Easy to miss. Look for the big red «90» sign. The front is covered up with construction scaffolding. They have just a small selection of cookies, nanaimo bars, and snacks. No washrooms on the weekends because the inner lobby is locked, which is a bit weird and awkward but whatever.

Derek T.

Place rating: 5
Toronto, Canada

One of the best americanos I’ve had in the city. The nanaimo bar and peanut butter bar are excellent as well. Everything is reasonably priced and the coffee addict card is a great deal.
It can get quite crowded sometimes but the line up usually moves pretty fast.

Lorrie M.

Place rating: 5
San Jose, CA

This place was nothing like what the Unilocal photos led me to believe. But it honest to goodness has amazing coffee. You just also need some amazing patience.
Both times I came here, it was one little guy working in the corner behind his espresso machine. Whatever that comes out is like magic. It may not look it, it may ot have a cute little pattern or latte art … but my GOODNESS its a delicious cup of joe.
Their brewed coffees are the same way. I haven’t really been this impressed by a coffee place in a long long time.
That being said, the ordering area is basically like … the size of two of your kitchen dining tables maybe, and there is no AC so … it gets hot & humid. Ugh. But I am more than willing to wait it out for this amazing cup of coffee. I even took some beans home :) A+++++!

Agata R.

Place rating: 5
Atlanta, GA

I knew things were going to be good when my cappuccino came in a proper 4oz cup. And upon my first sip, I knew why this place has the ratings that it has. It was perfection — a deep, robust flavor, the perfect proportion of milk to espresso (seems obvious, but I have «closer to a latte than a cap» experiences more often than I’d like), a nice layer of rich foam on top. Somehow this tiny little shop managed to also prepare one of the tastiest, freshest breakfast sandwiches I’ve had in a looooong time. So yes, you should come here. Be warned — it’s a teeny place with not too much seating. But believe me, they make up for it in quality.

Evelyn A.

Place rating: 5
Toronto, Canada

They are still pumping out the crazy strong americanos and lattes, and many indie caffeine dispensaries have come and gone since I first discovered Sense Appeal, and SA prevails. Long live the coffee roasters!
Time to update this review and give them the five sexy stars they deserve. Their sandwiches deserve a nod, too. *Pretends to nod at a sandwich.*
PEPPER PROPS to their wifi provider. Lightning fast.