The Bean

One if the best small private cafes I have visited in the downtown core. Excellent service and reasonable price for top notch espresso with very unique interior design however the menu is somewhat limited and so are the cozy benches :-)

Ordered a cappuccino, not hot & cost $ 4. I rather spend the budget on Starbucks! Do not add almond milk to the coffee based drink, mine taste sour :(

Dear Ikea,
If you are missing one of your showrooms, I think I might have found it. They tried their darnedest to hide it behind an espresso machine, but you can’t fool an old cat like me.
Hows the ambiance, atmosphere, and feel you say? I put more creativity into my oatmeal this morning. It may be last night’s poetry reading talking, but come on… I paid a lot of money to go to business school, and if I knew it was as easy as going to ikea, copying your neighbors menu, spelling the name «coffee, and open» correctly, I would have burnt my textbooks and mailed my finals in from a beach somewhere.
This place needs to start being honest with itself. The only reason this place hasn’t turned into a kebab shop yet is because, caffeine-​addicted creatives can’t push past the line at Manic for a place to rest their sand-​blasted boat shoes.
Sincerely yours,

I usually to avoid small cafes due to its cramp nature and snotty people but when I went to The Bean today, it didn’t disappoint. Despite the café today having people occupying each table.
The person behind the counter was friendly and attentive and the music is soothing and comfortable, I like the fact that they play famous songs in foreign languages specifically when I heard Ziggy Stardust in another language.
Anyways I ordered a regular latte and forgotten the fact that it doesn’t taste good until you pour alot of sugar on it which I did. Since its kinda packed, I just shared a seat near the back and it was quite comfortable…
I think this is one of the most comfortable and lovely cafes out there, its like that Go for Tea place with the dim and dark lights and soothing music but the huge comparison is that the drinks and food here looks appealing while that mediocre restaurant was foul and soulless…

I used to come here a lot when I had to work on papers, because they have good coffee, power outlets, internet connection, and lighting (yes, in that order). If I were still in university and writing papers, I would probably come here more often. My usual was the Americano.
The only negative points I can think of are:
— The bathroom has a really weird lock. Till today I still haven’t figured out how to lock it properly.
— They sometimes forget to check on the cream out front, so there have been a couple times where I accidentally poured gone-​off cream into my coffee. (don’t worry though, they’ll replace it for you in this case)
— There are no backs on some of the seats, which can be annoying if you’re there for some hours trying to work.

I think this place changed ownership and got completely renovated in the last couple of months. Looks a lot brighter and well lit inside with a subtle hip background music, this is my go-​to café to do some work and have a good cup of latte at the same time. Oh and the internet is pretty fast.
It doesn’t get super packed. I like the fact that you can easily share the picnic table if the tables are mostly occupied, which gives you good opportunity to meet people as well .
Overall an awesome place to spend the afternoon and work and have some caffeine of any sort.

After stuffing my face with Chinese food with fellow Unilocaler at an UYE, me and my new Unilocal friend decide to find a place to chill and regroup ourselves for some more eating.
The Bean seems to be a good option aside from Second Cup… since i always want to try out the Bean’s coffee. of course I been going to Manic Coffee more often.
The place was empty… aside from 2 patrons since they are closing in 1 hour or so. the nice barista did advice us before we placed our order.
My usual choice of beverage: Cappuccino ($ 3.25) was A-​OK. but I have an atomic bomb as a latte art. I found out it was not intentional as the barista messed up when he was doing the pour!
When we were taking photos of my cappuccino. the panic barista started screaming «Are you taking photos!!!» Hey, am I in trouble again… then he admit that he messed up. and he can do much prettier artwork… FAIL!
Free WIFI just ask for password…
Should I come back and give The Bean another try, so I can take a proper Latte Art photo? Maybe…

*3.5 stars*
Have walked past this café a few times during the day and it has always been FULL of people with laptops and I never thought there was space for me. But recently, I was able to drop by after work and it was actually empty. So in terms of crowdedness, it seems to really depend on the day/​time. Or perhaps since it’s the end of April, all the University students are done studying?
Well the space is really minimalist and basic, but I like it. I did vaguely remember the place from its previous incarnation (also a café but different name). There is seating at the window, one picnic table, and some smaller tables for 2. At the back there is a sofa and bean bag chair — more of a comfy, social space. The side wall looks like a funky white/​blue pattern but when you look closer it’s actually a bunch of little faces.
I had a regular latte which comes in a pretty big mug and the barista asked me if I wanted skim/1%/2%/whole milk. Soy is 50 cents extra. They have lots of teas as well as wine, cocktails, and beer. What strikes me as a bit odd is that they close at 7pm. I wonder if they would get more business staying open a bit later, especially given that they have a liquor license. Music was francophone and Latin American stuff.
Nice spot for chillin’, reading, or doing some work over coffee and snacks (they have a selection of sandwiches). Cool vibe without trying too hard.

Located in the midst of a long strip of eateries and coffee shops on College, it can be easy to miss The Bean. However, that is exactly why I like it there. It’s quieter and not pretentious. Besides the laid back atmosphere though, there is a lot to like here. In fact, there will soon be even more as I was told by the friendly new owner, Selim, that they will be going through a big renovation.
First of all, the coffee beans are actually roasted in small batches in house. If you ask nicely and are tall enough to see over the counter, you can take a peak at the roasting equipment. Aside from the run of the mill offerings, you can also get organic milk (for an extra fifty cents), Turkish coffee, chocolate toast, and homemade spreads on gourmet toasted sandwiches. I personally most enjoy how there are jars of sniffable «samples» of their large selection of specialty teas that you can employ to help you make an informed decision.
The posters on the wall advertise open-​mic nights, which I have yet to check out, but imagine to be intimate. In The Bean’s cozy setting, I could easily daydream my cup of tea into a glass of wine and my laptop into an engaging date. Luckily, this can easily be arranged in reality too.

As the 731^st coffeeshop on this stretch, The Bean features stiff competition from established cafés like Manic and Coffee Culture nearby. This sometimes works in its favour, when you are looking for calm and relaxing place to sit that’s not rammed with mustachioed hipsters (guilty, as of this writing) and scarf-​wrapped waifs.
Despite the small footprint, there is lots of seating at tables and a bar. I like the atmosphere here, with subdued hanging lights, avocado-​coloured tables, and some interesting art on the walls for sale. For laptop junkies like me, there is free wifi (ask for the password) and well-​placed outlets for the juice we all so desperately crave.
It looks like they roast and grind coffee on site. I’ve never been disappointed with a drink here, but it’s a bit expensive compared to other options. They also have Turkish coffee here (if you’re into that sort of thing), serve grilled sandwiches, wine, cocktails and have Amsterdam on tap.
Obligatory Title Pun: Have you BEAN?
Menu Readability: There some swell chalkboards advertising «coffee», «wine/​beer» and «neither/​nor.»
Need to mention: They take debit but not credit.
What this place teaches me about myself: I think I could drink at a different coffeeshop in Toronto, everyday, forever.

I went here for for a casual lunch with a friend recently, largely because I purchased a Groupon for a discount on coffee/​food. I thought I’d try something new and this seemed to pose little risk.
Overall atmosphere is ultra laid-​back and friendly, although I did spend some time striving to catch the attention of the only server, who seemed occupied in a deep phone conversation. I ordered two lattes and my friend and I each wanted to order a menu option that turned to be out of stock, so we settled on the veggie wraps, which are made off-​site and heated to serve.
Unfortunately, the server forgot about my friend’s order, so lunch was quite leisurely as we waited for the second order to be heated and brought out. The lattes were good and the service was friendly, but I would probably not go here again unless I had time to spare. The wraps were okay, but nothing to rave about, especially since they were re-​heated.
The online menu doesn’t seem to reflect the food choices I saw at the actual location — not sure how much these vary.
Bonus: gorgeous art for sale on display!