The One in the Only

I loitered here with a $ 2 coffee and a $ 2.50 biscotti for a few hours.
WHO EVEN SELLS COFFEE FOR JUST 2 $ ANYMORE?
And the most delicious biscotti.
I’m in love.
simply the best place to hangout, work or get a beer. Finally. the perfect café.
Why didn’t I find this place sooner?

Good coffee and decent ambiance. Crappy music they’d be better without.
They have a weird rule. I was enjoying my coffee and trying to write something ticky on my tablet. Closed my eyes for a moment to concentrate and when I opened them a waiter was walking toward me. He told me I was not allowed to sit with my eyes closed.
First time for everything but this is surely a first. So intrusive.

What a great find! This place reminds me of why I love the east end. Such a cute, intimate, little café with a very relaxing atmosphere and great employees who seem genuinely happy to see you and have conversation with you. Where can you get a large speciality Brew for under 2 bucks or Americano for 2.50? Um hardly anywhere. This is a gem and must be checked out on the reg.

Great east end Café. Good coffee, baked goodies and free WiFi. Comfy, cozy, eclectic décor and board games to pass the time for groups. Perfect for passing the time.

No place like this. Excellent coffee, wonderful and friendly staff. Love the atmosphere, unpretentious and cozy. I do wish that sometimes they turned down the music a bit.

I was looking for a place for a coffee before a meeting. I was heading to Starbucks, and then saw this place and gave it a try. I’m so glad I did. The coffee was delicious, the vibe was fun and there was maple syrup for a sweetener!

Fun and funky little café with good affordable baked snacks teas and coffees. You can bring your beer from the adjoining Only Café if you’d rather hang here to enjoy your book, talk audibly with a friend or listen to some eclectic live music. Sweet.

Always amazing, always perfect coffee.
If you are sick and tired of the bull plop you get from Starbucks, and other shops of the like check this place out, from conversation insighting artwork to coffee that is always perfect and never burnt. If you feel like it they always have fresh baked goods from the bakery down the way, recently acquired a contract for gourmet Popsicles, and their coffee is Fair Trade and organic but they don’t talk about it like it’s an Advertising campaign like you know who does.
This place is amazing from the ground up.
You may have to wait a little longer for your drink of choice but you won’t be disappointed.

I went to the Only Café for the first time in years, I mean YEARS. I had a morning meeting and when I walked in, the guy behind the bar asked if I was having a drink or a coffee. I chuckled and said coffee, he then pointed to the other half which is now a café! When I walked though to the other side, which I am now told is called The One in the Only Café. I’ll continue my review there!
My café latte was really yummy and it gave me a warm feeling that I was supporting a local business. I have a feeling that I’m going to have a few more morning meetings in this joint (and I’m sure if I asked, they would spike it for me: D)
When my meeting was scheduled there of all places I wondered why & now I know. While I was waiting, I was listening to the idle chat of the hipster guys behind the coffee bar and it was pretty funny.
**If you are by the Donlands subway station, and looking for a spot to hang out in that is casual and relaxing in the morning, this is the place**

Anyone who has never been in the One will have their mind blown, because it’s totally wacky and a perfect representation of Toronto.
This is not for the faint hearted; if you come in rushing, you will leave relaxed. Don’t tap your toes waiting for your drink like a Starbucks caffeine fiend; the One in the Only is an experience. It’s as cozy as a hippie commune with the right vibe of a café. There are mamas with strollers, musicians, university students, neighbourhood locals and construction workers all sitting and chatting. Come in with a book, laptop or stranger and stay for a few hours. Stare at the photograph of Audrey Hepburn and let your eye slowly move to the handmade robot on the fridge. Anything happens at the One.
Their lattes are a part of my daily routine, but they also offer your usual espresso-​based drinks (cappuccino, americano, machiato) and chai latte. They also serve a café allongé — basically a stretched espresso with more water, not as large as an americano and with crema! The difference is also that americanos basically dilute an espresso with hot water, whereas an allongé just «elongates» the volume and preserves the taste.
I am salivating again. This always happens.
Another specialty NOT on the menu is a green tea latte, which is macha powder with warm milk, but surprisingly sweet and has a good caffeine kick. A bonus for the adventurous — if you try anything on the menu, end up not liking it, the baristas will make you something else free of charge. They are that cool there.
As for munchies, Circles and Squares scones and muffins are usually soldout by the afternoon but cookies from desmondbeatrice, a cute new place from Leslieville, are always around. If you’re hungry for the savoury, ask for the menu (not advertised). They serve samosas, olive and cheese plates (olives come from Uzel which is right next door) and paninis named after Italian movie stars, like Sophia Lauren, Alberto Giocommetti. Once you’ve stayed too long, just cross the curtains and head to the Only for some solid craft beers.

Nice setup ok crema good latte art
Another entry into the indie coffee passport. The Setup is quite nice and with a nice eclectic look with music to match. I was taken aback by how big the place is. Nice comfy sofa and free WiFi.
Now for the drink I ordered the cappuccino with a sweetener. The barista put in before pulling the shot just the way I like it. Good latte art. Nice crema to boot as well.
Initial taste was the burnt smell one gets but it mellowed out quickly. 3.5 stars for cappuccino. I think one of the better ones in this area for sure.
3.5 stars overall.
Small hitch though I couldn’t somehow connect to WiFi.
Visited this spot on the Indie Coffee Passport 2012. Same as last year dependable and decent. I walked in from the Pub side by mistake and I was like who starts drinking at 11AM.

This place is killer. They easily have one of the best cappuccinos I’ve ever had in my life. I don’t know how they do it. It’s magical.
The food is also outstanding. I had a bagel that was perfect, and $ 6 total got me my bev and my food.
Throw in a casual, hipster vibe and free wifi (ask for the p/​w) and you’ve got all the makings of a regular hangout.

Hipster alert! Do you wear a wool cap? Perfect, you’ll fit in.
Let’s start with 3 stars… an average coffee house.
*dark and cluttered, every patron with a laptop in their lap — lose a star
*eco friendly coffee cups — gain a star
*unfriendly server/​barrista — lose a star
*good quality coffee, nice microfoam — gain a star
*Indie Coffee Passport participant! — Congrats, you get 4 stars!
(The most important quality, good product, earns this place it’s 4 stars… the gloomy employee makes it feel like a 3.5.)

I did not pick The One in the Only on purpose to be my last stop for my Indie Coffee Passport run, but it just happened and I am glad that my Passport experience ended in a high note!
The mismatch furnitures and the disco ball surprising goes well together! Those armchairs are just so comfy. and love the music VS Starbucks’ canned music.
Cappuccino A-​OK. and with lovely latte art. Friendly barista made my stay one of the best.
The One in the Only has the best tea selections I seen… over 20 of little sampling bottles at the cash for you to smell before you decide on what you like.
The late hours! The bar like vibe! The free wifi! Makes The One in the Only stands out from other coffee shops in the area!

I am so happy that the interior is not like Sneaky Dees because that’s what the sign outside looks like. It seems as if this place was made for groups of any (decent) size! From comfy looking chairs for the party of one to a communal table and scattered pairs of comfy chairs place making full use of the not so large interior.
The staff member seemed one of those people that you might feel comfortable giving a complicated order and not be afraid of him messing it up and on top of that he was friendly as well.
My latte was pretty fantastic to top it off, I couldn’t spend too much time in here, but it is very conveniently located near the subway exit. Had a chocolate chip cookie as well and it didn’t disappoint although I do wish they had a bit more snack options under their belt.
One of those places that I would sadly not visit again as my passport travels have introduced me to other great coffee stops that better suite me in terms of location.

This place is cozy with a vintage/​Kensington feel with a bunch of old couches. It’s also one of the few independent coffee shops that I’ve found that’s actually open late (around 10, I think???).
I’m giving this place 2 stars because I found my latte had a slight bitter/​burnt taste to it and service left a lot to be desired. Doesn’t seem like it’s a regular occurrence according to the other reviewers though. The barista awhile to take my order since he was distracted with chatting with a coworker (a person waiting behind me actually left). The coworker openly expressed how she gets so annoyed with people asking where the washroom is (it’s in the bar next door through the entrance by the barista bar in the back) right after someone asked her.
Between this place and a coffee chain, I’d choose the chain.

I had a Soy Chai Latte here and it was probably one of the worst ones I have ever tasted. It was on the brink of being cold ’cause there was way too much milk and not enough chai at all.
The latte on the other hand was super strong but that’s because my barista put 2 shots of espresso since I told him I was getting tired. The vibe is still rockin’ but I don’t think fancy drinks are his specialty. I’d order a coffee or latte next time if I were you guys!
BUT, the staff are still charming and as friendly as ever!

I walked inside and saw Beer Taps and Bar Counter. Not my idea of a Café but maybe it is a new Café concept I thought. I slowly walked in while the Bartender did his work. Nope, no espresso machines or cups. I saw a way through behind the curtain at the back. Sounds like a porn shop, right? It lead to the Café side which is, The One in the Only.
I remember Greg C. said that sometimes enjoying a drink is a personal preference and in this case I’m not sure what did it for me but I enjoyed my Cappuccino while seating at the comfy back sofa seats just in front of the doorway to their back Patio. The Pumpkin Muffin ($ 2.00) was A-​OK too with all those Pumpkin Seeds on top. I believe it’s imported since I saw similar Muffins from other Cafes.
I can see why it’s one of Kat Fs fav since I saw two Apple Laptop users side by side. I thought it was her sitting there. :p There’s even a spinning Disco Ball on the ceiling for those party animal minded. Lots of books for that reading environment at the back while you will notice lots of art and photos on the wall which I’m sure at least one will peak your interest.

Essentially my #1, most favourite place in Toronto to get work done and relax, and here’s why.
Circles & Squares baked goods
+
Intelligentsia Black Cat Espresso
+
Tea In The Saharas looseleaf tea
+
Free, reliable wi-​fi
+
Open till midnight every day
=
Happy Kat. More than a happy Kat — THRILLED Kat.
BUT WAIT. THERE’S MORE.
Add to that a killer selection of music (Iron & Wine, Bloc Party, Blur, Sufjan Stevens), chic, worn in décor with comfy couches and armchairs, and vintage posters that I covet, boardgames galore, and the final coup: it’s attached to The Only (
) next door — and by attached I mean literally attached — you walk through a curtain that separates the two businesses (it’s where their quintessentially Torontonian basement bathroom is). There is a shared back patio that’s lovely and secluded, and always full of characters.
The Only (bar) has an incredible selection of beer (upwards of 200 in bottles), so it’s basically the perfect place to end up after the café has caffeinated and stuffed you with baked goods (muffins, butter tarts, cookies, brownies) from the lovable Circles & Squares. And there’s a pinball machine. And more boardgames.
If you loved the vibe at Tequila Bookworm pre-​2004 (ish) and miss having a cool spot to hang out with pals, you’ll adore The One In The Only. There’s nothing else decent in this neighbourhood so you won’t have too much walk-​by competition, but if you’re anywhere in the east end this is more than worth a visit.

We head east upon a strong recommendation to check out this acclaimed spot. The promise of ‘the best beer list in the city’ too good to pass up.
Mere steps from the subway, the place is really a collection of two rooms placed side by side… it instantly reminds me of Nye’s in Minneapolis. Just less Polish. And not in Minneapolis.
Our friends are on the «One» side. They’re huddled in the back corner sippling foreign sounding beer and playing Jenga.
You take a block from the bottom and you put it on top.
We put our coats down and venture to the bar on the «Only» side. We stare at the well stocked fridges and try to select some beverages that will garner us some street cred amongst the locals. I think that we ended up choosing based on color. I ended up getting a bottle of something that came in a shiny package from far far away. Hipsters, eat your heart out.
You take a block from the middle and you put it on top.
I personally think that the décor here is amazing. Sure, it’s standard kitchy bar stuff… but they do have an original signed copy of the Mona Lisa, which must be pretty rare.
Eventually the tower fell, but it did so before we did.