Archtop Cafe

Randomly ended up in here when I was walking by with my cousin and she wanted a bottle of water. The owner was very sweet and we had a nice discussion about all the vegan/​vegetarian options as I’m a vegetarian who is lactose intolerant. She was very friendly. I was curious to know what a «dirty chai latte» is (chai latte with a shot of espresso) and decided to share one with my cousin. It was so delicious that we ended up going back after half an hour for another one. I recommend getting it with soy or almond milk, tastes excellent.

Absolutely wonderful. It is very small and very cozy:)
We went there on Tuesday evening for a coffee and a small bite. Everything we ate was fantastic, coffee was fabulous! Service was outstanding! I love their establishment and I hope they have more traffic and more business, maybe they can build a patio at the back there their parking lot is :) With more small cocktail tables :)
Anyways, we loved the place :)

If you’re looking for a unique, quiet Café I highly recommend this place. Great atmosphere and affordable prices!

Visited on a Saturday morning and was immediately greeted with sweet, friendly service and a smile (always a good way to start off your weekend!). Various pastries were available for sale by the counter. Drinks menu had good variety (they had your standard espresso based drinks, plus various tea lattes available), listed on a board behind the cashier. Seating is very limited (a couple of tables and some counter space) so not ideal for bigger groups who want to sit in and enjoy a drink.
If you walk down the stairs located at the back of the café, it leads you to boxes of records for sale to browse through downstairs. Very funky, unique shop that you should certainly check out if you’re in the area. It’s unconventional, and a welcome addition to an area serviced by mostly chain coffee shops.
In terms of its actual products, this ended up being pretty average to us. We ordered a) a hot chocolate and, b) a latte — both were just okay. I actually found my latte to be a bit burnt-​tasting. Couldn’t really appreciate the taste of the beans — I ended up dumping a whack of sugar in it to really enjoy it. The hot chocolate was also just okay. So as of our first visit, environment exceeded product quality. Perhaps we visited on an off day.
Overall, and despite this, I really enjoyed the environment. It’s very casual and I love the community, small-​town vibe it brings to the heart of Port Credit, so I’ll definitely be back to try out something else on their drinks menu.

Phew! I can finally remove this from my bookmark list — it’s been there for month now. Tired of the Starbucks run-​a-​round and burnt coffee scene I planned for my meeting in Port Credit to take place at its newest indie coffee shop SLASH record store — Archtop.
In Chicago they call a place like this a «slashie» — part one type of business slash part of another. I really enjoy this combo as someone who never wants to order just one thing when I eat out. Now I can double my business pleasure by visiting two kinds of business in one!
Free wifi to begin with so that’s a huge start off the bat. For those looking the password is their phone number, no dashes or spaces.
The record store part is both upstairs and in the basement. The new/​current records are upstairs, along with various CDs and DVDs and box sets of all of the above. In the basement lives their growing previously loved record collection also for sale. If you’ve got the time and the patience you can find some gems at a very reasonable price. For ex: saw MJs Thriller for $ 29.99 — in great condition.
To add to the audiophile experience they also have an audio expert on staff who can assist with all you record and player questions.
With regards to the café portion, it gets full marks as well. I ordered a breakfast sandwich and it was fresh made today just on display in their refrigerated display case along with tons of other sandwiches and sweets (made and packaged by local GTA purveyor Sweets Of The Earth). To go with my breakfast sandwich I went with a Chai latte. The latte came in a temperature controlled double layer pint glass of sorts and the chai, while not a spicy chai was mellow and tasty and the perfect temperature for my taste.
My only critique is that the space is so small and there are no plugs of you’ve got a laptop — but I get it with the small number of tables they want to keep customers moving, totally cool. It won’t keep me away.
In my books this record store SLASH café is awesome SLASH hip! I’m in!

Delicious & reasonable drinks — I recommend the chai latte.

Port Credit was sorely lacking in an independent café… and behold! Archtop has arrived to fill that void. I like this place for the most part, as it’s quirky and a casual place to drop by for coffee and vinyl. They seem to have a good selection between old and new records, as well as CDs if you’re in the market for some new tunes.
My only disappointment (which I’m sure is related somewhat to opening snags) is the quality of some of the food. Let’s discuss the lemon meringue tart, which looked like an absolute dream. The tart shell was a bit dense, granted, but the curd was lovely, tart and lemony. All that aside, the meringue itself was a failure. Instead of powdered sugar, or sugar syrup, they whipped granulated sugar into the egg whites — making the texture grainy and unpleasant. That’s not how you make a meringue, and the bakery producing said tarts should know that.
The coffee is quite good, as are their espresso-​based beverages. I like the idea of the high tables and stools for the limited space, but it’s definitely not a place you could comfortably spend a few hours chatting or just people watching. Over the last weeks of summer people took advantage of the outdoor seating, but with fall upon us it’s not a viable option. Still, great place to grab a coffee, browse some music, and leave with a spring in your step.

Apparently this place is owned by the café of the same name in Bolton. While this place is a lot smaller, they still maintain the same theme of vintage music (they have vinyl!). I had their roobis tea latte and it was nice and smooth.
In terms of atmosphere, it’s a nice mood, but there are only two tables and a little sitting bar area.
Verdict: While your in Port Credit, drop by this place for a latte, coffee or tea to enjoy it while you enjoy the scenery by the lake.

Went here for the first time today. Décor is nice, place is small but there are a few spots to sit inside and a couple of chairs and tables just outside. I liked the music motif and the old school records for purchase, good taste in tunes. I got a Mocha and a butter tart and my fiancée had a Cappuccino. Tart was delicious and the mocha was good but I actually enjoyed the sip of my fiancees cappuccino more. Don’t know how often we will go back, but would recommend checking them out.

Despite the very quick and very late night visit I thus far see no reason for anything less than a 5 star. I did my usual latte test, simply asked for a small latte. They had raw sugar and cinnamon you can top with after. The latte was very smooth! I think that a lot of people would agree that it’s very good, as most Canadians (from my experience) tend to shy away from anything too strong (hence the popularity of Tim Hortons). Now I like my coffee extremely bold but I totally appreciated this drink.
I got a buttertart to-​go; to eat today after my run. I heated it up in the oven and oh my goodness! The crust was amazing and the inside to die for. I am so impressed. They do not make them in house but they are made fresh daily for them.
The décor is very cute. Music theme as you can deduct from the photos. And it is just so refreshing to have an independent coffee shop back in Port Credit after the loss of The Guilty Dog (still bitter about that). The prices are totally reasonable 2.99 for the latte and small was actually pretty big. Second Cup is right next door but I would come here over a chain any day.

FINALLY someone read my mind and opened up an indie café in Port Credit! I mean there’s nothing wrong with Starbucks/​Second Cup, but another non-​chain option would be nice and now, there is one, Archtop Café!
Archtop Café is actually a transplant from Bolton and that location was HUGE in comparison. It was a café/​musical instrument store/​live music space, so you can imagine the size of the space.
Anyway, this may not be an entirely fair review because I didn’t have the coffee! It was later on in the afternoon and I had already had a giant cup of Joe in the AM, so I opted for a Matcha Tea Latté. Pretty good, Matcha could’ve been stronger, and next time, I’ll ask for less ice chips! ;) I’d prefer more drink as opposed to ice for $ 5.
Seating is quite limited at this location. Only a coupla bars with a few stools and that’s it! Not really meant for dining in &/​or studying/​doing work on your lappie. I’ll definitely be back to try their coffee and possibly food items, that’s for sure!