Cafe Novo

Pros:
–lots of seating
–friendly staff
–good music that isn’t too loud (they were playing Tegan and Sara when I was there– love!!)
–organic and fair trade focused
–drinks seem fairly standard in price, size, and wait times
Cons:
–not sure if they had wifi for customers to use– certainly didn’t see any obvious signage with a password or anything (maybe have to ask a staff member)
–wobbly table
–food is expensive, and may take a while if heated
Stopped in on my lunch break since I wanted something caffeinated to go along with lunch, and wasn’t looking for a breakfast/​brunch joint. They didn’t have much in the way of food– a couple baked goods/​cookie options, and the rest was from a cooler which didn’t have a lot of options. I opted for a falafel sandwich and a mocha. There wasn’t any pricing on the food that I saw, so I was quite surprised when my total was near $ 15! If I had known the sandwich was going to be about $ 10, I probably would have gotten something else. (note: the sandwich was fairly large with good ingredients, so I think the price was justified– it is just not a place for cheap eats!)
I ordered my food to eat in. The mocha was prepared quickly, but they served it in a glass! This seems to be common at Toronto coffee houses, but I will never understand since the heat from the beverage seeps outwards and makes it uncomfortable to hold, without any handle to carry it by instead. The mocha was good, but a little bitter for my tastes.
The woman working at the time asked if I wanted the sandwich heated up, so I said sure. It took about 10 minutes (maybe more) to get the sandwich after getting my mocha, when I was expecting it to only take a couple minutes to warm up. I was starting to get paranoid that I wouldn’t have time to eat before having to go back to work! In the end though, I could only eat about half of the sandwich before it got too falafel-​y anyways– I take full responsibility for that though, since I can’t blame the sandwich for delivering what it promised ;).
tldr;
Overall a pretty good coffee house. If in the area, I would come back for the beverages but not the food (though I might try one of the baked goods next time).

Super cute place, kinda doing the shabby-​chic-​minimalist thing. Good place to read for a bit, or do some work (there’s wifi!) — especially near the front window when the sunlight is streaming in. Not the best place for large groups, but they do have a big table in the back, and a couple books and board games. The baristas have always been great and really nice. I’m pretty indecisive and they are always patient with me. Only con, if I’m being picky, is that the coffee could be a little bit stronger.

I stopped in while I waited for a friend to finish work… boy am I glad I did.
What a beautiful little coffee/​tea shop! I ordered a London Fog with almond milk and it was delicious. The two ladies behind the counter were very attentive and approachable.
It’s a nice quite study/​read area too… I will be back!

I think it is a great place to enjoy coffee. The environment is welcoming and quite, however, the wifi is not good. The coffee is great, compare to some other places I’ve been to. Also, the food looks good, organic, but I haven’t tried.

Found this place on a rainy Sunday after wandering the streets for a while (our usual coffee spots were packed).
I was looking for a place that could accommodate my study needs for a few hours and Café Novo did not disappoint. Concentrating on my work was easy, as the atmosphere here is really relaxed and cozy. There’s a variety of seating options, including a communal table in the back and a bar by the window (perfect for people watching!). There are also a few tables downstairs by the washrooms, if you’re really desperate for a seat, haha. And for the laptop-​toting folks out there — this place boasts a decent selection of power outlets as well as free wifi, although the latter was pretty slow when I was here. Bonus: the drip coffee I ordered — although a teensy bit pricey — was delicious!
I’ll be back.

At first I thought Café Novo would be one of those pretentious espresso-​only cafes, but it wasn’t. They have drip coffee and a nice selection of books to read. A fine place indeed.

There are so many cafes in Kensington Market, and yet there have been so many times I’ve come with friends and struggled to find an empty table (even on a weekday afternoon)!! On one such day, I had already tried Fika, Jimmy’s, and Café Pamemar with no luck. Enter the recently opened Café Novo which saved the day. There is ample seating, including a large communal table at the back.
The vibe is cozy and quiet — perfect for studying, reading, colouring in a colouring book (saw a woman doing this when I went!), or catching up with friends. There is even a chess table at the back if you feel so inclined. In addition to selling great coffee/​tea drinks, they also sell some gift items and printed tanks/​t-​shirts. I had a toasty almond tea latte, which is a pretty pink colour and has a nice delicate flavour (not too sweet).

By far, my favourite study space. The space has chatter but isn’t noisy and is usually not so busy that I can’t find a seat with a plug.
Coffee and WiFi are both excellent, but coffee is expensive.
Food is just OK, but blackbird baking is right down the street if you need a snack.

The new location for Café Novo is an excellent addition to Kensington. The thing that makes them stand out from the other coffee spots in the Market is that everything is organic — from the milk, to the food, and, obviously, the coffee and tea too. The latte I had this afternoon was fantastic. The delicate shot of Rufino espresso was perfectly pulled, unlike a lot of places which burn the coffee in the process. The organic milk gave the drink a very light, smooth texture as well. The staff and owner were all extremely nice, and the music selection today (a mix of classic post-​punk) was excellent. They also did a great job renovating the place after the departure of Playdead and Comic Pile, as the café is very open and inviting. Unfortunately I didn’t get to try out the patio due to today’s low temperatures, but I will definitely be back in the near-​future.

A decidedly unique, and yet easily recognizable as a truly Kensingtonian place. Quiet chatter at the counter, long dark wooded communal table propped up at one corner with folded brochure, a couple students labouring at a test with hard looking formulas… The book shelves filled with plethora of topics: from wild mushrooms of North America to Chihuaha for Dummies, but make sure to check out the deliciously quaint Café Navo Book of Memories. A cozy tiny patio in the back with living wall and overgrown tussled vegetation providing gentle cover from the hot late August sun. The AC can’t quite deal with the hot weather today, maybe it’s the whitewashed walls, maybe it’s the Argentinian looking gentleman sitting in front me, but I easily imagine myself in the Bicycle Diaries of Che Gueavara.
The coffee is good, but it’s just an excuse to hide away from the city and life for a bit and pretend that time stops for someone, sometimes.

Plenty of space. They could pack in more tables or chairs but it’s nice to be in a place with a fair bit of elbow room. A great amount of natural light. I only drink the coffees, and they taste fine. Try the lemon-​cornflake cookies. There’s a backyard patio where you can soak in the rays, but I prefer the interior where the AC is sweet, especially in the always-​warm Kensington.

It was a hot day and my friends and I needed some drinks to cool down. We were pleasantly surprised by the café’s décor and outdoor patio. It’s very minimalistic but definitely very nice.
Since there was a sign advertising cheap iced tea, we decided to give it a try. I ordered the english breakfast iced tea and my friend ordered the blueberry iced tea. I have to say that the drinks really weren’t anything special. It tasted like cool (not cold), watered down tea. After overdosing on simple syrup, I still couldn’t taste much difference. The free mint water they were giving out had more taste.
I can see people usually go here for the lattes and not really for iced tea so I’m just going to say that if you’re looking for iced tea, don’t go here.

perhaps this place use to be good, but when i went there coffee is super weak, tasted mostly of water not coffee .so it was like brown water, not sure what happen there, also it was pretty much warm it wasn’t hot enough, and they don’t have any sweetener available. ive spoken to a handful of people that have had issues with this place and some attitude from the folks that work there, but i personally didn’t have a problem with the staff. wont be coming back as i know of another place that serve excellent coffee, the only reason i went that one time is because they were the only thing open nearest to me in the morning.

Always great to have a new coffee shop in the area, but this one is a mixed bag:
Pros:
+Nice, open inviting space. Lots of light, spaces to sit and work or chat.
+Always very friendly staff.
Cons:
–Coffee and latte’s just aren’t very good. They seem to be doing all the fancy schmancy coffee steps necessary: complicated brewing, latte art, etc; however, the flavour just isn’t there. I had one of the most bland latte’s of my life here recently with milk that had been burnt. The coffee is also somehow not taking me to flavour town.
–Tiny sizes. «Regular» appears to be about 8 oz. That would be fine for an individual pour-​over or a latte reflecting Australian flat white quality, but it misses the mark here. Prices are consistent with what other shops charge for a larger portion.
OVERALL, I’ll give it a couple more tries, but as of right now, I’m underwhelmed by the beverages and recommend Moonbean, Pamenar, or Jimmy’s for a superior cup in Kensington.

Five stars because I have absolutely nothing to complain about.
I truly miss Café Novo in Bloor West Village, but decided that it’d be a worthwhile trek to Kensington for this wonderful café, noting that it’s probably one of the only cafes in Toronto that uses organic milk.
I came here three times this week, and do not regret my visits one bit! Each day, I’ve had the pleasure of being served by three separate employees, and each of them were incredibly kind, funny, and welcoming. Although the café is still setting up and finding its groove in its new location, the food and the service seems to have nestled in comfortably. The space is beautiful and cozy. Music not too loud, which is always a bonus.
I’ve tried their cappuccino, latte, and an Earl Grey tea. All very delicious. The espresso drinks were velvety, warm, and homey (is that even applicable to a drink???). Tea is steeped with love and care, and not just tossed into a bag and thrown at you without attention. Café Novo also carries several vegan + gluten free desserts (cookies are from Bunner’s, I believe), so all my conscious and paleo friends… grab a bite and stay a while.
Prices are incredibly reasonable. I was pleasantly surprised at the prices for drinks using organic milk (organic milk costs more than double the price of conventional milk). How amazing is that? I have no idea how they keep their prices so low, but I’m not complaining!
Will probably frequent Café Novo at least once a week, not to catch up on readings or pretend to get any work done on my laptop, but simply to sip up a frothy, dreamy cappuccino, undisturbed by the nuisances of city life.

Café Nova is the latest addition to the Market’s café scene helping the neighbourhood become a mecca for mocha. Facing the eastern sky in the morning the spacious room is brightly lit with its antique white interior, big picture windows and cute little tables and chairs dotting the patio space out front. High stools let you people watch from inside along the front.
Further back is the counter with its gorgeous latte machine (see pic) and hand lettered menu up on the wall. I love the small town feel to this café. My multi berry muffin was delicious and I can’t wait to try a latte here.