L’espresso Bar Mercurio

I hosted a catered event on June 7^th, 2016 at L’espresso. The planning process was great, Teresa was wonderful to work with and very flexible when I was still hunting down RSVPs. The day of when I arrived the café was still busy with people, but Teresa assured me everything will be ready to go when the guests arrived. I was amazed at how quickly they turned the place from a busy café into a an exclusive intimate space for my party of 45. We had a 3 course meal served, non-​alcoholic drinks were on our tab, and alcoholic drinks were bought by the individual guests. I was very impressed at how the staff managed all of that. The guests raved about the food, and dessert arrived as a platter of cookies, which everyone loved! The lattes were flowing and we went passed our scheduled time of 8pm, but the staff were amazingly accommodating. I wouldn’t hesitate to host another event there!

Honestly disappointing coffee and the service just isn’t that great either. It’s not bad but after a couple tries I don’t think I’ll be going back.

A beautiful café that’s bright and generally bustling with business professionals, students, and tourists. Popped in here prior to a stop at the ROM and exploring downtown.
Had tea and it came in a cast iron pot and Japanese style cup on a bamboo serving plate. Had a lemon macaroon which was dense and mealy, sadly.

Great coffee, yummy desserts, rushed service. Every time. I’ve been here over a 100 times and the service is definitely always rushed. The best time to go is before lunch or after lunch. Patio in summer is a charming escape. Did I say the service is always rushed?
It’s unfortunate because this place has the potential to be a 5 if only they simply let their customers who have already paid for their meal enjoy their meal and time together.
Also, if you’re a student, don’t forget to flash your card. The discount is worth it!

Yesterday I had one of the worst experiences at this restaurant. I must say that this is certainly not my first time here but it will be my last. The setup and organization of this place is an absolute mess!
We were first seated at our table, however we were not told that they changed their order system and that we had to line up to order our meal. Why seat us if we haven’t ordered yet? The waitress was very rude and said: «I thought you’ve been here before». After we ordered, we sat down and our order was served to the wrong table. Fine, no big deal. The only thing that made it weird was that as when were waiting on my order to make its way over, the waiter came up to us and said: «would you like me to pack that to go for you». My friend hasn’t even touched her food (and it was obvious) and we’re already being asked to leave indirectly. Lol We politely mentioned that we were waiting on our second order and haven’t started eating yet, but we will let him know if we wanted our meals to go.
So finally my fish and chips arrived with my zucchini fries. The food was good! A little salty, but palatable. There’s just one problem… How is anyone supposed to eat fish from a metal basket. Yes. That’s right, the fish was served on top of the zucchini fries in a metal frying basket with a handle. How is anyone supposed to cut the fish? So I politely asked for a small plate. The waiter was short and curt with me and said that that’s how it’s supposed to be eaten. I still asked for a plate as there was no way anyone could cut a piece of fish from a mental basket. When my plate arrived, the waiter brought another set of cutlery, which I just set off to the side as I wasn’t going to use it. A quarter of the way into our meal, one of the owners (I believe she is the owners wife), reaches onto my table from behind me without excusing herself to grab the unused cutlery. *facepalm*
It seems like the staff here are more concerned with getting you in and out, as opposed to you really enjoying yourself or your meal. It’s a tight space, so I didn’t appreciate the woman coming into my space from behind me and grabbing at the cutlery and I certainly didn’t appreciate being asked to pack our meals before that even made it out of the kitchen.

Weird vibe.
Some animosity exists between the kitchen staff and the people taking your order. Manager sorted it out, but there was an uncomfortable moment where the girl taking my order cussed out the kitchen staff under her breath.
Got a kale and lentil soup that was pretty much hot water and raw kale. Sweet potato fries were A-​okay and coffee with Nutella cookie was decent.
On one occasion we dined in and asked the server for some honey or sugar to sweeten the coffee with. She gave us a disdainful glare, flounced off and returned after 15 minutes. In a pissed off tone, she then proceeded to inform us of where it was located «for future reference». We didn’t see it! She could literally just have pointed it out. So annoying.

My husband and I like having brunch here and have been a few times. The food is good and I like how they have different options of milk, including almond. Service is generally good, but one time, I asked for no potatoes (don’t really like them) with my order (artichoke frittata). The server, however, gave me attitude about it (as in she looked at me funny, and then asked me what I wanted instead). The conversation went a bit like this:
Me: If it’s a bit difficult for the kitchen, they can just leave it out
Server: But it’s included with the meal — what would you like in place of it? (for the second time, if I recall correctly)
Me: (had to come up with something quickly) Perhaps a little bit more salad?
Server: I’ll have to check with the kitchen
Seriously, just leave it out and don’t bother checking if it’s THAT HARD! :S
I’m sticking with potatoless dishes now.

I would give L’Espresso Bar Mercurio a 3.5÷5. We came on a day where they said their kitchen was closed due to the holidays. It seemed like a lot of the customers were disappointed so I probably didn’t get the full Bar Mercurio experience.
My friend and I seated ourselves. It was pretty busy for a weekday morning. Because their kitchen was closed we decided to grab a sandwich. I had asked the lady to remove the bacon before grilling my sandwich and she said she couldn’t because she didn’t have gloves. She also couldn’t help us cut our sandwiches. I remember Starbucks couldn’t cut sandwiches due to their food license but Bar Mercurio has a full kitchen. I found it hard to believe she couldn’t do it for me.
Other than that, the sandwiches were good. I had the Chicken BLT panini which had a kick due to the chipotle mayo. The caprese panini was also good according to my friend. They brush olive oil and some spices on the flat bread so I enjoyed the sandwich.
I would give this place another shot when their kitchen is open but the prices are a bit up there. I feel you can find better for lower prices.

They grill your sandwich when you ask them not to, they make your coffee with lactose milk when you ask for lactose-​free, it’s a little overpriced, there’s a weird semi-​disorganized coordination between the café side and the restaurant (you wouldn’t order something from both sides, if you knew what was good for you), and the porchetta is sometimes dry, so why come here? The coffee is delicious (and can be made with lactose-​free milk — not such a common thing), the croissants are good and made in house, the smoked salmon benny is solid and when the porchetta is good, it’s good. Also, there’s not a lot of this kind of thing done well in the neighbourhood.
Too loud to work when it’s busy. Conversations get loud and there’s a hum like you’re in a shopping mall.

Nice coffee, although not very special.
Bufala cheese and tomatoes tasted like water.
Better than Starbucks but not an excellent place.

I don’t fully understand the cookies in a car inside the entrance… though I guess it makes for an interesting conversation piece while waiting to get seated. Overall though, I like this place!
For a café, I’d say the food selection is quite nice. It’s not an overly large number of items to choose from, but at the same time, all the items on their menu looked interesting to me. Normally it leads to a paradox of choice, but i happened to have a bunch of work related breakfast and lunch meetings here over the course of two weeks… Seven times to be exact. So i was able to try a lot that was on their menu. I really liked their zuchini fries. Yum! I also really enjoyed their fish and chips for lunch, and French toast for breakfast. Overall I would have to say that foodwise, everything i had was good. Service was friendly. One thing i didn’t like as much was the chocolate mousse. It was a little too sweet. If the sweetness was toned down a little, it would have been very good.
It is a busy joint, so keep that in mind. I decided to come for coffee here during brunch on the weekend. They said sorry, they were saving tables for people who wanted brunch, but i could get my latte to go. Understandable, as they were packed that day already.

Attitude of cashier was snotty, at best. Coffee was ok, cookies were a little dry, but even if the food was good I would never go back where staff seemed so annoyed that we were ordering something. I see similar comments, hard to believe the don’t do something about it.
My husband’s work has had functions there in the past, but neither of us would go back again.

3.5 stars.
Pros:
— Nice décor. The vintage car makes the café stand out.
— Delicious food and desserts.
— I like the fact that the café is very accommodating and generous towards the UofT community– 20% discounts for students and you can also reserve the café for networking sessions.
Cons:
— Pricey.

I strongly recommend the power booster smoothie! Even though it’s ridiculously expensive, it’s the best tasting thing on a warm summer day.
This place is a combination of a restaurant, coffee shop and bar with mellow music, fancy dressed bartenders and, lots of space and plenty of delicious food. The Italian Proscuitto was so good. The bread was nice and warm and the Mozzarella cheese added a nice texture and flavour to the sandwhich. You can either sit outside in the patio, which is gorgeous or sit indoors, which is equally well decorates and comfortable. I’ve found myself a great study space!

Such a cute little café, filled with all things delicious.
The entrance is decorated with a life size car, and under the hood is a variety of the cafes products so you can purchase things to take away with you if necessary.
There’s no table service here — you decide what you want and go order at the service bar.
The pastries, chocolates and other treats are displayed in a large glass fronted cabinet, allowing you to see firsthand what’s on offer. There is also a vast meal and drinks menu. My friend and I had only popped in for a drink and sweet treat. I ordered a green tea and blueberry smoothie and their cup of chocolate mousse.
The chocolate mousse was smooth and delicoous, so much so that it melted in my mouth, I hoped it would never end.
If you’re in need of a sugar fix, this is the perfect place to try :)

Crab BLT sandwich is one of the best I’ve had in my life and I don’t even like sandwiches. I also got the rose white tea and it’s so good. 20% discount for students! It’s pretty classy/​funky inside with tons of food, dessert, coffee, tea, alcohol selection with classy music. First time here and definitely coming back!

Had a brunch date today and I wish we had gone elsewhere. The service was terrible– neglectful waiters and slow delivery of food and bill. Noticed a few wrong orders and our bill had to be corrected as well.
Cannot recommend l’Espresso Panino. The menu said scrambled egg but it was microwaved/​omelet like texture. Lots of spinach (yay), not enough aged cheddar (boo!). The eggs rested on a cranberry scone that was tasty but all these flavours did not marry well. Side of bacon saved the day.
I RECOMMEND– the salmon kale salad. Friend had it and it looked basic but light and refreshing, perfect for a hot day. She rather enjoyed it
EXTRA TIP– Latte was standard, OJ was good, pass on the mimosa

Stand at the «wait to be seated sign» so someone can find you a table. Once they give you a table number you can proceed to the cash and order. You pay for your food at the cash. If you order food you pay and you may proceed to your table, they will bring your food. If you order drinks the you wait and get them at the bar. If you order both then you take your drink and juggle it with all your stuff as you find your table. They bring the food to your table. Complicated enough yet? I guess it’s pretty simple if you’re getting takeout.
I still like the food here and frequent the place. They have a good gluten free selection and you get 10% off if you’re a student. The food comes fast so it’s still good even if you’re in a hurry.
It usually doesn’t feel this complicated for me as this nice man (his name escapes me at the moment but I swear I knew it!!) intercepts you in line and gives you a table number. Today however he wasn’t here. I got to the cash only to be turned away and sent to the «wait to be seated line» somewhat rudely. I was given a table after the hostess had to explain about 3 times to another group of people how the system works and they still looked pretty confused.
I finally sat at my table, got my food and thoroughly enjoyed my kale and chickpea soup, Caprese Salad and Immunizer drink (carrot juice, ginger, kale and lemon I believe).

As soon as you walk in the staff basically demands that you tell her why you have entered the store… was not impressed with the staff overall, they were rude, cold and impersonal, the girl serving me didn’t even offer me my receipt and after you order they bring you your food and drink… but don’t tell you this, so you stand around the counter like a loser while the staff ignore you until you slowly walk away, very confused.
I was actually really excited to finally try L’espresso and even more so that I brought my tea swigging little sister with me, whom never gets to come Toronto with me. However, I ended up just feeling bad that I took her to the land of over-​priced. We shared a piece of Tiramisu and each got some tea; I had the white rose and she the green oolong. These three items came to $ 20.00, I was a little shocked but I though that everything was going to be over the top amazing, since they charge through the roof for their products. When they brought us our tea and cake, I was in love with the presentation of the tea; we both got mini-​tea pots on bamboo trays, so adorable. My tea was really light and summery, I really enjoyed it and my sister said hers was good as well. I do feel slighted that each tea was close to five dollars and there was maybe a cup of tea in each pot. The tiramisu was creamy and light as well but it wasn’t anything special, definitely not worth the seven dollars I paid for it.
I am pretty disappointed with my experience here but I have been reading other reviews and perhaps I should just stick to the coffee and espresso drinks at L’espresso. I don’t know if there will be a next time, it will have to be someone else’s suggestion because I won’t be coming back by choice.

L’espresso, in my opinion, is one of the truly underrated spots in this are of the city. There are so many reasons for me to like this place that I would rather just list them in bullet points (this is after all a café on campus):
food:
–Impressively food allergy and vegetarian conscious menu.
–The soup is consistently good.
–Ribeye burger is my current favourite burger in the city (add shoestring fries + chipotle mayo)
–Overall the best place for lunch on campus.
coffee/​tea:
–Standard coffee, cappuccino etc. are quite good.
–Impressive tea list and even more impressive serving set for such a spot.
–Fine array of sweets to accompany the tea/​coffee.
staff etc.:
–Very quick turnaround time.
–Usually polite, courteous, and accommodating.
–Patrons are not rushed.
–20% student discount!