Sense Appeal

Closed for winter…
That ain’t a good sign!
New neighbourhood Business’s continue to recognize this is a bit of a depressed area. The cities growth and move WEST is coming but slow.

I could not be more impressed.
I showed up on a Monday afternoon looking to buy a ½ lb of their delicious coffee. Little did I know, they were closed as they are every Monday for a deep clean!
However, the friendly staff didn’t miss a beat. Not only did they get me my coffee (freshly roasted that morning!), but they made me an Americano to go.
They’ve won my coffee business for life.
Highly recommended.

Awesome décor. Really love the industrial look. They don’t take debit. My latte was like warm, although I did wait a few min before sipping. Also it was eerily quiet. No music. Kinda bizarre. I know people who love the place so I think my complaints stem from my terrible mood. Do not do drip coffee. Just espresso based.

The Etobicoke location is massive compared to the one on Spadina but both have the same amazing coffee, charming no-​fuss space, and free Wi-​Fi. The service at Sense Appeal is always super-​friendly and easygoing.
I find myself coming in often now that I’m back in school. It’s a great spot to catch up on assignments, read a book or surf the net.
In my opinion, there aren’t any other coffee shops in south Etobicoke offering rich and flavorful espresso.
You have numerous options when it comes to ordering your daily cup of Joe.
— Espresso, Drip, Siphon, Cold Brew, Aeropress or Pourover
* I highly recommend trying their cold brew
Next time you’re in the neighbourhood, stop by and give them a try, you will not be disappointed.

The coffee that you can get here is absolutely delicious as is the food that they offer. Both drinks and food are on the pricey side but if you don’t mind paying a bit more for premium coffee, than this place is for you.
The pumpkin latte with real pumpkin is perfection!

Awesome latte and Americano. The menu looks promising but unfortunately couldn’t try much as they were serving only breakfast items and I had to make a choice from bagels with different toppings as I am a vegetarian. Love the ambience. Good service. It was definitely busy, if they start serving everything off their menu, they would definitely be busier. Would definitely return to try more things.

Great americano!!! Beautiful décor inside, delicious macaroon, just not too sure what they are trying to be yet… are they a lunch spot? Brunch? Dinner? The vibe is a bit confusing. Pricey and a bit slow, a weird yet welcome addition to this neighbourhood. Amazing owner, very nice, somewhat friendly staff. Also, terrible hours.

Very excited that they opened here. I have been a fan of the Spadina location. Really tasty coffee with lots of choices. Hip and fun décor. Want to work my way through the coffee list.

really, really good coffee — I especially like their turkish latte
great space, spacious, lots of wood, large tables — not your typical café style tiny tables too small for a couple of coffee cups
they recently started breakfast and lunch — and while I heard from others that service is often slow, we had nice and quick service — and they were very flexible to provide something off the menu for my toddler (a schnitzel)
the food was delicious, as was the coffee
only thing to consider — it’s not wheelchair/​stroller friendly
quite inconvenient to get in

Coffee here is stellar. Right up there with Four Barrel and BlueBottle in SFO. Brunch here is very very good with a hipster appeal. They’ve been a bit slow bringing the lunch menu online, but the food is great for Breakfast, Brunch.

When a business is able to capture themselves in words better than I could ever, I think it best to just quote them directly:
«Sense Appeal is known for being Toronto’s only experimental coffee lab, originally tucked away in a stairwell at 96 Spadina Av. The second location is a 5,000ft2 lab, roastery, kitchen, school and sit down café where lab equipment, such as rotary distillers and centrifuges, allow for a new level of innovation. At this place, we’re only limited by our creativity.»
Here’s my 2 cents:
— Located along Lakeshore Boulevard W between Royal York and Islington
— This place is gorgeous! The music, staff, venue and vibe of the place reminds me of a smaller version of Sightglass coffee in San Francisco — Amazing!
— For every order you can create your drink by choosing the brewing method: Espresso, Siphon, Pourover or Aeropress, and then selecting your beans, Gn (Brazil), C (Rawanda) or K (Ehtiopia).
— They’ve also got all the standard coffee house options, but don’t expect to have a regular cuppa Joe — nope! To quote Drake, this place is «Fancy»!
— Wall to wall reclaimed wood, exposed beams above, wood paneling abound and an overall industrial/​factory feel. Plus where they lack outdoor seating, they provide a full garage style door that encompasses the entire front end of the shop — it’s up today so plenty of fresh air coming in
— They’ve got a breakfast, brunch and lunch menu, but the lunch menu doesn’t launch for another week so be advised
— They are their own roaster aka they roast their own beans, and you can purchase a ½ pound for $ 10 and a full pound for $ 18
— I had my go to drink, an Americano, and it was exactly as I like it, strong, black and with minimal aftertaste. Buzz Buzz!
This is close enough to me to become a regular stop on my coffee shop office tour, stay tuned for my updated reviews when I chat more about their food and other coffee beverages!
See my Tip for their WiFi password!
Eatcrest Out!