Location, location, location! On a recent trip to Toronto, my girlfriend and I decided to check out the Distillery District. We found some really cool shops but the best find of all was Balzac's Cafe. Fair Trade, organic, slow food served quickly ... these are all concepts I seek out when choosing a coffee house. Add to that the wonderful ambiance of the upstairs/ downstairs space in the Distillery District and Balzac's hits a home run with me. It may be a bit out of the way, but definitely worth the trek.

In-house roasted coffees, organic and fair trade. The aroma of fresh coffee mixed with the sound of chatter. Balzac's is the perfect place to go for your Sunday morning coffee and while away the day reading the newspaper or your favourite book.

The distillery district in Toronto is very European: stone streets and old buildings with high ceilings and exposed brick walls. Balzac's represents this vibe authentically. Not only do the fresh coffee, lattes, cappuccinos and hot chocolates taste amazing, they look amazing.

+ pretty neighbourhood
+ beautiful, unique, two-level space (distillery location)
+ best mocha of my life

- a bit out of the way
- kind of pretentious

This place is pretty nice; it's a good quiet break from some of the more bustling cafes around the city.
Of course, the coffee is excellent.. but the mocha, which comes with a little biscuit stick, is fabulous.
They just opened a new location in liberty village.. I'd expect that one to be pretty well the same in terms of accessibility and pretentiousness.

We walked through the distillery district on a recent visit to Toronto and stopped in at Balzac's. Our hostess asked us what we wanted to do that day and I had mentioned the need for a really decadent cappuccino. Balzac's Cafe did not disappoint! We sat on the second level away from the main hubbub and relaxed on the couches. Very cool decor and the distillery area is a must-see. Definitely recommended!

55 Mill Street Building 60 - The Distillery District 416.207.1709 This is a very cool brick and beam cafe in the heart of the distillery district. The cafe has very high celings and there is a cozy upper level. The coffee here is amazing. Rich, velvety and delicious. They also make really good hot chocolate. This is one of my favorite cafes in Toronto. It's really nice to sit at the tables outside if the weather is nice and have a cappuccino or hot chocolate. You can also get it to go and walk around checking out the cool shops in the area. It's a must-do in Toronto.