10 DEAN | Elm — Restaurant in Toronto

So apparently you can't have laptops out after 5pm but can use your phone or watch movies on an iPad. I eat out by myself a lot and always bring my computer and have never had a problem in the past even at Michelin star Restaurants. I was completely surprised when after placing my order I took my laptop out I was asked to put it away because after 5pm laptops were not allowed HELLO WHAT? I am paying customer and what was funny to me is that everyone else was on their phone and even on their iPads watching tv shows. I was not playing any music or disturbing anyone, I was simply working. The reason I decided to try out 10 Dean is because of all the hype on TikTok around it being a great play to work in study late. I work from home and loving trying new places to do so/ try to squeeze in an hour or so of work during dinner etc. THIS PLACE IS NOT WORK OR STUDY FRIENDLY. If I knew this I won't have ordered! They told me after I ordered and was seated, seems like a scam They told me if I wanted to use my computer I can go to the back corner on the establishment. What difference does it make where I use it? They have about 6 very uncomfortable bar stools where you can use your laptop after 5pm. So what happens when those are all taken, I am denied service? This place makes 0 sense! Why would I come again and risk there not even being a seat where I can sit. False advertising and a crappy over priced latte, I am not very happy. I thought I would at least give their drinks a try. I order an over priced matcha latte which was by far one of the worse matcha's I have ever had. It's funny because the people next to ordered the same thing and couldn't even finish it. Could not recommend this place any less. Over priced and doesn't even taste good, don't waste your time. If you are gonna act superior with these ridiculous rules at least have a menu that...

Update: I really appreciate how professionally the team responded. It’s clear this was just a miscommunication, and their thoughtful reply shows how much they care about their customers. This makes me even more certain that 10 DEAN is one of the best cafés in Toronto. Updating to 5 stars!

I’ve been a regular at this coffee shop for quite some time and have always appreciated both the warm hospitality and the consistently high quality of the drinks. I also noticed that the management often adjusts policies to improve efficiency, which I fully understand and respect.

However, my experience today left me quite disappointed. I was seated in the workspace area for about an hour when I was asked either to place another order or to leave, due to a new policy requiring customers to order something every 90 minutes. While I recognize the need for such rules, the way it was handled felt abrupt and unwelcoming.

Here’s why this experience stood out negatively to me: I had only been there for one hour, not exceeding the 90-minute limit. When introducing new policies, it’s usually best to give customers a grace period or at least communicate the change more clearly. A more hospitable approach would have been to let me know that, while I wasn’t aware this time, I should keep it in mind for future visits. The place was not busy—there were plenty of empty tables and chairs—so asking a guest to leave under those circumstances came across as unnecessarily harsh.

Unfortunately, this experience has made me reconsider coming here to work in the future, even though I’ve genuinely enjoyed being a regular...

Was wandering around on a lazy Friday afternoon looking for a spot to grab a drink and stumbled upon this cozy little coffee shop/bar, tucked away between some construction and buildings.

As soon as you walk in, the vibe totally shifts. It’s calm, mellow jazz playing in the background, people quietly working on their laptops. Worth noting—they have a pretty firm rule that you can only sit at the tables if you don’t have a laptop with you.

Now to the drinks—while everyone else was sipping on coffees and lattes (to be fair, it was still 2pm on a workday), we were shamelessly diving straight into cocktails. 😉

Espresso No.10 This was the star of the afternoon. Nearly every ingredient is grown in-house—from the bold espresso shot, to the salted caramel and coffee liqueur, finished off with chocolate bitters. Honestly, one of the best Espresso Martinis I’ve had. Would 100% come back just for this. Highly recommend.

Old Fashioned A really solid one—well-balanced, just the right amount of whiskey and bitters, served over a big block of ice. Simple and done right.

Also, shoutout to the server—super knowledgeable and walked us through each drink as she brought them over, which added...