% Arabica — Restaurant in Toronto

Went in around 1pm on a rainy Tuesday, and the line was just at the door. I spent about 5 minutes waiting for them to take my order, and then 15 additional minutes until I got my coffee. I asked the employee which latte she would recommend for a strong coffee flavour, and not too sweet, and she said the Kyoto Latte, so that is what I got, as a hot drink. Temperature was just right to be able to start drinking right away, but not cold either. For coffee lovers, do NOT add anything to these coffees. They are perfect the way they are made. Silky, and comforting.

As far as prices go, I think it's reasonable considering the effort it takes to make, as well as the quality. You go to any other hipster cafe in Toronto and you will be paying the same price. It's probably just a bit more expensive than Starbucks, but the hot drinks are actually hot, and just tastes way better.

This is NOT a place to sit down and relax. This is a "grab your drink and leave" type. If you want to sit down, relax and enjoy a coffee and snack, there are other places in the mall that are also very good.

One thing I would like to see, is a sign that has the last number called out displayed on it. When the place is full, it's very hard to hear the employees call out the numbers. Especially if you are able to grab a seat along the wall to wait, which is further from where they are, and you have a line of people in your way. It's also a good way for us to measure roughly how long we will have to wait once we get our order, and we can see what number was just served. Plus, it will make it more accessible to those who are hard of hearing or deaf.

Would I go again? Yes, but I think only once everyone is done obsessing over it, and it isn't as busy. And even then, only if I wanted to...

If you're like me and wondering, "How do they afford rent in this crazy mall?" don’t worry. They’ve passed that responsibility on to you.

Their coffee? Premium in price. But you know what else is premium? The flavor. Hands down, this is my favorite caffeine spot in Toronto. And even if you're not a coffee person, their matcha ice cream and desserts have your back.

Tried their black Americano with a canele? If you haven't, stop reading and go get it. Seriously. Go.

Now, about that matcha ice cream. There are two places in Toronto that you must hit for a proper matcha fix: Tsujiri and Arabica. They both serve up incredible matcha ice cream no surprise, since they’re both from Japan. The difference? Tsujiri nails the matcha flavor, but Arabica makes better ice cream. Arabica hails from Kyoto, near Uji, where the best matcha is grown. Still, Tsujiri's slightly bitter, less sweet version has my heart.

But hey, this is a cafe, not a dessert shop. So let’s get back to the coffee. Over the past year or so, I’ve tried almost everything on the menu (except the espresso and matcha latte). My personal picks? The Kyoto and Spanish lattes. The Spanish edges it out, just because I like my coffee a little sweeter. Wait, then why do I like my ice cream less sweet? Hmm...

If you've never been and live within 30 minutes, it's worth the trip.

Oh, and that logo? It’s not a percentage sign. I know it looks like one, but come on. It's a coffee branch with two...

TLDR: % Arabica is not as overhyped as I thought it would be. The Kyoto Latte is a must-try (thank you Xiao Hong Shu for the recommendation)! If you can spare some change, the Matcha soft serve is really tasty!

My first time trying out % Arabica was at Yorkdale Mall when I was shopping around with my girlfriend. We ordered the Kyoto Latte and the Matcha soft serve.

The Kyoto Latte is something I can only describe as as coffee that truly is complemented with regular milk. Usually, I have lattes and they taste great, but more like milk flavoured coffee, or the creaminess of the milk take a little too much from the coffee notes itself. But with the Kyoto Latte, I did feel a rich bitterness and sweetness from the bean itself. Regular milk pairs nicely with it and I think oat milk would actually take away from the taste.

The Matcha soft serve was surprisingly rich, as I could tell that they used good quality matcha. My only gripe was that it was a little sweeter than I expected, which I think they did perhaps to either “boost” the flavour or appeal to a greater audience. Other than that, it was very delicious!

% Arabica definitely is not cheap though, as I ordered the largest sizes for both items and it came out to $16! So I would personally have it as a treat...