HotBlack Coffee — Restaurant in Toronto

If you're a coffee nerd or just someone who wants the taste of good coffee, then pay attention to this review. I could talk a lot about the shop's decor, snacks and service, but I don't care about that enough to go into detail (however the shop is very cool, the snacks are delicious and the employees are very kind and wonderful to talk to).

I was walking down Queen with my lady when I noticed a sign that said "best coffee ever". I knew I had to refute this impossible claim. However... It was the best coffee I've ever had. I had a simple cup of drip to establish how well they work with the basics. The coffee was served at a perfect temperature (which is the most important part of a good cup of Java, in my opinion). It was warm enough to enjoy for the time I spent drinking it, but not a boiled, burnt mess like many places serve. I would even say it was served at a perfect temperature, something that may have been done on purpose from what I've ascertained from the scientific approach to coffee HotBlack has. The coffee was very light but still flavorful with dark chocolate and cherry undertones. The notes were very noticeable despite the subtleness of the cup. There wasn't an acidic taste. It was weird... I have never enjoyed a cup that was so flavorful but yet also subtle and light.

I couldn't stop myself from returning the next day to try their espresso. When I walked in, the owner was standing by the cash talking up the customers. The man was very pleasant to talk to and explained their care and methodical approach to making good coffee. The Mod Bar espresso machines are unconventional. There are protruding chrome heads that pour espresso in a double walled cup (very nice touch) on a scale.

The two espressos were delicious. I had Punch Buggy and Los Idolos. The shot was the best espresso I have ever had. I started with Punch Buggy which was more classic with its calm, chocolate and creamy hints. I didn't taste any acidity which blew my mind to have an espresso that smooth! The Los Idolos was a drastic shift to fruity and syrupy with pineapple notes. The Los Idolos was delicious.

If you love the process that goes into coffee, you will love this place. HotBlack knows how to do coffee. There is no better coffee that I have had in Toronto. Please visit them and take time to talk about their coffee and what goes into the process. The staff are very friendly and will even get to know you!

HotBlack DESERVES 5 OUT OF 5...

3.5 stars ... willing to come back to try another time

Not many places are open past 5 pm so when I spotted HotBlack open till 7 pm... AMAZING. It's hard to find coffee in Toronto that isn't a corporate bland cup later in the evening. This cafe is quite small and busy ... there's very little spots for anyone to sit down longer than a few moments. It is SQUISHY tight as most seating is back to back bar stool style (and I mean back to back... it's literally 3 inches from the person behind you).

This place had a lot of drinks to try .. menu is different and quite innovative. The staff here is super friendly and very patient. My thanks to them and I really loved how they went to the customers who had a hard time walking (crutches) instead of making them wait in line standing. Just all around great people. I would say the staff and vibe here is hipster cool and friendly without any pretentious vibe. With so many choices, I went with their recommendation of the Russian tea and a Chai Latte. They also have a lot of assortments of baked goods, bottled smoothies, and also sandwiches so it is more of a true cafe than just a drink spot.

Russian Tea - Earl grey infused with apricots... like actual real fruit. This was a great tea and it had the nice sweet tangy flavour of the fruit with a touch of light black tea. Overall really great to enjoy when it's so cold outside. 4/5

Chai Latte with almond milk - They had the tea leaves steeping for a while and then we let it steep for more and .... it still tasted like watery almond milk with a hint of ginger. Not the best to say the least. 3/5

I would definitely come back because the service here was just all around great and would try an espresso drink. I'll stay away from the teas... they're...

Located at the heart of the entertainment district of Toronto. Given the location the place is a bliss to be in. Wonderful atmosphere, but wait. Hold your horses….the placard on the street says, “Best Coffee” ever. Trust me on this, my gut repelled my desire to hop into places which by themselves say: Best… But still… I went in. The atmosphere is amazing and you can get good view of the street ahead. But the purpose was not just about the atmosphere. I don’t know if I have been drinking coffee wrong since 20 years in a life of 33 years and trust me when I say coffee, I like the way I want it! So here I am, ordered a medium grande hot mocha in almond milk. The server was good enough to bring it to my table and the glass of coffee looked decent! I was ready now! The first sip!!!! Ohhhh, it was lukewarm and bland. I thought it must be a mistake. I went to the serving counter and asked him to heat it up! He heated some almond milk and poured over my coffee. It was weird. I came back to my desk, with expectations obviously. But this was worse. Hot coffee (tasted like almond milk and chocolate, with no essence of coffee). So I thought it might be a bad day for me and my taste buds but trust me…. Travelled 5 countries and been to gazillion coffee places. This turned out to be a disappointment. The “Best coffee ever” was not even “best at this moment”. Kudos to the server and the...