NEO COFFEE BAR — Restaurant in Toronto

I have bought beverages from Neo before but only to take away, and have enjoyed them. Today was my first time there to ‘dine in’. The coffee was good, though the baked items were a mixed bag, given the price point. A flat white, a cortado, a dark chocolate cookie, and small orange chocolate mousse came to $26. Of the baked items, the mousse was nice but it was rather hard to eat because the plastic utensils were not sturdy enough to break through the biscuit base. The dark chocolate cookie was rather hard and not very chocolatey (though maybe this is just different from what I am accustomed to). However, I think was left a bad taste in our mouths was the enforcement of the “no laptop, no tablet” policy. While I can understand business owners not wanting their establishments to be rented as workspaces for the price of a coffee, and I can appreciate the idea of encouraging people to socialize more, I think the application of this policy requires some rethinking. My partner brought her eReader with us to Neo today. eReaders are not tablets, in my view. It doesn’t require wifi, and you can’t use it to browse the internet, consume video content, send email, etc. We brought it so we could be intentional about interacting by reading to each other and discussing the content of the book. As we did so, a member of staff approached and politely but firmly mentioned the policy. At that point, having just about finished our $26 of coffee and snacks, we took the hint and left. I’m trying to understand if we would have been asked to stop reading if we were reading from books or newspapers too. Based on this experience, I don’t think we...

I live in the neighborhood and have been visiting Neo Coffee Bar regularly since I discovered it in the summer. The items are, admittedly, pricey. But who wouldn’t enjoy a treat once in a while? I liked it until now.

My recent experience has been less than pleasant to say the very least. I ordered a whole matcha cake roll about two weeks ago by phone. I was able to pay the next day when I picked it up. The cake was delicious. I put in the exact same order again this week. The barista called back in 2 minutes saying that I had to give my credit card # and pay over the phone. I could hear the owner yelling something at the other end of the phone. Fine, I didn't mind paying in advance but a) I didn't quite understand the sudden change of policy and no explanation was given whatsoever (all I know was that the manager was there and he demanded the customer pay over the phone), and b) I could tell that the barista was embarrassed and was having a hard time. I didn’t want to be difficult so I paid over the phone.

I went to pick up the cake the next day and was SHOCKED by the inconsistent quality. The cake DID NOT look like what I had seen before. Last time, it had this moss-green and spongy texture. Now, there were air bubbles everywhere and the color was almost yellowy! The whole cake roll probably weighted only 2/3 of last time. Yet I still paid the same price for it.

I don't think the customer experience or service is rightfully justified despite of the nice decor and atmosphere. I will not return to Neo Coffee Bar and would caution people against the tactics of the...

As a self-proclaimed coffee connoisseur and an amateur iPhone photographer, I am taking the liberty to explore different cafes around Toronto (to being with) in search for one of the best brew the city has to offer.

So without further a do, welcome to Neo Coffee Bar, open all 7 days serves, both hot and cold beverages from a selection of teas and coffee to mouth-watering pastries, cookies and cupcakes.

However, for my early afternoon fix, I went with a cortado recommended by Neo’s manager (Airel). My cortado was brewed to perfection. Let me just say - it was bloody gorgeous to look at but it tasted SO GOOD! Coffee was on point — milk was frothed just close to perfect, steamed at the right temperature and moreover, the wait time was less than 2 minutes, considering there were 3 orders ahead of me.

Things that are different at NEO COFFEE BAR; 1.They have a no laptop policy from 12pm to 4pm on Sundays and Statutory Holidays. 50% beverages — if you buy a beverage in the morning and return with the receipt on the very same day, you can get any beverage of your choice for 50% OFF!

Ratings; Coffee - 9.36/10 Ambience - 10/10 Service - 10/10 Quality - 10/10 Value for money - 10/10

Special Mentions - Airel (manager) was super patient and went out of his way to make sure he recommended a coffee that best suits my taste. Joey (barista) made the coffee to sheer...