Page One Coffee + Bar — Restaurant in Toronto

Updating this review from 5 stars to 3.

Things have been shaky since the change in ownership, with positive improvements to flow and atmosphere, while prices increases and quality being less reliable.

I used to get my daily coffee, pastry, and sometimes lunch here. Now I go somewhere else most days.

The good:

They are experimenting with the layout of the shop, and have improved it in many ways. The space feels more open and more welcoming, and a lot easier for working, hanging out, and generally spending time here.

The not so good:

I usually get my morning coffee around 7:30. The new 8:30 opening time means I can't ever get my morning coffee here anymore.

I used to get lunch and spend my afternoons reading or writing at the shop, drinking a coffee and maybe a hot chocolate. My afternoons run from 2 until 7 though, and the new 5pm closing time means I can't ever do that anymore.

The pastries used to be delivered fresh on a more frequent schedule. Now sometimes the pastries are either stale, or, some days, completely absent. Something feels slightly off with the sandwiches and pizzas too. I'm not sure if it's the presentation, the quality of preparation, the ingredients, but I just don't love the food as much as I used to, anymore.

The prices for everything are higher than before, and also more expensive than for the same items at other nearby coffee shops. My pastry + coffee, when I do make it, now costs me 20-30% more than what I can get within a 5m walk.

They no longer have a loyalty program. All of the other nearby coffee shops have it. I drink 10+ coffees a week, and it's nice that I can get one of those free by going to the same coffee shop each day. That coffee shop isn't Page One anymore.

They used to be open in the evenings and serve cocktails. This means that infrequently I would spend an afternoon doing writing (2-7) and then have a friend meet me for after work cocktails and beers. Now I spend my afternoon working elsewhere, and have to travel for post-work drinks with friends.

They've had high turnover for their staff. Some of the new staff are quite great; others consistently mess up (but continue to have a job).

Nowadays, when I see that certain staff behind the counter, I just go somewhere else for my coffee. They nearly always get my order wrong, the order is sometimes ignored or not prepared at all, and I am sometimes billed for the wrong thing (e.g. I get charged for a pizza when I order a bagel).

As a dedicated regular, I miss the times when the staff remembered who I was, and knew my order. I now always feel like a stranger visiting a corporate coffee chain, and I can find much better coffee experiences within a short short...

This place has so much potential. My first visit I arrived at 5pm on a Tuesday to get some work done. I immediately asked what time they'd be open until. Not sure if the barista is the owner, but he said 10pm and that he might close early since it wasn't busy. There were about 10 patrons scattered around, seemingly working or studying. I told him I’d stay to read and he suggested I could order a beer or wine instead. I declined and went with an ice tea. They only had fancy iced tea which tasted fine. But after I sat down and settled in, I noticed the barista repeatedly dim the lights until reading was impossible and the music eventually competing with my headphone volume. I only had a sip of the tea and I left within an hour. It felt like he didn't want to make the space conducive to work/study on a Tuesday evening, like he preferred it to be more of a bar vibe or close up shop and go home altogether. I still want to give this spot another shot maybe as a date night instead, but the general vibe I got from that barista wasn't very welcoming and frankly put a damper on the experience. I ended up going next door to tacorrito which is also open till 10, has better lighting for reading and they offer wifi also. On the plus side, Page One cafe had plenty of smaller seating, a few larger group seating tables, large communal seating, a front patio, and arm chair seating in the back. Their chalk board decal was also stunning. If you get a spot near the windows earlier in the daytime it seems like it should be a great work/study...

EDIT: no, the reason you have so many reviews is because there is no local coffee place for blocks around yours and you're also in a huge tourist area. ALSO: BLAMING ME FOR STILL GIVING ME THE WRONG ORDER IS RIDICULOUS. I DID NOT GET THE WRONG COFFEE AND SCONE BEC MY ORDER WAS CANCELLED. I WOULD CARE LESS IF THE SAME THING DIDN'T HAPPEN BEFORE. STOP BLAMING THE PEOPLE KEEPING YOUR "SMALL IMPACTED BUSINESS" ALIVE, when these were both simple errors, mistakes by baristas, who have not been trained by ownership on what a cappuccino vs a latte is. It was a simple mistake and the fact you have to go into a COVID manifesto..stop victimizing yourself, it's your job to know how to operate a coffee shop. Again, according to you, it's my loss right! Happy to have lost.

I have no idea how this place has good reviews. I've been there twice. Both times ordered in advance and neither time was my order ready by the time I got there because neither time were they able to actually fill my order. On my second order, I ordered a cappuccino and a pbj toast. They did not have bread or pbj, lol ok breakfast place with no bread! I asked for a savory scone instead and in the end I got a latte and a blueberry scone. Fool me once, shame on me, fool me twice, I'll never go there...