Pilot Coffee Roasters — Restaurant in Toronto

I won’t be coming back here. No big fail in any one particular area, but my visit was one disappointment and aggravation after the other, these tiny events building up to a mental note never to come back here. Plenty of other coffee shops around.

Highlights: Spacious, slick decor and space. Big natural light through the massive windows is pleasant. The slick spacious decor is what you see; that’s the facade. The tiny aggravations started accumulating right after, hinting at shallow substance to the place: Hint: the bathrooms and bathroom area were messy and ugly, out of tune with the main space Hint: the pastries available are 0.50-0.75 over what they should be Hint: the bathrooms have a dinky, weak air blower to dry one’s hands. A place with this slick presentation should have a paper option, or at least splurge for the Air Blade blower. Hint: I specified, twice, that it is “for here”. I come out of the bathroom to find my flat white in a to-go cup. It was evident that this was their default. Hint: to fix this, the staffer offered to dump it in a cup. No, we’re overpaying enough for these products for the experience, not the nutritional value. I returned and had to ask her to make me a new one, in a cup. (She did) Hint: The pastry (a scone) was so-so, heavy on the sugar. Felt highly commercial; it’s not sitting well in my stomach as I type this Hint: I had barely picked up the last bite from my pastry when another staffer swooped in and took away the plate. Give it a second! There’s a pleasure in picking at the small bits left in the plate — a loose blueberry here, a dropped nut there. The coffee was from a good bean; adequate to qualify as a 3rd-wave coffee.

An overall feeling of “what did I just drop $12 for here? I barely...

Almost perfect...BUT they hate laptops.

I really can't stand coffee shops with the 'no wifi on weekends' philosophy. I get it. Let's connect with loved ones, talk to each other, blah blah. I'm a full-time and then some writer who loves writing in coffee shops. Yes, I'm the guy Family Guy makes fun of in the show.lol. The second a place says they don't offer wifi, that's it, I'm out. This is my last day here. And I also understand the challenge of people staying too long with a $3 tea, calling a coffee shop their home for hours on end every day. But other coffee shops have installed policies like friendly reminders that pop up after an hour or two saying something like "need another coffee or muffin?" Those creative solutions will definitely help. Oh and no power plugs at all. So they definitely are trying to discourage a laptop environment.

NOW that's the ONLY thing I can complain about this place. The staff are amazing, the environment is updated, nice, music not too loud, and has a beautiful, neighbourhood vibe to it. The food options are great, however the speciality, cold, bottled drinks have no price tags on them. Also not a fan of, when something is too expensive, they exclude the price.

So I won't be back sadly cause it's a great spot for the local hipster community. Not unless the wifi weekend policy changes. But if you hate technology, progress, and want to 24/7 converse with people with great food and drink, this...

Stopped by Pilot Coffee on Ossington, and while they’re best known for their specialty coffee, I came specifically for their seasonal drinks — and I was pleasantly surprised.

I tried the Mango Sticky Rice Matcha, which was rich, creamy, and sweet — almost like a tropical dessert in a cup. If you don’t mind a bit of sweetness, it’s a fun twist on traditional matcha. I also had the Strawberry Matcha, and the standout was the scoop of strawberry sorbet on top — tart, refreshing, and it blended really well with the matcha. Honestly, I’d come back just for these drinks.

What really stood out, though, was the friendly customer service. Both the cashier and barista were warm and welcoming, asking about our day and chatting with genuine interest. It added a personal, relaxed vibe that made the whole experience feel that much better.

The space itself is also a great spot to get work done — there are outlets available for plugging in a laptop or charging your phone, which makes it super convenient if you want to settle in for a bit. Whether you're working solo or catching up with a friend, it’s a comfortable place to be.

Final thoughts: Even if you’re not there for the coffee (which is excellent, by the way), Pilot’s seasonal drinks, thoughtful service, and work-friendly space make it well...