The Sovereign Cafe — Restaurant in Toronto

What an interesting concept for a coffee shop! I was looking for coffee and breakfast in the area on Google maps and this spot came up. When I parked on Davenport I couldn’t tell if it was actually open (as google had said) because the storefront was really dark and almost blocked off. it was around 11am so I assumed it would be and walked to the shop.

It’s a walk up coffee shop with their food “menu” displayed on the window, no drinks menu though. I also read some reviews that they sell out of stuff quickly but they had quite a few items still available. They had some breakfast sandwiches (made to order) and lots of pastry options. Docking a star because there’s no prices listed anywhere :(

I ordered two egg & cheese breakfast sandwiches, an almond croissant and two oat vanilla lattes. The total was $30 which is very reasonable in 2024 and relatively cheaper when compared to other local coffee shops in the west end. It was about $5-$6 per item which I only knew because I watched the screen as the barista rang up my order on the till.

Service was really great! Despite it being a walk up, friendly baristas greeted me as soon as I walked up.

Food: sandwiches were awesome (5/5), pastry was huge, flaky and tasty (5/5)! and the coffees were average/on par to many local coffee shops in the area (4/5).

My feedback would be to add menu pricing and have some sort of open sign so people on Davenport can tell it’s open. I would totally return bc of the pricing, friendly staff...

I used to love the Sovereign, I really did. From 2021-2022, I had the same order, every day, and it was always great. The staff were fantastic, and the cappuccinos were perfect.

But lately, I'm just disappointed. Let me break it down.

Firstly, the lack of seating. I get it, the whole takeout-only thing was a smart move during the peak of Covid. We're no longer in peak Covid, and there's still no seating! Either open the place up again or at least provide some chairs. I enjoy your food, but I don't enjoy eating it in my car.

Secondly, the service and setup. There's been a constant turnover of employees, and frankly, none of them are any good. I asked for a napkin today, and the employee passed me a crumbled napkin ball in their fist. Maybe they'll improve, but right now, the service is painfully slow. There used to be a system - one person making drinks, another taking orders. It worked efficiently. Now, someone's brought the machine to the front, presumably so the order taker can also make drinks. It's a terrible idea. The old system worked better and probably created a better working atmosphere too.

Everything else is okay, but these two issues might just drive away a once-loyal customer like me. Step up your game, or you'll lose more than just...

I have been taking my daughter to Circus school nearby for the better part of a year now and settling for the other coffee that was nearby because frankly, I simply didn’t know about the Soverign at all.

In fact, I had passed by the store many times, seen the lineups and half wondered if it was good.

After trying it, its very easy to understand why the lineups exist. The food is great! The scones are great. The coffee and the pulls are great. To deliver this level of quality and also with this level of service is not easy to do, especially given how popular it is.

After trying this place for the first time, I wanted a tshirt. I still want one haha. But seriously this place is really a gem… I dare say anyone who thinks otherwise is probably pretty spoiled if they think they...