9: ideal coffee

ideal Coffee
Address: 84 Nassau St.
Neighbourhood: Kensington Market
Contact: 1-800-762-3067 or 416-364-7700
(Website)

Well situation in the heart of Kensington, it is quite easy to walk past this cafe onwards to Bathurst Street, but the aroma that wafts thru the streets makes you want to discover and peer around the corner for what surprises are in store. ideal Coffee has three locations in Ontario (2 in Toronto, 1 in Ottawa) that promote sustatinable fair-trade organic beans.
The on-site micro drum roaster is used every couple of days for batch roasting. The drawing point is the nice patio, the kensington bohemian feel and the Manual machine that is the centrepeice of this location.

 Machine: Manual
Doser: Mazzer
Turnover: Medium- High
Beans: Own Blend of espresso beans from three continents, south-east asia, central, south america and african beans.

Music: great indie flares with emphasis on female singers (Jenny Lewis and the Watson Twins) 
Indie Coffee Passport: YES
 Promotion: Free Coffee with purchase of beans. 

 

 Verdict: Hints of Citrus/Berry tones with cocoa to round out the back of this shot. 

Exceptionally pulled shot from an experienced Barista (not pictured). She was very honest and told us with this manual machine it's very hard to control the pressure if someone were to use the washroom. Seems like a minor glitch...., but takes skills and experience to overcome that flucuation in pressure within the machine. Kudos to the barista, she was very inviting.

Don't forget about the front patio area with the LARGE tree trunks now acting as tables for customers to bask in the sun, on the long benches or eccletic chairs.

Inside seating is limited to booth style but in the back-back there is an ancient realic... an old Pac Man video console that no longer is in use, but doubles as a table for your lovely drinks.

Depends on the barista that is pulling the shot, but 9/10 times it'll be quality. These guys/girls know what they are doing in Kensington.