Cozy Off-Campus Cafes — the howl mag

Sights | Samara MacInnes

Sometimes I find myself unable to do work at home and not wanting to go to the library; a cafe is a little treat to provide a new environment and energy for my studying. So, I have composed reviews of some of my go-to spots to do some work around campus!

Dark Horse

Located at 215 Spadina Ave, the cafe provides a split level seating area with plants, paintings, and a selection of baked goods to snack on while you read, work or chat with a friend! There is also a small selection of goods, like wine, chips, coffee beans, baked bread, and beverages for sale inside the cafe.

Ambience - 5/5: The plants, paintings, and soft overhead lights make it a cozy spot to get some work done!

Mug - 4/5: The matching mug and saucer moment was adorable.

Seating - 5/5: There are plenty of seats with a mix of high and low tables with stools or proper chairs.

Study Scale - 2/5: Only one table with a power bar for electrical ports, some of the tables/chairs are not conducive to using a laptop at, and (if you’re like me) the large window at the front provides an easy distraction for people watching.

Butter and Blue

Located at 7 Baldwin St, Butter and Blue provides a comfy environment with plenty of homemade bakery items, like their weekly special buns and cookies. In the summer, the cafe also has an extended outdoor area with plenty of seating.

Ambience - 5/5: The lighting is super soft, with plants and cute artwork on the walls. The colours of the cafe follow the yellow and dark blue colour scheme, which is very peaceful.

Mug - 5/5: They have a various selection of little mugs, and the mug I received was such a little vintage moment.

Seating - 4.5/5: The seats are very nice; however, there are not a lot of seats, so it may be difficult to find a spot come the weekends.

Study Scale - 3.5/5: The environment is very nice for doing work in; however, they do not have many outlets and they do have a 2-hour limit on the tables (so it would be a better place for shorter periods of work).

10 Dean Cafe

Located within the lobby of the Waverly Apartments (484 Spadina Ave), 10 Dean is a cafe that switches gears to serve alcoholic beverages come night time. Frequently filled with students and other individuals working on various projects, the cafe has a large selection of tables and drink options to satiate any caffeine needs.

Ambience - 4/5: Being the lobby of an apartment complex makes the cafe a bit busier than some other locations, but the overall lighting and atmosphere is pleasant.

Mug - 5/5: I love the dark blue mug and saucer combo, as well as the thicker handle made it much nicer to pick up. Bonus points for the biscoff to dip in my cappuccino.

Seating - 5/5: There are plenty of tables with couches, regular chairs, or benches to sit at.

Study Scale - 4.5/5: There is a large selection of outlets at many of the tables, and due to the high frequency of other students/professionals working, the environment feels more focused.

Caffiends

As a Vic student, I may be biased but Caffiends is a cute gem located in Old Vic (91 Charles St W #111), run fully by student volunteers and offering coffee, tea, and snacks in their own collection of unique mugs. The drink prices are quite reasonable and alternative milks are not an extra charge!

Ambience - 4/5: The environment is pleasant and a fun spot on campus to do some work!

Mug - 5/5: I love the collection of obscure mugs - maybe they aren’t always the most aesthetically pleasing, but I am biased to the quirky mugs they have collected.

Seating - 4/5: The space is very small but they do have some couches, chairs and a cozy environment to study or work at.

Study Scale - 3/5: It is a little bit of a louder environment due to the small size of the space; however, as stated above the environment is enjoyable.

Goldstruck

Located at 130 Cumberland St, this cafe is on the more expensive end, but it uses its own roasted coffee beans and has a variety of syrups to add to the drinks. The cafe also has a few different types of snacks to fuel any study session!

Ambience - 3.5/5: A little darker in lighting, the cafe has a good energy and plenty of nice decor on the walls.

Mug - 4/5: As another matching cup and saucer, I like the blue combination.

Seating - 4/5: There is a decent amount of seats, with smaller tables extending along the one wall to the back of the cafe and a few bar seats.

Study Scale - 3.5/5: Due to its location in Yorkville, the cafe is usually quite busy, so it can be difficult to find a spot to sit and I did not notice many outlets.

Fika

Located at 28 Kensington Ave, the cafe is nestled in Kensington Market, boasting specialty Nordic “inspired” coffees. They have a selection of specialty foods that they sell alongside their baked goods.

Ambience - 3.5/5: The cafe has a gorgeous book page wall at the back (which I love) and a lot of natural light at the front tables.

Mug - 4/5: While I do award some points for the le creuset mug and saucer set, the yellow is not my favorite colour of mug.

Seating - 3.5/5: They have a few tables up near the front that are pretty squishy with one another, and then a slightly larger selection in the back.

Study Scale - 2.5/5: There are not many outlets available and for the tables near the front, they are right beside the door, so on busy weekend rushes people are lining up behind the tables and it may cause a little bit of a distraction.