Best Coffee Shops to Work From in Toronto

Being a major international travel hub, Toronto sees its fair share of visitors. Whether it’s business travel or tourism, millions of travelers find themselves in Toronto in need of wi-fi and a cup of joe. Canada’s largest city has one of the most vibrant coffee scenes in the world. While Montreal and Quebec City are famous for their French-style corner cafés, Toronto’s coffee shops are more modern, with spacious layouts that are ideal for plugging away on a laptop for a few hours. They also serve great coffee from local roasters, whether it's espresso drinks or frosty cold brews, you’ll enjoy what you're sipping. 

While you’re most likely in Toronto to experience its cutting-edge culture, incredible shopping, diverse culinary scene, and nightlife, the everyday demands of modern work may catch up with you. Luckily, there are wonderful coffee shops in every neighborhood where you can log on and plug away. Stop by a Bounce storage location to drop the bags off, it’s just one less thing to worry about. 

Balzac’s Cafe

While this charming Parisian-style café might seem like it’s good only for coffee dates and bespoke Instagram posts, both of their locations in Toronto are perfect for setting up shop and getting some work done. The atmosphere is friendly but not too loud that you can’t concentrate. Even when Balzac’s Cafe empties in the afternoon, the attractive decor keeps the place from feeling stale. 

The Distillery District location is housed in a former pump house from the 1800s and has some of the most scenic outdoor seating of any Toronto café. Once you reach “inbox zero,” step out to their cobblestone patio and enjoy one of their delicious espresso drinks or iced coffee.

Distillery District Location: 

1 Trinity St, Toronto, ON M5A 3C4, Canada

Liberty District Location: 

43 Hanna Ave #123, Toronto, ON M6K 1X1, Canada

Market Street Location: 

10 Market St., Toronto, ON M5E 1M6, Canada

Boxcar Social 

Boxcar Social cafés are a familiar sight around Toronto, with a few locations around the city. Their flagship coffee shop along the Harbourfront is one of the most popular places to get coffee in all of Toronto, and for good reason. The location along the water is unbeatable, with some of the best views of Lake Ontario you’ll ever experience. This mega café also seats over 200 customers, so it’s fairly easy to grab a seat. 

Boxcar Social isn’t just for coffee and breakfast either, they have a full lunch menu, craft beer selection, and even cocktails. So if you are working late into the afternoon and want to celebrate a milestone, you can close the laptop, relax with a local beer, and enjoy the view. 

Harbourfront Location: 

235 Queens Quay W, Toronto, ON M5J 2G8, Canada

Waverley Location: 

484 Spadina Ave., Toronto, ON M5S 2H1, Canada

Cafe 23 

Located near the gorgeous Trinity Bellwoods Park, this stylish coffee shop is particularly popular with local yuppies on weekends. Cafe 23 is famous for its delicious pastries (especially the butter tarts) and being a regular hangout for local celebrities. There is plenty of seating inside, especially on summer days when the outdoor seating in their gorgeous outdoor patio fills up, which makes this prime real estate for their spacious tables. There are ample outlets and strong wi-fi that will reach the patio if you get there early enough to snag a table. The vibe indoors is lively, but being a café, it's never too loud that it impacts productivity. 

Location: 

728 Queen St W, Toronto, ON M6J 1E8, Canada

Creeds Coffee Bar 

This coffee shop was basically designed for customers posting up and getting to work. For one, it’s a huge place, with wide tables that accommodate an entire workspace. It’s also brightly lit, with plenty of outlets for plugging in. There are also corners of their back room that really insulate from the entrance and counter, so focusing on work is made easier by the lack of distractions. Creeds also serve a delicious brunch, with sandwiches, avocado toast, salads, and fresh pastries all on offer. So you’ll be able to get there in the morning for a coffee and sweet treat and plug away all through lunch. Creeds is in a prime location near downtown as well, making it perfect for popping in to prepare for a meeting or logging on while you’re at lunch.

Location: 

390 Dupont St, Toronto, ON M5R 1V9, Canada

Dark Horse Espresso Bar 

What started as a tiny local café has become one of Toronto’s coffee institutions. Even after expansion, the six different Dark Horse Espresso Bar locations have the charm of a corner café, with decor featuring local artists, trendy music, and friendly staff. These industrial-chic spaces are also brightly-lit and spacious enough that you won’t have trouble spreading your work materials out. There are ample outlets at most tables, even the communal ones. 

Each Dark Horse Espresso Bar serves delicious coffee made with locally-roasted fair trade beans. Depending on which location you go to, there is a lunch menu of sandwiches, salads, and delicious pastries. And, of course, their espresso drinks are top-notch!

Queen Street West Location: 

630 Queen St E, Toronto, ON M4M 1G3, Canada

Corktown Location: 

416 Front St E, Toronto, ON M5A 1H7, Canada

Kensington Location: 

215 Spadina Ave., Toronto, ON M5T 2C7, Canada

Davenport Location: 

120 Geary Ave, Toronto, ON M6H 4H1, Canada

Dineen Outpost

One of the newest coffee shops in Toronto, this is one of the most attractive cafés you can work from, just try not to get too distracted by the stylish decor. With comfy leather booths and a cozy atmosphere, Dineen Outpost is an easy space to hang out for a few hours. Despite its convenient location, Dineen Outpost rarely gets overcrowded. Being a corner café, there is tons of natural light towards the front of the shop. For longer work sessions, there is an elevated space in the back away from the counter and crowds that are perfect for deep concentration. With so many options for different types of workspaces, this coffee shop is always popular with remote workers.

Location: 

1042 Gerrard St E, Toronto, ON M4M 1Z5, Canada

FIKA Cafe 

This Kensington Market café is instantly recognizable by its vivid turquoise exterior. Every weekend, this stalwart coffee shop is swamped with locals who flock there for freshly brewed coffee and FIKA’s menu of delicious pastries and baked goods. But during the week, the café is empty enough for students and remote workers to set up shop, log onto the free wi-fi, and get some work done. You might have trouble deciding where to sit here. The stylish interior, with its slick modern design and exposed brick, is perfect for a winter day or when it's raining. Otherwise, they have two patios to choose from, one out front and one in the back. 

FIKA Café is also one of Toronto’s best Swedish restaurants, with a popular menu of delicious Semla buns and other breakfast-forward sweet treats. These pair perfectly with the coffee shop's expertly roasted coffee beans. In terms of its smart design, spacious layout, great coffee, and tasty bites, you can’t get much better than FIKA Café for choosing a place to get some work done. 

Location: 

28 Kensington Ave, Toronto, ON M5T 2J9, Canada

Neo Coffee Bar

This minimal, Japan-inspired coffee bar has a spacious layout, so don’t be surprised when you walk in to find an army of headphone-clad weekday warriors plugging away on their laptops. Known mostly for the simple but perfectly executed pour-over coffee, Neo has expanded its offering to include fresh pastries and delicious treats. All of these are made in-house, sometimes even made to order. While their coffee beverages are some of the best in Toronto, their sneaky-good cold-pressed juices might be the best thing on the menu. 

Downtown Location: 

770 Bay St. Unit 3, Toronto, ON M5G 0A6, Canada

Old Town Location: 

161 Frederick St Unit 100, Toronto, ON M5A 4P3, Canada

Maman 

This may be a Canadian outpost for the NYC-based Maman Café, but this King Street West coffee shop maintains a distinctly-Toronto vibe. Their indoor café has a cozy atmosphere, and their beautiful patio is a comfortable place to lounge in the shade while sipping espresso drinks or iced coffee. This Toronto location is famous for its Parisian-quality croissants and other fresh pastries, and they serve a solid rotating lunch menu with seasonal salads and sandwiches made in-house. Don’t get distracted by the stylish decor because free wi-fi and ample outlets are provided so you can focus on catching up on emails or finishing that novel!

Location: 

100 King St W, Toronto, ON M5X 2A2, Canada

Cafe Pamenar

Another stalwart coffee shop in Kensington Market, Pamenar might be slightly harder to find than some of the other cafés on this list. This actually works to its advantage when attracting customers who want to hunker down and concentrate on work or a passion project. Even with its proximity to Kensington Market, Panenar is rarely crowded, so you can spread out and focus while sipping some tasty coffee. Their lattes and freshly baked pastries are all solid options to fuel your productivity. If the weather is right, Pamenar’s back patio is a beautiful place to sit in the sun and lush greenery. 

Location: 

307 Augusta Ave, Toronto, ON M5T 2M2, Canada

Pasaj 

Toronto’s legendary diversity (roughly half of the city’s population was born outside of Canada) is on full display in this coffee shop. Pasaj Café in the Leslieville neighborhood takes inspiration from Turkey’s vibrant coffee culture to create one of the best experiences in the city. Their take on an Istanbul coffee house, you’ll find delicious Turkish coffees along with breakfast and brunch favorites with International flavors. The café itself is large enough that there is plenty of comfortable seating, and their tables allow workers to fully spread out while also being able to sample their scrumptious brunch menu. Being located next to the Studio District, you may even run into a celebrity that’s in town to shoot a film. 

Location: 

1100 Queen St E, Toronto, ON M4M 1K8, Canada

Saving Gigi

 While this Little Italy café serves delicious coffee, it’s most famous for its breakfast bites. Saving Gigi serves a small but solid menu of AM favorites, especially their breakfast burrito and sourdough waffles. Along with an espresso, the delicious food will fuel a full morning or afternoon of catching up on work or a passion project. They have both indoor and outdoor seating, and Saving Gigi rarely gets so crowded that you can’t find a table. 

Take a break from work with a quick stroll through Bickford Park before getting back to it. Little Italy and nearby Koreatown are both vibrant neighborhoods to explore once you’re finished working.

Location: 

859 Bloor St W, Toronto, ON M6G 1M5, Canada

Conclusion

Not only can you find delicious coffee in Toronto, but you can put that caffeine to good use by finding a table at a café and logging a few hours of productivity. Whether you’re working fully remote and need a change of scenery or traveling through Toronto and need a place to catch up on emails, there are plenty of excellent coffee shops for getting work done. It's a great way to enjoy the city a little while still meeting your work commitments.

Just remember to drop by one of Bounce’s many luggage storage locations in Toronto before you down an espresso and get to work!