12 of Toronto’s best cafe patios to check out this summer

May 5 2017, 10:13 pm

The only thing (almost) as great as a cold brew or perfectly crafted Bloody Caesar on a patio is a quality daytime caffeine fix on some breezy outdoor real estate.

Whether you’re catching up with friends, writing the day away, planning to take over the world, or simply enjoying your java in silence, these are the best patio cafes in Toronto.

Fika

Fika is a perfect place for those breezy summer Sunday fundays spent in Kensington Market. Artsy and cozy, the Swedish-inspired, hipster-filled coffee shop is in a converted old house that allows for outdoor latte sipping on either their front or back gardens – the latter of which is complete with a hammock. As an added perk, its impressively designed “book wall” is more insta-famous than the coffee art is.

Address: 28 Kensington Avenue, Toronto

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Portland Variety

Tis the season, Patio season! Join us during #VarietyHour and join us for a cocktail or two, or three!

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If you’re looking for a caffeine fix in the centre of it all – complete with an inevitably “see and be seen” vibe – the doors to the patio at Portland Variety are already open. Here, you’ll find the city’s moving and shaking set fuelling up on quality cappuccinos and crafted sandwiches during weekday power meetings, and sunglass-clad, bed head-rocking lovers curing their hangovers with coffee on the weekend.

Address: 587 King Street West, Toronto
Phone: 416-368-5151

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Dundas & Carlaw

If you find yourself in the ever-growing east end of the city, the sunny patio at colourful coffee and wine spot Dundas & Carlaw fills with everyone from the brainstorming, laptop-clad creative set, to stroller-pushing nannies from the surrounding gentrifying ‘hood. Here, nobody will judge you if you swap the mid-afternoon coffee for a craft beer or Caesar.

Address: 1173 Dundas Street East, Toronto
Phone: 647-639-7281

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Te Aro

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The east-of-Yonge crowd of cool caffeine-cravers will set up shop in Leslieville’s Te Aro. The industrial-style, eclectically-designed spot is a coffee roaster and café that’s packed with no shortage of quality coffee, vegan options and creative conversation to the sounds of cool music in the background. One of the best features of the place is its large (dog-friendly) patio.

Address: 983 Queen Street East, Toronto
Phone: 416-465-2006

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Cafe Pamenar


Offering an intimate, artistic and cozy vibe, Café Pamenar is a hidden gem in Kensington Market. Full of character, the spot serves up quality espresso, beer and small eats. A beautiful, shady backyard makes a great spot to unwind after a day of vintage shopping in the surrounding streets.

Address: 307 Augusta Avenue, Toronto
Phone: 647-352-3627

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Boxcar Social

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Boxcar Social opened its third – and most ambitious – location last July in partnership with the Harbourfront Centre. Not quite your quaint coffee shop (expect tourists), the inside has a capacity of 200. By far, the best feature of the spot is its patio that overlooks Lake Ontario, allowing customers to sip quality coffee, wine, craft beer or whiskey with an unmatched view.

Address: 235 Queen’s Quay West, Toronto
Phone: 416-203-2999

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Good Neighbour Espresso Bar

High Park’s Good Neighbour Espresso Bar is a welcoming, artsy, eclectic space with exposed brick walls and customers armed with laptops who have become regulars. If you’re looking for Instagram-worthy latte art, you’ll find it here, along with a patio that could lure you in for hours.

Address: 238 Annette Street, Toronto

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Belljar Café

By night, Dundas West’s Belljar Café is filled with a cocktail-sipping set of live music-lovers. By day, the go-to spot for the area’s indie artists and writers offers a rustic-chic backdrop to both a caffeine fix and a remote office. Perhaps the best part is the cute, enclosed backyard patio that offers a home-like feel with things like hanging lights and greenery.

Address: 2072 Dundas Street West, Toronto
Phone: 416-535-0777

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Early Bird Espresso

With its industrial feel and quality latte art, Queen West’s Early Bird Espresso and Brew Bar has become a staple for the neighbourhood’s digital nomads. Its sunny back patio is on the lower portion of their roof and offers prime coffee sipping real estate for 20 guests. Ideal for both outdoor brainstorming sessions and intimate dates or meetings, it features a picnic table in addition to smaller bistro-style tables.

Address: 613 Queen Street West, Toronto
Phone: 647-348-2473

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Dineen Coffee Co.

If you’re more in the market to get your caffeine fix in the company of power suit-wearing guests than a spot full of artists, Dineen Coffee Co. is a stylishly designed and history-rich option. Its spacious patio offers prime people-watching opportunities (if you can get a spot) and is one of few coffee shop patios in Financial District.

Address: 140 Yonge Street, Toronto
Phone: 416-900-0949

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Full Stop

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Located on the Junction’s Dundas West strip, Full Stop is an eclectic, colourfully designed spot that’s full of nods to the 60s. Aside from their always-reliable baked goods and sandwiches, a major draw of the space is their breezy 30-seat back patio that’s full of communal tables and oversized umbrellas.

Address: 2948 Dundas Street West, Toronto

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Rooster Coffee House (Broadview)

Riverdale’s Rooster Coffee House is a cozy spot to clock in hours of the day–whether typing away on your laptop, talking shop or playing an assortment of board games. It’s full of talking points–including vintage luggage in place of coffee tables, tiny cut glass chandeliers and a front patio that boasts one of the best parkside views of Toronto.

Address: 479 Broadview Avenue, Toronto
Phone: 416-995-1530

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