Balzac's Reference Library

Had a nice cappuccino here the other day. Good atmosphere for having a drink with a friend, reading or meeting with a small group. Some people working, other people socializing. Didn't try any of the food but our drinks came out fast. Latte art included.

A great coffee shop with great food and a nice atmosphere. Give it a go, you won't be disappointed!

This location is situated inside the Toronto Reference Library and is cozy and warm. I got a cappuccino (5.59$) - a little pricey. It was delicious, though.

It’s a nice to have a cafe next to a public library. I didn’t say anything about my order being forgotten, but the latte with maple syrup was sweet and delicious as always
Cafe Canadiem L $6.25

I've had no better coffee anywhere. When I read about coffee in a book, maybe hear a podcast about a soldier shivering with coffee in a canteen, a salior somewhere in the forbbiden lands of the antarctic, hands down Balzac's coffee if what I imagine the human race drinks. Or should drink. Of will drink?

Look, its great. I can't make you taste it with words. If I could I'd be some flavour magician and that's just wierd. So go find it and taste it.

As my most trusted firend say of The Farmers blend, "It's like drinking a cup of chocolate. " Only just ealier today she stated: "Also running super low on coffee. Need to get some tomorrow. Luv my new coffee. " This was for followed (within the time is takes for a taste magic particle mixed with caffeine to near instantaneously declare "Don't by [Redacted] at all anymore"

Also, the reference library in TO is kitty corner to my office. It's made my commute much more delicious and awesome.

Go Canada and Southern Ontario! Please open one in Brantford! Pretty please! I can bake and make wikced pickles.

Most sincerely, FJQ

Baristas all look very sad and gave me a hard time when I clicked no tip on the machine. I thought this was a one-off but came back again and had the same experience. Not the most friendly staff, that's for sure. The guy looked at me like I'd just shot his dog. Coffee is ok, not worth $7.

I believe many girls have awful experience like this- ordered less ice but got a cup full of ice…it is not insane like you think and you said about I ordered the iced drink with only three ice cubes…your staffs need more training regarding to this…and your cookie is frozen too - it seems was taken out from fridge and given to me directly.
— follow up after one hour… I got diarrhea after having your drink and cold cookie…. My ten bucks spent here is a waste….

I expected more but the coffee did not meet my expectation. Tasted bitter and burnt. Not worth the price.

It has a big space, it’s useful If you need to stop or wait for someone, but I think the coffee could be better, it’s burned.

And is not a place to stay to long because the chairs aren’t comfortable.

I can’t judge the desserts, but they seem to have a good quality.

Good restaurant and coffee shop and friendly staff. Service tables are not clean and the chairs and floors are dirty. Clean spaces are essential for health and sanity

Nitro Cold Brew looks nice, tastes terrible. Costs about 5 dollars but wouldn’t even worth a buck.

The place is nice. Normal coffee selections are okay. Staff is friendly and helpful. Just don’t drink that one.

The atmosphere and the drinks were really nice; however, the customer service was terrible. The barista guy was extremely rude and unwelcoming. His whole attitude was like we are not welcome… nice location but probably won’t come back

Definitely benefits from being next to the library. Every time I do some work there I fall into the trap. Coffee really is not good, though not the worst I've tried in the city. Toronto coffee standards are pretty low.

Barista dropped my iced brownie frosting down in the bag so when I pick it up all the frosting gets stuck to the bottom of the bag.

Super friendly staff, yummy food, reliable wifi, clean washrooms, lots of space, and access to power outlets. Perfect to work for a while)

Carrot cake - good but I already forgot I ate it. Was just ok. Friendly staff. Coffee americano nice.

Walked in, got a perfectly made Café Canadien, and then took an online course at the Library. Can't ask for much more if I'm honest.

I stumbled on this undiscovered gem right in our neighboorhood. This was one of the best mouth-watering burgers I've had grace my taste buds in a long time. The waitress did an excellent job. The decor was unique and incredible. Everything was just so yummy. I would eat here every day if I could afford it!

While I love Balzac's coffee the usual way, I made the mistake of trying their Nitro Cold Brew Coffee. IT'S VILE! It tastes like compost tea!

Pretty nice coffee shop! Lots of seating area to read or work and the coffee / cake was decent. They could reduce the plastic for those who dine in!

I like the location and vibe of this café - right next to the entrance to my favourite library.
But what ever happened to the soft chewy almond croissants that Balzac's used to serve? The one I had yesterday was dry, flaky and covered with icing sugar. No matter how I tried I ended up covered with crumbs - bring back the old ones.please. To the hard working staff - keep up the good work.

The atmosphere in this place has an "intellectual coziness" feel to it and allows for undisturbed reading and/or working on a computer. I was not impressed by a coffee though or its exaggerated price.

Good place to meet people as a central/safe location. Reasonable number of coffees and cake/cookie menu.

Usually I come here on Monday afternoon and they are usually good.but I came on Tuesday afternoon, casher was rude and sorry but barista was not good at making coffee.plz practice more.

Love this place! Great location, nice staff and great food and drinks. I love their magic bar, peanut marshmallow and the carrot cake.

I always want to like this place. They need a few more healthy options and some coziness to make up for the random angry homeless drop ins.

This place is great. It has great coffee. I love the name. I think this was a guy, although when you say it out loud it sounds dirty. Not in a bad way, in a really good way. This place has coffee. Did I say that? It’s true. The coffee is really good.

This is a nice cozy cafe at the entrance of the public library. You can have your coffee and go read a book in the library.

Very friendly staff, comfortable seats, great coffee. Just a bit too loud for me but otherwise a perfect hangout.

Great place to sit and get some heads down work done in the center of Toronto. Or just take a break while shopping around Yonge and Bloor at their Cafe

A loss of one star for this location, because of overcrowding, some pretentious people and no pastries on Sundays. Ridiculous. Good products though.

I can't believe I've never seen this place even though I've been walking past the library for the past 3 years.

Their Iced Matcha Latte.oh my GOD. So good. I may be exaggerating because it's a hot day and I'm drenched head to toe, so the first sip of that delicious green beverage just completely floored me.

Pricing is a little high (around 4-6 dollars for every drink), but around this area I think all cafes will have this price.

There is free wifi from the library.

Tasty baked goods and a coffee that won't disappoint. It's clean and the staff have always been friendly. Take a seat at the window and watch Toronto go by

This is such a beautiful location. On one side is the library and the other the road. Excellent tea, coffee and snack items. Pricey but totally worth it. Not many tables so it is rare to get a private table but most visitors are used to sharing the tasbles so it's ok.

This is great little cafe in one of the biggest and beautiful libraries in Toronto! Definitely recommend for meeting a friend or just stopping in or out of the library. Great stuff and great service!

I come around here mostly to get inspired, as almost every kind of person you could think of wanders in and out of this place (in a good way). Their selection is decent but little on the sweet side, and though I wouldn't come for the espresso itself, their lattes and specialty drinks are well made- and with a variety of milk alternatives as well.

One thing I do wish they would fix is their wifi, which only works for devices with older software updates. I hear this complaint from quite a few people when I'm working there, and it's now starting to plague my own computer. If you guys could fix that, I'll up a star.

Anyhoo tl;dr great place for people looking for vegan options, specialty coffees, sweets, and a decent view with plenty of workspace (but finicky wifi).

Fantastic coffee and cozy spot attached directly to the Library. It can get very busy and crowded from time to time so if loud and crowded spaces bother you this might not be the best spot.

Excellent library facility to get work done. The WiFi is fast and you have access to thousands of book and information. It gets a bit busy because of the location but it is worth the hassle.

One of my favourite coffee places in the city! I love Balzac's Coffee, and I enjoy the reference library.
Try the date squares! So yum!

This coffee shop is inside the library of Yonge and Bloor, the coffee is very tasty and they have several cakes.

Was wonderful. I loved the vegan cookie. The window seats are really sunny but nice place to study and enjoy some snacks

Nice and quiet around noon, usually busy after 1: 30pm. I got a latte and brownie. Overall: I was satisfied of my experience!
Separate note: The cash register was on the right, which I found weird, it would be easier to have the cash register on the left as people come in from the left, street side.

Love this place! The coffee’s great and I love the bar by the window - it’s a perfect place to bring a notebook and do some writing, read a book, or just people watch for a bit. My favourite is the Cafe Nordique!

Staff know what they are doing coffee quality is decent vs the traditional brand name chains. Some of the people (customers) that frequent there are the reason it only receives three stars.not a great atmosphere where you want to stay with a friend and chat

I've had no better coffee anywhere. When I read about coffee in a book, maybe hear a podcast about a soldier shivering with coffee in a canteen, a salior somewhere in the forbbiden lands of the antarctic, hands down Balzac's coffee if what I imagine the human race drinks. Or should drink. Of will drink?

Look, its great. I can't make you taste it with words. If I could I'd be some flavour magician and that's just wierd. So go find it and taste it.

As my most trusted firend say of The Farmers blend, "It's like drinking a cup of chocolate. " Only just ealier today she stated: "Also running super low on coffee. Need to get some tomorrow. Luv my new coffee. " This was for followed (within the time is takes for a taste magic particle mixed with caffeine to near instantaneously declare "Don't by [Redacted] at all anymore"

Also, the reference library in TO is kitty corner to my office. It's made my commute much more delicious and awesome.

Go Canada and Southern Ontario! Please open one in Brantford! Pretty please! I can bake and make wikced pickles.

Most sincerely, FJQ

Had a party last night and came back home at 3: 30. Woke up early for a meetup event and got to get some energy booster. Decided to get their Matcha Green Tea Latte with a chocolate Browny. The browny tasted amazingly good. Although the waiter warned me the latte wouldn't be too sweet if I take regular sweetness, I still think it is good enough because of the browny.