L'Espresso Bar Mercurio

This place is honestly pretty pricey, but the food and coffee were pretty good! They have lots of seating and a huge selection of sandwiches. It’s a great place for a light lunch or coffee/catch-up with pals.

Update Sept 2023: the cafe has been renovated and improved with more open space and streamlined counter area. I've visited a few times since my first review and there was always a vegan pastry option! No vegan savoury or sandwich, yet, though.

Friendly staff, with an inviting atmosphere to work or study. The coffee is good, too. We didn't try the food, but hopefully there is a vegan option for the next visit!

I cannot recommend this place anymore. The location is great and that’s pretty much the only thing going for it.

I asked for an iced mocha (very normal order) and they said they can’t make an iced mocha but can make anything else iced. How hard is it to make a mocha and put ice in it?

Anyways I asked for the drink that’s similar to it in sweetness. I was recommended an iced vanilla latte. I took one sip of it and it tasted disgustingly bitter and left an awful taste in my mouth. What a waste of money.

Just truly perplexed why they can’t make an iced mocha.

The biscotti is good though!

Great space and location. Patio is shaded and a great place to work remotely. Coffee is quite good. I recommend they provide actual cups when people stay (as oppose to paper cups) to really maximize the experience (paper cups make you feel like you are in a rush).

I only tried the cappuccino and loved it. There was also a plate with free samples of banana bread, which I really enjoyed.

$9 for a black coffee and cookie. The coffee was good, the cookie was stale. The server didn't look at me once during the transaction. The place was not busy at peak lunch time, maybe this is why.

Very nice place for breakfast and lunch. They have a beautiful patio on the side. We'll definitely go there more often:)

Their food is just about whelming. Not underwhelming, definitely not overwhelming. And they can't spell.:)
Coffee was lukewarm, croissant was decent. The butter tart was bad and had cranberries. The brownies were very average and doughy. The bathroom door signs are unclear: (

Great place to stop for a sandwich! I got the prosciutto on the focaccia and it was amazing! A little pricey but worth it.

One of my favourite cafes in the city (I used to go there all the time when I was a U of T student). Great hot chocolate beverages and sandwiches. Service is also excellent.

Love this coffee bar. So many vegetarian options for lunch and pastries. Their coffee is exceptional and the staff is efficient and friendly.

They only have disposable cups! Dangerous to your health, bad for environment.
Time to change, it’s almost 2023.

The almond croissant I tried was really really fresh and tasty, definitely recommend this place for it’s coffee and pastry.
Also the staff was very friendly.

Friendly staff, with an inviting atmosphere to work or study. The coffee is good, too. We didn't try the food, but hopefully there is a vegan option for the next visit!

A mediocre flat white. Great space to sit and relax for a bit. Standoffish attitude by the staff.

They don’t have plugs, but they have a nice shaded patio. They also have some tables by the Bloor St. The latte was good, a bit pricey.

Loved it

Just wish they ventured out with the menu more and figured out their vision

Ended up here by chance and absolutely LOVED it. Great coffee, nice salads, very pleasant service and a great patio to sit and watch people and birds!

The quality control has unfortunately diminished including their espresso based drinks (#coffeegeeksknow!). Twice now since I’ve been back after returning to the office, I’ve been so disappointed with the sandwich and worse my lattes. Sadly, I won’t be back as it is no longer worth what you pay for when there are many better options around the campus.

Lunch options are limited to sandwiches of mediocre quality.

Customer service is also no longer friendly. I don’t see the old manager and noticed a couple new people. Though I recognized restaurant staff has a high turn over especially during the pandemic. New management perhaps? Either way, it’s unfortunate it’s no longer the place it used to be. I’ll move on as well. I also won’t be recommending this place for work related meetings.

If it’s struggling due to the past lockdowns and the pandemic and hence the changes with the food selections, it should try to maintain high quality on what’s currently being offered and provide that friendly service and atmosphere to bring back customers.

Friendly staff, I had a food allergy and they were able to accommodate my request. Too bad the lineup was a bit slow, but well worth the wait

Very poor service.

We've been twice in 3 days, our fist trip was not great, but we wrote it off as a bad day. Our second visit, however, just cemented the 1 star review.

They have a rude barrister and manager who ignored us multiple times when our drink didn't come out. We were forced to stand in line again to get an answer. Again, they didn't make the drink until we came up for the third time.

Skip this place for a morning coffee and a bite to eat.

Cute cafe, but they have a bit of an identity crisis. When I went on a Saturday afternoon it wasn’t too busy. I get the feeling it was built for a crowd, but I didn’t see it.

For lunch the only food they have is what’s in the deli counter. There were about 6 types of sandwiches and pastries. A few of the sandwiches looked like they were drying out (egg salad and tuna salad). I had the roast beef. The bread tasted homemade. The sandwich itself was a bit dry. I also had the tiramisu which was great but $8. Many of their items were gluten free.

I ordered an iced espresso beverage to dine in. All drinks are served in a generic paper cup and come in one size. The prices were some of highest I paid in Toronto.

The staff was friendly.

What I wish is that they used their full kitchen. Offer sandwiches and salads made to order. They have a beautiful kitchen that’s under used. It would also be great if they offered different size beverages.

This place has come out as 'pro choice' on vaccines. Very disappointing, but not surprising considering the attitude of the owner to the lockdown. People deserve to know that this place is advertising to Antivaxxers and it raises the question: what other health protocols do they find optional? You can probably make a better espresso at home.

Excellent service, superb cuisine in a very pleasant environment. The food is the highlight not the decor.

Great cafe in the heart of Toronto. Amazing pastries and espresso and I love love love their piazza nestled in the trees. A little slice of Italian cafe culture in Toronto.

Coffee is good but the ordering process was unorganized and hectic. They ask you to move to separate lines depending on how youre paying but there's no menus at the other lines so people are walking all over the place making ordering a confusing mess. Lots of seating indoor and outdoor but there is a 45 min seating limit.

This is a beautiful venue inside and out. Includes a wrap around patio, perfect for enjoying the nice weather + a beverage as well as stunning art pieces situated around the space. It also has a private room for hosting.

The staff are welcoming and the food is delicious. An authentically Italian café experience right in the heart of downtown.

10/10 Recommended

Service is really bad. The woman who looks like she might be the manager or owner gave me the dirtiest look when I asked the price of one of the pastries ($4.95) and I misheard it and asked "$1.95? " to confirm. LOL. How could that pudding bread possibly be $1.95? ! Do you think we're Tim Hortons? Anyway, that's what it felt like she was saying with her eyes.

Worst service I've ever experienced - the old lady waitress was so rude and the food wasn't even that good

$12 - $30 for a mediocre panini (roasted peppers or eggplant are cheaper, smoked salmon or roast beef more expensive - no wonder food prices are not published anywhere) there is not enough "ciao bella" the owner can utter to make me eat there again but ordering coffee and the side garden are ok.

It's full of city employees who can afford a $50 lunch on their sallary.

Excellent patio and coffee shop. I always love their baked goods (especially the biscotti). Went on a weekday afternoon and there was lots of open patio seats open. Has free wifi, although on the patio wifi isn't as strong. Would recommend connecting to eduroam if you have it. Overall great coffee shop, definitely going back.

Pros: get to see a cool small Italian coupe parked in the Cafe.

Cons: if you’re looking to get ripped off for middle-range quality food, look no further than this place.

(ex $14 bucks for a small and mediocre panini, and they ask for a tip on top of that. What a joke)!

My advice: take your money elsewhere.

Definitely my favourite cafe in Toronto, the pastries, coffee and food are all exceptional. The price is a little high but definitely worth it.

Went here, today, and bought an espresso; I have to say, it was really good. The espresso was perfectly bitter with a velvety consistency and an almost smoky aftertaste. They have an amazing aray of italian products and goods all look of high quality. The experience though was not so great. Two ladies behind the counter, one made me feel that it was a bother to take my order. Then there was the owner that was loudly and openly complaining to one of his employees that there was too much pasta on display; she was clearly uncomfortable. I think a refresher on customer service and etiquette is definitely needed here. A little smile goes a long way, and yes, one can tell when you're smiling under your mask.

Such a shame the customer service is one of the worst I've ever experienced considering their pastries are great. The manly looking woman with blonde highlights is such a miserable human being and takes out the fact that she hates her life out on the customers.

The pastries and coffee are great, although the cookies are a hit or miss (I would avoid the bisquotte). The only reason they didn’t get 5 stars, is that lately there is a new barista there with an attitude that insists on disciplining customers, in a very rude and unnecessary way. The atmosphere is relaxing and nice, if excluding that on lady.

Came here twice, once in the evening and once in the morning and both times staff had bad attitudes, acting as if they were doing me a favour by doing their job. Need to learn basic phrases like “what would you like to have? ” and “you’re welcome”

Food was pretty decent. Coffee was good. Very cute setting featuring indoor & outdoor seating. Some of the waitstaff was friendly & helpful- others not so much.

I would be here every day if I lived closer. Had an americano with a perfect crema and their delicious savoury scone with rosemary. I had to ask for it to be warmed and ask for butter, so it would be nice if they asked if you would like those things. I sat on the patio which is a hidden oasis for downtown and right on Bloor St.

Mercurio has the best eggs Benedict in Toronto. The cappuccino is also made to perfection. Service is really great as well.