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Capital Espresso
Category: Food Coffee & Tea Coffee & Tea [Edit]
1349 Queen St WToronto, ON M6K 2S1
Neighbourhood: Parkdale
- Hours:
Mon-Fri 7 am - 8 pm
Sat-Sun 8 am - 8 pm
- Price Range:
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$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- No
- Parking:
- Street
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- Free
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
15 reviews for Capital Espresso
Review Highlights
15 reviews in English
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Review from Linds B.
Updated - 1/2/2012
OK, so the more time I spend at Capital, the more I love it. And the more coffee I drink at Capital (Americanos), the less I like other coffee. The Capital Americano is just sooooo smooooooth and luscious and velvety. It is truly amazing how addictive the experience is. I've never been a coffee snob, and yes, I have previously made fun of people that pledged their allegiance to just one coffee place - coffee is coffee, right? WRONG. Dead, seriously wrong. Capital is just plain the best Americano I've had, and it's incredibly reliable and dependable. Unlike some other coffee places, it doesn't vary by barista, I guess that's just a testament to how great everyone at Capital is at making coffee.
Yesterday was New Years Day, lots of businesses closed... when I checked Twitter and saw that Capital was open, I almost cried tears of joy, and then I slogged through the rain with my stroller happily with my coffee. I love you Capital Espresso! Don't ever change. :)1 Previous Review: Show all »
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9/6/2011
This is my home away from home. I love it here. And the carrot coconut muffins are the best muffins… Read more »
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Review from Jennifer K.
Markham, ON
Huge Storefront Window overlooking Queen West....
Sunny and Warm Sunday Afternoon...
A well made Americano ($2.75) in a mug is all I need...
And an electric outlet right under my seat with Free Wifi..
Capital Espresso has all the elements that makes me a happy camper.... -
Review from David M.
Toronto, ON
11/15/2011
Really nice place, with a warm, woody vibe. Alex (co-owner?) was very friendly and welcoming.
Great deal too...well made and tasty cortado for 3 bucks. Beans from Social.
Check it out if you haven't already.Listed in: Coffee
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Review from mondayjane s.
Toronto, ON
9/13/2011
I live around the corner, and Capital Espresso is great ... depending on the barista. There is a girl with curly red hair/glasses who works there; my recommendation is if you see her behind the counter, do as I do: turn around and go to either Mascot or The Abbott. Because if you think her attitude towards customers sucks, wait until you try her awful coffee.
She is the only dud, but seems to be there enough to make an impact on my willingness to be a true regular. Unfortunately I am not the only one who feels that way.
The other baristas are good though, and really nice. Maggie is lovely. -
Review from Newman A.
11/11/2011
Received a tip from Thor coffee shop to check this out, and was extremely happy with my trip out to Parkdale. Tried an espresso and macchiato, and both were excellent.
The highlight, however, was a blueberry muffin that was pipping hot straight out of the oven. I am not a particularly huge muffin fan, but this was simply spectacular - I bought a second one without flinching and wolfed it down as well. They appeared to be made from scratch, ingredients out on the counter, all the better for it.
Plus the banter between the two employees working was amusing, they were trying to understand what was going on with the Americanos lately (some sort of unusual water/espresso reaction), as well as sorting out options for the next muffin batch. I love an improv feel in my coffee shops, seems like a fantastic place to hang out (plus the muffins are cheap - same price as the espresso). -
Review from Tina H.
12/14/2011 1 photo
Delicious London Fog. Colleagues said latte and americano were good too. Unfortunately no baked goods at all and it was maybe around 12:30-1. They produce them all in-house and can't keep the supply up with the demand. That's disappointing; I'd have loved to try them. I'm never in the area so I doubt I would be there again anytime soon. Super busy cafe.. Computers, reading, chatting.. Pretty loud and crowded. Very lively. The woman working and talking about the baked goods is really chipper and friendly and brings a nice vibe to the place.
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Review from Vivek S.
3/1/2011 1 Check-in Here
Gorgeous space at the corner of Queen West and Dunn Ave. You don't know where that is? Let's just say it's in that pseudo-not-quite-that-sketchy lane of Parkdale smackdab in the centre of Blondie's and Mother India.
Capital Espresso how do I describe thee? With compounds like hardwood, and coffeeshop, and cutehipstergirls. This corner café offers tonnes of seating, scads of natural light, and a mean espresso. The atmosphere was pretty chill. I'd like to say the shredded up stools at the bar were charmingly dishevelled, but they just looked busted to me. They stuck out in a space that was otherwise almost flawless in terms of layout and hardware. The couch at the front is a great place to gab, and there are plenty of thick-slabbed two-tops at the back for the bold-spectacled Macbook( Pro)-toting douches like myself, to pretend to do "work."
Espresso prices are pretty reasonable. When I asked for a cortado "for here," the barista replied "we only do those 'for here'" which to me means they know what's up. Their espresso was spot on.
They also serve up muffins, cookies, loose leaf teas, hot chocolate, "soda pop" and smoothies. An excellent find. Come here and decompress.
Obligatory Title Pun: Two buck Americanos? CAPITAL idea.
Menu Readability: Their menu is a marquee style backlight sign with bold black oversized sansserif lettering which, if you know my feelings towards bold black oversized sans-serif lettering (BBOSL), is obviously the best thing ever.
Need to mention: Free wifi, cash only and TAXES INCLUDED.
What this place teaches me about myself: There should be a category on Craig's List called M4BBOSL. -
Review from Eliah H.
Toronto, ON
4/8/2011
The coffee crew over at Blondies have uprooted themselves and moved down the street to a new local and have adopted a new name as well: Capital Espresso. Pretty much everything I said about Blondies rings true here for great tasting coffee. I do like their espresso, I believe it from Origins Organic Coffee in Vancouver. As for regular brews...Hey I see some bags of Social behind the counter. The baristas are coffee geeks and pull great shots so expect high quality all the time.
As for the new digs, I like the space. Much more open. Reminds me of Crema in the Junction. Though I did like the cozy dark woody tones of the former Blondies as well. This place though should light up in the summer, even if the view to outside is Parkdale. Should be a nice place to meet n hang for the locals.
What else, what else...I assume their baked treats are from the same supplier. The choco-banana muffins are to die for. Most treats are gone by 11:30 am.
I recommend, one of if not the place for coffee in Parkdale.Listed in: Eliah's Big List of Go To…
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Review from geraldine g.
Toronto, ON
11/18/2010
On my way home a couple weeks ago, this space appeared. I thought to myself , ``How did I not notice this before?`` I really wanted to go in!
The space itself is filled with hipsters and folks with tattoos then well, people like me. (ummm....americano to go, please? said while carrying groceries in tow and not wanting to be a scenester. My friend, you cannot be cool in there with a blockbuster bag).
They use Origins coffee which I had not heard of. So this was an exciting moment to try something new. I was incredibly surprised!
I'm drinking my cup slowly so it doesn't disappear as I write this. It is a smooth, velvety cup of wonder with an aftertaste that lingers an uh-huh/ oh yeah - on your palette.
It's that good!
My only criticism is I think they need more seating. In addition, although I love the setting, it is modern and clean but it felt a little cold. I would love maybe a few pieces of art up or something. Haven't quite figured it out.
But the big part, the most important, the coffee, is incredible.Listed in: Coffee Adventures in Toronto
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Review from Andrew B.
Toronto, ON
11/22/2011 11 Check-ins Here
First of all: Greatest Americano Ever. I drink a whole lot of caffeinated products and this is my favorite. Even cold. The atmosphere is very hip and comfortable, the staff are friendly and talented. Also, very cool tees for sale with the CE logo on the front. Best coffee shop in the city. They do need a new couch, but I've heard whispers that one is coming.
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Review from Jessica M.
Toronto, ON
6/25/2011
I live in Parkdale and went to Blondie's for the occasional weekend coffee before they moved to Capital.
Great latte! My measure of the perfect latte is that it has to be nice and creamy and that I don't have to drown it in sugar. I'm happy to throw the lid on my coffee and enjoy it straight up.
Also, if you're not a fan of muffins, I suggest you try the muffins here. They are the best muffins EVER! Chocolate chip and banana is my favourite. And the blueberry bran is pretty good, too. -
Review from Peter M.
Toronto, ON
Transplanted from Blondie's down the street, Capital Espresso now occupies the former Vice HQ at Queen & Dunn. To say it simply: Best crew, best coffee, and if you're lucky, you've made it in time to grab one of maggie's baked wonders.
I would imagine their mission statement reads "rad people making rad drinks for all time."
If you do not like this place, you are morally obligated to wear a shirt that tells everyone you are a bad person. -
Review from Terry P.
11/27/2010 1 photo
Just came back from my first visit here where I had a cappuccino and a "dark chocolate espresso with nutella" muffin, and sat for an hour to watch the interesting mix of people come and go.
My cappuccino was perfectly made (and very pretty) and my muffin was fresh (still warm actually), fluffy, and tasty. They had a nice assortment of muffins when I arrived, but by time I left they were all gone, and they just had a small assortment of cookies available. The place is catching on fast and I wouldn't be surprised if they have trouble keeping up with the demand.
The previous reviewer commented that they don't have enough seating, which I don't understand. They have as many tables as they can possibly pack in to the place, and 4 or 5 bar stools at the counter, which is cool if you're alone. It was very busy in there though and I can see how it could be hard to get a seat for sure - I happened to luck in to a table as someone was leaving as I placed my order.
My only criticism is that the staff could have been a little friendlier. No one was rude at all but I certainly was not greeted enthusiastically. That may have had more to do with the Saturday morning rush than anything though, and I'm not so high maintenance as to think that it's a big deal.
The menu is VERY simply - basically espresso, cappuccino, macchiato, americano, latte, muffins, cookies, and a small assortment of bottled drinks. My cappuccino and muffin came to $5.75 (taxes are included in the prices and they accept CASH only).Listed in: Coffee
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Review from Stephen C.
Toronto, ON
11/12/2011
Best coffee place in the city hands down. Ive been to so many different shops all over Toronto and I love Capital. They make the best Americanos, have a great selection of tea, and the muffins and pastries are all made fresh every morning. They are usually sold out of any of the baked goods by 11am because they are that good.
The main thing you notice as you start to go in there more often is how many other people you will see every single day. It seems like every customer they have is a regular and Im not at all surprised. Within 2 visits you will feel like all of the baristas are your best friends. -
Review from Jeff C.
Toronto, ON
9/28/2011
Capital is a fantastic joint, one of the premier shops in the city. I've consistently received top notch espresso, made expertly-- and why wouldn't I? I've seen all the baristas at other shops throughout the city over the years-- Cherry Bomb, Mercury, Dark Horse, Te Aro, and so forth. They've all been in the business for a long time, and are very good at their jobs.
The space is sunny, comfortable, and easy to spend time in. I don't know about others' complaints about lack of seating, as I've had no problem, and the flow of customers is constant. I'll pick up one of those gorgeous muffins and a cortado, and enjoy the morning sun through the huge front window. It's a beautiful thing.
