From France to Toronto, meet Columbus Cafe

Hailing from Europe, how will this cafe chain resonate with Torontonians?

By Kristian Tofilovski

Exterior of Columbus Cafe, located on the corner of Adelaide St. W and John St.

Exterior shot of Columbus Cafe, located on the corner of Adelaide St. W and John St. Taken on Nov. 5, 2023. (Kristian Tofilovski/CanCulture)

Columbus Cafe, located at 283 Adelaide St. W., opened its first location in Toronto on Oct. 17 and is slowly working on establishing itself as part of the city's cafe scene.

Since becoming the first cafe chain in France, the chain has expanded to 250 locations worldwide, with its newest location in the heart of Toronto’s Entertainment District, making it a great place to visit when in the area.

With its warm overhead lighting and modern atmosphere, the cafe provides a comforting environment to work or socialize in. Its signature yellow accents and adorable mascot can be found throughout the cafe.

Ranging from pop to alternative, a wide variety of music plays throughout the cafe. However, some may not find it enjoyable. "I really enjoy the look of the cafe, but in all honesty, the music isn't exactly what you'd expect for a cafe, I find it slightly loud and distracting," said a customer.

"I'm not sure why they're playing Barbie Girl," said another.

However, the cafe's spaciousness makes up for it. There are a variety of seating options available, including standard wooden tables and chairs, as well as small booth areas accompanied by pillows and soft seats.

"I'm staying at a hotel right now," said the customer. "I've found that in Toronto, the cafes tend to be pretty small, so having one with a large amount of seating is nice."

The menu includes a variety of hot and cold drinks, desserts, pastries and sandwiches, making it suitable for any time of day or weather.

Its prices are also relatively similar to the average cafe in Toronto, with most drinks ranging from five dollars or less, excluding tax. A single espresso costs $2.75 and a double is $3.45.

The food can be more expensive, with the sandwiches and wraps ranging from $5 to $10. The pastries, however, were five dollars or less. The cheapest breakfast sandwich on the menu costs $5.50.

The menu at Columbus Cafe. Taken on Nov. 5, 2023 (Kristian Tofilovski/CanCulture)

The drinks come with mixed reviews. "I've tried both the cold and hot drinks here, and to be honest, I found both were slightly underwhelming. I think a fair critique would be to say that it tastes slightly watered down," said one customer.

"I don't have any issues with mine," said another customer. "I ordered a tea, which, as someone who doesn't drink it often, didn't leave a bad impression."

The food, on the other hand, received mostly positive reviews. "I had a ham and cheese sandwich yesterday and despite my feelings about my drink, I really enjoyed it," said a customer.

Hot drink from Columbus Cafe.

A hot drink from Columbus Cafe with its signature mascot decorating the cup. Taken on Nov. 5, 2023. (Kristian Tofilovski/CanCulture)

Cookie from Columbus Cafe.

A chocolate hazelnut cookie from Columbus Cafe. Taken on Nov. 5, 2023. (Kristian Tofilovski/CanCulture)

One thing is for certain, though: The cafe provides excellent customer service. As you enter, you are immediately welcomed with a friendly smile by the cafe employees. The employees demonstrate excellent patience, giving you space to carefully choose your order. The service is speedy too. "I got my drink probably a couple minutes after I ordered it," said a customer.

So, if you’re looking for a cozy spot to work, chat or simply enjoy a quick drink or meal, Columbus Cafe is definitely worth the try.

Smile Tiger Coffee Roasters: Unique coffee in a unique environment

A great place to study, read or relax in Waterloo, with an exquisite interior and delicious coffee and desserts.

By: Kaden Nanji

(Kaden Nanji/CanCulture)

This article is part of CanCulture’s food review series, where our writers explore some of the best food finds across the nation.

I discovered Smile Tiger Coffee Roasters by chance when stuck in an unfortunate predicament on my trip to Waterloo, Ont. My train home was scheduled for 3 p.m.; however, at 5 p.m., I was stranded at the train station in the freezing cold. Then from across the station, I spotted it, a small rustic-looking coffee shop. 

I hurried inside to find that the interior of the coffee shop is beautiful. Abstract art is framed on the walls; modern geometric chandeliers hang on the ceiling; wooden couches and tables spaced out on the floor of the cafe. The use of exposed pipes throughout the cafe added to the intended rustic look as well. The peaceful atmosphere allowed for various customers to study, read or write at the tables, as well as chat amongst each other. This overall ambience of Smile Tiger Coffee Roasters is enough to make me go back.

The rustic Smile Tiger Coffee Roasters features wooden furniture and warm lighting in industrial style. (Kaden Nanji/CanCulture)

Then comes the food. As it was a cold, rainy day and I had a few hours to spare, I decided to order two drinks and a small dessert. The first drink I ordered was the peppermint mocha, which has the perfect ratio of peppermint to chocolate and coffee. A lot of the time when making peppermint drinks, the peppermint taste can be overpowering; however, at Smile Tiger, you can distinctly taste their world-renowned coffee. As well, the foam at the top of the mocha helped to texturize the drink. 

The second drink I ordered was hot chocolate with oat milk, because I have lactose intolerance. I ordered a large size; however, the serving was smaller than I had anticipated. I also felt that the drink lacked a bit of chocolate after tasting. I am personally a fan of more decadent hot chocolate, and this particular type had a much lower concentration. The taste reminded me of the nighttime drink Ovaltine or warm hot milk. Although the drink was refreshing, I wouldn’t call it hot chocolate. 

To accompany my drinks, I purchased a salted caramel brownie, recommended by the waitress. At first glance, the brownie looked fairly large, with nice colouring and visible pieces of salt. Then when I went to cut the brownie, my fork almost broke! The brownie was extremely hard! However, after a bit of a struggle, I got a nice bite of brownie and it was delicious. It reminded me of a brownie I had once had at a French restaurant — quite thick, but so flavourful it makes you salivate. The bit of saltiness helped balance the sweetness of the caramel as well, without overpowering the chocolate undertones. If I were to go back, I would ask for the brownie to be heated up a little so that it wouldn’t be such a hassle to cut through.

Smile Tiger’s salted caramel brownie, hot chocolate with oat milk and peppermint mocha. (Kaden Nanji/CanCulture)

Overall, I had a great time at Smile Tiger Coffee Roasters. The tasty food and beautiful demeanour paired together make a great experience. I would definitely recommend the peppermint mocha and brownie, which are around $4 and $6 respectively, so they make for a nice $10 snack combo. 

I like to end all my articles with my restaurant rating scale, which contains six different categories: taste, presentation, service, ambience, price and creativity. Each of these categories are ranked from 1 to 10 on the scale. For more details on the restaurant rating scale, check out the end of my first article, a review of Hong Shing.

  1. Taste: 7.8/10

  2. Presentation: 8/10

  3. Service: 8.3/10

  4. Ambience: 10/10

  5. Price: 7.7/10

  6. Creativity: 8.2/10