1. Amber Kitchen
Riverside Toronto's perfect all-day spot
Honestly, we come here as much for the food as the coffee – the caesar salad alone is worth the trip. Shaded picnic tables out front make it ideal for a breakfast meeting or a long afternoon session, and the inside holds its own too. Outlets: none, so come charged. Seats: almost always available, especially on the patio.
2. Ace Hotel Toronto
Hotel lobby energy, without the hotel bill
The back lounge at Ace Toronto is one of the better-kept secrets for non-guests. Bigger tables, outlets built in, table service if you want it – and you're sitting in one of the nicest-looking rooms in the city. The neighbourhood around Camden St. is excellent for a post-work walk, and the views from the tables don't hurt either.
3. Ritual On Main Coffeehouse
Stittsville's neighbourhood cafe
Tucked into 1510 Stittsville Main, Ritual is the locally-owned spot keeping the Kanata/Stittsville side caffeinated daily from 7:30am–7pm. The coffee's rich, the desserts are a known weakness (the biscuits and chocolate cake have a following), and the room is cozy enough to actually stay in. Parking can be tight, so plan accordingly.
4. Neo Coffee Bar
5. Rooms Coffee
Hi-fi lounge meets specialty espresso on Dupont
Rooms is doing something most Toronto coffee shops don't bother with: a sound system that actually sounds good. The Japanese-inspired space is warm and thoughtfully designed, the espresso is top-tier, and by evening it becomes a cocktail bar – which means it's designed for people who take their environment seriously. It’s super homey and easy to stay for hours.
6. Ratelier
Where coffee, perfume, and art share the same room
Ratelier in Trinity Bellwoods is a sensory studio that also happens to pull excellent espresso. The downstairs coffee bar feeds into an upstairs gallery and fragrance workshop space, and the whole thing has the unhurried quality of somewhere that knows exactly what it is. Opens at 7:30am on weekdays – early enough to get a solid morning in before the neighbourhood wakes up.
7. La Brume Dans Mes Lunettes
Montreal's cosiest full-day work café
Tons of seating, lots of outlets, excellent coffee, and scones that make it very hard to leave. La Brume also runs a proper English-style afternoon tea service – which sounds indulgent until you realize it's a completely reasonable way to reward yourself for finishing a brief. One of those spots that feels like someone built it specifically for a long, productive day.
