Neighbourhood Review: Rooster Coffee House

Let me just start by saying how lucky I feel to have such a perfect coffee shop sitting at my streetcar stop. Having just moved from Markham, it feels like heaven. Warden and 7 just doesn't have what I'm looking for.

Rooster Coffee (on King St. E, haven't visited the original yet) is the kind of place I just feel instantly at home in.

They have a variety of seating options, including a couple of couches. The way their seating is set up is in groups so that you can either sit with a bunch of people you know or a bunch of strangers. It's nice because it makes it so easy to say hi to someone new. It's the kind of place where I've seen people I went to school with (in Waterloo) and also my neighbours.

Their music is a collection of interesting tunes from a variety of decades and genres. The thing I like most about it is that it's not overly loud. I also have never heard anything that's currently on every radio station, which is a nice change.

Their snacks and pastries seem to be a collection from bakeries around the city and they are always fresh and so delicious. Sometimes it's important to remember that you don't need a cookie or brownie every day, even if it's the best brownie you've ever had. Ever.  As a side note, they are always willing and happy to serve you when you run into the store 5 minutes to closing to get desert.

They make excellent espresso and coffee. Obviously. But their summer drinks are very interesting. Their cold brew is a step above everyone else's. And definitely superior to my overnight fridge brew.

Raspberry Iced Tea and the Shakeretto

The raspberry iced tea is a magical drink that's distinctly iced tea mixed with raspberry lemonade. It's a perfect balance of sweet and tart. The straight shakeretto is a shot of espresso that's been sweetened and shaken over ice, martini-style. It makes you feel quite fancy as you stand there for your drink to be shaken.

There are other coffee shops in the neighbourhood, but since moving here 6 weeks ago, this just seems to be the place where we always end up.