Avenue Café + Bistro

The smoked salmon sandwich was something so simple with slices of thick smoked salmon, cream cheese, spinach, between two pieces of French baguette, but it was so delicious! The smoked salmon was thick and fresh. The cream cheese was fresh and soft. It was just a really great sandwich. Who would have known?

Perfect lunch spot. I am a regular at the Parklawn location, but this was a first time visit to the University Avenue store. Enjoyed it as much as the other location. This one was a lot busier (can’t help but feel first mover advantage is being lost i.e. low traffic at the Parklawn location as other competing restaurants have popped up recently), quality of food was exactly the same so top score for consistency. Had the jerk chicken sandwich with a greek salad side and topped it off with a double espresso for around $ 15. Slightly pricey for the under $ 10 crowd. Both locations have similar décor, very modern and stylish. The 5 stars is for the food and the ambiance. Would definitely visit again!

Fantastic coffee, exceptional lunches, the sandwiches are strikingly delightful. The atmosphere is cool and slick representing both, the perfect stop for a 3pm coffee to wind down the workday or the opportunity to break for the afternoon and gather your thoughts. The illy based lattes and cappuccinos are consistently smooth and we’ll balanced. The furnishings represent a true unique approach for a café in Toronto that clearly distinguishes it from its peers. The staff are accommodative and pleasant to interact with.

Very good selection of coffee and sandwiches. Friendly and nice service. Fast with not much of a line up. Recommended.

Great for coffee or for lunch. There’s a great variety of salads and sandwiches available. A bit more of a gourmet option than some of the nearby spots on University Ave.
The space is warm and inviting. When it’s nice out, the patio is a nice place to catch some rays.
Had a pear, brie, and chicken sandwich which came with a small side greek salad. They were fresh and tasty.
The cashiers and servers are super friendly. Will definitely return.

Popped in today for lunch after passing this place a hundred times before. I’m sorry I never tried this place sooner! They have a huge variety of sandwiches — all are the same price: $ 10.50. I got the special of the day which was Cajun chicken with avocado, lettuce, jalapeño Havarti and some kind of aioli. It was really delicious, but it could have used maybe another minute in the panini press to melt the cheese — so if you like gooey, melty cheese, maybe try asking for it «well done.» But the flavours were great (not bland at all and very fresh) and I liked that it came with a side salad. I could even choose fruit salad, which made a nice dessert (too much melon, though — but that’s always the case.) Only thing that was a bit odd was the extra side of aioli. There was already plenty on the sandwich, so it was unnecessary.
A great place to get a gourmet-​tasting lunch that can be finished within 30 minutes since you don’t have to count on a waiter coming by when you’re ready to leave.
Comfy, plush chairs, a nice environment — oh and free ice water — which is a really special perk to this place. I have a pet peeve about bottled water, so it felt great to have an endless supply of cold water right there for the taking.
This is definitely the best place for lunch in the hospital district. This bistro is a go-​to. :)

If you work in the area or happen to be around for a meeting or appointment, Avenue Café is a bright and clean spot to meet for nice coffee and a snack or a quick grab and go. I’ve often had quick meetings here with my advisor. It’s close to St. Patrick subway station.
In case you’re looking for other similar options in the same general hood, a few other meeting spots of ours include 650 Café Bistro, Sliced (although I think Sliced may have just closed down or be temporary closed at least — as an aside I do not agree with the harsh reviews on Unilocal) and Midi Bistro. The coffee spots are both located across from the new SickKids Research Institute and the latter mention is more of a casual French bistro lunch spot on McCaul Street in the Baldwin Village.

Lovely setting for breakfast or lunch offering yummy pastries & gourmet sandwiches. Quality food served by friendly staff. I will definitely be back.

I think the mark of a great restaurant is that you believe it to be a franchise until you realize that it’s not. That’s how I feel about Avenue Café.
A quick and easy sandwich/​salad sit down café with a beautiful, clean aesthetic.
The coffee is great and the food is delightful. Try the jerk chicken sandwich and greek salad — order, pay, sit and wait for your food to be brought to you then finish and walk away… that’s right, they clean up your plate for you!
So be nice, and tip a bit… because except for the ordering at the counter, this place is essentially a sit down café and a perfect place for a quick lunch in the neighbourhood. The staff are very welcoming (especially at off peak hours) and they play hit movies in black and white on mute all day long. Ample seating including outdoor patio in the summer.
Sandwich and a salad (with a glass of ice water in a disposable plastic cup) will run you about $ 12.

This is my regular place for go to coffee. They use illy coffee which is my favourite coffee bean. I need my coffee strong! They have super friendly and helpful staff, I am a regular here so they know me by my first name and sometimes even my order!
I’ve had lunch here too, a bit on the pricey side but excellent quality of food! I can’t complain. They normally provide bread with soup. I am not a bread person, but I do love their bread. Highly recommend this place.

I have walked by this place many times. Finally went into to grab lunch. Was pleasantly surprised by the nice décor inside.
The staff were pleasant and the service was prompt.
I had the tuna wrap and coleslaw, which came to $ 11. The wrap was loaded with tuna, melted cheddar, salad and green apple — an nice concoction.
Will definitely come back to try other options here.

Ideal for breakfast and lunch!
It is difficult to search for a good coffee in town. One of them is definitively this bistro. A good italian coffee machine, coffee is prepared with love. They serve also very nice breakfast, some of them freshly prepared, which means, pls count in 5 to 10 minutes if you don’t take anything like croissant asf.
At lunchtime they serve really good sandwiches, with real good bread and nice and healthy ingredients!
warmly recommended!

A nice range of options on the menu but the reality of the sandwiches is less enticing than the descriptions would suggest. It’s a pretty little space and I would recommend it for quiet work or reading in the mornings. The coffee is very good.

Went to the Parklawn South Beach location today. Such amazing food you have to try there sandwiches

I got scowled at yesterday for ordering a drink I’ve ordered many times at other coffee shops (crema, dark horse café, balzacs …). I mean a Double Americano in a cappuccino cup? Is that so hard?

Amidst the plenty of high calorie low nutrition lunch options for the office crowd Avenue is a busy but tasty option in this area. Their Illy coffee is made to perfection to your specification and is a gourmet option that is a fair competition against the coffee chains in this area.
They have a great selection of sandwiches, wraps, soups, salads and pastries.
My most recent visits I have their mushroom sandwich which is a tasty mix of sautéed mushrooms tossed in a light creamy sauce.
It gets busy but the staff are all very nice and you can find a spot with it’s quick turnover at lunch time.

(3.5 stars)
A solid breakfast or lunch option in the busy hospital row area. The simple white décor is aesthetically pleasing and makes eating/​drinking here feel a bit nicer than most counter-​service spots. It’s a great place for a work meeting or a quick catch-​up with friends in the middle of the work day. In the summer, the patio area facing University Ave. is a nice spot. They have newspapers to keep you entertained if you come alone, as well as a flat screen TV playing random movies (a bit odd).
They serve Illy espresso and Mighty Leaf teas — yummy! For breakfast, I like their cheese croissants. For lunch, there is a nice selection of sandwiches, quesedillas, and wraps, as well as 2 soups every day + side salads (caesar, greek, mixed greens, fruit). Most recently, I had the mixed mushroom sandwich on a focaccia. So flavourful and delicious, and it comes with a dollop of herb mayo which adds to its awesomeness. The side salads are pretty uneventful, but fresh. My friend likes the jerk chicken sandwich. A sandwich & side costs about $ 9.50. It’s a bit pricey, but worth it IMO.
This place gets packed between 12−1pm, so plan accordingly. If you come during that time, it might be hard to find a table. However, the staff are pretty efficient. You get a number with your order and they bring the food out to your table.

Satisfied caffeine fiend.
I decided to branch out from my daily starbucks visit and went on a coffee date with a friend of mine at Avenue instead.
The place is quite small but spacious and I found the décor to be a fabulous black and white, creative yet simple space.
The people are very friendly and efficient and they serve illy coffee!!! SCORE!!! Granted I only went there for a coffee, the food selection looked very fresh, healthy and hearty, and the prices were quite reasonable.
It’s a great place to grab a snack or beverage alone or with a small group of people/​on a break… as it has an intimate, yet casual atmosphere!

I pass by this place quite often when I walk down University Ave during my lunch walks.
I finally got here for lunch today and got myself the reversed lox sandwich with a greek salad. For $ 10, this was amazing! Great way to spend a short one-​hour lunch break.
Not only this, the place looks amazing for a café on University Ave. They serve illy coffee there too! Can’t wait to grab myself a cappuciuno there someday.

I have an immediate aversion to coffee and tea places that don’t put the tea bag into the water for you, like, at the point when the water is most hot.
This was the case with Avenue Café, she slid a cup of hot water towards me and then pointed at these weird little boxes that held fancy tea bags. To be fair, the tea itself was good (made by a company called Evolution), but I couldn’t help thinking, «how hard is it to put the bag in for me?»
I was also hoping to grab a snack while I was there, but although the décor was swanky, the sandwiches all pretty looking, all I was really looking for was a good muffin, which they were out of. Completely. Not a danish, a donut or croissant to be seen.
So.
The food at this place could be good, they just might not have what you feel like eating.