Voulez Vous Cafe

This is an adorable little spot with great outdoor seating, friendly staff, a cue interior, and delicious baked goods (make sure you sample the cookies!)

Fabulous cappuccino, warm, welcoming and down to earth atmosphere, great selection of baked goods and meals. A really welcome addition to the neighbourhood.

Thanks to Sean, the owner here, I now know how to make my wife a more nearly-​perfect latte. He showed me how to hold back the foam so it all ends up at the top of the cup and makes two per cent milk taste and feel like cream.
That extra level of skill and attentiveness to customer relations comes from an owner-​operator. One of the nice things about indie coffee shops is that they are operated by owner-​operators. A nation of shop-​keepers, as they used to call the Brits, can also be a nation of socially and otherwise skilled people who express themselves through their work and relationships.
The chapter on food jobs in my book, Food for City Building, expresses that hope for the future of food in Toronto and elsewhere, and I thank Sean and his secret latte methods for bringing that ideal to life. Wayne r

Great coffee. Would almost be a great place to work, except the loud (cute, but loud) kids that tend to come in.

I’ve gone way out of my way for an Americano from here, so good! Everything is made with love, and the owner is a super nice guy — so it tastes great, and feels good to spend my $ here :)

I’ve been looking for good non-​chain coffee since falling in love with Stumptown Coffee Roasters (of Portland, OR). Had little luck until someone brought me an iced latte from Voulez Vous and instantly, it was like a rich, caramelly cup of Hair Bender was in my hands.
Went back again today, and it’s just as good, even with skim milk. They use ice cubes made of coffee, so the drink never dilutes. It’s rich and naturally sweet because of the beans they choose to serve with iced drinks (I asked).
Had a coconut blueberry muffin along with. Not sure of the fat content, but it was light and not too sweet. Delicious.
The ambience in here is very indie and comfortable and polite and quiet. Lots of different places to sit, free wifi.
I will be back.

Fun spot. Great food, coffee, and service.

Awesome neighbourhood café… i love dropping in. Good Food. Great Coffee.

A great, low-​key, neighbourhood coffee shop. Damn fine coffee, baked goods made on-​site, and bread from the bakery next door.

Walked in late (almost closing time!) but still got a quality latte and great customer service. Lots of great baked goods. Would come here again in a heart beat.

This is a very relaxing café with woodsy accents and pretty digital art prints that I could see myself hanging out in until closing time, if Leslieville was my area (which it sadly isn’t – having said that, one of my 2012 New Year’s Resolutions is to make one trip to Leslieville per season).
Besides the typical coffee-​based beverages that you’d expect in a café, Voulez-​Vous Café also carries a tea menu with a variety of black teas, rooibos and herbal teas (sorry green/​white tea fans, but the selections for green/​white teas is a little small). Food served in the morning includes bakery pastries such as croissants, scones, brownies and bars; if you want something healthier, there’s also granola bars and yogurt with granola and fruit. The menu board also advertised brunch on Saturday and Sunday, although I didn’t get a chance to try those.
I enjoyed the double espresso as well as the chocolate pecan bar as my midmorning snack. I also ordered a chocolate-​coconut rooibos since I wanted to linger a little longer; unfortunately, the taste of chocolate-​coconut didn’t exactly come through in the rooibos (I’ve had more intensely-​flavoured rooibos at David’s Tea).
Voulez-​Vous Café has a nice patio, which I never got out to enjoy because it was winter…
Side note: It would be nice if the web site can be updated and made accessible to the public. Currently the only thing that happens when you click in is a username/​password screen.

VIBE
With a French name, it has a French vibe. Swirly accoutrements on the doors or the chalkboard; a big rectangular wooden table adorned with a globe (one of the former co-​owners was a flight attendant) and newspapers strewn about really feel like you’ve walked into your own kitchen in the morning. Classic pop (like the Beatles) in the background adds to the ambiance. It’s a very welcoming feeling. This is a great local meeting point for East Enders or an excuse to get comfortable in those plush royal velvet chairs. Shawn, the owner is one of the nicest guys you’ll ever meet. His part time staff are also friendly and helpful (but please fix the on and off wi-​fi!).
I EAT/​ATE /​/​DRINK/​DRANK
Their chai latte is a bit off mark, a bit too sweet for my liking. I’m not an espresso drinker but friends enjoy it. I really like their iced teas. I just had their blood orange and it was full of flavor! With a little bit of sugar added, it was a refreshing afternoon delight. Voila! There are many pastries available for purchase including freshly baked bread and croissants I could have eaten by the half dozen.
OBLIGATORY CATCHY REMARK
Voulez vous a return visit? Why, yes I do. Merci beaucoup!

I’ve found my new homework home! This fantastic café is right at the end of my street. It has truly eclectic décor — giant pinecones on the mantel and a bowling ball accent, anyone? A glowing elektra espresso machine, chalk boards hanging overhead, gorgeous wood tables with molded wood chairs, and an electric fireplace complete the welcoming room. Lots of window space, with what look like rolling doors to create a more airy space in the warmer months. Billy Joel on the speakers, which is a nice change from hearing one super hip band or another.
And the most delicious double mocha I’ve had in a good long time, served in a tall glass tumbler. The soothing chocolate perfectly balances the full roastiness of the espresso and creates an amazing, warming late afternoon bevvie. I will be back, and often!

Love that there is a good café down the road, but first and foremost, the bread. I can unreservedly say that the baguettes, the sourdough boules, the multigrain rolls (all the produce of Le Matin, the bakery behind Voulez Vous) are the best bread I have ever had.

this is a very cute café with a bakery right next door that provides them with a source of french croissants and other deliciousness.
they have a cute patio outside.
the menu is mostly desserts/​bakery and coffee/​tea. there are few panini on the menu too. but they looked small for actual food=) the milk shake though is amaaaaazing! freshly made — huge portion and costs $ 4.25 with taxes.

Great place. I used to come here when it was IDEAL COFFEE-​love the new place so much more. It is bright and airy with a lovely array of seating options. The barrista was charming and friendly. Huge windows, great selection of mags. A great place to hang out to read, write, think and watch the world go by. The latte could have had more espresso (almost identical to a latte I had at bulldog). Will have the macchiato next time. One thing we need more of in Toronto are flat-​whites. Terrific place. Love the atmosphere. Love the vibe. Makes one want to move to Leslieville.

I shoulda listened to Greg C’s advice and ordered an espresso. I tried a sip of his during the CMYE: East (er) End Espresso Crawl II and immediately got a bad case of coffee envy. With no trace of bitterness, the espresso was super smooth and the crema so thick and rich, it was practically like coffee gelato.
Sadly, all those subtleties were lost in my caffe latte; the flavor was drowned out by the overload of steamed milk.
The café itself is lovely and the patio encourages lingering on a sunny day with chatty friends or for those lone, pensive afternoons when you want people to think you’re writing scintillating thoughts in your Moleskine notebook.

I really like this spot. Very cool staff (the one guy looks like David Usher!), relaxed, large communal table, outdoor patio — overall a great place to spend your afternoon soaking up your vitamin D.
As stop number 4 on the CMYE East (er) End Espresso Crawl, we were all well into our caffinated mode. This was the only spot that I decided to have a little nosh with my joe. I opted for the chocolate pecan butter tart, and boy am I glad I did! Very delish — a cross between a chocolate shortbread and your grandma’s butter tart.
I loved that my coffee came in a glass. The texture was great and was for sure an excellent choice pour moi. Adeel and Will opted for the machiatto and seemed to be in java heaven. Greg went true to the crawl and had the espresso and was showing and teaching us the beauty of the VV’s espresso. Susan had a sip and she was totally on the Greg VV vibe.
I will be back to this spot again and again. I will also be singing ABBA every time I go as well (
)

I love it here, and I feel bad visiting too often. I don’t want owners Sean and Julie to kick me to the curb, or worse, start charging me rent — I already pay it just around the corner, but the décor and atmosphere here are oodles more inviting.
The formerly uninspired home of Ideal Coffee has been transformed into a cozy and well appointed café peppered with details in shades of cyan and verdigris — from the coffee machine itself to the fireplace and clay water carafes. The counter itself is made up of old wooden doors, and there are large menu chalkboards on the walls.
The seating is communal and inviting — there is a large table perfect for spreading out the pages of your future screenplay as well as some smaller ‘date’ appropriate two tops, armchairs and a series of stools at the window where a killer selection of current magazines ranging from Nylon and Real Simple to Condé Nast Travel and Dwell await. This is a magazine lover’s dream (yes, we still exist). The music is consistently good and unobtrusive — a perfect backdrop.
They sell my favourite local brand of tea here — Tea In The Sahara — as well as two other local offerings. However, it’s the coffee that’s the real star of the show here: Sean, a veritable 21^st century Adonis of a man, pulls a killer shot of espresso. I have never had a bad capp by his nimble fingers.
In future months there will be more food options, but for now you can enjoy baked goods like scones and muffins to tide you over. I also see additional patio furniture in Voulez Vous’ future. The only way this five star café could inch its way closer to my heart would be to have later hours for those of us that scoff at caffeine curfews.
I’m moving in!

Finally made it over to check out Voulez Vous Café, as per Greg C’s whole-​hearted recommendation.
I’ve taken a few minutes to clean my palate and really give er’ a go while stacking up to other Leslieville indie coffee shop powerhouses, Te Aro and Mercury Espresso.
The taste of their Americano’s. absolutely fantastic. I don’t claim to be a coffee connoisseur, but the full-​bodied taste and after taste will make you wanna come back.
I’m not going to write as a comprehensive review as Greg as he pretty much hits the nail on the head, but I want to say a thing or two about the owners, Sean and Julie — they’re totally chill and very client service oriented — especially Julie.
Because of Julie’s extensive travels of her career, she brings in beans from all over the world, which will definitely be an asset to their upcoming cupping sessions, which I will definitely look out for.
they’ve got a very «indie feel» to it. they’ve got a communal feel like Dark Horse. and traditional tables, as well as a patio. and even a fireplace. Great spot for a evening coffee in the morning or coffee date even.
Hip Hip hooray for more indie coffee joints raising the bar for not only Leslieville, but the Toronto coffee scene overall!

As anticipation built in Leslieville for the arrival of an Ideal Coffee location, so did expectations. Sad to say, it didn’t have the quality control to keep up with the east end’s multiplying indie joints. So, to say I was sad to see it shutter it’s doors would be stretching it a little bit. They were good but the burnt aftertaste and some poorly pulled espressos really didn’t make me want to return.
When I heard ANOTHER (!?) café was opening up in it’s place, it felt more predictable than a Garry Marshall movie. Enter Voulzez-​Vous Café and I’m happy to report there’s a new playah in town ready to throw it’s weight with the big boys (in skinny hipster jeans).
How do you differentiate yourself from on insanely overcrowded market? How about having the co-owner’s wife (who works as a flight attendant) source beans from around the world. When you finally arrive at a tri-​continental blend, you test out 50 (!) roasters and then opt to go local and organic with Classic Gourmet Coffee, which operates in Concord, Ontario. That’s right, no shipping from BC or Chicago.
You taste the difference in a wonderfully pulled shot that you swear is all crema. There is no harsh or burnt aftertaste here. just pure complex flavour that’ll stay with your palette after you’ve left the shop.
Props to the insanely friendly co-​owner Sean who is the most laid back and friendly dude I’ve come across in the bidness. They’re hoping to introduce baked goods down the line but they have great muffins in stock now.
Dude (ettes) give this place a shot NOW!