Balzac's Distillery District

Antique and unique interior with well balanced coffee, but not so many seats available. The interior was definitely attractive. However, the cafe was too focused on how it looked that they didn’t leave many room for the seats. Especially during winter, the seats are mainly limited to indoor, but there were roughly 3-4 tables on the first floor and 10ish on the second floor. So it wouldn’t be a bad idea to get the sport first and then order. The americano was well-balanced. Not too bitter or acidic, but definitely closer to dark roast. Overall, it was nice place to checkout.

Smashing IT! ☕😁☕️ Historical Site. This is by far the most charming place to have coffee in Toronto. Nestled in the heart of the historical Distillery District, Balzac has done a fabulous job in maintaining the historical significant of the building they serve coffee in. This building is definitely an eye wonder that you can't take your eyes off. So pull up a chair and savor the coffee or tea that you just ordered because you're going to want to hang out Herr for a long time to take in all of its wonderful splendor.

Probably my favorite coffee place. Set in the Distillery District, the building itself is worth visiting alone. The interior has loads of coffee paraphernalia from times passed. Upstairs has seating which overlooks downstairs. ( There are notices about unauthorized photography, which I respected so I didn't take any.) It has an old charm about it. The coffee is very good. I visited during the Distillery District Christmas festival so they had a range of seasonal lattes, along with their signatures. They have a range of alternative milks, including macadamia milk. The Canadian Maple Latte had all the maple flavor, without being overly sweet. The seasonal honey and cardamom latte with macadamia milk was warming, soothing comfort in a cup. Hope they keep it.

As a coffee shop enthusiast, I’ve been to a LOT all over the world. Let me begin by saying, Balzacs is hands down- one of the most beautiful ones I’ve been too! Located in a historic power house with bare minimum updates to keep the historic vibe, this coffee shop is STUNNING! You are literally walking into a piece of history while enjoying amazing coffee! Double win! Besides the stunning building, pieces of history & adorable upstairs dining area to overlook the first floor - they serve amazing coffee! Iced latte was great & my partner loved his oat milk hot chocolate. Come here if you love historical buildings, a chill coffee house vibe or just wanting a caffeine pick me up while venturing Toronto!

We got our hot chocolate when the shift was changing, the person (man) was like "whatever " twirling the whipped cream. So i ordered 2 and see the difference.. my daughter was so upset..cos the best part of drinking expensive hot chocolate is the whipped cream, and the experience, and the pictures.. but she ended up choosing my kid size hot chocolate because the whipped cream was much more better. But for $11 hot chocolate, I expect better service. Eventho the shift changing..

Nice and cozy place in the Distillery District. Good coffee. Their lemonade is very good, but their Desert Pear Sparkling Lemonade is simply fantastic. Their carrot cake is one of the best I’ve ever had; very moist and creamy.

My friends and I went to try out their hot chocolate. They normally have a really long line but it was rainy so I think we lucked out. I like how they have a separate booth in front of the store just for their specialty hot chocolates. Honestly they all sound delicious, but I selected the s’mores hot chocolate because of the flaming marshmallow. In terms of aesthetic, the presentation is a 5/5. The generous amount of whipped cream, burning marshmallow, and chocolate syrup is a great touch. In terms of taste, it is around a 3.5/5? Maybe 4/5? It’s your average hot chocolate with a spritz of liquid smoke to give you the taste of campfire. In my opinion, I think it’s a bit too strong, but I understood the vibe they were going for. It’s something that I’ll get once to try, but I personally wouldn’t order this again. Maybe next time I’ll try the cookie hot chocolate? As for the tiramisu hot chocolate, my friend would also rate it around a 3.75/5. It’s your average hot chocolate with a generous amount of chocolate on top of the whipped cream and a lovely lady finger. It was good, but you expect more for a $10 hot chocolate.

We went at around 8 am. It was minimally crowded with a couple of people waiting in line. The lady at the counter took our order. While we were waiting for the food and beverage to get ready, I walked to check out the upstairs section. The store itself is beautiful, with an old world aesthetic that is very pleasing to the eye. As I returned to the ground floor, I was told that I am not allowed to take photos with my camera, only cell phone photos were permissible. I quickly complied since the 40mm lens was not the right fit to capture the beauty of the expansive store. We collected our food, a ginger cookie, bacon and egg sandwich, and a mocha, and elected to sit outside. While eating we were surprisingly and jovially interrupted by brazen sparrows looking for a morning feed. The food was very average. The sandwich, usually a reliable bet, was rather soggy and tasteless. The mocha was pretty good. All in all, a great store from an aesthetic perspective but average in terms of a breakfast destination.