Balzac's Reference Library in Toronto

Its a decent place good drink options but it occasionally smells like homeless not a fault of the business but something to expect.

Tasty muffins and sandwiches, excellent coffee, great staff and nice library vibes

Great location spot to work from, decompress after a library visit, or meet folks near the Bloor-Yonge Station. The coffee and treats are good quality!

From the first day I arrived in Toronto I tried the Canadian Maple Latte, I loved that coffee, it has a delicious and different flavor since it is made with Maple honey. Definitely the best coffee Ive ever had.

Rude customer service.

Dont bother ordering decaf. They will charge you for a decaf Americano cause they dont have decaf coffee. Other coffee shops will honour the fact that all you wanted is a decaf coffee and charge you coffee prices. Not here. Your decaf Americano will be about $5. And the Barista will not understand how this is an issue. Besides that, atmosphere is good, pastries are always a day-old, but if you dont have an allergy to caffeine like I do, they have coffee. And its $2 less than a decaf!

Vegetarian options: Cashew cookies are great, gluten free and vegan.. Food

A cafe attached to an extremely large library. It can be difficult to secure a seat for a group during holidays. The coffee I ordered was a dark roast type blend from this store. It has a heavy bitterness and a rich coffee aroma, and it is a very high quality coffee as it costs over 300 yen for the medium size. It looks like a historical shop that also sells original goods. However, there is only one cashier, so you may have to wait for about 5 minutes depending on the situation.

The service is rude and unacceptable particularly by the Sunday late afternoon shift. If you are going to be rude to customers even after being tipped then we can always get coffee from other businesses in the street. The manager should do something about this.

I like the atmosphere and location of this café. However, the customer service is lacking. The staff were rude to each other, and they took my order incorrectly. When I asked to change it, the girl with glasses seemed upset and threw away my previous order in front of me before making the change. The café wasn t even busy at the time. Additionally, the matcha iced latte was disappointing. The matcha wasn t fully mixed and was almost white, plus it cost nearly $8. Definitely not worth it.

The matcha late cost over 8 dollars. the quality of it was really low and tasted really really fishy. Stained my mouth and hands green and felt gritty to drink. Was the worst matcha I have had and ouldnt finish it at all

Always a good choice when you are in the reference library. It can help me refill myself with coffee and water : ) Food

Beautiful place excellent service and yummy coffee and pastries!

Great resources! wonderland for readers!

A little disappointed because there was no bakery items for vegans.

Ok drinks, not the coziest the place though to hang out.

Big and beautiful

Completely part of toronto public reference library (one of the largest!). Perfect place for studying and working from home!

Good atmosphere

I wish I could give this place 0 stars:( The management is so cruel and unprofessional. All the pastries stale and it is truly a miserable place.

Coffe is ok. Staff is rude (short dark-haired girl was really pretentious).

I used to go there all the time before class but nowadays it s getting really annoying going there. I ordered iced hot chocolate and they used to do it with powder, then someone said that it was not possible to do it like that (they always do it like that), then I tried a lot of times to get the $5 gift card from the app and ask for help but the staff went super stubborn and never help me, the staff should be trained in everything (they always call for the manager to do things), it s getting worse every time, staff is not helpful at all

They did some cute latte art that I really loved

One of my favorite libraries good staff and securities quite ample space as modified with all windows rooms bright and invite you to read long hrs. there are also private rooms by booking.

got a latte, very good and pretty! nice atmosphere to study i was able to bring a lunch from the outside and no one stopped me so that s a plus for me Food

Good coffee. I think thats roasted. And for $3 its better than Starbucks.

The staff were bit rude i took a cookie that was good but really disappointed with the staff service as they were not smiling neither greeted me in a good way

I had a great experience in this location. The barista is so gentle and kind. I made a wrong order then she made the new one for me immediately and she is calm with soft tone of voice. I truly recommend this location for its customer services

Hello everyone, do not even drink water from here because there is an employee working there who has no hair, he talks like he is making fun of people and does not look at peoples faces.

One of my favourites is buying a fresh brew and taking it inside the library with a good book.

Friend got a matcha latte from here and said the sugar specifications weren t good so it ended up tasting a bit more strong and bitter

We all need some Balzac in our lives

Okay, slightly burnt espresso. For $7 for the 12oz oat milk cookie latte, I was expecting an actual cookie taste, but it was essentially just a latte for me. Hot chocolate is average. 5/5 for the Earl Grey, it was one of the strongest and most complex tasting Earl Grey teas Ive had from a cafe. The baristas are very sweet!

The ladies here are lovely and my kids love their cookies. They are huge! My special favourite thing is their hazelnut mocha. So lovely :) I also find the large table to throw me off but my kids dont seem to mind it so gonna live with it!

This could be a charming place, but the service and attention are almost lacking

not worth the steep price, especially when the baristas project the feeling that they hate you for ordering anything. but the location is pretty

Some of the best coffee around

Cafe and library dont work as a pair. The staff made up for lots but they cant change the location.

It s nice that there is a place to get something to drink right inside the library. Both service, atmosphere and my matcha latte were okay. However beside the convenient location there is no reason why I would go there before another place. So my rating is a solid middle of three stars. Vegetarian options: Vegan milk options.

Good and reasonably priced coffee in Toronto. I was happy when ones employee, Christina, asked for here or to go? and clarified for here in a mug or cup?, encouraging customers to make the sustainable choice. Its hard to find many cafes encouraging reusables.

Love it

This is in the top 1% cafe vibes in the city hands downs

Expensive but good coffee and food to enjoy while at the Toronto reference library.

Good but typical

Quiet place to sit and enjoy a cup of coffee at the end of the day. Thanks!

Ive rent from the library and I sat in the Cafe with my friends who ordered. Unfortunately, I didnt order anything but the atmosphere of both the Cafe and library are comforting.

Coffee is really just average, London fog is a joke. However their pastries are good. Staffs I encountered are all cold and robotic. Honestly, robots probably would do better than them. No I ll not tip to have a piece of cookie to go lol especially with that attitude.

They have some amazing coffee and croissants here. A nice place to sit and work

UPDATE: Balzacs reached out to me via email to resolve the customer service experience. They had a regional director visit the store and try to understand the situation, ensured employees would know how to handle said situation in the future, and also provided me with a response acknowledging a valid complaint, while sharing their perspective. I am impressed with Balzacs management/leadership here to make the extra effort to respond to me and my girlfriends issue. Im changing the review given just how much care the company has showed. Thank you Balzacs! Old Review Below: Be wary of the customer service at this location. Me and my girlfriend had a horrible experience - and this is coming from fans of Balzacs. My office goes for Balzacs runs and she studied at Balzacs through her schooling. My girlfriends phone battery had died and she remembered that some Balzacs locations offered chargers to patrons. We walked in and asked the cashier if they had a spare charger for customers we could borrow. The cashier asked Apple or Android? - We said Android. They unplugged a charger from an outlet behind them examined the port, and put it down in front of us. We thanked them and expressed how grateful we were to get the charger. We ordered a drink and tipped generously for the help. When I went to get a seat, my girlfriend ordered and went to grab the charger, but this cashier stopped her and took the charger away from her. They then grinned at my girlfriend and proceeded to help the next customer. We proceeded to go ask for a manager to share our experience and were told we dont have management here and thats not how we operate. We then proceeded to voice our concerns to the employees that would listen. They were just as confused by our story. What was bad was these other employees had to apologize on their behalf, and the employee who was the source of the problem stood there listening to all of it - did not bother to say anything. We wanted to share this feedback because we enjoy Balzacs but be leery of the customer service at this specific location.

Best coffee in my opinion!

Ginger cookies are delicious!

Very convenient location on Yonge St and near the Reference Library.

Good restaurant and coffee shop and friendly staff. Service tables are not clean and the chairs and floors are dirty. Clean spaces are essential for health and sanity

Busy place.

Service was nice and iced brownie was sooo good (much better than from Starbucks). Flat white and brownie is a perfect combo for $9. They also don t use plastic lids for coffee cups that is a plus for me.

Great coffee one of the best in Ontario for my taste and for a chain shop, simple menu, fast service, convenient, this locations adds a good vibe.

It has a big space, it s useful If you need to stop or wait for someone, but I think the coffee could be better, it s burned. And is not a place to stay to long because the chairs aren t comfortable. I can t judge the desserts, but they seem to have a good quality.

Good spot to hack away at your book

I expected more but the coffee did not meet my expectation. Tasted bitter and burnt. Not worth the price.

I like flat white

I believe many girls have awful experience like this- ordered less ice but got a cup full of ice it is not insane like you think and you said about I ordered the iced drink with only three ice cubes your staffs need more training regarding to this and your cookie is frozen too - it seems was taken out from fridge and given to me directly. follow up after one hour I got diarrhea after having your drink and cold cookie .my ten bucks spent here is a waste ..

Most romantic cafe in downtown

Their pastry selection is simply delightful, featuring a variety of delicious treats such as muffins, scones.

Balzacs coffee is always good and this location inside the Reference Library is no exception. Fresh decor and windows along Yonge St make it a bright space where friends gather. It can sometimes feel a little pretentious and overpriced but the convenience factor wins the day for me and I always stop in when Im visiting the library.

The ladies are mistreating if you dont hit a tip

You cant beat A cafe within one of the largest libraries in toronto.

Great coffee and great staff! Warm and welcoming atmosphere!

Love this Balzac - the fact that TPL is right there gives it such a cozy vibe.

Always high quality coffee and treats.

This coffee shop in the Reference Library is first rate. Good coffee and great service.

I like Balzac s I really do! It is very disappointing when it s 5 minutes to closing and the staff refuses your business. If you close at 5:55 then say that. Food

Ive had no better coffee anywhere. When I read about coffee in a book, maybe hear a podcast about a soldier shivering with coffee in a canteen, a salior somewhere in the forbbiden lands of the antarctic, hands down Balzacs coffee if what I imagine the human race drinks. Or should drink. Of will drink? Look, its great. I cant make you taste it with words. If I could Id be some flavour magician and thats just wierd. So go find it and taste it. As my most trusted firend say of The Farmers blend, Its like drinking a cup of chocolate. Only just ealier today she stated: Also running super low on coffee. Need to get some tomorrow.... Luv my new coffee. This was for followed (within the time is takes for a taste magic particle mixed with caffeine to near instantaneously declare Dont by [Redacted] at all anymore Also, the reference library in TO is kitty corner to my office. Its made my commute much more delicious and awesome. Go Canada and Southern Ontario! Please open one in Brantford!!!!! Pretty please! I can bake and make wikced pickles. Most sincerely, FJQ

Baristas all look very sad and gave me a hard time when I clicked no tip on the machine. I thought this was a one-off but came back again and had the same experience. Not the most friendly staff, thats for sure. The guy looked at me like Id just shot his dog. Coffee is ok, not worth $7.

Lots of books. Too bad I cant read.

Good study spot

Nice spot to take a coffee. The staff is really kind and patient.

Good café, good service, good products

Great coffee

The worst coffee in town. People are forced to buy it from here, since they own the place right beneath the library. Otherwise, NOBODY would bother to go there.

Better than Starbucks.

It s a nice to have a cafe next to a public library. I didn t say anything about my order being forgotten, but the latte with maple syrup was sweet and delicious as always Cafe Canadiem L $6.25

Friendly staff, a bit noisy despite almost the store located at reference library.

A great coffee shop with great food and a nice atmosphere. Give it a go, you wont be disappointed!

Great place for studying .

Had a nice cappuccino here the other day. Good atmosphere for having a drink with a friend, reading or meeting with a small group. Some people working, other people socializing. Didnt try any of the food but our drinks came out fast. Latte art included.

So, better the goldstruck! Just the right coffee you need. Food : 5/5

The main reason Ive been here a few times is because of its convenient location. But the drink I ordered fell short of my expectations for flavor. Positively, there is a nice atmosphere at the place and the service was good.

Very nice little café in the heart of downtown Toronto next to the Toronto Public Library (which is magnificent by the way). I had a cold matcha oat latte which was excellent. I recommend this place.

The Good: The space is good, generally clean, and clear bathrooms. Coffee is fine. The Bad: Location has only large cups, if you dont order a large, youll get a very small coffee regardless of what you order, but delivered in a large cup. Having this happen once wouldnt be an issue, but its happened 5 times now, when I said something I begrudgingly received at most 1/2 ounce more, as if I was trying to rip them off. I messaged their head office 5 days ago and received only an auto update that they would forward the issue to management. It takes a lot for me to have to come and write a not so great review, but here I am... There are lots of coffee shops in the area, I suggest trying a different one, this one doesnt care about our business.

My usual picks at any cafe are a latte and a croissant, and its fascinating how these common choices can vary so much between different establishments. Balzac s brightens my mornings.

Ive been a regular at the Balzacs Reference Library for a very long time because I work nearby. However, Ive been disappointed with the coffee lately. I always order a medium cappuccino with macadamia nut milk because I cant drink regular milk. This coffee is not cheap. With a tip, it amounts to over $8, but it was worth it to me to have an enjoyable cup of coffee in the morning. In the past the baristas made this beautifully and it actually looked and tasted like a cappuccino. However, the current baristas are either not capable or dont feel like putting the energy into creating a decent macadamia nut cappuccino (doesnt look or taste like a cappuccino), so, Balzacs, you lost my business. I suggest you put more time and effort into training your new baristas and do some quality assurance because Im sure Im not the only one thats noticed the decline.

Loved the macadamia milk for the strong coffee..

Comfy space for individuals and for conversation in small groups, good coffee

Great space to sit, sip, and work! The oat milk chai was good. ( I think its Chai Co.?) My scone was also great. Staff were very helpful.

Nice, convenient place. Friendly staff. Not near as crazy busy as it used to be.

Coffee is amazing staff are so cool and friendly

Im usually hesitant to leave negative reviews based on one experience, but Im inclined to believe that this is typical. I came to the library, and decided to get a latte while Im here. I made the unfortunate decision to get the Golden Latte. I hate payment terminals that nag you to tip; I picked up my own order, what am I tipping for? Pay your workers better! Anyways, with a modest tip, this tiny portion (350mL?) came out to over $8! I had to ask to make sure they gave me the large size that I asked for (they did). Now, onto the drink itself. DO NOT get the Golden Latte. I really doubt anyone would actually like this thing, at least not the way it was prepared for me. It is downright disgusting and not drinkable. If youve ever had raw Tumeric, this was basically a good latte with a ton of raw tumeric dumped in. It was so bitter and unappetizing. Its possible that the barista accidentally put too much Tumeric in my drink, but I dont have any reason to suspect that The only reason Im giving this place 2 stars, despite being served an $8 drink that I couldnt take more than a few sips out of, is the friendly staff, the nice seating, and the location.

Best coffee in the city

Barista dropped my iced brownie frosting down in the bag so when I pick it up all the frosting gets stuck to the bottom of the bag.

Super friendly staff, yummy food, reliable wifi, clean washrooms, lots of space, and access to power outlets. Perfect to work for a while :-)

Tried their matcha latte and it was great!

Walked in, got a perfectly made Café Canadien, and then took an online course at the Library. Cant ask for much more if Im honest.

Sulky staff.

Good coffee and pastries

Nice atmosphere, very good coffee and friendly staff!!

Nice place and good coffee but the baristas are clueless

Carrot cake - good but I already forgot I ate it. Was just ok. Friendly staff. Coffee americano nice.

Good Coffee

Definitely benefits from being next to the library. Every time I do some work there I fall into the trap. Coffee really is not good, though not the worst Ive tried in the city. Toronto coffee standards are pretty low.

Weird coffee ever. Dont buy it. Guys remove this item from menu. Over bitter.

The atmosphere and the drinks were really nice; however, the customer service was terrible. The barista guy was extremely rude and unwelcoming. His whole attitude was like we are not welcome nice location but probably won t come back

Nitro Cold Brew looks nice, tastes terrible. Costs about 5 dollars but wouldn t even worth a buck. The place is nice. Normal coffee selections are okay. Staff is friendly and helpful. Just don t drink that one.

Good coffee Vegetarian options: Yes

Large dark roast. Always hot, freshly brewed and delicious.

I just ordered a matcha latte oat milk to go. got it with regular milk.. why do I pay extra for oat milk but then get regular milk. I am lactose intolerant, I hope this will remind them to not forget changing the milk when requested. Sigh what a waste

Bad service experience . How can we expect the coffee we should pay up to $5 tasted like water. And also the staff was so rude.

Atmosphere is good. Cookies are good. The coffee is NOT good. Tastes burnt and definitely not worth the high prices.

Very accessible to those in the library. Clean

Gorgeous and a perfect place to work and study

This place hits. It nails everything when it comes to a big space with lots of seating. Should be a remote work staple. Gets dinged though because its part of the library and a chain. Reduces the authenticity factor by a smidge. Vibe - 4/5 Seating - 5/5 Space - 5/5 Wifi - 5/5 Coffee - 4/5 Bathrooms - 3/5

Unfriendly staff and hot chocolate taste was like water unfortunately

Totally love the atmosphere and the aroma of coffee brewing and the donuts and muffins and backed goods . The perfect place anytime day or night to sit and have a cup of tea or coffee and grab a bite to eat. The seating arrangement is great for working individually or in a group. The cafe has access and is in a great location. The staff are friendly and helpful. Five stars for trying your best and it shows .

amazing choice of a location

Cute. Little pricey but so good!

Nice place to work on your own or friends. Attached to a big library

Smaller cafe inside the Toronto Reference Library. The coffee is always really good.

Coffee taste little bit burn, and it s extremely hot. The place so cozy and just beside the library

Dude on cash was friendly and understanding, I didnt feel rushed at all. But girl on bar definitely needs an attitude check, barely even acknowledged me at the handoff. $10 for a medium coffee and a cookie didnt exactly scream regular occurrence to me either. Take your money and support a local café.

Fresh cookies (oatmeal raisin cookies and brownies) and delicious chai latte. Good service in a great location Food

I ordered almond milk but they gave with regular milke which cause me a digestion problem.

A great place for a quick snack, although it can be expensive.