Soon to complete my big list of Indie coffee joints in Toronto I knew I had to get Thor Espresso Bar on the list as I've herd nothing but good about this place since it opened. The espresso bar itself is, as others have said, off the beaten path near Wellington and Bathurst. The place takes up a corner end of a street, a smallish cafe with windows for walls feeling much more open than it is. The decor is primary white offset with a beautiful mural on the wall of Thor and his hammer amidst the sea (note not the comic version of Thor).
If you've herd about Thor Espresso Bar you most likely have also herd that they are a proud owner of a rarely seen "Slayer" espresso machine. A simple but elegant espresso machine with huge chrome group heads and wooden levers. It also, with a competent barista, extracts wonderful espresso shots. Indeed that is exactly what I got, as the barista ground up some of their house blend espresso (roasted up special order by Social Coffee Company) and pulled a perfect shot from the Slayer. The espresso was fruity without being tart and well balanced. Me likey!
I also partook in a choco-banana muffin (my other weakness) which was baked up locally at some bakery named Leslie...Something or other, I think. Yummy muffin anyways, thumbs up. As for the prices of food and coffee they tend to be about average to slightly above average comparably to other indie coffee joints.
What else to say...They got a cute Thor/Valkyrie cartoon on the washroom door, they also serve burritos and other more substantial edibles beyond simple pastries and they also have bottles of water with small glasses available if you need extra hydration.
I recommend worth the visit if you are in the area.