This spot screams Mile End. I LOVE it! The coffee, food and decor are spot-on, and the staff is great... however, my last two visits are keeping me from rating a full 5 stars. I usually order the eggs Benny, which are always delicious, but wasn't too thrilled to receive two tiny pieces of toast and overly poached eggs. I also recently tried the poutine, which was absolutely awful. The potatoes were undercooked, the cheese wasn't melted (I think it had been sitting out for a while because everything was lukewarm) and there was barely any flavour.
Aside from that, I really love Arts Cafe. Such a nice restaurant in a wonderful neighbourhood.