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| - Classic three-and-a-bit stars. A resounding 'it was quite good but could be much better' verdict.
Maybe my expectations were too high. I had heard great things about the relative cosiness of this café (seriously, why is it such a rarity in Toronto to have cafes with sofas and armchairs????) and its value for money. As such, I didn't mind travelling some distance on a lazy Saturday wanting to try it out.
The 'cosiness' let me down a bit. Although having two small tables surrounded by sofas and armchairs is impressive by Toronto's generally utilitarian 'grab n go' style cafes, it still wasn't anything remarkable. That being said, a cosy chair is a cosy chair and I jumped right in alongside my amazingly-priced Americano (2.45 for a medium) and crème donut (99 cents!)
The espresso in the coffee was really good and a nice change from the bitter dark roasts which are so popular these days. The espresso was slightly sweet in what tasted like a medium-to-dark roast. Really good and refreshing. The crème donut was a really generous size for the price and quite delicious - crispy on the outside with sugary, thick cream on the inside.
The prices were pretty outstanding. As well as the 99 cents crème donut, Nova Era offer breakfast sandwiches for 2.50, HUGE slabs of tiramisu for just 2.20 and lunch wraps and sandwiches for something around the 4 dollar mark. I literally thought I was seeing things! Absolutely fantastic value to be found here on all products.
Unfortunately, the service was unwelcoming and generally poor. It was my first time in the café and I wanted to browse the menu and the baked goods and see what was on offer before ordering. I was put under pressure to order ASAP even though the place wasn't busy. Despite the fact that it was a very cold day outside, I was craving an iced coffee. I noticed the menu listed iced cappuccinos and iced coffee, so I was a bit taken aback when I ordered an iced coffee and was sharply told ''we don't have that.'' Ok. Maybe take it off the menu then? The donut and Americano was brought to the table in surly silence by another staff member, and when I went to pay at the till, there was a bit of hullaballoo about me having to produce a receipt listing the items that I ordered. This wouldn't have bothered me, only I never received a receipt initially when the food was delivered to the table, so all the drama about asking me to show them one was a bit awkward.
The entire place was a bit grimy and the walls could definitely use a repainting. The fact that customers have to be 'buzzed' into the washroom by staff sort of contributes to the grimy, anti-customer friendly feel.
The produce was very good and the prices were great. If I lived nearby, I think I would definitely be a regular in the mornings for a take-out coffee and treat. But the general vibe of the staff and atmosphere of the café ensures that I won't be in a rush to return here for some leisurely weekend laziness any time soon. Easily a four-star for a take-out place, but considerably less if you want a more relaxing experience - which I definitely did the day I visited.
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