Red Star Cafe

Red Star Café is the new inhabitant of the beautifully crafted bar formerly occupied by Lit Espresso Bar in the Burroughes building at Queen and Bathurst. Cleverly named, this little coffee pocket takes a cue from it’s parent company’s logo: Design Republic (insert red star here).
Red Star Café is using Reunion Island coffee roasters located out in Oakville, Ontario. They are also blending up fruit smoothies, and serving baked goods from circles and squares.
Being the new café on the block, I ordered an espresso to sample what Red Star had to offer. I was a little caught off guard when my double espresso was being pulled in two: one side pouring into a ceramic espresso cup, the other into paper. Instinctively i reached for the ceramic cup but was corrected and given the paper one instead (the barista sampled the ceramic cup). This was my first taste of Reunion Island and I wasn’t too impressed. While the nose and initial taste weren’t too obtrusive, the finish was like black licorice. Another patron had approached the bar at this point and he and the barista started to gab. I really just wanted to order a bottle of water and pay, but they were caught up in conversation.
A friend of mine was meeting me at Red Star to catch up, but when the barista left the bar to talk bikes with the patron, we decided to go elsewhere.
Barista, friend, or sale associate? I wasn’t too sure.
Honourable Mentions:
— Real fruit smoothies made to order
— Front bar area facing Queen west — good for people watching