The Common

I hate to go against the grain here, but I’m not a fan.
Poorly balanced, over extracted coffee, more vibe than flavour. Long lines and attitudes.
Clearly they’ve made a good name for themselves with events and location, but look elsewhere for where this city’s going with coffee. Haven’t eaten the food so I can’t comment.
Just my piece. Take it for what it’s worth.

It’s like pretentiousness meets dive bar, with a side of ehh, it’s neat I guess. I guess I’m always bewildered at the grime of it all, but no one seems to mind. I usually avoid it because I don’t want to have to worry about not finding a seat. I wouldn’t go just for the coffee. It’s tasty, it’s well priced. But at the end of the day it’s not THAT great.

Best latte I’ve had in a long while and very affordable. Cookies are great too. Quiet vibe, a lot of people with laptops. Decent amount of seating for a smaller space. Will definitely be back when I’m in the neighbourhood.

The place was an unsanitary disaster during my visit! There were grinds everywhere, the espresso machine hadn’t been wiped in at least 8 hrs I am sure, all the milk was left unchilled and disarrayed, but the most disgusting thing was watching the barista file her nails directly beside the milk steaming jugs.
My iced soy mocha was decent and the service was acceptable, by hipster standards, but that place needs to clean up!

$ 2.50 for the most amazing small cappuccino made with organic milk. No menu on the wall — that’s how exclusive it is lulz. But really, if you walk into a place like this, you know what you want and you know how much it’ll cost. I love the dark wooden tables and old dollar bills on the walls powdered with grinded espresso. Ladies here are almost always wearing high waisted bottoms of sorts. Men are almost always in tattoos of sorts. Nice glasses are always a staple on customers’ faces.

My friend performs here sometimes so I come to support him. It’s a really tiny venue but they always manage to fit everyone (and their instruments in). There was once a nine-​person group performing, and they handled it fine.
The place gets really full. So if you wanna see a show or grab a beer, plan to be here before 9 or 10pm. Otherwise, you probably won’t get a table. Past 11pm, you won’t get a chair.
They have a decent selection of beer and it’s reasonably priced. I feel bad for the lonely bartender/​server cause she has like 50 people to deal with, but she manages it efficiently and sans attitude.
Crowd is hipster-​lite. People in their 20s and 30s, some with visible tattoos. No clue why but always more dudes than women. Everyone’s pretty nice and chatty. Decent place to make new friends.

Effing good coffee!
This charming place is a little gem hidden along college street. I’ve only been here a handful of times, always in the afternoon, and it’s jam packed and noisy! It’s not where I go to work on my great canadian novel, but it is perfect for those times when you’re looking for a strong and solid (not to mention tasty!) espresso. It reminds me a little of Montréal.
The brown sugar (or was it raw?) and the organic milk are a nice touch and much appreciated as someone who tries to be conscious of all this stuff. It is a cute place where people hang out with their bikes and little dogs and adorable hats out front.
WRAP IT UP: I’m only giving it ³⁄₅ because it’s been crazy busy every time I’ve been here and I like my coffee shops to have a dreaminess to them. But as far as coffee goes, superb!

this is a great coffee shop, i come from Dundas and Grace to buy Americano here, only $ 2., unchanged for the past few years. I gladly pay another 50 cents as tip. They have a choice of dark roast or medium roast, which most coffee shops i have not seen. Giving you a choice of how much hot water you want in your Americano is also unique. Being vegan i love that they have organic soy milk and almond milk right there in front of you without asking for it. I like the rustic ambiance and the choice of music staff plays (most of the time).
If you are lucky and you get Ed to make your coffee you will have a very pleasant experience in addition to great coffee. He is super nice, knows you after a few times you have been there, takes your order with 4 – 5 people still ahead of you and is fast and efficient.
Speaking of the staff, there are some female staff there who have forgotten to smile and don’t seem to be enjoying their work. If i were culture-​savvy I would have said they perform their existential angst, you know, kind of like the Soup Nazi on downer but with the added hipster disdain for even the great coffee they are serving. As i sip my coffee watching them work to their depressive choice of music i ask myself: is this what the post-​Fordism assembly line looks like?

My SO lives spitting distance from the Common so I find myself there very often these days. Usually on a busy weekend morning.
Ed (the owner) is nothing but charming and the homemade apple turnovers are a dream. I get sad when he’s not there but everyone needs a day off. Last I checked the plugs seemed to be working again.
The clientele on college street seems to have shifted towards more of the bro variety due to it’s proximity to the Ossington strip but that’s not the café’s fault.
I have grown to truly love The Common and all of it’s quirks. Cheapest and best americano in town.

The latte was nice and strong. the granola bar could have been fresher, but was still pretty good. The Common is a nice humble 15 seater and the great part is it’s priced super reasonable!

I come here when I get my hair cut because by stylist works up the block. Otherwise, I wouldn’t come here. The coffee is very good, no doubt. But the space is small, the chairs/​benches are not comfy, and the barista (one certain female) is not friendly. Would it kill her to smile? Or say hello to a customer? All I ever get is a cold dead stare in the eyes prompting me to speak my order. What is the tip jar for, exactly?

Just moved into the neighbourhood and wanted to try this place out. It wasn’t busy at all when I went (after work on a Thursday). The barista was super friendly and patient with my questions. I had a really tasty americano and I liked that they asked how much water I wanted.
Will definitely be back for coffee/​beans, though I can’t say the benches look comfortable for any type of lounging/​reading!

Stopped by The Common the first time on a nipple-​piercingly cold Saturday for an Americano and a cookie after hearing a number of good things from acquaintances and reading some good notices on the Unilocal.
Really dug the simplistic, crusty vibe of this Brockton Village café. It’s sort of on the verge of being pretentious, but the friendliness of the barista and cool-​but-​real crowd waiting in line really put my «is it too hipsterish?» apprehensions at ease.
Grabbed a standard Americano and a Coconut Butter Cookie and went on my merry way. T’was a damn good cup of joe if I’ve ever had one: A really nice full flavor with minimal bitter aftertaste. I can see why this place is such a popular spot for local coffeeholics. The cookie was crunchy, sweet and tasty too.
A full star lost for the 5 – 10 minute wait, but I’ll certainly be back.

I’ve been to The Common twice and both times have been a pleasant experience. The first time I had a tea, the second time a soy latte. The latte was an awesome price at $ 3.50 and was delicious. Though I would like if they had raw sugar and not just the white stuff.
This place is always packed so I can never get a seat. But, they had set up some seats outside and since it was still decent weather out, we sat there and it was lovely.
They’re open super late, which is awesome! I love going to cafes and hate that so many close so early! Finding one open past 7pm is normally close to impossible, so yay for The Common!
The only thing I don’t really like is how dimly lit this place is. But I hate dimly lit anything. Look forward to going back!

I’ve walked by this little cofffe shop a number of times on my way to and from the Ymca. It’s a little hole in the wall that’s always busy (mainly because there are only about 5 tables), and always has about 10 people hanging around outside. They’re open until 9 throughout the summer, which is very nice, and they’re licensed, if you want a drink. There were a number of free tables when I stopped by around 7:30 pm.
I had an herbal tea called Angel’s Brew (?), which I loved. They sell a variety of black, green and herbal teas from Silk Road. For snacks, they offer shortbread or coconut cookies. I tried the coconut — it was nothing special — a little bit hard. Prices are very cheap though — $ 3 even for tea/​cookie to go!

The Common is a welcomed oasis in the neighbourhood it is in. There are very little independently-​owned cafes in the area. So it’s nice to drop by The Common during a morning walk, on my way to Dufferin Mall or Dufferin Grove Park.
The coffee is excellent and strong. I find my lattes consistent and satisfying.
It can get very, very busy in the morning at The Common. It’s a good thing the service is very fast. The baristas know how to pull a fast and quality shot. The wait is never too long. But if you’re in a hurry and don’t have five minutes to spare, you probably shouldn’t get your coffee here.
To clarify, I am giving The Common four stars because I am writing this review from a «to go» perspective. If I were to have my coffee «to stay,» I would have given it three stars. The café is small and is very squishy. The tables are quite close together, so you’re very close to the person next to you. During the morning rush, you can pretty much only sit on the «booth side» because with the line-​up, there is no room for you to sit on the «outside» side of the tables. It’s also very loud in The Common, but if loud chattiness if your thing, it shouldn’t be a problem.
No patio at The Common. Just a few chairs set up outside the café against the window. They are very popular and are usually occupied.
That being said, I always get my latte to go at The Common because I am always on my way to somewhere nicer where I can better enjoy my drink (the park… even just walking around the neighbourhood…).

The coffee is nice and kicky and I had a ham and cheese croissant sandwich that was excellent. It was crazy busy at 11:00 AM on a weekday. A lot of people were there with laptops. I was hoping to do some work too, but I found the atmosphere too frantic to concentrate.
The price for my coffee and sandwich was reasonable at $ 6.50.

Who doesn’t love The Common? Everybody loves The Common. It’s one of those mid sized quaint café’s that draws both coffee loving hipsters, students and baby toting moms alike. Located in an otherwise dry zone at around College and Dufferin, it is perhaps the best place to get coffee in this particular area.
Atmosphere is comfy, simple and warm. Alt rock plays on the radio (at least last I was there). I like that the lone staff member who was pullin’ shots had the time to be friendly and offer suggestions to me despite holding down the fort solo. All coffee drinks are espresso based and decent. Bonus points that they offer organic milk and crème for your coffee. They also have some fancy-​shmancy, probably organic tea on offer, I can’t remember the name of it offhand. A small amount of snackables also on offer to company your beverage. Prices all in all are reasonable.
Need some respite after shopping up at the Dufferin Mall? Head to The Common for some yummy coffee.

Went to grab a latte. All the seats were taken around 3pm when I went during the week.
The initial coffee tasted strong, but it didn’t have much body to it. Definitely have had better lattes in the city.

I adored it here, but I have no idea how these cats stay in business. $ 2, tax in, for a cup of Silk Road tea (
)? Great brand and I really enjoyed the enlightening «Philosopher’s Brew» of lemongrass, citrus peel, rosehip and lavender. As others have said they could easily raise the prices (but don’t actually, OK?) and you’d still be getting a deal.
It’s cottagesque and cramped so don’t come with the intention of sprawling out across the table to work on your next ghostwriting project. Get a cup to go and hang out on the sidewalk or continue on with your day — there’s free wifi but seats are hard to come by and hey, there are too many kids in here for you to get any work done anyway.