Our Faves

Taking pride in their work

Rated this place:

Opening up a coffee shop is hard. Opening it on a street that has a coffee shop on every corner? That's dangerous. But 'Spice Safar' is looking to put it's mark on the town by opening up its second location right in the heart of the fashion district. As soon as you step inside, you're swallowed up by the calming ambiance. The shop is decorated with black and white photographs that add a certain flair that other coffee houses lack. The staff is friendly, engaging and knowledgeable, and have a real passion for their work. Each espresso is made with only the finest beans, and each drink comes with a sampling of their sweets, which you should try not to eat all at once (good luck). On top of offering coffee, Spice Safar also has lunch options and pastries to suit everyones diet and budget. But Spice Safar isn't only a cafe, you'll also notice some quality liquor behind the bar and a set of turntables close by, which means that you could stop in for lunch on a Friday and return to the lounge a few hours later. I was fortunate enough to speak with John, the manager of Spice, and his attitude, passion and charisma can win over even the most spoiled coffee drinker.

Fancy shell.

Rated this place:

At first I wondered why yet another coffee shop would want to open on King. I checked out Spice Safar for that very reason. The place looked uncomfortably fancy, to the point where I wondered if I could actually afford my latte. More expensive than even Starbucks (just across the street), I figured the costly menu would at least offer better than it's neighbors. It turns out you're paying for the rent after all. Before submitting this review I thought I might check out what others think of this place. While there is another location in the city, there used to also be two in Montreal which are both now closed. See a pattern? http://www.montrealmirror.com/2007/101807/resto.html