Little Italy

Sam James Coffee Bar

Sam James Coffee Bar has been one of Toronto's most quietly influential cafés since 2009, built around a philosophy of direct-trade, single-farm espresso and nothing else to distract from it. No WiFi, intimate spaces, and traceable beans — including lots from Finca Pampojilá in Guatemala — have made each location a daily ritual for the neighbourhoods around them. Their medium roasts are the kind that convert people who thought they didn't like espresso.