French Made might be one of Toronto’s best-kept secrets for coffee lovers. Despite being in the heart of downtown, not many people know about the café (me being one of them until recently). From talking with the baristas, the question “is this café new?” is heard daily.
French Made is tucked away on a side street at 80 Blue Jays Way (not far from King & Spadina), and is open daily from 7am-8pm.
Having problems finding it? Other notable landmarks in the area: Second City Comedy Club, Wahlburgers Toronto, and the BISHA Hotel (the café is on their ground floor) .
ATMOSPHERE
French Made is a modern, North-American take on a Parisian café. The coffee shop has an air of elegance with its hanging light fixtures, dark marbled floors, geometric walls, and colour scheme of royal blue, black, and silver. The café cool without feeling exclusive. Business people and teenagers alike would love the space.
Other great attributes of the café: the staff are incredibly nice, the establishment is dog-friendly (bring your pup for a free doggy treat), and the coffee shop hosts a large patio with around a dozen tables. Note: there is no indoor seating at the café at this time.
MENU
Serving De Melo Palheta coffee, French Made offers coffee shop favourites like lattes, cortados, macchiatos, flat whites, and more. If you're looking for a recommendation, their mocha is especially good.
Their coffee menu ranges from $2.15-$5.25. Alternative milks (coconut/almond/oat/soy) and flavour shots will be an additional $1.
Along with coffee, the café also sells alcohol – including custom cocktails, beer, and bottles of prosecco. On top of coffee and alcohol, the café offers a range of to-go beverages like sodas, water, kombucha, and fresh juices.
As for food and baked goods, what sort of Parisian café would French Made be if they didn’t sell pastries? Pastry and baked good offerings vary on availability, but all are made in-house (and are absolutely delicious). These range from $2.50-$8.
Pastries at the café include macarons, eclairs, tarts, and mousse. As for baked goods, expect to find croissants, cookies, cake slices, biscotti, and more at French Made. With so many options to choose from, you can have trouble deciding what to try. My tried-and-true recommendation? Their walnut macaroon cookie!
The café also sells snacks like fruit cups, muesli, chia seed pudding, and yogurt parfaits. As for heartier items (AKA meals), you'll find a range of salads, flatbreads, and sandwiches sold at the café. Still not enough options? French Made sells ice cream as well!
SUMMARY
French Made is located in the heart of King St W. The coffee shop is a modern take on a Parisian café with an interior that combines elegance with cool. Despite its chic design and location on the ground floor of the BISHA Hotel, the café is non-exclusive and welcoming to all. The café is open 7am-8pm seven days a week, serving coffee shop favourites like lattes, flat whites, and more. The café also sells a range of pastries, baked goods, snacks, meals, and even alcohol. All food and beverage must be enjoyed to-go or outside on the café’s large patio as there is no indoor seating.
