The Sovereign, located at 1359 Davenport Road, has been serving the neighbourhood since 2012. Known as a coffee shop, brunch spot & place to grab a good cocktail, the café is looking & operating a little differently now. Currently, the café is open for takeout only Monday-Friday 8am-4pm & Saturday/Sunday 8am-3pm*.
COVID IMPACTS
As takeout only, the café isn’t serving all of their regular menu (i.e. brunch), but they continue to serve a variety of coffee & treats. Operating from a takeout window only, guests do not need to enter the shop at all, minimizing the risk of spread for the café’s customers and staff.
To better serve its patrons, the café has also implemented an online ordering system to pre-order bags of beans, wines, grocery items, and baked goods. Although it’s not necessary to order ahead, it is recommended - especially for the baked goods which sell out fast in-person (I know from firsthand experience!).
CURRENT MENU – BAKED GOODS
So why do the baked good sell out so fast? Simply, because they’re great – both in flavour and in price.
At The Sovereign, you have your choice of baguettes, cookies, quiches, croissants, danishes, and my personal favourite, scones. All are baked on-site and are around the $3 price range.
There are a variety of each baked good (ex. plain, chocolate, & ham/cheese croissants). The scones, in particular, feature a new flavour almost weekly; the most recent being the honey mustard scone. Keep your eye out for the upcoming flavours on their website or IG.
MY SUGGESTION: Come on the weekend for your best chance of getting pastries! Visit in the morning & get a variety of goodies to share (or to just for yourself, no judgement!). The large Earlscourt Park is located 10-ish minutes away, and is the perfect place to devour your breakfast of baked goods.
Choose whatever baked goods your heart desires (trust me, you’ll love them all no matter what you get). In case you were curious, my last visit’s order consisted of a ham/cheese croissant, a chocolate croissant, a honey mustard scone, a white chocolate raspberry scone, and a blueberry scone.
CURRENT MENU – COFFEE & MORE
As for coffee, The Sovereign sells basic coffee shop fare, along with a few fun tea selections & rotating featured drinks. They recently featured a cold brew for $3 – it’s super affordable & great for the hot summer months.
It should be noted that there isn’t a beverage menu per se (at least currently available for customers to look at when using the take-out window). The menu is more: you ask them for a drink, and if available, they’ll make it. I ordered a double shot latte on my last visit.
Along with coffee, The Sovereign also sells a selection of wines and dry goods, such as pastas and spreads. The café is more than just a place to go for a coffee run, it also sells the basics you need to make a nice dinner at home.
On top of this, the café sells Bar Ape gelato bars. Bar Ape is a seasonal Toronto-based gelato shop notorious for their flavourful creations. Their gelato shop draws crowds (as it should, it’s delicious) so being able to pick up a bar or two at The Sovereign is great. I got the vegan raspberry dark chocolate on my last trip to the café.
WAYS TO SUPPORT THEM
The simplest way to support The Sovereign is to patron them. Visit the café for a quick coffee run in the morning, to grab a bottle of wine for a night in, for a pastry-filled breakfast, or really any other occasion or reason. With an assortment of grocer goodies and delicious beverages & baked goods, it’s not difficult to turn to the café.
You can order for pick-up online, or purchase directly from the shop. If you’re not sure to what to get, are looking for a gift for someone else, or simply want to support the café upfront, you can also purchase a gift card to The Sovereign here.
SUMMARY
The Sovereign is a popular neighbourhood café located near the intersection of Dufferin & Davenport. Open 7 days a week, you can turn to the café for coffee, pastries, bottles of wine, and a small selection of grocery items. Don’t miss out on their baked goods when visiting, especially their scones. As for coffee, they sell basic coffee shop fare, along with a variety of teas & featured drinks. You can order online for pick-up, or directly at the café’s takeout window.
*The Brewed at a Distance series depicts Toronto cafés amidst COVID-19. Hours are subject to change as businesses continue to adapt to the pandemic.