Forget Me Not. When a coffee meets gift shop in Toronto.

Good news everyone! (yes, I’ve been watching too much Futurama) I have the great pleasure to announce that I am back in the blog business! I cannot begin to express how much I’ve missed hunting down beautiful coffee shops in this city. A lot has happened since the last time I posted. I am married for one! I’ve also had to learn a whole new set of nursery songs for a new job and it seems we’ve just recovered from Toronto’s hottest September in history! But fear not my friends! All my time away has given me the opportunity to think up lots of new post ideas!

This week, I’m delighted to review a beautiful and cozy coffee shop called ‘Forget Me Not’. Located on 506 Adelaide Street West, this coffee shop will amaze you as soon as you step foot inside. Do not be deceived by its exterior appearance. It might seem small at first but there are lots of goodies to discover. This one is unlike any other coffee shop I’ve been to because it doubles as a gift shop! (Though I guess this could be a downside, depending on how much of a shop-aholic you are). So there you go my fellow hipster friends. This coffee place is what I would refer to as “hipstervana”. They carry beautiful and trendy Goldeen Jewelry, baby blankets, greeting cards and more. More likely than not, you will leave the shop with more than a good cup of coffee. The rustic decor is the cherry on top.

I was lucky enough to be able to speak with the owner, a super friendly man who also happens to be the barista in-house. To my surprise, he told me that this establishment has been running as a coffee shop for over 12 years. ‘Forget Me Not’ has been around for three years now, but previous to that it was occupied by La Merceria. I did a bit of research and discovered that the former owners were Argentinean and Colombian. The shop still carries the essence of its former owners to this day. While ordering my coffee, I couldn’t help but notice the delicious-looking treats. On one side, delicate and sweet alfajores (Argentinean shortbread cookies) and on the other, savory empanadas (Argentinean signature dish). Going against better judgement, I went for the sweets. I always find it hard to choose my drink at a new shop and usually end up asking the barista what their favourite drink is. Mr. Young prefers a cold brew during the summer and a regular coffee when it’s not so warm out. Since today was the first day of actual fall weather, I chose an almond cappuccino (I’ve completely given up on dairy, this time for good). It’s a Colombian coffee blend with notes of orange (I think). It makes the drink taste a bit tart, but pairs very well with the nutty almond milk. I’m usually attracted to strong and interesting coffee profiles. In the past, I was worried that switching away from regular milk would compromise the coffee taste. But, so far, it hasn’t.

As I slowly but surely adapt to my new routine, the coffee haunt has finally made a comeback. Even a quick coffee shop stop is better than nothing. Forget Me Not completely surprised me (in a good way)! What I thought was a tiny coffee shop turned out to be much more. If you ever find yourself near Adelaide and Bathurst don’t hesitate to pay them a visit. They are open from 7am to 7:30pm during the week and 9am to 6:30pm on weekends. As recommended by the owner, their specialty lattes are a must. A Nutella latte is their best-seller, I cannot wait to come back and try it! And on this National Coffee day I can’t be anything but thankful to have found this Toronto gem. Until next time! (I promise it won’t be too long!)