Hola, the latest addition to the well-caffeinated Queen East strip, gets its funky Latin vibe from owner Cesar Penalver, who hails from Venezuela. The space is cheery and casual, with free WiFi, a pair of comfy armchairs and high-top tables decorated with scarlet lanterns. The house brew is an El Salvadorian blend from Dancing Goat coffee roasters—in the a.m., it comes chilled and mixed with bananas, almonds and chia seeds in a caffeinated super-smoothie. A blackboard menu lists a handful of lunchtime options, like butternut squash soup, or ham and Emmental on multigrain with pickles and chipotle mayo.
Hola Café and Espresso Bar, 1298 Queen St. E., 647-350-1298, holaespressobar.com
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