A new, cigar-themed coffee shop at College and Ossington
United Coffee, a seven-seat café at College and Ossington, has a distinctly old-fashioned aesthetic: the ceilings are tin, one wall is rustically wood-panelled and the cash register is an early 20th century relic. The owners’ family business—a hand-rolled Cuban cigar operation on King West—has influenced the décor, which includes antique cigar boxes, black-and-white photos of old Toronto tobacconists and framed shots of celebrity clients like John Goodman, Ray Romano and Atom Egoyan. One modern touch among the vintage paraphernalia: a gleaming Nuova Simonelli espresso machine where baristas pull lattés and cappuccinos to a soundtrack of folksy Rachel Ries. A retail cigar counter is in the works.
United Coffee, 456 Ossington Ave., facebook.com
Caroline Aksich, a National Magazine Award recipient, is an ex-Montrealer who writes about Toronto’s ever-evolving food scene, real estate and culture for Toronto Life, Fodor’s, Designlines, Canadian Business, Glory Media and Post City. Her work ranges from features on octopus-hunting in the Adriatic to celebrity profiles.
