As someone with a just-starting-to-walk baby, I have a specific preference for cafes and restaurants that have cozy, can’t-bang-your-toddler-skull seating around low-slung coffee tables. Being able to plop down my spawn for a tear around the coffee table while I tuck into a bowl of savoury oatmeal? This is my small and realistic dream at this stage of my life—and with the addition of Novella Coffee to Main Street, that dream has easily been achieved.

Of course, beyond the inadvertently baby-friendly seating, there’s lots and lots to like about this new coffee and breakfast bar, a new counter service addition from the folks who brought us the Restaurant Award-winning Bar Susu and Published on Main.

Did I eat a biscuit and exclaim “That’s a moist biscuit!”? Yes, and I’m sorry. But it’s true! The baked goods are phenomenal—croissants come from Butterboom, while the rest of the treats are baked in house—and the heartier fare easily impresses, too. With a menu crafted by Chef Ashley Kurtz and Executive Chef Gus Stieffenhofer-Brandson, that’s no surprise. Order yourself the daily tartine (perhaps a thick slice of fresh toast covered in thin-sliced smoked salmon and a gorgeous green herb spread?); there’s also creamy, risotto-like steel-cut oats, topped with earthy mushrooms and a just-so poached egg, and a French omelette that can only be desired (so sorry again) as luscious.

Coffee beans come from House of Funk, but if you’re craving something a little stronger than an espresso, Novella’s wine and beer program will keep the hangout vibes going into happy hour. A soon-to-open mini-grocery next door will eventually serve up to-go items like fresh breads, house-made pantry staples, and a curated selection of cookbooks.

It just opened last week, but the lineups at the counter on our visit hint that it’s already a neighbourhood fave. Get their early to fuel up for the day—just please don’t take my seat. I need this.

Novella Coffee
2650 Main Street