A Hot Day at Hot House Cafe

During the summer, the perfect destination besides the beach would be the patio! This summer, a friend and I decided to take on a quest to seek out great patios in downtown Toronto. Although that quest ended very shortly, we were happy with our first find. Located at the corner of Church and King Street in the St. Lawrence Historic District, Hot House Cafe's patio isn't too noisy nor too isolated. As we were seated, I had a feeling I was going to enjoy my visit!

Calamari  $9.95 and Lemonade 

Calamari is my favorite appetizers after tuna tataki, so there was no surprise that I ordered it as soon as I saw it on the menu. I had to say that the calamari was a tad disappointing. The dish was soggy and seemed like it had sat for a while before being served as it wasn't warm. 

Large House Salad  $9.95 

The house salad came with a balsamic and dijon mustard vinaigrette dressing that was refreshing and appetizing. The vegetables were fresh and crisp and tasted good even without the dressing. Overall it wasn't anything too special but was definitely enjoyable.

Il Diavolo Pizzette  $13.95

Our pizza toppings included blackened chicken, spicy italian sausage, jalapenos, roasted garlic, tomato sauce, mozzarella and fontina. I had heard great things about their pizza, and boy were they amazingly delicious! The crust was thin and crispy and the toppings and sauces were flavourful, although the spiciness was too much for me (it is "the devil pizza" after all!) . If I had to point out something negative, I would say there probably could have been more toppings.

Stella Mussels  $12.95

The Stella Mussels were cooked with Stella Artois beer, pink peppercorn, cream and leeks. I was a little uneasy but also excited about this dish because I'm not a huge fan of beer, although I do enjoy a Stella once in a very long time. Turns out, the mussels were finger-licking good! They were fresh and the broth wasn't too heavy. After we finished the mussels, we had leftover bread and dipped it in the broth - very delicious as well!


While summer is still around, I would strongly recommend Hot House Cafe and its patio. The natural lighting there is great and they have umbrellas if you don't want to be directly under the sun. I've also heard great things about their Sunday brunch buffet and can't wait to try it!

Taste: ★★★★★

Environment: ★★★★☆

Service: ★★★★☆

Price: $$$

35 Church Street
Toronto, ON