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TIFF Eats: The Coffee Mill
Over the next few days we’ll suggest where to eat near the film fest without going to Sassafraz. If you have a suggestion, please drop us a line.
Yorkville’s Coffee Mill – a Hungarian food institution for over 30 years – deserves its loyal following as it serves up the best in Hungarian cuisine, desserts and coffee, which is fitting since it is one of the few remaining old world European coffee houses in the city.
Known for its traditional Hungarian dishes, such as goulash soup, cabbage rolls and wiener schnitzel, the Coffee Mill also serves up delicious lighter fare, perfect for weekend lunch. Their reasonably priced menu includes eggcellent egg salad (served with anchovies or green olives), a variety of delicious salads, sandwich melts (the spinach mushroom melt on pumpernickel is our favourite), great sides (coleslaw, potato salad, red cabbage salad, to name a few), quiches, as well as daily soups. Try any with “málnaszörp” (soda with raspberry syrup) or a mocha frosted (coffee blended with mocha ice cream and chocolate). Everything is fresh, homemade and full of flavour.
The Coffee Mill has an extensive variety of coffees, all are good, but the best is the espresso. Pair it with their great homemade deserts, including traditional dobosh (seven layer chocolate cake), palacsinta (crepes stuffed with cream cheese and lemon, walnuts or apricot jam, dusted with powdered sugar), apple strudel, a variety of coffee cakes (chocolate banana, marble and carrot) and a true Magyar (Hungarian) seasonal delicacy called “Gesztenypüré” (try saying that 10 times fast), which is chestnut puree. You can’t go wrong with any of these deserts but the walnut and apricot palacsinta gets a well-deserved five stars.
On the weekend, come for the food but stay for the music. Hungary may be best known for its coffee houses and pastry shops, but it’s also known for its classical music. On the weekends, dinner is accompanied by a violinist, and on one of the nicest and most secluded patios in the city, this makes for a perfect date spot.
This Saturday, as we were taking in our smartly-dressed surroundings and watching the owner make her rounds, we spotted Barbara Amiel (married to media mogul Lord Conrad Black) dining with her ex-husband, and still good friend, George Jonas. Barbara is best known for having been senior writer for Maclean’s magazine, she was the first female editor of the Toronto Sun and was a columnist for a variety of UK dailies. George currently writes for the National Post and is preparing to launch his fourteenth book, “Beethoven’s Mask,” to be released this month.
The Coffee Mill is located at 99 Yorkville Avenue :: Telephone 416.920.2108 :: Hours are Monday to Thursday 10am-11pm, Friday to Saturday 10am-midnight and Sunday noon-11pm :: Take out available