Clove Apple Cafe is named for an old traditional valentine of sorts, an apple studded by hand with many cloves, sometimes also called an apple pomander.

Releasing a pleasant scent, it’s also an ancient air freshener of sorts, and used to be made while listening to poetry and drinking coffee.

There’s one sitting on the countertop at the cash here, next to a pastry case full of homemade baked goods and croissant sammies, though that’s not all they do here—there are also egg sandwiches and melty grilled cheeses made to order.

Briefly home to a souvlaki restaurant before this, the rough 25-seat space is decorated with work by emerging artists, the WiFi password prominently displayed.

An egg sandwich ($6.25) sees a fresh sunny side up egg on your choice of toast or bun with cheese, tomato and greens, and I love that you can add pickle for 50 cents or chicken hot dog for a dollar to the sandwiches here.

The egg is perfectly cooked, the yolk runny, and adding hot dog almost gives this sandwich a Latin American flair. 

A grilled cheese ($6.25) usually has a mix of three ultra-stretchy cheeses, today cheddar and two kinds of havarti.

The sandwich feels very homestyle and comforting with super buttery organic whole wheat bread, the addition of pickles here breaking up the richness and saltiness of the cheese a bit.

Homemade muffins ($3) come in flavours like blueberry, chocolate chip and pistachio.

A slice of nutty chocolate cake ($3) with pistachios knocks it out of the park, incredibly moist and fudgy with a not-too-thick layer of chocolate icing. 

A $2 macaroon-like treat is essentially pure tropical coconut flavour, accented by egg white, sugar and almond.

A cortado ($3.50) is made with Hale Espresso by default, like all espresso-based beverages here. Shining in a concentrated format, it’s a little caramel-y with a light orange fragrance.

Espressos and Americanos go for $3.25, flat whites and cappuccinos $3.75, lattes going for $4. It’s a 50-cent upcharge to ice anything or swap out milk for a dairy alternative. 

You can also pick up bags of Hale beans here for $17, and if you don’t have time to wait for a made-to-order sandwich, soup or bagel, you can always grab $6.95 pre-made turkey or chicken croissant sandwiches.