Goldstruck specializes in freshly roasted coffee and innovative ways of brewing different types of drinks. The subterranean cafe in Yorkville has a relaxing environment, the basement playing nicely off the sort of prospector theme they've got going on throughout the space.

You can get small baked goods and espresso-based drinks made with care here, but they only serve smaller baked goods so don't expect more than a light breakfast or snack if you plan on eating. This is a great place to work on a laptop or catch up with friends over excellent java, and with its central Yorkville location moments from Bay station, it's easy for many to get to.

There are some stools outside on a small patio during warmer weather, and a bit of bar seating near the front window, so if you're not down with the windowless aspect of the rest of the long cafe, you can cozy up nearer to the front.

There's also an even darker, more isolated area in the back with funky lighting if you need to crack some serious books or spread out while working on a project.

They roast their coffee at Ezra's Pound , the beans originating from different farms. Bags of beans retail for $14.99, with blends like The Goldbean Espresso and Ethiopian Yirgacheffe. Little descriptions of the blend are written on the bag along with the exact roast date.

This carefully roasted coffee is given the royal treatment with a Spirit espresso machine. This piece of barista equipment is prized not only for its powerful ability to serve customer after customer for hours on end while keeping water temperatures and many other elements consistent, but also for its obviously sleek and cool retro look, which fits in well here.

They have a good variety of standard drinks, but standouts are the cayenne and halva latte ($4.5). They don't necessarily come with pretty latte art, but the taste is something rare. The cayenne reminds me of the Mexican hot chocolate flavours that have been sweeping the States. I hope this is an indicator of a cayenne/coffee/chocolate flavour combos gaining prominence in Canada.

All their pastries are $3.50, flat out. Not only does it look pretty, but if you're a spinach lover like I am you'll find this spinach and parm croissant a satisfying, flaky and savoury nosh.

If you're sitting around for an extended time period, try to catch the baked good you want as it's just coming out of the oven: they heat up each new batch of pastries throughout the day.

They also have free dog treats for furry friends!

Photos by Hector Vasquez