Simpl Cafe is a peaceful hangout spot, perfect for lovers of art, unique drinks, and sweet treats. 

Located on the periphery of Little Italy near Ossington, the quaint space is tucked at the bottom of an apartment building on College St. — but thankfully their big windows and playful sign drew me in.

The cafe was opened by Mahyar Afshar in 2023, who operates it alongside partner Asal Baghi. It's the second project the duo has created, the first being the still up-and-running Simpl Candle Etsy shop.

In this space, their two passion projects and businesses are merged into one, for your smelling pleasure. 

Their hand-poured candles come in a variety of scents, styles and shapes and decorate the cafe, adding to the serene ambience. You're free to smell the candles during your visit and purchase as you like.

The calming environment of Simpl Cafe makes it a great place to read a book, get some work done, or have a chat with a friend.

Though they've been open for less than a year, the cafe has found many regulars; it's no surprise, given the way Mayhar and Asal greet each customer with such openness and warmth.

With impressive certifications in coffee making from Iran and Germany, Mayhar is the brains behind the unique drinks offered in the cafe. 

The Saffron Latte ($6.89), for example, is made with saffron sourced from Iran — a staple, and notoriously luxurious ingredient in Persian cuisine. Using the powder, Mayhar makes a housemade saffron syrup, giving the drink a light and flowery taste. 

Keeping up with their standards of quality, their matcha powder is imported directly from Japan.

I tried an iced Matcha Latte (5.95) poured over oat milk (adding $0.89). The result is a super rich and earthy drink.

In the Butterfly Peaflower ($6.25), Simpl combines that same imported matcha with the bright blue peaflower. The result is a drink with the same matcha benefits, coloured a beautifully deep blue, sure to be an eye-catching standout on your Instagram page. 

I drank this out of a playfully grumpy mug, made by local Toronto artist Garbo Zhu. Since Garbo has moved on from making her Grumpy Kid Studio collection, Asal says many customers make special requests to drink out of the unique cups.

They're hoping to collaborate with more local artists soon. Currently, you can find local art for sale from Design Geek Studio.

Other notable drinks include their different takes on regular cafe favourites. One standout is their Tehran Fog ($5.95), a play on a London fog. This drink is made with Persian black tea and flavoured with the same imported saffron as their saffron latte.

From their food menu, The Avocado Toast ($12.99) is a standout, especially when you opt to add some feta and tomato ($0.99). The microgreens, sourdough, and seeds give the dish a very earthy and fresh taste.

From the sandwich menu, I tried out the Sunnybrie ($9.50) and the Sebastien ($9.89). Both are served on baguette, grilled before serving.

The Sunnybrie features hot turkey, brie, arugula, grapes, and mayo. Described as a "charcuterie board" in a sandwich, the sweetness of the grapes complements the smokey turkey well. The creamy brie takes the sandwich to the next level.

The Sebastien, on the other hand, is a classic Caprese sandwich with prosciutto. The prosciutto gives the sandwich a nice, salty, kick.

Other sandwiches offered here include the H.A.T. ($9.20), Ham and Cheese Croissant ($6.50), Loaded Croissant ($7.89), Vegan Sando ($13.50), and the Morty Sando (9.50).

There's also a variety of cakes and cookies labelled as "mom-baked", like the Mom-Baked Carrot Cake ($5.50), Asal's favourite. 

Their Mom-Baked Banana Bread ($4.99) is served toasted. It's warm and flavourful, with gooey melted chocolate chips.

The "Mom-Baked" title is a reference to Asal's mother, who taught her how to bake and passed down a love of all things coffee. For Asal, who has dreamed about opening a cafe since she was 13, that support has helped a lot.

Looking around the cafe, you'll find one-of-a-kind decor, even beyond the hand-poured candles. That's because a lot of things, from the tiled shelf to the groovy mirror in the back, are handmade by Mahyar and Asal.

The cutest art piece is definitely the vibrant cat paintings. Created by Mahyar, they're portraits of the couple's two cats, Cookie and Ginger. It's their cute and fun way of bringing the cats along for their new journey.

Asal is also piloting community events like the cafe book club. They select a book each month, read it, and then meet up at the cafe to discuss it. She says the community response so far has been heartwarming, and they get lots of regulars in every time.

If you're looking for a less committed way of connecting, head to the back of the store to check out the take-one-leave-one bookshelf.

Simpl Cafe is located at 799 College Street.