Thor Espresso Bar has a pocket located at the base of a Spaces coworking building on John St.

With an original cafe near King and Bathurst, Thor and its sibling cafe Odin are known for impeccable coffee and keen design sense.

Seating in the space is almost nonexistent, which makes sense as the coffee shop seems mainly intended to serve those with offices in the building, though the bench and three seats that are provided are pretty and geometric.

The design of this space combines reflective metallic and muted organic materials, playing with shape, dimension and texture more than colour for a minimalist look.

The default bean for coffee is Pilot's Heritage Roast, a standby for many cafes in town with a full bodied, chocolatey, yet slightly acidic flavour that combines well with milk. 

They retail bags of the Pilot beans for $18.50, and also stock cans of their cold brew for quick caffeine fixes. 

There are also bags of beans from Montreal roaster Saint-Henri ($17.50 for espresso, $19.95 for drip).

This Thor location is equipped with an under-counter Mod Bar that both removes the clutter of equipment that often separates barista and customer, and is also reliable for consistently drawn espresso. 

Lattes go for $4.25, the Pilot coffee coming through in a balanced way, latte art remaining silky smooth rather than dissipating quickly into air bubbles. 

Plant-based power cookies ($4.99) are made by Thor, packed with oats, dates, carrot, whole almonds, sliced almonds, chia seeds, sunflower seeds, grated apple and raisin, and don't contain any refined sugar, wheat or oil. 

Breakfast burritos ($7.50) are made at the other Thor location, a pressed flour tortilla stuffed with scrambled egg, salsa, sautéed onions, bell peppers, corn, black beans and a blend of four cheeses that actually has a decent hit of spice. 

Various sandwiches and salads in the grab and go fridge are provided by cafe mainstay Foodbenders, known for offering health-conscious options for a diverse range of diets. 

Outsourced baked goods are provided by Circles and Squares. 

Consider picking up a reusable branded Thor cup if you're here all the time—they're nearly as light as a regular paper cup. 

Though this location of Thor seems aimed primarily at the workers that populate the building it's in, it's a reliable source for indie coffee in an area clogged with cafes, many of which are chain brands. Just take care to note that because of the nature of this spot, it's closed on weekends.