It’s hard to walk by Alphabet City Café without poking your head in. Poking your head in will undoubtedly lead to staying for a bite and a beverage, which is the best result for everyone involved.

The café is reminiscent of either a kindergarten or a mismatched cafeteria—either way, it’s very, very cute. Collectively, the tables and chairs account for every colour of the rainbow; the spectrum continues on the walls where bold paintings by local artists hang. It has the comfortable vibe that you feel in a close friend’s kitchen, but most likely a more extensive menu and better service than you’d experience at your friend’s place.

The breakfast page on the Alphabet City menu is the page most often ordered from. Breakfast is served from 10am-4pm every day—many eggs are scrambled and bread slices toasted in those six hours. For the most part, it’s a classic breakfast menu with dishes like pancakes and eggs on toast, but there are a few wild cards in there like scrambled tofu and Huevos Rancheros (a Spanish omelette baked in a terracotta dish with chorizo, fresh tomato, and sprigs of basil, served with warm pita bread). The rest of the menu consists of nibbles, focaccias, burgers, pastas, risottos, and some fancier mains.

The drinks menu is quite fantastic. There’s a courtyard in the back of the café, and it’s the ideal setting for a fresh-squeezed juice, smoothies, milkshakes, and of course, teas, coffee, and soft drinks. The milkshake selection is particularly exciting; there’s the usual chocolate, strawberry, vanilla, blah blah blah, but there’s also Blue Heaven, lime, and spearmint—wow!

I’m sure you know your ABC’s, but if you don’t know your Alphabet City Café yet, it’s about time you educated yourself.