Review: Greenhorn Espresso Bar

Stumble across the new Greenhorn, deep in the middle of residential West End, and the constant lineups and buzzy room might lead you to believe it’s always been there — because shouldn’t the West End have always had sweet little neighbourhood spots like this one? The vintage-modern space is the brainchild of owner Walter Le Daca, who got together with landscape designer Kevin Paetkau and photographer Dylan Doubt to open the spot in January.

Elbow in for a window seat or a spot at the communal table — takeout seems uncalled-for here — and grab a weekend brunch of shakshuka baked eggs with olives and almonds, or the Spanish-style tortilla layered with soft potatoes and topped with sweet salsa fresca. But the real star is the coffee — from local roaster Moja, it’s beautifully prepared, naturally caramel-sweet, and good enough to want to pull up to the bar for a doppio and spend a lazy morning perched between a dad on a stroll with his four-year-old and a pair of Lycra-clad cyclists dissecting the day’s group ride.