Italy’s Renowned Ditta Artigianale Comes to Toronto

Toronto is the first North American city to welcome Florence’s Ditta Artigianale. High design and top-notch coffee are staples at the street-level café, recently opened in the Harlowe condo building on Richmond Street West. Step into the 40-seat space, and it feels like you’ve been transported straight to Florence.

Ditta Artigianale was founded in 2013 by renowned barista, roaster, and champion coffee taster Francesco Sanapo and entrepreneur Patrick Hoffer, who now want Torontonians to take a moment and enjoy a carefully brewed cup of coffee in a beautiful space. Designed in partnership with Florence-based q-bic and Toronto’s the Design Agency, the new location features the same Nuova Simonelli espresso machine as the four Italian cafés. The custom-designed Global USS sound system provides a sophisticated backdrop for leisurely conversation over a precisely pulled cup.

The founders’ coffee philosophy is “total transparency and eco-sustainability in, and for, all the different production steps.” The Ditta Artigianale team researches exclusive micro lots and forms relationships with producers around the globe to source best-in-class beans. The meticulous roasting is done by Sanapo and his staff in Italy.

You’ll find the beloved Mamma Mia Espresso Blend used in espresso-based drinks at the Toronto café. “Mamma Mia is the union of four different origins from small farms in Honduras, Costa Rica, Ethiopia, and Peru,” Sanapo says. “This is a smooth coffee that tastes of dried fruits and almond with the sweetness of caramel and milk chocolate.”

At-home coffee enthusiasts will be happy to know award-winning beans are also available for purchase in-store and online, including the Finca El Puente Geisha Natural from Honduras, recognized for its full body, ripe-fruit sweetness, medium-low acidity, and citric nuances.

When not serving coffees, pastries, sandwiches, salads, and snacks, the café also offers its own exclusive Peter in Florence London dry gin in signature cocktails at night. Produced and bottled in Tuscany, this floral gin is made with petals of Tuscan iris, rosemary, lavender, and cardamom.

When deciding where to open his first non-Italian café, Sanapo did a fair amount of research. He ended up choosing Toronto because he found “great people,” a flourishing specialty coffee scene, and a large Italian community. “For me, it’s already a dream to have a spot in Toronto, to be able to serve my coffee. We’re evaluating daily to see if and when we can grow in the beautiful country of Canada,” he says.