Despite a year filled with rumours of a Starbucks moving into Kensington and a Tim Hortons opening up at Queen and Bathurst, 2008 has actually been a very good year for local, independently owned cafes in Toronto. In fact, it seems that the major chains have actually helped pave the way for much of their success.

After all, it was Starbucks and Second Cup that set the bar for $4 and up mochachinos, and through their cookie cutter confines and margin-focused product strategies have made it all too easy for others to offer a superior (often fair trade and organic) product for less money. Throw some eclectic furniture into the mix, some free WiFi and maybe even some latte art and all of sudden you have a collection of amazing new spots to fill our list of the best new cafes to have surfaced in Toronto in the past 12 months.

From the Junction to Leslieville, here's a look at the best cafes that opened in Toronto in 2008.