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The definitive guide to Victoria B.C. (and beyond!) Canada's cafe scene - August 21, 2008!
Have you been wondering where the best Cafe's and are in Victoria, B.C. Canada and the surrounding area on Vancouver Island? Look no further! This is the definitive guide to coffee and espresso in Victoria B.C. Canada - This Cafe Scene has been in print (online) since 1995! Trust the coffeecrew team for the bottom line on who is serving the best bean! If I have missed a cafe or some detail or another, please e-mail me and I will fix it. If there is something you love or hate about the cafe scene in Victoria, make sure you Discuss this article on the forums. (0 posts)
This collection of observations has been built from consumer reviews and personal visits. We visit these cafes a minimum of 5 times with at least 6 reports from other consumers before we offer an opinion. What qualifies Colin to review coffee houses you ask? Good question. He has been drinking coffee in Victoria since the 1980's.
So here are Colin's opinions. They are his opinions and the opinions of the people that care to express opinions on the local cafe scene(via e-mail feedback). Most of the local java joints are great, some better than others - that's life.
Who is the best according to you?: We are polling the readers - Vote for your favorite cafe from the list at right - if your favorite is missing, cast your vote by e-mailing me - OR by going over to my blog and commenting at this article.
Most recent cafe news and visits:
- Macchiato Cafe - 1002 Broad @ Broughton. Have been in 8 times now - each visit better than the last! Bravo on good coffee and French & Italian treats. We have never seen the owners of this place so it is amazing that the place runs so smoothly and professionally - which I guess is a testament to the staff. As of January 2007, they are one of the busiest downtown cafes.
- Sounds Like Coffee - Gordon Street between Broughton and Courtney Ave. This is our first visit. SLC is a father and son operation - both of whom are Belissimo trained (Portland Oregon) 1st impression: Great espresso! Having a hard time finding it? Walk up from the inner harbor on Government Street (Tourist central) - turn right on Courtney and left on Gordon Street. Worth the 5 minute walk!
- Dolce Vita Cafe - Douglas & Yates across from Chapters. This was my 1st visit. It is a huge place - they are very optimistic.
- Cafe Mela - in the Humboldt Valley across from the "Church of Our Lord" - Fairfield and Blanshard / Humboldt and Blanshard. Arguably the smallest cafe in Victoria. What appears to be one or two tables and 4 window bench seats, the Cafe Mela wins hands-down in the "smaller is bigger" formula. I need to visit again.
The Victoria B.C. Cafe Reviews
The Drumroaster Cafe - #24 - 1400 Cowichan Bay Rd. & Trans-Canada highway (South of Duncan)
 Geir at the Drumroaster Through his quarter-century long quest to provide great coffee and service to all those who desire, his travels through Europe have included many visits to espresso manufacturers in Italy as early as 1987, and several times since then.
Geir has been involved in selling, installing, and servicing approximately two hundred espresso machines and other coffee-related pieces of equipment on Vancouver Island, Canada, and has trained well over five hundred individuals in the art of making Italian coffee drinks. In addition to this, he has provided sales and service for such fine companies as La Cimbali and Rancilio.
As a cabinet maker with his own complete cabinet shop, he is available to provide his services in aspects such as building, construction consultation including design and layout, of any coffee-related retail outlet.
Habit Cafe and Culture - 522 Pandora (at Government Street)
 Shane Devereaux (and his skilled associates) pilot Habit on Pandora in Victoria's historic old-town. And despite the fact that Victoria has some destination coffee shops in the downtown "area", there are few, if any, that are absolute must-visits in the core.
Habit Cafe and Culture stands shoulder to shoulder with the likes of 2% Jazz, Disco on Discovery and, if you are a Vancouver resident, the likes of the Elysian Room.
Habit Cafe and Culture is the kind of no-nonsense specialty coffee place you would find on the streets of Vancouver, Seattle or Portland. It's all about the coffee and espresso based drinks here folks. The Habit is an unusually spacious entity that caters to the social experience surrounding specialty coffee; conversation, meditation and education. In fact, they do public coffee tasting seminars on Tuesdays. And if you really, really love your cup of joe, it might be worth your while to take your knowledge base to the next level.
Habit Cafe and Culture on Pandora below Government Street is a fine example of the next generation of specialty coffee spaces - where knowledge is about as important as the finished product.
I have been to Habit about 20 times now - and there is no question: It's is hipster central for the specialty coffee scene. This is the place to see and be seen.
Discovery Coffee - 600 Block Discovery (at Government Street)
 Discovery Coffee on Discovery Avenue (at Douglas) is now anchored by Logan and his team of the cities best baristas. They are roasting in-store, brewing with a Synesso and the cities only Clover Coffee Brewer.
Disco is one of Victoria's true destination cafes - What is a destination cafe you ask? I received an e-mail about 8 months ago from a gal in London, England. She wanted to take her future husband and his family out for the perfect cup of coffee - any destination on the planet was OK. My reply? Discovery Coffee in Victoria, B.C. Canada. I kid you not - Sam, Logan and the gang at Disco are my witnesses.
This English gal and her entourage arrived at Disco at about 11AM in the morning and stayed for hours. When I arrived at 12:30 PM this particular day, they had sampled everything on the menu and were in the middle of a coffee cupping put on by Sam Jones. How cool is that? Okay, so the average person is not going to jump on a plane and fly to Victoria for a cup of coffee. It illustrates a point I have been trying to make for years: Coffee is not just a journey, it is a destination too!
Discovery Coffee in Victoria is about to get slightly better - come on down for a visit and find out why. Their coffee is roasted on-site with a Deidrich Roaster. They brew Clover Coffee, espresso with a Synesso and have French Press as well!
Discovery Coffee in Victoria is a prime example of cafe destination! Make it part of your coffee journey.
Photo above: Barista Paul enjoys a brief break in the action at Discovery Coffee. If you are looking for the best coffee in town -- or a place that prides itself on not serving a bad cup of coffee... then Discovery Coffee is for you. No excuses. No nonsense. This is the place.
Beans & Greens - Admirals and Esquimalt (in the Esquimalt Village)
 Esquimalts best coffee
Beans & Greens is the kind of place where you can drop in, top up and chill out on your favorite caffeine powered beverage without getting an up-to-the-second update on what is happening in specialty coffee World... not that there is anything wrong with this!
Beans & Greens appears to pride itself on the family friendly environment with a twist. Not only does it cater to kids, but also potted children... you know House plants. Yes, it is different but it works.
Coffee is provided by Discovery and the main brewer is a Synesso. So yes, you can get leading edge coffee while relaxing.
The Stick in the Mud - Eustace Ave, Sooke Village, Sooke B.C.
 Some 25 miles down a two-lane highway towards the West Coast is the village of Sooke B.C. And up and until about a year ago, Sooke had about 9000 residents starved for great coffee - With the arrival of The Stick in the Mud Cafe, a creation of David Evans, everything has changed.
David Evans shares his passion for the bean with every customer - his motto apears to be: No beverage less than the beverage before it and every drink unique to the needs of the customer.
I have been to the Stick about 4 or 5 times now - which qualifies it for the honor roll you see here. What I find interesting is that - not only has Sooke adapted itself to The Stick Cafe, but the opposite has applied as well.
Specialty coffee is relatively new to this West Coast community but the residents have taken to David's brand of the brew as if they have always had great coffee.
And great coffee and espresso it is! Baked goods prepared on location are a must-have as well.
The Stick in the Mud cafe is at 6715 Eustace Ave, a right turn on Otter Point road in the Sooke village if you are coming in from Victoria... and then a quick left. Coffee is provided by 2% Jazz and is prepared to perfection! The Stick in the Mud cafe is open 7 days a week.
2% Jazz - Hillside & Douglas (next to the Times-Colonist building)
Sam Jones (photo-left) is the king of coffee in Victoria, and this fact remains unchallenged!
There are cafes and there are cafes. 2% Jazz is quite arguably the best the city of Victoria has to offer. 2% Jazz has never rested on its laurels as top Victoria cafe - Best Espresso, best Baristas.
 Sam Jones works the Synesso
Sam Jones, runner-up for North-Americas best barista at a past SCAA conference in San Francisco, covers the AM shift. Come on down and taste what coffee is really about!
The Coffee: His espresso shots and caffeine-powered attitude is first-rate! 2% Jazz uses the innovative Synesso espresso machine with modified 'bottom-less portafilters' for a truely leading-edge experience. In 15 years of drinking espresso in Victoria, 2% Jazz hits the target 100% of the time. If you are visiting Victoria from somewhere else or are looking for the truly perfect espresso experience, visit 2% Jazz!
The Black Stilt - 1633 Hillside @ Scott Street + Fort and Richmond Ave - open now!
 There are few things more wonderful than walking into a unique cafe and finding it buzzing with human activity, conversation and endeavor.
The Black Stilt on Hillside avenue is one such place. I was there again last night meeting up with my middle nephew to talk digital photography. Much to my surprise (on a Wednesday night), the joint was jumping. From about 30 tables, there was one left - and it has my name on it.
Decor: The Black Stilt cafe could be any cafe anywhere in North America - it has darker than usual tones, lots of comfortable chairs and pseudo-chaises -- in this case, filled with people. And that is what makes this independent a delight. It was humming.
So - what's the deal here anyway? Well, they are into the community in a big way - there are local events, music Fridays etc. And they serve ethical beans. It is one of their priorities. Good by me. I tried a double short Americano and it kicked. I thought to myself: You are NOT going to get this quality of coffee across the street at the Green machine... I mean, I know what Starbucks coffee is going to taste like - so why bother, yea?
The Coffee: Correct me if I am wrong, but I think Oughtred Coffee provides the ethical beans here - It is prepared competently by baristi who seem genuinely interested in their customers and the quality of the product. Looking around at the crowd I asked one of the gals behind the counter: "Is this normal for a Wednesday night?" --she replied: "No, it's a tad slow tonight!" - I thought to myself: Maybe we could all get out of our chairs for a moment, go to the window and, in unison, collectively thumb our noses at the corporate machine-coffee across the street!
Bubby Rose's - Cook at Meares Avenue (and in the Cook street Village)
I have been to Bubby's about 10 times now and it's high time I brought this place to everyones attention. (okay, the attention of our devoted readers.)
Food: Noone in the Cook street village is more devoted to quality baked goodies than the culinary team of Valerie and her husband Mark. Their baked goods look and taste like they just waltzed out of some of Montreal or New York cities best bakery and deli's.
Decor: Bubby Rose's Bakery is a tad small seating wise but it is a working bakery and the take-out action is dizzying. I come in on Saturday mornings for cinnamon buns so ooey-gooey good, so tangy and ultimately edible and oh-so matched to a hot cup of coffee that it's entirely foolish to resist them. Don't take my word for it. Come down - get one.
The Coffee: Mark does his level best to get the most out of his drip coffee. Currently on tap: Discovery Coffee by Sam Jones and crew.
Buon Amici Cafe - Tyee Road (West Side Village)
 I have been to Buon Amici's about 12 times now and I continue to impressed by a wide variety of things that seemed to be missed or overlooked by oh-so-many other Cafes in Victoria.
Food: Their selections are fresh, varied and interesting.
Decor: Buon Amici's combines warmth and creativity that is not over the top. There are few places in Victoria that get all the cozy elements together at the same time and leave you forgetting that you are actually in someone else's place of business. When I walk into B.A.'s, I almost get the sense that I am in my living room - except, of course, for all these strangers drinking coffee and reading books!
The Coffee: Top marks here too. Let me tell you what is different. Derek and crew come out from behind the gear and make their customers part of the process. Where else in Victoria (or Vancouver) is the latte coffee art prepared at your table? Come on down and see for yourself.
Summary: Derek and the team get top marks on all the basics and some. His staff are courteous, focused and gracious. Too often a great cafe is diminished by one or two staff members not pulling their weight and that, most certainly, is not the case here. Everyone is excited about what they are doing and spot on in every regard.
Derek just won the Western Barista championships by 1 point over Logan of Discovery Coffee!
Cafe Fantastico - Kings and Quadra (and the Cook Street Village)
 Ryan Taylor roasts some of Victoria's better bean on-site. The drip coffee is top notch and espresso is some of the best in town.
Caffe Fantastico is a little rustic for my tastes and the Quadra street location can be a little rough and tumble but the people watching is very interesting. Stop in for the ambiance and the beans.
The Cook street village location is little more than a full service kiosk with neighboring stalls that sell Thai, Ethiopian and Sushi. Both locations are open 7 days a week. The Quadra and King's location is currently undergoing a small renovation to expand bean storage capacity.
Best bean: Causeway blend is the best espresso in the city. Whether you brew at home or have it in-cafe, it cannot be beat. The aged Sumatra (when available) is superb and flavorful to the point of distraction.
History: I have been buying coffee from Ryan since he was selling it out of his back yard. There isn't better bean in the city. Ryan, Kristie and the team at CF care about coffee. So much so, that they have not gone the way of some other local outfits who boost production beyond their capacity to train, support and educate. Volume and quality rarely go hand in hand in the world of great coffee.
Derrick is now handling the bulk of the roasting at C.F. and is doing a fabulous job. CF is number one for fresh roasted coffee on Vancouver Island!
Ottavio's - Oak Bay Village
Open for business in the Oak Bay Village, they offer the best in local Deli cheeses and exotic imported meats, Bakery and Illy Coffee, plus Moka Pots by Bialetti.
Their bakery selection gives the expression "to die for" a whole new meaning. Looking for Truffle Oil? It's here! Looking for a shot of illy espresso or drip coffee by Cafe Fantastico, then stop here.
Ottavio's larger location is in the heart of Oak Bay. Ottavio is our second home and we are there once a week or so, They have a nice lunch selection and if coffee is not your thing, order a glass of wine!
The staff at Ottavio, mostly young kids in their late teens and early 20's are fabulous and knowledgeable. Bravo!
Paradiso de Stelle- Bastion Square (above Wharf Street) & Mayfair Mall
In the heart of the tourist district, Bastion Square near Wharf street, is Paradiso Di Stelle.
The first few steps down into Paradiso, take you directly to the fresh gelati bar. Produced on premises by a fridge sized gelato machine nicknamed "Momma", their Italian Gelato is the cities best.
The Italian Bakery provides the bulk of their breads and the coffee is illy. Still rated the "most beautiful baristas in Victoria" year after year, the guys and gals tending the espresso machines are a well trained, oiled and sculpted machine. Italo has been running this place for years now - if he is in and he usually is, by all means yell: Ciao Italo!
Italo now has a new location at the Mayfair Mall - a 2nd Paradiso de Stelle! Check it out.
Bean around the World - Fisgard Street (in Chinatown)
No question here - This is the best Cafe for conversation and people watching! One of Victoria's better cafes is in the heart of China town on Fisgard up from Wharf Street. The coffee is fresh and roasted on premises. They have organic whole bean coffees and 'bird friendly' eco-sensitive Java.
Bean around the World is one of Victoria's busiest coffee shops/espresso joints. There is rarely a spare seat but everyone seems willing to share if there is a chair. Their staff are among the most dedicated, competent and enthusiastic.
Decor: Wild-west rustic.
Coffee: Always spot on fresh. Espresso based beverages always reproduced faithfully and consistenly. I have never had a bad coffee here.
Pure Vanilla - Estevan Village West
 From the creators of the Cascadia Bakery, located on Government street downtown, this cafe has emerged in Estevan Village West.
Top marks for imaginative baked goods and lunch selections! Imaginative lunch specials with an Italian-fusion twist and blood-sugar raising sweet treats round out the midday offerings.
Coffee: They have dropped Torrefazione coffee and I really need to visit again and see how things are.
Mirage Cafe - 3 locations: Blanshard and View / Yates Street / Government Street & Courtney
Expanded recently with really good coffee, smart staff and tasty food. I have to get back for some more reviews of Mirage. Readers: If you have been there, let me know. They use a very pretty Elektra espresso machine, which I am not a big fan of. That said, in the right hands, the machine is capable of good coffee. We have checked out their own signature coffee that they are roasting in-house (Deidrich roaster) and initial impressions are totally positive.
One of a Grind Bistro - Oak Bay Avenue below Richmond.
 Come on down to the Oak Bay border neighborhoods best little espresso/cappuccino bistro. Breakfasts feature organic and free-range eggs. Lunch sandwiches (from Cobbs bread Oak Bay) are made to order so they are always fresh. Most of the products that One of a Grind uses come from local grocers and organic sources.
Their espresso machine is a 20 yr. old Lever style La Cimbali, and the old girl still produces some mighty fine espresso. Coffee is supplied by Level Ground Trading.
Dale Manason (shown in photo at right) and his very capable staff are a fine addition to this quaint little neighborhood. I have been in 5 times for the coffee and espresso as well as the all day Saturday breakfast.
Stop in for a great breakfast or a sandwich at lunch! ...and Tell them the coffeecrew sent you.
Is there something you love or hate about the Victoria cafe scene? Make sure you Discuss this article on the forums. (0 posts)
Colin Newell, lives and works in Victoria B.C. Canada - Colin can be seen wandering the streets of Victoria with an empty cup and a camera looking for honestly good coffee and espresso. His current brewers include an AeroPress, a NewCo OCS-8, numerous french-presses, stovetops and a 15$ Black and Decker BrewNGo from Canadian Tire. Grinder: Rancilio Rocky and Baratza Virtuoso.
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