Drink Selection - 4/5 – They have all the regular options, plus a longer than average list of syrups and the standard tea latte options. They also have some mildly interestingly flavoured lemonade/cold drink options. My one complaint is that they leave it up to the customer to make up their own drink creations. This is fine, but I would award extra points for creating/naming specialty drink creations (ie: white chocolate & pistachio latte – see? Not that hard.). Side note – why do many cafes offer a turmeric latte? Is this a new universal standard like the chai latte or is this just a Guelph thing?
Drink Quality – 1/5 – Bitter, sour, flavourless, and watered down. Twice I’ve tried their flavoured lattes and twice they have been barely-drinkable. If you handed this to me and said it was just a cup of coffee with cream I would say “This is pretty watered-down coffee” and “Are you sure you added cream instead of milk?”. I don’t know if they’re using non-fat milk or if this is actually closer to a café misto than a latte. I’m not sure what makes it so bitter/sour, though I think it’s a possible combination of lack of syrup, non-fat milk, and watering it down. In my opinion, and I think this is the general consensus, a latte should only be an espresso shot, flavour, and steamed milk (should be 2% or whole milk unless otherwise specified by the customer). It should be rich and creamy and sweet/flavourful (if you ordered a flavour). Speaking of flavour, both times there has been so little flavour I’m not sure you could tell that it had any added. This time I ordered a white chocolate latte. There was not a hint of a hint of white chocolate. Their syrup bottles are unbranded, but I suspect they have been filled using Monin brand syrup (I have yet to be impressed by this brand of flavours.).
Snack Selection – 3/5 – There is a single small countertop display case of snacks which is poorly lit and the snacks look old/not overly appetizing. They also have some more substantial appetizer/meal options.
Snack Quality – 2/5 - The pumpkin scone I had was too dense, dry, and without much flavour.
Overall Vibes – 4/5 – Despite the other issues the vibes are pretty good. The lighting and atmosphere is fairly cozy, the shop is also full of local artists/makers crafts and items for sale. They have books and board games you can borrow while drinking your coffee and they host some interesting looking events (acoustic music Saturdays, Queer Night Out D&D, silent reading club etc.
Further notes – In researching what others thought of this café, I encountered some evidence that they may not be paying their employees on time or the makers who sell items there, which makes me not want to go back to support them. So it’s not just the coffee leaving a bad taste in my mouth.
Overall rating – 2 Stars