Victoria's Best Cafes for City Watching
I recently posted on Twitter about the new Starbucks at Douglas and Humboldt and mentioned that while I hadn’t been in yet, it looked like a great place to sit and watch the city go by. One of the things that has kind of been taken away during the pandemic is the ability to go out and just enjoy sitting in a cafe. Not that you haven’t been able to do it, but it just isn’t the same when you are wondering about the health status of everyone around you.
For me personally, cafes are one of my favourite places to be on my own. Maybe while I am sitting there with my coffee, I am working on my computer, or maybe I am just looking out at the street. This gets to one of my own personal preferences for a cafe, it needs to have amazing seating. By that I don’t mean comfy seats (actually deep cushioned chairs are usually terrible in a cafe), but rather a cozy spot with a big window that isn’t too busy for a little quiet contemplation.
With this in mind and the unfolding fog of the Omicron variant everywhere, I decided to have a walk around downtown and seek out those quiet and safe cafes that had some or all of my prerequisite needs. I even visited the new Starbucks to see how it was for looking out onto the city. I went to the ones that I knew would have something of what I wanted, a nook, a window with a view and at least a little quiet. There are a lot of great cafes in the city that don’t have one of these attributes, so I didn’t go and visit them. I did write a “Great Cafe” article a few years ago and you can read it here if you are mostly focused on the coffee, this one today is all about ambiance (and maybe windows even more specifically). I should also say before we get into the list that I have put the cafes down in alphabetical order rather than any ranked position and I also am only including ones from downtown Victoria. I do say which one is my current favourite, but you will have to read to find that out. That said, if they are on the list here, I like them.
The Cracked Mug
If coming all the way into the middle of downtown seems like a long walk, then the Cracked Mug may be just the place for you. Located on Johnson Street, but way up near Cook Street, the Cracked Mug is the perfect little cafe to look out onto the world from. On the inside the space is fairly large but they have removed a lot of the seating due to the pandemic. The coffee is good here and and they have an extensive food selection as well. I will add that this cafe has great wifi for working on your latest novel while you sit along the window.
When the owners removed the seating, they were left with a lot of space to fill up and I was really impressed with how they decided to do it. With the seating in the middle of the cafe removed, they have put in a large table and each day they spread the newspaper out on it for those waiting in line or walking to a table to read. Not only is it a nice addition for the customer, it looks really amazing!
Good Earth (Capital Park)
This one may be a little outside of downtown but not much and it certainly has the big city feel with the location. I will at some point do a full article on Capital Park, the new office and residential campus just south of the Legislature buildings. The Good Earth Cafe is right in the middle of this project and has the unique perspective out into a public square that looks out across Superior Street to the Ledge.
When you are inside you may not have a window onto a street, but the busy square might be even more entertaining, there is also that chance you may catch a glimpse of one of our MLAs too. There is good bar seating in the front window and a nice selection of coffee and foods. The unique shape of the building gives the inside a cozy yet quiet feel. There is wifi available if you need it and other seating options if bar seating is not what you want.
Habit (Yates & Blanshard)
If you are put off by the hipster scene, this may not be your place, but generally that means that they will put a lot of effort into making you a great coffee. That is definitely true at Habit. This location, at Yates and Blanshard (there is a second one on Pandora Ave), is inside the amazing Atrium building and the cafe holds the supreme location right on the corner in this beautiful half circle space looking out onto the streets. Now one of the things to know about Habit is that if you want to surf the web or answer emails, this is not the place for you, they very purposefully don’t have internet. If you want to break out your Moleskin or just open a book then you are in the right spot. The idea here was to avoid becoming a secondary office for people with their laptops and it really makes it feel different inside.
There is a ton of great seating right in the window and you can look out on the busy intersection and watch the locals move past. The music is subdued and appropriate and with the delicious coffee, I have never not enjoyed my time here.
Loft & Ladder
Loft & Ladder is a bit of a hidden gem. Located about halfway between Quadra and Vancouver on Johnson Street, on the north side of the road. This smaller cafe is great for grabbing a coffee and a sandwich on the go, but for me, the real treat is to have a seat and look out the windows onto the road. In the summer there is some great sidewalk seating as well. I know this cafe has been around a while and likely is one of those places that will only do better in time as the neighbourhood continues to sprout up around them. I expect that with the completion of the The Wedge building to the east, this block should settle down a little and all of those new residents of the area will start taking over the streets which should make for a wonderful sidewalk ballet to watch from the cafe.
If you are looking for a place to be your little nook in Harris Green, this might be the one for you.
Cafe Milano
Cafe Milano was a bit of a surprise to me when I first went in a couple of years ago. I was walking to a meeting down near the legislature and thought I would try a new cafe on my way. I ordered a coffee expecting to be out of there in a couple of minutes, 10 minutes later my coffee was ready. This was not because it was busy, but instead due to the way they make regular coffee is one cup at a time by the order. Now I had to hustle to my meeting, but the coffee was absolutely delicious and it made me want to go back and try it again with a more deliberate patience for the experience. With your coffee in hand at this time of the year, there are quite a few window seats that look out over Courtney and Government Street and give you a great passage of people as you enjoy your beverage. I have not tried the wifi here, but if it was like Habit and non-existent it would still be a great place to sit and enjoy a book or do some writing. Another thing to note for Victorians, is that this is a locals place despite the location, so don’t be afraid to try it out. It is time to take back Lower Government Street anyways!
Saint Cecilia
At the moment Saint Cecilia is my favourite cafe downtown. It is located on Lower Yates near Wharf Street. Like Habit, there is a strong hipster vibe, but the coffee is amazing and the space has everything I am looking for. That said it is getting busier, which is great for the owners, but may mean it is harder to get one of the choice seats. Once I have my coffee, I usually like to choose one of two spots in the cafe. Right up front next to the sidewalk by the massive glass windows are a couple of spots to sit and put out your computer or relax with a book. There is even a little spot where you can sit right in the window. If those spots are gone, which they were on my last visit, don’t give up as there is upstairs seating and one of the best perches you can have with your brew in the city is here. When you get upstairs you will be surprised by how big it is but right up at the front is some bar seating that looks out over the cafe below and again out to the street through the big windows. If you are looking to find your spot to create your next short story, this might be the place. The cafe also has a large selection of coffee mugs and even clothes if you are wanting to do some shopping. Finally one of the things that can make or break a great space is the music and I find that they always have a wonderful selection of jazz, ambient or indy playing that can spark the mind.
Serious Coffee (Blanshard & Fisgard)
It doesn’t seem that long ago that Serious Coffee was one of a rare breed of local coffee roasters and cafes, but they are now one of the older generation of coffee shops. The Blanshard & Fisgard location is right by my work and I am there on a very regular basis. Apart from the great coffee and awesome staff, what makes this cafe make this list is the window seating that looks out onto Blanshard. This curved space is truly unique and for those that like a little architectural history with their coffee, this building was designed by John Di Castri, perhaps Victoria’s most famous modernist architect.
The building was originally built for the CNIB. By the time I moved to Victoria, it was the home office for Monday Magazine and after a brief stint as a McDonald’s, became Serious Coffee. The great thing is that despite all of those iterations, the unique architectural aspects are all still there. While Di Castri did not design the space as a coffee shop, the round window is the perfect place to sit and drink your coffee. After the morning rush the cafe quiets down and with their wifi, you will have no problem getting onto your computer and working on whatever project you need to.
Starbucks (Humboldt & Douglas)
One of the things that I am sure that you will have noticed is that the pandemic has been particularly hard on Starbucks locations. At least three that I can think of off the top of my head are gone. When I heard that we were getting a new one I was a little surprised. I will say that I am not one that absolutely loves Starbucks coffee, but I would choose it over most other corporate coffee chains any day. I will also say that their locations can sometimes be pretty awesome. One person that responded to the tweet I made about this location opening, mentioned the old one that existed at Chapters on Douglas, and that was definitely another amazing spot to look out onto the street. Anyways, this new location is huge first of all. When I went, it wasn’t overly busy, but the place gives the sense that it will be at some point, so the size is definitely going to be necessary. That said given that there is a lot of space, heading over to the bar seating that looks out over Humboldt and the ping-pong table, it felt like I was practically on my own. Starbucks generally have pretty decent wifi though I did not test it out this time. Still I could see sitting there with a laptop and getting a far bit done.
I hope that I have sparked your creativity and perhaps given you a new option for the next time you are wanting to go out and spend some time looking out at the city and maybe creating a little something. If I have missed your favourite little quiet café and you want to share it, please leave me a comment below!
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