Top 5 Cafes In Victoria BC

Posted: March 28th, 2010 | Author: Shawn | Filed under: dining | 4 Comments »

Victoria, British Columbia has plenty of great qualities and features. Obviously there’s the amazing ocean stuff, rain forest junk, great gardens, recreational options galore, etcetera so on and so forth. However, let’s quit beating up bushes and get down to what really matters: stuff that intentionally goes into my white man tummy. There is a disproportionate amount of world class cafes and baristas in Victoria. There’s also an overly great selection of brew pubs and breakfast spots there, but I’m saving those for another post. In order to help the casual Victoria visitor nail down some world class latte action I’ve undergone extensive sampling and compiled the Top 5 Cafes In Victoria BC. To clarify, I predominately judge a cafe on the quality of their lattes. It’s the drink I’m most familiar with, so it makes a good median for me. Plus a general sense of friendliness, cleanliness and coolness to the cafe help some also. In no particular order the top 5 cafes in Victoria, British Columbia are…

Habit: Not a lot of comfortable seating, and no perks like wifi, make this a good choice for a latte to go. It’s perfectly located right downtown.

Street Level Espresso: Definitely a to-go cup establishment that embodies the true “hole in the wall” spirit of excellence. As a secret bonus tip, bring the barista a 1973 Canadian quarter and see what happens.

Discovery Coffee: A little less central than the other downtown cafes, but still well worth the visit. Also a sweet spot to pick up some good beans for home.

Caffe Fantastico: I haven’t made it to this one yet. However, it’s highly recommended by trusted sources. Plus I really wanted a 5th cafe to list. So there you have it. This is over in the newly cool Vic West area.

Buon Amicis Coffee: If you can handle walking a few blocks out of the downtown area, then definitely cross the bridge to Vic West and go here. Perhaps the comfiest of the five cafes, they have free wifi, nice chairs and a great latte.

I’m by no measure a coffee connoisseur or snob, but I do enjoy a nice latte sometimes. Sure I enjoy some Tim Horton’s as much as the next guy. Sometimes though you’re in the mood for something top shelf, and sometimes you’re in the mood for convenient and reliable. Know what I mean?

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// shawn

ps:  that photo is street level espresso.