At the mid point of my morning dog walk we stop for a coffee. It has become my go to coffee spot. I pass 6 coffee shops on my walk prior to getting to Discovery. Why? Because it has the best coffee in Oak Bay. The shop is well designed. Staff is friendly. My dog and I sit outside where there are quite a few tables and chairs. Just wish they would install an outdoor speaker as the music they play inside is quite pleasant. read more

I got a London fog and was quite disappointed with it. For starters, I love earl grey tea and with that, I love London fogs. I've had good ones, I've had bad ones, and I've had amazing London fogs. However when Tim Hortons has a better London fog for three dollars cheaper I'd much rather take that. About the drink; it had little to no earl grey flavour, no tea bag in it, now im not sure if there's a syrup discovery uses instead of actual tea but regardless it was disappointing. It tasted more like steamed milk with a hint of earl grey. That being said, despite not enjoying it I still finished my drink only to recieve the end of it with sugar and syrup mixings that didn't get stirred up. I don't think I'll be coming back for a London fog any time soon. Perhaps a chai latte could be a redeemer but that's for a later time. read more

I don't think the people here who rip on other people for not "loving" discovery know coffee as well as they think they do. That said, the coffee here is good. Not the best in BC, not the best in the city, and certainly not the best on the west coast. But good. It's a little weak (mild), and at times almost tastes watered-down. It's also quite cool when served. I've noticed that the shots they pull are TINY - NOT TRUE shot sizes. This might account for the weak taste and low temperature compared to most other coffee shops in town. The guy below me who put this on par with Stumptown in Portland is hilariously mistaken. Stumptown is a distinct cut above Discovery. If you're walking and nearby this place, then this place is worth a stop, though I'd probably go down the road to Hide and Seek, personally. If I had a car, I'd hop over to Cafe Fantastico or Township - both superior to Discovery. Not a huge fan of the donuts or the (few) baked goods they carry. Easily the worst selection out of the major independent coffee shops in Victoria. If you're into high quality house-made syrups for your coffee, again, this is not your place. They only offer vanilla. Oddly fitting as this is also my general impression of Discovery locations - plain, mediocre, run-down, vanilla. read more

The description for a two star rating" Meh. I've experienced better" sums it up, for me. It's a nice space - brightly lit, ample seating, good location in Oak Bay. Prices were average to a bit above average, but not scandalous. I can't comment on food, as we coffee'd only. But here's the thing - people have RAVED to me about Discovery Coffee. The coffee, specifically. The espresso, even more specifically. So I was pretty confident. My boyfriend and I had our usual drinks (him: Americano. Me: Vanilla Americano), and just weren't wowed at all. He said his was "okay", but mine was downright weak. Really weak. Watery, wussy, flavourless, apologetically WEAK. We had gotten them "to go" as we had somewhere to be, or I'd have given them a chance to fix it. Maybe it was a one-off experience, or maybe this location doesn't have the oomph its other location is reputed to have, but either way - I'll stick to The Parsonage or Caffee Fantastico for my espresso needs. read more

Americano - OK flavour - Slightly too cool Service - OK/indifferent- Slightly too cool Pastry - Not fresh and no microwave - Slightly too cool read more

Echoing the other review, I had ALSO heard how great Discovery Coffee was and had never gone there before, mainly because my friends and I are never near one when we have a hankering for coffee/tea. So recently, when we went to the Oak Bay area for food, we happened to be right across the street from Discovery Coffee. Anybody knows from my previous reviews that I'm not a coffee drinker at all, but do love my tea :D The two friends I was with though were big coffee drinkers so it was kind of funny that I was actually more excited than them to be recommending and going to try this place out. Ok, so it was sort of anti-climactic. They thought the coffee was alright, but still thought others in town (Artigiano and Fantastico come to mind) were still better. read more

My favorite spot to grab a coffee to go. Second only to their original location on Discovery Street. The appeal for me is strictly the americano. The space is unremarkable. read more

I am in an instant good mood after drinking a coffee made by Ray. This is as good as it gets. read more

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Popped in for a small coffee to go. The service was prompt and friendly for what it was. The coffee was acceptable; didn't like the overly mild and watered down taste but still good I suppose. Tasted a little more like tea however. $2.35 for an 8oz cup of coffee. The interior was really crowded and warm (which was good in the colder winter weather - which in Victoria means around 0-5 Celsius) however because it was so crowded I couldn't find a seat and proceeded across the street to Good Earth Coffee instead. No complaints but wouldn't go out of my way for coffee here. read more

I used to frequent the James Bay location. I've never had a bad experience at that one, and never a good experience at this one. I've given them a few chances because I live a block away, but I've had it with those pretentious hipsters they hire. The first time I went there I was the only customer in the place. I ordered a coffee, and the staff member walked it over to another counter instead of handing it to me. He did it without making eye contact as if to make a point. The last time I went in there the price list had disappeared, so I wasn't sure what the $2.05 I happened to be carrying could get me. ''Ya. We don't post our prices,'' the walking beard says from beneath its toque. So, I ask for whatever size my money could buy - maybe a medium I thought. ''It's usually $2.25, but don't worry about it.'' What a nice guy. He hands me a to-go cup about the size of a urine sample container. I guess I only go there to remind myself why it's worth it to walk the extra few blocks to Tim's. An extra large for less than Discovery's shot cup, and the staff there learned my name in a week. I'm baffled by the good reviews this location has received. I guess it's a psychological trick where customers feel privileged to be treated like crap by such cool people. There's a new coffee shop about to open up directly across the street. Let's see if their customer-shunning still works for them after that. read more

I kind of think that the people who wrote bad reviews of this place don't have good taste in coffee. This place has consistently great staff who really care about giving you good coffee. They know all about the subtle differences between the varietals they have for sale, and always seem to be trying really hard to make the best coffee available. The staff are never pretentious, and always seem interested in helping you enjoy coffee more. Easily a peer of Stumptown in Portland, but with much friendlier staff. read more

I am sitting here right now (free wifi) and thought I'd write a review. Coffee = a delicious, a guilt-free cup & I even know where it came from. Food = good snacks. I'm having a muffin & yes, I saw GF options. Ambience = It's a nice, bright space & the music rules (vinyl). Staff = friendly & knowledgeable. But not pretentious. I feel funny giving any place 5 stars... but from a coffee shop, what more could I ask for?! Patio seating would be nice, and perhaps a menu as I felt lost my first time until a barista guided me through my options. Anyways, I'm going to hangout and work here more often. read more

Small cozy coffee shop, nice place to caffeine up. Friendly baristas, well-maintained environment. Cool ambiance and great coffee. Their baked goods look amazing too but I'm trying for a beach bod right now so I can't comment on the tastes of them read more

Jus had a Yonni's donut at the James Bay store-where they make them. Peanut butter and jam. Oh my! Yum and bye bye good intentions about eating more wisely. A necessary indulgence. read more

Ignore the weak reviews. Discovery is and has consistently been among the top local roasters and coffeehouses in western Canada and holds up well to Portland, Seattle, SF, LA. My CA friends all admire Discovery, and for good reason. Much better than Vancouver coffee places. read more

Decent coffee and baked goods (although selection is limited). Relaxed atmosphere for a cafe in "Almost Oak Bay".

Amazing food and service the coffee was very good as well the only thing is that it's very expensive.

My favorite coffee place in Oak Bay. Like the place, easy to park, nice unobtrusive layout and good coffee and baked goodies. Love their chocolate croissant and cappuccino. Nice place to have informal business appointments too yet it can become quite noisy when full. The music is really great there and one of the reasons I love it. read more

Great! Just great! I ordered a hot chocolate and the nice man put a smily face with chocolate! I felt the love! Go there when you have the chance. read more

coffee, staff, and atmosphere are all fantastic! I frequent and am always pleased coming out the door. support local artists too!

written thousands of words here. meditative place. coffee just rules. a cut above. been here many many times. nice flavour. not over the top. really technical coffee, done right. read more