The Short Version: Modern looking Cafe in Little Italy with…read moredelicious baked goods and friendly staff. The Long Version: "eXpresso Cafe" is a spacious cafe with lots of windows. It's a nice place to hang out and catch up with friends or for a date. They sell sandwiches and baked goods and they also have coffee, tea and specialty drinks. They have this cool dessert called Trompe L'oeil (which is a French term for optical illusion, it translates literally to "trick the eye"). They have a mango one and a pistachio one (they are $9.99 each). I got the mango one and it literally looks like a mango but is actually a cake. It's like a white chocolate on the outside and mango mousse with real mango chunks on the inside. It's not only beautiful but also delicious. I highly recommend it. I've also tried the cranberry orange scone ($4.99) and it's good too. It's not as fluffy as some scones I've had, but still tasty. Staff are friendly and welcoming. The cafe recently opened November 1, 2025. It's linked with eXp Realty and Brokerage (notice how its an upper case X and lower case e and p is the same as the name of the cafe? I thought this was clever), and serves as a hub and community space for eXp agents and their clients, but the cafe is open to everyone. Street parking only. Review #30 (2026)

I was in the hunt of the best cold coffee drink in the city and thought to give this spot a try…read morebecause of the high ratings and it didn't disappoint! I went in for their iced caramel cappuccino and it was delicious balanced and the coffee was great... place is very inviting and spacious. We parked in a side street for free.. I also had their past salad which was pretty good.. their menu is very rich lots of options .. would definitely be back

This was the first spot I visited when in Ottawa. Just google searched a coffee shop and this came…read moreup! Tasty enough sandwich, decent coffee, really friendly staff behind the counter! Was able to be a lot of work done in there even being on the road so I give it good marks.

We came on a Friday morning and the place was all for us , parking is plenty on the street and we…read morewere lucky to park by the door. The decor is nice the place left most of the previous store decor and style which was really nice too. Our server was kind and tried his best to accommodate us. I got the pesto croissant and honestly it was on the crunch side, maybe over baked a bit. We got the pesto sandwich was ok and the turkey sandwich was decent. For dessert we wanted the milk chocolate chip pan but they were out so we got the hot chocolate one with smore ( they are vegan) which was too sweet to my taste. Oh and I got a latte it's fine.. it's a cute spot if ur in the area..

The food and coffee I ordered was good, though the felafel was premade and reheated for me…read more Service was prompt. Coffee was tasty! Large space in a stand alone building, it's bright inside. It gets loud in here over lunch. Overall, it was good. Although it was not cheap; 2 of us: 2 sandwiches, 1 soup, and 2 coffees came to $40.00. Convenient and fast.

It's been said that you can't rush art. We've gotten so used…read moreto getting our beverage quickly, that we've forgotten how much time, effort, and skill it takes for a barista to do their thing. My cortado was art in a cup. The cheesecake was the perfect accompaniment.

Looking for an eclectic little nook with stacks of books, great coffee and a varied customer base?…read moreHere it is! Definitely a spot for book lovers visiting the area.

I stopped here one afternoon looking to kill some time between work and night class. There was…read moreample seating and really cute ambiance. Black squirrel is a used (with some new) and very carefully curated bookstore with two levels of exploring to do. At the front of the shop is an espresso bar that offers lots of tasty treats and alcoholic and non alcoholic beverages. I got a oat milk cappuccino and a small chocolate mint cookie. The cookie was only 1$ and so tasty, like an elevated and adult girl guide cookie!! Excellent prices and kind service. This will be my new go to when I have some time in Ottawa South.

Well, isn't this place just awesome! They've been here for... only forever! I've been shopping…read moreherefor over 15 years. One of my favourite items from this store are their little cookie presses, which are made by local artists, and offered in many, many different designs. They even come with an easy and tasty butter cookie recipe in English or French. I've got dozens of them - they're great, and only $2.50 a piece. I make these cookies all year, using different themed presses, depending on which holiday is coming up. Read: RECOMMEND. The store looks deceivingly small from the street, but it's a deeper store than it looks from outside. They sell arts and crafts made locally, some Indian art, and touristy types of things - the perfect gift for visitors to this fair city, and for the locals. They have offered colourful silk scarves, Dream Catchers, slippers, mitts, hats, paper gifts, wood carvings, and much much more. The place is eye candy! Ok, go shopping now, and then go bake! :-)

Figaro Coffee House has opened around the corner from Ottawa U. It's a nice little space, about…read more1/4 the size of the one on Industrial. Same coffee and a bunch of baked goods and snacks to go. I'm not 100% sure if they have less items here than the other but staff are friendly, there's a handful of tables to sit at inside and a few outside, which I wouldn't recommend outdoor seating when winter rolls around. Staff are friendly and coffee is the same as the original. 3.5 stars but rounding up

Very nice to have another cafe open up in Sandy Hill. This one in particular has a very…read morecontemporary look, so I was glad when I eventually visited here. Staff were friendly. The only hiccup was when they forgot about my tiramisu order, but that was resolved when I brought it up. It's a really nice place to work or chat since there's a lot of space between tables, so you won't be too distracted by noise. It usually isn't too busy either, so you can find a table for productive work. Unfortunately, I came half an hour before the was about to close, so I wasn't able to stay for too long. I got a simple Americano to justify getting their tiramisu ($4). It came in a small glass container that they reuse, so you will have to dine in to eat it. It tasted fine. I would overall recommend the cafe.

they do offer table service and the food is good. There is…read moreallot of parking in the back.

TLDR - Overall 4.5 stars. Awesome coffee that stands up well against any competitors in and out of…read morethe Town of Wakefield. Bluebarn is a great little cafe/diner. First thing first, Bluebarn is a roaster. Bluebarn sells awesome coffee. Delicious coffee. Aromatic coffee. Rich coffee. Wake me up coffee. Get the idea? If you love you what you drink, you can buy a bag of its ground coffee blend in store AND in the local grocery store. Secondly, Bluebarn serves decent breakfast and lunch entrees. A paled down diner of sort. I find the spinach cheese pastery okay/decent. For better pasteries, see my review for Pipolinka Bakery. Last and not least, Bluebarn is a beautiful venue. Simple decoration. Airy, pleasant yet functional. An oasis from the hustles of the outside world. Yet also a perfect place to park your laptop for a day's work (Free WiFi).

The very short version: Absolutely beautiful cafe. Unfortunately, the pain au chocolat tasted stale…read moreto me. The inside of this cafe is stunning. It is so beautiful. Funky wooden furniture, plants galore, really nice vibe. A great place for a date or to hang out with friends. I got a pain au chocolat ($4.50) and was very disappointed. It tasted so stale to me. Definitely not what I expected from such a pretty cafe :( Oh well, maybe their drinks are better. Service was good. Street parking only. (158)

$$$ Overpriced and bad. Weirdly enough the owner made my matcha for me as he showed the new…read moreemployees how to do it. SO BAD such a waste of $11. Genuinely took one sip then threw it out in the closest trash bin.