Cute spot, very artsy and great coffee and pizza! Also discounts for local Coast Guard employees!

I'm giving it 5 stars after realizing that this is not just an organic café in James Bay. It's an unconventional enrichment space and business model for troubled young adults that is making a difference in the community. There was no way that I could review it solely on the pastry received during our BC Bites & Sights tour. We met Dorothy who gave us a warm welcome. She provides a creative space, as well as an opportunity to those who need that inspiration. It's a unique work program! So, please have a heart when you experience slower than usual service. It may be a newcomer in training. We have all been there at some point in our lives. I love the creativity here! It's not just about coffee. They serve fresh out of the oven pizzas. We didn't get to see the bread and bannock. I really would have loved to try bannock which is sort of the Scottish precursor to the Native American fry bread (but, not really). You'll just have to read about it. What we did try was a pastry with custard, strawberries, and rhubarb. It was very good. I especially loved the rhubarb. I was also in love with the plants in the garden. It overlooks a park, and it's very close to Fisherman's Wharf. A great location! It's true that we only got a small taste of Victoria, but it did leave a lasting impression. There's so much more to this capital city that needs to be explored in more detail. Hopefully, we'll get that chance one day in the future. read more

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Fun space with a good selection of pastries. Came here in the morning and got a cheese danish, cinnamon roll, and biscuit which were all great. Also got coffee which was a bit disappointing. I got an oat milk latte ($1.25 extra) and it was pretty bitter I could not drink it. Maybe it was an off day for them. If I lived closer I would return and try some of their other offerings like the pizza! read more

We were walking back to our cruise ship and came across this charming cafe! We stopped in for coffee and were charmed by the atmosphere, friendly service, and delicious coffee. Views from the cafe were delightful and you could people watch and see seaplanes landing in the harbor. The food looked amazing, but we had already eaten so we did not sample the food. However, judging from those around us eating, the food tasted as amazing as it looked! I wish we had known about this charming place sooner! They went above and beyond to ensure we enjoyed ourselves and if I am ever back in Victoria this will be one of my first stops! read more

Imagine Studio Café - Store front - Cafes Near Me - Victoria, British Columbia

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This place truly is a gem! The people are so friendly and welcoming, and it makes you feel special as soon as you walk in the door. We ordered the pizza and chocolate chip cookie both of which were delicious! I love the ambience also. There are inspirational quotes throughout the store making you feel so welcome and at peace. We were planning on going there tomorrow, but we're sad to learn they're closed! Next time we make a trip to Victoria will be sure to come here! read more

Second time here during our vacation. We truly love the vibe, the people, and especially the food. We got the mushroom pizza. Lewis ( not sure of spelling)) works the pizza wood oven. He really cares about the quality of what he prepares, but he pays attention to the little details of presentation. The service people welcome you warmly and are truly glad to see you. The service is also attentive, and they also make you feel welcome and want to make sure you have everything you need. Find this place and make it a have-to-go place. Make sure to check hors they are open first. read more

Imagine Studio Café - Custard filled pastry. Yummy - Cafes Near Me - Victoria, British Columbia

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Buckle up friends. I was in Victoria, BC for work and after 12 hours of travel; I got to my hotel and the room wasn't ready. I desperately needed some coffee and a snack so I found a place with great reviews a five min walk from the hotel. Since it was the afternoon the cafe was only serving brick oven pizza. I love pizza so this was the obvious choice. They have this beautiful brick oven and I usually do not speak to people when I travel like I'm always head down on my phone scrolling. The guy making the pizza asked if I wanted some local greens on the pizza. So I was like yeah sure load her up. I heard him tell one of his colleagues I think this is the best pizza that I've made today. Which is a win for me. I told him that my uncle owned a pizzeria in Manhattan and had a beautiful brick oven like this and he is like oh my God I'm from New York. So I asked him whereabouts and he said oh Staten Island. I'm like no way where in Staten Island? And he said from Eltingville and I'm like get out of here so am I so he comes over to my table and asks if I mind if he sit down and I'm like of course not! We start talking and reminiscing, we get to talking and turns out he went to the same high school as me, he knows some of my moms colleagues, we chatted about what has changed on the island and how he ended up in Victoria. It became a teary eyed conversation and he's told me I am bringing him back to a time in his life that he hasn't thought about for a really long time. It was just so sweet. We live in a really small world. The pizza was amazing, the coffee was strong just the way I like it, the pastries were so fresh and delicious. If you are ever in Victoria BC you need to go see my new friend Louis at Imagine Studio Cafe! Tell him Julianna sent you. read more

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We ordered a couple deserts, a double espresso, and a cold brew. I saw ceramic cups, so I ordered the drinks for there, not to-go. The person at the espresso machine had to ask someone how to make a double espresso. Not a good sign. Both orders came out in paper/plastic to-go cups. On top of it, the cold brew came in a tiny cup filled from top to bottom with ice (see picture next to a root beer can for context). There was just a tiny amount of actual cold brew coffee in the tiny cup. We paid around $22, and that's just too much for what we got. read more

Imagine Studio Café - Cold brew - Cafes Near Me - Victoria, British Columbia

We enjoyed all the food so much that we came a second day for breakfast. My husband had a cafe mocha, and I think it was one of the best he ever had. I had a granola with yogurt and fruit, and the yogurt was so creamy. I would recommend coming here to try anything they offer. I will keep it on my list of places to come to when I'm in town. read more

Imagine Studio Café - Cafes Near Me - Victoria, British Columbia

Was pleasantly surprised. Great pastries and good coffee. Nice ambience. Cappuccino was great. Good espresso. Pastry was high quality read more

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OMG!!! My wife and I were so lucky to find this cafe! Absolutely loved the location, the owner, and the food was simply to die for! Can't wait to visit Victoria again so we can visit this cafe again! Such a great business model! This is a place to warm your soul! The delicious bakery smells will lead you here and the food will definitely keep you! read more

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Very good coffee, and good pastries! It is not that cheap, but I think it is worth the price. Due to COVID it looks like they don't have any indoor seatings but their outdoor seating isn't bad if it's a nice day out. I'd definitely go here again read more

Imagine Studio Café - blueberry tart - Cafes Near Me - Victoria, British Columbia

This is just the most lovely spot I've been to in ages. Delicious coffee, sunny cheerful indoor and outdoor space (where you sit amongst the herbs growing), perfect sandwiches, friendly staff. Best of all, not full of people working on their laptops. Can not recommend this place enough :) read more

Imagine Studio Café - Cafes Near Me - Victoria, British Columbia

Best macchiato of my life! The make their own syrups and almond milk too from scratch. Ridiculous pastry and snack options in a comfy warm and cozy venue. read more

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I'm not one to leave a bad review because I work in food service too so I understand a wait time or an order mix up , but this place was very disappointing . Though the outside and interior is cute, the staff genuinely seem annoyed to have customers in the store , I asked for a bannock egg sandwich and a pastry for my friend and when I asked for the egg to be hard and not runny the guy at the till rolled his eyes and looked at me like I had 3 heads , not a lot of pricing advertised probably because if you saw it you would leave ! The total came to about 25-30 dollars and the pastry (apple cinnamon bun) was hard as a rock prolly 3-4 days old and siting out for to long and the egg sandwich was ok , when I asked for cutlery I was handed them with dirty hands ( like actually dirty unwashed and was very noticeable) and then when asked where I should put my dishes was giving a heavy sigh and another eye roll . Sad cause for the price I payed I went to a different breakfast joint the day before got triple the portions clean cutlery and service with a genuine smile , overall it just needs some work read more

Outstanding pizza and pastries and bread . An undiscovered gem of a place . Great friendly servers . Go now or you won't be able to get in soon when it is discovered Love the carrot cake The vegan brownies The pizza crust is perfect Had bread sticks with dried fruit which they for a while but have now disappeared read more

What a wonderful cafe. The owner is delightful, the pastries scrumptious and our coffees delicious. We relaxed in the shaded courtyard while enjoying our food and the view. Definitely returning on our next visit to Victoria. read more

Had a great experience last time I was at Imagine. The woman that runs the place was super nice and skilled at her job. The "barista" I got this last visit on Sunday, however completely soured me. He was extremely sloppy with his espresso technique, which resulted in a completely subpar shot, and terribly slow to boot. I was actually comforting other customers that were frustrated by the length of time it took to make any espresso drink. "Good things come to those who wait". To top it off I was shocked by the epic condescension that he spoke to me with. He was super polite to the woman he served before me but turned totally once my drink was up. As I said, the woman that runs Imagine is top notch. Her employees, not so much. Much can be forgiven if the Americano is good, but sadly, it was also terrible. read more

Funky place to hangout and enjoy a light lunch, pastry or just a cup of coffee or tea. Cosy and homey for people in the neighborhood or tourists from the other side of the world. GF and vegetarian options available. read more

Imagine Studio Café - Server Zack makes his cappuccino an art form! - Cafes Near Me - Victoria, British Columbia

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Great little quaint cafe! Short walk from Fisherman's Wharf. A variety of fresh pastries available for breakfast, excellent americanos, and great cappuccinos. read more

Imagine Studio Café - Cafes Near Me - Victoria, British Columbia

Absolutely fantastic pizza. If you're a fan of traditional Italian style pizza then this is the place! A perfect balance of ingredients along with, quite frankly, a crust that is probably one of the best I've tasted, ever! (Was in Italy in 2019, and it the crust on the several pizzas I ate there wasn't THIS good.) Looking forward to some pizza menu expansion! You've got a good thing going on. Well done Imagine. read more

You order will take forever. Even if you order a small sandwich. I waited 30 mims for egg sandwich and i saw other people waiting as well.

Today I decided since it is a gorgeous day I'd walk over to Imagine and try it out again. What a difference. Started with the male staff member giving a big smile and hello as I walked in. He made me a latte with almond milk and it was terrific. I indulged in an chocolate orange muffin. Very good. I am coming back for sure. Oh and sat and watched the view over the park to the water. Beautiful. read more

Imagine Studio Café - Imagine Cafe almond milk latte and chocolate orange muffin. - Cafes Near Me - Victoria, British Columbia

Honestly I'm sure how this place has lasted as long as it has. I've popped in several times over the past year. Each time mildly amused that it isn't up for lease. Coffee is ok. Don't really understand the eclectic mix of granola coffee shop and "art" gallery & studio. Seems like an unfocused mixed - like the owner woke up one day and decided to open a cafe because they like art. Also it is an odd location for a cafe, flanked by manufacturing and fish store. With Moka House and Fisherman's Wharf just steps away there are much better places to get a coffee or bite to eat. Speaking of eating, I've eaten a few things at Imagine and was not overly impressed. Tiny little 'nibbles' left out in baskets on the counter - about 1/3 the size of what I would consider a normal size muffin or brownie, but at the same price of adult size food. And of course it's all organic, gluten free; which means no taste. They do offer a $10 soup, sandwich and coffee deal for lunch which as a combo is not that bad. However, I recently just went in for an egg sandwich and it was $7.00!! (should have got the combo). Sadly I would also consider their sandwiches as "not adult sized food" either. I can go to Subway and stuff myself for $7. Instead I ended up with a very small and very bland egg salad sandwich, made with one egg. Oh I'm sure it was free-range egg from an orphaned hen who lives in a house in Oak Bay, and the bread was artizan and hand crafted by elves living in a tree across the road. I felt like asking them "you know I'm not a tourist right?". Very poor value for the money at this place read more

Imagine Studio Café - $7.00 for this!?!? It's like getting an appetizer sandwich before the actual sandwich... - Cafes Near Me - Victoria, British Columbia

I stumbled upon this place accidentally and I'm glad I did. The food is incredible. I had a breakfast sandwich with homemade bread, farm fresh eggs and tomatoes and avocado. It was exactly how I would make it if I had access to the best and freshest ingredients. Certainly not what I expected. I highly recommend this place. The sandwich was so good I had to stop in the middle of eating it to post this review. read more

A pleasant organic cafe near the Fisherman's Wharf in Victoria. They grow fresh herbs right outside the cafe and they hire 'kids' to provide job opportunities for them. They also offer workshops and meeting place for the community. We enjoyed having coffee, treats, soup & sandwich here. A great place to come and relax. read more

We were handed dirty silverware, (with bits of food still wet stuck on the knife and fork), and likewise saw dirty silverware (used spoons) in the coffee area. When we asked for replacements, the woman dug around in a drawer and discarded several other pieces of silverware before handing us a clean set. The soiled butcher paper table covers were not changed in between guests as well, and I think they were meant to be. We saw these things and were concerned about how clean the food prep area was. We didn't finish our meal after thinking about it. read more

I just paid 7 dollars for a sandwich that is the size of a dinner roll:( too bad! I feel very ripped off. The person that made it was cleaning tables and didn't wash their hands before making the sandwich which was kinda a turn off read more

This little cafe needs someone to push the refresh button! My sister and i ordered frittata to share. Be aware that nothing is prepped so the cook reluctantly made up an omelette instead. The coffee was fine but no clean spoons were available. No bread came with the just ok omelette. Again, not wanting to order a separate expensive order of toast (over $5.) she reluctantly added two skinny slices of bread. There were a few fruit slices, but, please, if you are serving strawberries, cut the green stem OFF. They are not edible. All in all, this is not a generous cafe. Swoosh. That's my delete sound. read more

The place is really charming. The smoothies are overpriced and bland and the boy who took my order was really rude. I would not recommend.

I have been going to the Imagine Cafe many times. It is a very friendly atmosphere, great food, meals, fabulous bakery items, great coffee and herbal teas. Just across the park from Fisherman's Wharf. I would recommend it to my fellow Victorians to drop by. There are a few outdoor tables ,the inside has a lovely atmosphere, very pleasant. Thanks for being in Victoria. Donna Harding Victoria read more

Perfect little spot to read, write or visit with a friend. I was in Victoria for the week and came here every day! The food is great, especially the egg sandwich. Friendly staff and great coffee. I will be back! read more

What a beautiful coffee place! It was perfect for our meetup. The coffee is good and they have Avalon milk and cream in glass bottles which I really appreciate. The servers are very friendly and our second meetup here flowed even more beautifully than our first, largely in part to this beautiful space. The energy is really good here, you can feel it as soon as you walk up to the place. read more

I feel so lucky to have this independent cafe in my neighbourhood. Great View over Fisherman's Wharf. Healthy, fresh and always served with a smile. It's a great place to meet for coffee/tea or a light lunch. I take all my friends and colleagues there regularly. Thanks Dorothy for setting up such a great community asset. read more

This is one of those places that you would want to take over and improve. The spot is amazing, the space is really great and full of potential. Only thing is that this is not a professional place. It is more of a BC hippy style amateur cafe, overpriced for the quality and of questionable hygiene. I had a similar experience with another reviewer's here. The personnel is untrained, inexperienced and unmotivated and the coffee is terrible. It is such a pity as this space could be turned into a hub of high quality, a cultural centre of events, sell great hand crafted artefacts and do really really well. read more