Cute little coffee shop in Victoria. Friendly staff, yummy food and drinks. Outdoor seating.read more

We are from the states visiting family in Victoria. We found this cute little trendy…read morebreakfast/lunch cafe not far from our Air bnb. The place was hopping for a Tuesday AM, however, the line went fast. My husband and I split a breakfast sandwich and muffin. Both excellent! Coffee hit the spot. Highly recommended for a quick breakfast in an upbeat location

Nice community cafe with good coffee. Nothing fancy but nice comfy vibes. Will be coming backread more

I live in Victoria and this is one of my favourite cafes. I love all that they offer, service is…read morefantastic and food is always tasty. No surprises here, I would definitely recommend this place to anybody visiting BC

We've been coming to Friday Harbor for years as a stop along our annual sailing vacation. Today, on…read morea whim, I stopped in at Leaven and asked if they could do any of their menu items dairy-free. They literally all got together and came up with an off-menu crepe that was amazing! The care and concern shown was fantastic. And, to top it off, the shop owner (?) came up and handed me a peach pastry that is vegan saying "It's not often that dairy-free people get to enjoy a sweet." We were so impressed that all of the allergy-free members of our party immediately ordered breakfast! Go here and support this business!

Lox crepe had a good ratio of lox to cream cheese and arugula/picked onions. The quiche (tomato and…read morepesto) was ever so slightly overcooked to my preference. Service was 5/5 very friendly. Bus your own table type of place. Drip coffee was standard. Does get a long line that fluctuates with ferry arrival times. We had about 5 people ahead of us and waited about 10 minutes to order. Brioche looked good and seemed to be popular; not really a brioche person so didn't get it.

What phenomenal place to grab a bite, drink and pet some emus!…read more We were originally going to go to a gastro pub in the heart of Port Angeles, but one of our group members suggested this place and we were all a little skeptical of it at first. Boy were we in for a treat! The food is plentiful and delectable. The drinks are mostly local and very tasty. The best part is the emus and goats and chickens in the back! (Just be sure to not wear a hat when petting them) 10/10, no more notes

Really outstanding for a burgers-and-fries place! Interesting sandwiches, burgers, milkshakes (all…read moreavailable with malt if desired), and pies. I had the chicken sandwich (with homemade blackberry BBQ sauce) and Parmesan fries (with real Parmesan and lots of real minced sautéed garlic) and the chocolate chip cookie dough malted milkshake. All were excellent! And I hear their soft-serve ice cream is also amazing! It gets very busy, especially during the summer tourist season. No air conditioning. If you go on a hot day (over 70 degrees F) try to eat outside in the shade. Indoors has great ambiance but crowded with all those hot bodies, it gets really stifling.

This place is a charming cafe located in Friday Harbor…read more The food and drinks here were absolutely spectacular. We ordered a few lattes made with their in-house syrups, and every single one of them was incredible. We loved them so much we went back for them again and again over the weekend we were there. We also tried their chorizo burrito and donuts, which were both outstanding. I honestly want to go back to the island just to eat here again! The ambiance of the place is awesome. It is super kid-friendly outside, featuring a wonderful yard with plenty of toys and things to do, which makes it incredibly relaxing for families. To top it all off, the staff was incredibly nice, welcoming, and helpful throughout our visits. I highly, highly recommend checking out Medio Cafe if you are anywhere near the San Juan Islands. It was so good, and it's an absolute must-visit spot that we will definitely keep coming back to!

I'm genuinely surprised by the nearly 5-star rating based on our experience…read more We visited around 1:30 PM and were told that hot food was no longer being served. We then tried to order a salad, and were told that oh also that wasn't available. honestly felt like they just didn't feel like making anything. The only real option left was smoothies and açaí bowls. We ended up ordering three açaí bowls for the kids and a smoothie. At around $15 per bowl, the portions were shockingly small--only about a quarter full with five banana slice and three strawberries. one bowl was missing almond butter. The protein* smoothie couldn't be made properly because they were out of the protein powder. They offered to substitute collagen instead - not the same thing but ok. no discount. no acknowledgement. I understand that restaurants run out of items occasionally, but between most of the menu being unavailable, the outrageous price for the quality of the output, missing ingredients, and the complete lack of an apology or acknowledgment, this was a very disappointing experience.

I recently had the pleasure of dining at Fox & Monocle in the North Saanich/Sidney area, and the…read moreexperience was truly memorable. From start to finish, everything was beautifully prepared and wonderfully served. We began with the truffle gougere -essentially delightful little cream puffs filled with melted parmesan that were absolutely to die for. Each bite was rich and delicious. Next up was the bread served with onion butter, which had a fantastic flavor profile. My only tiny wish was that the bread had been toasted just a bit to help that lovely butter melt right in. For the main course, we shared a mushroom pie that was beautifully presented and had that comforting, home-cooked feel. The standout dish of the night, though, was the rock fish. The fish was tender, flaky, and paired with pillowy soft gnocchi that was just perfect in texture. We ended the meal with a dark chocolate namelaka (a type of soft biscuit) and a sticky toffee pudding, both beautifully presented. The sticky toffee pudding was delicious, though I personally would have loved just a bit more of that rich sauce to soak up the entire cake, Overall, the service was wonderful, and the meal was impeccable. The area is truly lucky to have such a fine dining gem, and I can't wait to go back again!

While visiting over the weekend I was invited to a Shinto shrine that departs every so often. My…read morefamily and I ate at this cozy cafe which reminded me of being in a Wes Anderson film. Every baked good was perfectly semetrical and there were regulars, bicyclists, and families. The only thing missing was the cool color tones of a Wes Anderson movie to capture mood and dialogue. I tried two of the breakfast sandwiches: beef and an egg and sausage. Both were delicious. I also tried their galette with mushroom and cheddar. It was a nice savory bite of crunch from the pastry dough , and texture of the mushrooms and spices. My belly was full for the direction of my 3 hours on the island. Service was very good also.

Very good customer service. Yummy coffee with cold foam…read more Nice outside seating with an excellent view of the harbor

This cafe is a great stop as you get off the ferry. I had no issue finding parking nearby. You do…read morehave to go down some stairs and around the building, but I found it easily enough. There are some public restrooms nearby if you walk down the pier a bit. The cafe shares a location with what appears to be a whale excursion/souvenir shop. It's clean and has plenty of seating. I got one of their specials, smoked salted maple. The espresso is smooth and the drink doesn't seem to be all ice. I will say I couldn't taste the maple, like at all. All I tasted was salt. I didn't end up finishing it due to this, but I'd be willing to give it another try if I find myself back on the island.

We discovered this cafe through an online review and were attracted to the atmosphere and crepes…read moreoffered. Everyone working is very friendly, the food is served extremely quickly and is delicious. The London fog was the best I've had, and we even came back the following day to have it again. I would 100% recommend this place to anyone in Victoria!

We had a wonderful trip to Victoria BC and ended it on a high note when we dined at the JOIE French…read moreCafe. The food was fantastic, had delicious gluten free options and was capably and quickly served by the polite and gracious Yuma, who is apparently the owner's son. The family runs another restaurant with a more substantial menu which is also situated on Cook Street called the JOIE Grilles which we did not have the pleasure of visiting as we were leaving Victoria that afternoon. The Croque Madame and gluten free crepes were all fabulous. We will be back next year on our next visit to Victoria.

piggy and paisley is a small, charming local café in james bay that fits really naturally into the…read moreneighbourhood. it's located just across from thrifty foods and a short walk from victoria's inner harbour. james bay itself feels quite different from downtown. while the core of victoria is busy with tourists, government buildings, and constant movement around the harbour, james bay feels more residential and relaxed, with tree lined streets, older homes, independent shops, and a steady local rhythm. i stopped in for a matcha latte with oat milk and sat by the bay window. it's an easy place to slow down for a bit and watch the neighbourhood go by. natural light fills the space, softening the pink tones and cozy interior, and there's a quiet, comfortable hum of conversation in the background. during my visit, a few people were catching up over tea, others were working on laptops, and some were simply enjoying coffee and pastries. it has a very unhurried feel to it, like people naturally settle in. afternoon tea is available but needs to be booked in advance. there are also small curated displays throughout the café with teas, gifts, and artisan items available for purchase. it feels thoughtfully selected and woven into the space rather than presented as a separate shop, which adds to the overall charm without distracting from the café experience. what stands out most is the atmosphere. it feels genuinely local. regulars come in and out, conversations happen easily, and even as a visitor you feel comfortable settling into the space. it feels more like a neighbourhood café that naturally belongs where it is. if you're in victoria, it's worth stepping away from the inner harbour and downtown for a bit. wandering into james bay and spending time at piggy and paisley gives you a quieter, more local side of the city that many visitors miss, and it's a nice place to slow down for a while.

I brought my husband here for his first time ever having a traditional tea experience…read more Unfortunately, at the time we had a bit of a crisis that was happening at home and it was hard for us to sit and just enjoy our meal because we were dealing with a crisis, however, the server was so sweet and genuine and understanding about us being somewhat distracted. Despite our side quest, my husband still told me he enjoyed every second of that tea lunch and had a great time. They do a really good job about decorating it making it feel very authentic, and the tea was delicious and they really went above and beyond to explain everything that we were receiving. I would definitely go back!

Food is good. Coffee is awesome. Nice little shop, easy to find. Parking is plentiful and free.read more

Great selections of pastries and great variety of coffee selections (e.g. latte and cappuccino).read more