We actually were in the area visiting and planned to go to Starbucks across the street but when we…read moreparked, I noticed Pilot Coffee Roasters so we decided to stop there instead since it's not usually within reach for us. As we walked in, I noticed the open concept and minimal decor and fell in love with it! We were greeted by both the employees working right away and I must say, the customer service was perhaps the best part of the entire experience. We were never rushed to order as they gave us plenty of time to debate the menu and when it came time to order, the gentleman was very thorough and helpful with the sizes of drinks, explaining the milk alternatives which are free of charge, order was clarified to ensure it was correct - all in all, you could feel he took his time to get things right for us. When our iced matcha beverages were handed off, he realized he didn't let us know they come Una's a default and there, he offered simple syrup or vanilla syrup of our choosing since we do prefer our matcha sweetened. After tasting, we told him two pumps wasn't sweet enough and he kindly added more syrup for us. I personally ordered the seasonal white chocolate matcha as a hot beverage which was tasty but a little too sweet - I would request for half sweet next time. I also got the sea salt chocolate chip cookie as I couldn't resist (it looked so good in the pastry display!) It turned out to be absolutely delicious - the edges being the best part. My mom said it paired well with her Americano which was made with their Heritage blend. Speaking of which, before my mom ordered her coffee, she was offered to try their brew before buying which was really helpful as it ended up being too acidic for her. The Heritage blend was much more her preference with the nutty notes. All in all, a nice place to study and/or grab a coffee and snack to go! I'd highly recommend anyone to visit if in the area.

I had an excellent flat white here today. Deep flavor without being bitter, and a great milk foam…read more Practically empty on a weekday morning. And they had a WiFi password posted.

I was looking forward to coming here. In spite of Covid19 restrictions preventing me from a longer…read morestay-in experience. I used to work at a couple of the locations of Balzacs in Toronto, so I was anticipating a great cup of Coffee. Unfortunately, this location did not deliver on the quality I anticipated from Balzacs. And the response in attitude from what I picked up on of the Barista, was not impressive AT ALL. I purchased a mocha, its flavour was decent. I have nothing else to compare it to really because it was a First. I've tried mochas I've made at coffee shoppes I worked at in the past. I thought I'd give it a go. And it is not for me, at least not from Balzac's. The drink was incredibly foamy. Like 1/4 foam to 3/4 liquid. I dont know if that's the recipe at Balzacs for its mochas or if that's the industry standard for this particular drink. What I do know is I dont like paying over $6 for a light in weight, no latte art, too foamy for it's own good, 12oz mocha. I felt the weight as I went to sit down. I also ordered a Walnut and Pepper biscotti. These are absolutely amazing! I remember always eyeing them when I worked there. These biscotti are highly recommended. However are of a fair price. At 3 bucks a pop, they better be noteworthy. I sipped at the mocha. Took my biscotti and dipped it in to the thick foam, which was, as already established, A LOT! At this point, I called out to the barista who was more than 6 feet away (this is the min. Safe distance) , "is the mocha supposed to be this foamy?" Her response was, "yup". Okay, I wasn't in the arguing mood, had I been I might have told her that, "I dont believe steamed milk coffee drinks: lattes & mochas are meant to be so foamy". That "mochas are supposed to have latte art on them, that's fun, playful and creative". And that "in customer service the customer is ALWAYS right". Even when you don't feel they should be. Or even when you really don't want them to be. It's frustrating, I know; yet, that's customer service. Her tone was the thing that I am mostly complaining about though. I read it to be kinda on the snarky side. My perception, yes. It's like, by her responding with the "yup" she was not only dismissing my obviously unsatisfied with the drink question of, "is my drink supposed to be this foamy?" She was also making a statement of, "I am not going to remake it". Although I'll never know because hey, I didn't ask. Back when I worked there, the steamed milk frothed up beautifully in order for one to design latte art. No matter if it was soy or oat, or whatever. That did not happen in this case! Maybe my question or the way I said it, rubbed her the wrong way. Maybe me originally asking about what milk brand Balzacs uses (to know if it would aggravate my stomach), annoyed her. Maybe me switching to an alternative milk, pissed her off. Hey, I've been there. Maybe she was having a bad day. I dont know these things. And maybe I am being petty in writing this review. The possibilities are endless. The things this experience taught me: Request NO FOAM on all drinks that are made with steamed milk. People do have preferences and some prefer to have more foam. If I am unsatisfied with the drink ordered. Request a re-make at all times. After all I am paying for it. Reconsider spending over $6 on a first time drink experience. I will note one final thing: The reason I gave Balzacs in KW 3 stars instead of 2, is because that delivery person that came to drop off an order of whatever, while I was there, reminded me of a dear friend.

Balzac is a beautiful cafe with locally roasted beans. The ambience is both charming and rustic at…read morethe same time. The cafe is set up to accommodate social distancing. The menu items reduced significantly due to COVID. I ordered a genuine Japanese sencha green tea with soy for $2.75. Overall, the drink was average. It was nothing to write home about. Hopefully in the future there will be more options once things become normal again.

I stopped in looking for Portuguese tarts, the price is $1.50per tart so I picked up 6. The tart…read morecrust was not the best, I do prefer a slightly thicker and crispy crust; it may have gotten soft from sitting out all day? The custard is quite generous and sweeter than I prefer. It was my first time and very frankly I struggled ordering because none of the items had pricing so I felt I was disturbing someone to ask pricing of cannoli and tarts...would prefer pricing listed. Not even the website has pricing. Parking is pretty busy, it seems to be busy in waves and there are two entrances into the location. So drive in carefully.

Been hearing about their fantastic Tiramisu for a while and finally got the chance to try it out. I…read moredon't usually go to downtown Kitchener very often and this trip totally did not disappoint. Environment: The cafe is located a little bit west of the Charles Terminal, probably around 20mins walk, but the 7 bus stop is right in front of the store. I immediately saw the array of cakes and other bakery items upon walking in the door. The atmosphere at the bakery was great, suitable for sitting down and grabbing some coffee and treats with friends. There doesn't seem to be many students visiting due to the distance from schools, so it's more of a local favourite. Food: I got their signature Tiramisu, which was $3.10, pretty decent price in my opinion. My friend got the cheesecake which I believe was $3.50. The portions of the cakes were pretty big too. The Tiramisu definitely lived up to my expectation, and I especially loved how smooth and flavourful the mousse part was. Would definitely come back again for their Tiramisu and maybe next time I will try out their Portugese egg tarts as well!

Found this cute and quaint cafe through Yelp. It was a really nice change of pace for lunch after…read moredriving for over an hour. Ordered a cappicola panini and london fog. Both were excellent. The soft music in the background was very relaxing and transported me away from the hustle and bustle of the city. Enjoyed speaking with the sweet lady from Romania and the service overall was friendly. I would be here weekly if I worked or lived in Waterloo.

We (me and a group of my friends) meet there regularly every week. The place has nice decorations,…read moreis pleasant and cozy and provides relaxing atmosphere. Staff is kind and caring. The owner is a charming lady who easily gets friendly relations with her guests. Good coffee and many choices in menu. In conclusion: a really special place deserving to be recommended as a hidden gem.

This is a huge space with high ceilings that still manages to be cozy. We appreciated their…read moreattention to allergies. Excellent service. Clean. An extensive menu, but everything was delicious and made with care. I already have our next reservation booked!

It was a cold morning and I went with my husband to get some coffee. I ended up also getting a…read moresandwich. They didn't have any March specials or anything; I love a seasonal or limited drink. They have your common cafe options and flavored syrups to choose from, along with a variety of tea. The server was very kind and was willing to think up something unique for me when I asked if they had any specials. I went with a hot classic Hazelnut latte. The coffee was creamy, not too sweet, and the hazelnut was subtle. They had different pastries, sandwiches, and cakes to choose from. I got a bacon egg croissant sandwich, which they kindly heated up. I really liked the croissant they used; it wasn't so flaky that with every bite I was making a mess. The tomato jam they used was sweet but paired really well with the ingredients! Honestly would love to try to recreate this at home because it was just that good. It was a warm cozy place, small area with a small side table with about 3-4 bar stools; it's connected to the restaurant (The Bauer Kitchen). This was a pleasant first visit and would definitely come again.

Super cute place to enjoy High Tea in Kitchener. A menu of teas to choose from and a three tier…read moreserving platter for both savoury and sweet treats. Any dietary restrictions can be made in the reservation beforehand. Foods include sandwiches, mushroom puffs, scones, cupcakes, cookies, and other mini treats. Truly a sweet idea! I'm sure bringing your youngling with you would make her feel like an instant princess!

A beautiful location, great ambiance, helpful staff. Delicious TEA and the SCONES are perfect in…read moreevery way. I did enjoy all the SAVOURIES, but personally the SCONES are my FAVORITE.

Pretty neat place. Bunch of vegan options and prices are fair. The packaging is A+, as they don't…read moreuse any plastic at all. We ordered taco salad, The Reuben Soho and mango creamsicle. They were all pretty good and the portion size was great for the salad. Will visit again sometime soon!

This place has lost the vibe it had at the last location. Very sterile, no interesting current…read moreart. Very different from what it used to be. Won't be returning.