Keepin’ it Vegan

Truly a great cafe that I would recommend to everyone, vegan or not. Super nice staff and everything I’ve had has been great. They have sandwiches in the fridge that they will happily warm up for you as well as a selection of pastries and sweets. They also have some frozen options from Yugirolls which is easily the best vegan Chinese food in Ottawa. There’s seating available and last time I went they had some used books from Secondhand Stories, a local chicken sanctuary.

I also ordered a custom cake for my Mom’s birthday last year which was not only beautiful but delicious.

I can’t say enough good things, I love to support them as they are a genuinely great business and I want to see them (continue to) succeed!

My rating reflects horrible service, rather than the quality of the food.

For reference, I’ve been a loyal customer since the opening of this store in the tiny corner of the building, near Food Basics- Walkley.

I was very excited for the expansion, and visited many times. The macarons were a favourite of mine, and I literary bought some several times a month (almost weekly). I’ve also tried all the options that are available in gluten free, both sweet and savoury. Some better than others.

Unfortunately I completely stoped purchasing due to moral reasons. I understand that everything is kosher, however staff needs to handle customers with kindness.

An elderly woman was purchasing some items, while I was waiting in line. She wasn’t familiar with the concept of kosher (utensils, to be specific). The staff (who seems to run the place?) treated her rudely, and refused her request without explaining the system to her. The customer was very kind, albeit confused.

When the customer gave in and waked away with her purchase, the person behind the cash started mocking her and “gossiping” about her with another person that was there.
I was repulsed. I will NOT be visiting this store anymore.

Giving five star for two things number 1) I tried a delicious pumpkin cookie that was so moist and extremely flavourful. The cinnamon bun was OK in my opinion (but likely because I’m used to dairy full options) and I also tried their almond scone, and I thought it was only OK. And the 2) thing is that my five month old had a blowout and I needed to use the restroom to change her and was so happy to find a comfortable and fully equipped changing station with wipes for me to use! It’s so rare to find things like that so I really appreciated the extra touch. For those who are interested in baking, their kitchen is visible through a large window, which is very fun to observe. For those of you who are gluten-free they’re also many options to choose from so I got my husband a Nanaimo bar.

This bakery is amazing! You’d never guess everything is vegan! My favourite pastry is a tie between the raspberry danish and pain au chocolat. Excellent place to grab a quiet coffee with friends, or read a book.

Full vegan bakery. The pain au chocolates was tasty but oily. My companion liked the Nanaimo bar but it was too sweet for me. Will return to try more! They also have vegan icecream and take home food.

Matcha latte was warm, forgot to ask for cold. They have a nice seating area and bathroom.

We walked here to grab vegan treats and it did not disappoint! I had an oat milk cappuccino (volume a little large, more like latte but still decent), and almond croissant. The almond croissant was amazing, fluffy/flakey and tasted like a regular non-vegan croissant. My husband had the s’mores brownie which he liked. The only vegan place in the neighborhood – Highly recommend!