REVIEWING COFFEE SHOPS – DOWNTOWN OAKVILLE

Hey guys! Today’s post is a little different than what I normally do. Since quitting my job I’ve been working more often in coffee shops around town. So I thought it would be nice to share my thoughts on some coffee shops around Oakville! Today I am sharing my thoughts on the five coffee shops that can be found in downtown Oakville.

I want to share my criteria for what I think makes a good coffee shop. This might be a bit ironic, but I’m not a huge coffee fan – I know I’m going to coffee shops and don’t drink coffee! But I like to get out of the house sometimes and I enjoy the ambiance in a nice coffee shop. So instead of rating their coffee, I’ll be rating their chai lattes, my drink of choice! The three big things I look for in a good coffee shop are good food and drinks, reliable wifi and a nice atmosphere. Let’s get into it!

Second Cup

Let’s start with the two chain coffee shops downtown. There has been a Second Cup downtown Oakville for as long as I can remember. Since it’s a chain the prices are quite affordable. On the flip side, the atmosphere is trying to be cute and cozy but also has a big dose of corporate feeling to it. That being said, there are lots of seating options. The wifi was free and no password was needed. The wifi was fast and reliable. My chai latte was alright. It was pretty nice but also on the bland side. It’s affordable but not my favourite option available.

Aroma Espresso Bar

The second chain downtown is Aroma Espresso Bar. I’ve been quite a few times before so I knew what the place is like. The lower level is pretty sparse but the upstairs has many tables. I love sitting by the window and getting the overhead view of the street. While the chai is alright (very cinnamon heavy) all the drinks come with a piece of chocolate which I love! The wifi is free but you have to connect through a Facebook account which was annoying. I think this cafe is better for socializing than working.

Tribeca Coffee Co

Near the top of my list of favourites is Tribeca Coffee Co. It has probably my favourite chai latte of all the coffee shops in this post. It’s the perfect sweetness level, very creamy and the perfect spice blend. They also sell fresh-made donuts in store so the whole shop smells lovely. While there is a good mix of seating (high top, table, chairs) it’s always pretty busy and it can be hard to find a good table. The biggest con is the wifi. The wifi network isn’t open. Once you purchase something you get a voucher for an hour. Now I haven’t tried asking for another voucher so I don’t know how strict the one-hour policy is. I generally like to work for two hours at a time so it’s a little annoying to be limited. I will usually do work that doesn’t require wifi, such as editing videos, during the second hour I’m there.

Pilot Coffee Roasters

One of the newer coffee shops downtown is Pilot Coffee Roasters. I know they have a few other locations so I was excited to try this shop but I have to say I was a little disappointed. They were the only coffee shop on the list that didn’t offer coffee mugs. I don’t mind paper cups but it’s nice if you’re sitting down to have a mug. The latte itself wasn’t bad but very cardamon heavy. The shop has a very industrial feeling which some people enjoy but isn’t my favourite. There was free wifi but it wasn’t very good. It was super slow and disconnected a few times on me. Overall I think this is a great place to great grab a coffee to-go but not to sit down.

Figaro Coffee House

The final coffee shop in downtown Oakville is Figaro Coffee House. The latte was quite nice. While the spice blend was a little more subtle the mug was huge. They had lots of seating options, with two levels of space. I was able to get a cozy corner banquet. And they had lots of outlets, not something every coffee shop offered. There was some lovely jazz music playing – I normally listen to my own music but this time just listened to the music playing in the shop. They had free wifi available as well. I don’t have any major complaints. The only thing is that’s more ‘modern’ than ‘cozy’. But overall a great option.

And those are the coffee shops I checked out in downtown Oakville! Let me know if you’ve been to any of these coffee shops before and what you thought about them! And please let me know if I should be a part two – I’ve been going to more coffee shops and I’d be happy to share my thoughts about them with you guys.

xoxo

Lea