For Coffee Lovers: an Edible Guide
Vancouver Island has a well-earned reputation for being relaxed and laid-back, but there are still times when we actually need to get things done. And for that, we have coffee. Blissful, caffeinated coffee.
There’s no shortage of delectable artisan options on the Island—whether you’re looking for a locally roasted single-origin pour-over with notes of cherry and hazelnut, a three-shot caramel mocha soy latte or just a cup of plain black coffee in a white ceramic mug. Or maybe it’s the food options, the view or the ambiance of the location itself that warrants a visit. Whatever you fancy, the Island can provide.
For the purist
If you wouldn’t be caught dead in a generic coffee shop and you’re on a first-name basis with your barista, then here’s what you’re after. Tucked away in industrial Rock Bay, try Bows & Arrows Coffee Roasters’ ethically sourced sustainable coffees direct from the source at their roastery café. Pick up Fernwood Coffee in bulk from its roastery and storefront on Cook Street, or sample it as it was intended—expertly pulled and prepared right next door at the Parsonage Café. Level Ground works with small-scale farmers in Peru, Columbia and the Democratic Republic of Congo to source its beans. Founded in 1997, you can now sample its small-batch roasted coffee at its tasting bar in Central Saanich. 2% Jazz Coffee’s sublime espresso blend (made with South American and Indonesian coffee beans) is available all over Victoria for good reason—but you won’t find it any fresher than at its Hudson Market roastery and café location. Regard Coffee Roasters in Nanaimo focuses on small-batch single origin coffees, and you can try them all with their weekly coffee subscription service, which delivers roasted beans from all over the world to your front door every other week.
For a unique experience
Few cafés offer a setting like the ramshackle FoggDukkers Coffee in Campbell River. This beachfront shack offers spectacular views of Discovery Passage, where you can spot orcas with the complimentary binoculars as you warm yourself by the wood stove, or you can brave the elements outside by the ever-burning bonfire. Salt Spring Coffee was one of the original innovators in the local organic, fair-trade, custom-roasted specialty coffee movement, and its recently renovated flagship café in picturesque Ganges is where it all began. Cafe Guido in Port Hardy is the North Island’s premier coffee house—and it also doubles as a bookstore and gift shop. If you’re in downtown Victoria, a visit to local favourite Hey Happy is a must. Enjoy their rotating selection of single origin roasts on their new physically distanced streetside patio.
For local flavour
The little-known Victoria neighbourhood of Haultain Corners tends to get overshadowed by its cool older siblings Fernwood and North Park, but locals here love lining up for the expertly crafted espresso at funky Koffi, which serves as the rapidly beating heart of the community. Located in Nanaimo’s former train station, the über hip White Rabbit Coffee Co.—with its rotating art gallery and bespoke floral arrangements—is further proof of the change taking place in the Hub City. In Comox, East Vancouver coffee pioneer and master roaster Brian Turko brings his award-winning espresso blends to the Mid-Island with Milano. Located in the recently renovated former St. Aidan’s on the Hill Church, the Foggy Bean Coffee Co. in Ucluelet roasts its globally sourced ethical and sustainable coffee on site. Enjoy a latte while checking out the view of the Ucluelet harbour from the patio. French Press Coffee Roasters won a gold, a silver and four bronze medals at the recent Golden Bean North America coffee competition. Its café in Coombs is temporarily closed, but you can sample the award-winning roasts at its roastery in Qualicum Beach. Just up the Old Island Highway, Royston Roasting and Coffee House roasts its 100% organic fair trade Arabica beans in house—and even offers tours of the roastery.
For the hungry
If you’re looking for freshly baked treats, few do it better than Mosi Bakery Café. Located precisely in the middle of nowhere on West Saanich Road near Prospect Lake, the baked-daily bread and pastries have quickly made this country coffee shop a destination for cyclists and day trippers alike. Rhino Coffee House in Tofino is the preferred filling station for locals heading out on “dawn patrol.” The Bro-Nut—a savoury donut stuffed with bacon, eggs and cheese—is a must if you plan to brave the frigid waters at Cox Bay or Chesterman. If you’re heading up Island (or down, for that matter), don’t forget to pull off the highway in Cobble Hill for a refuel at Drumroaster Coffee, where the fresh-roasted single origin coffee is rivalled only by the sublime baked goods and treats.
