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Discovery Coffee
- Hours:
Mon-Fri 6:30 am - 5 pm
Sat-Sun 8 am - 4 pm
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- Free
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
13 reviews for Discovery Coffee
13 reviews in English
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Review from Tim S.
8/17/2010
Discovery Coffee in downtown Victoria is an excellent little shop that brews a cup as good as the best you'll find in the Vancouver scene.
It's just a little bit outside the downtown tourist area -- it wasn't even on the map I had -- but that just means the cruise shippers won't beat you there. The shop is outfitted in a turn-of-the-century Main Street aesthetic with vinyl playing in the back (swing?). I attended Discovery for a Sunday morning breakfast of a cherry danish, a bottle of local, organic apple juice, and a cafe macchiato. The espresso was well-balanced and perfectly extracted with their Synesso machine; it was easily the best I had on my trip to the Island. The danish was excellent, too! The folks behind the counter were friendly and helpful. The shop has free wireless but few outlets. I wished I could stay longer.
The house brewed coffee is made with the aid of a French press; I left with a cup of it for novelty's sake but I was surprised to find it thin and bitter. I would've had a much poorer impression if I'd started with it: go for espresso or have a Clover or pourover cup. -
Review from Jasmine O.
Vancouver, BC
7/6/2010
Holy Moley I have to review this place. We were in Victoria this weekend and stayed and the Travellers Inn right up from this amazing coffee shop. The drip is UNBELIEVABLE!
All four of us were sad when our cups became closer to empty and would have easily returned for second and third cups if our day wasn't so busy..
All I can say is that this place beats out anywhere I have ever had coffee and as a no sugar, no cream, black coffee all the way-girl, I tasted it in it's purest form. PERFECT.Listed in: Greatest Hits
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Review from Crystal H.
Vancouver, BC
10/13/2009 3 Check-ins Here
Dearest Bean Lover,
Please hear my plea! My eyes are steamy, my step is perky. I'm in love!
Please bring Vancouver your beans and baristas. Please, please, please move for my love of you. I swear, I can make you happy! My love is as strong as the aroma of your shop!
I will tell everyone about your roasts. I will come every day to visit. My love, while conditional, is totally easy to achieve: just make me loving americanos and almond croissants every day. I promise I'll remain faithful to you!
All my love, mi amour,
Crystal
Yep that's right, I'm in love. I've got to give Victoria yelper Christine C credit for "playing matchmaker." She read that I loved Wicked Coffee here in Vancouver, and went to work on setting me up with Discovery. Our first date jitters were quickly quieted when the first brush of full flavoured americano touched my lips! And this is why my weekend love affair began.
By our second date I knew all of this about my new long distance lover:
-A properly prepared Americano does not need any added sugar (but I still like my cream)
-A siphon is 2 beakers and a fuel cell with a $100 price tag - for very serious coffee connoisseurs.
-Baristas visit from around the world and they have won worldwide competitions for their barista's skills.
-Records playing through speakers is the most awesome way to swoon and swap with your lover.
-Making a penny tower is doable - and I contributed a few pennies to the baristas (in between costumers) efforts.
-Their almond croissant is the BEST I've ever had... in my life!
Coming down off my beautiful love fix today and already back at home in Vancouver I renew my plea: please, please, please, come to Vancouver! -
Review from Peter S.
10/18/2009 1 photo
Best latte EVER.
I love Discovery.
The interior reminded me of the house I grew up in way up north. Old hardwood floors, skylight, with a warm and cozy feel. I bought a couple bags of their special roasts for a true coffee connoisseur. My Mom.
The next time I am anywhere near Victoria I will detour here for another hit. Discovery, please don't change anything! You are perfect.Listed in: Vancouver's best Lattes
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Review from Brendan M.
9/20/2010 1 Check-in Here
In preparation for a trip to Victoria, I did some research on coffee joints and found that Discovery Coffee has Victoria's only Clover brewing machine, so I made sure to stop there during my trip.
Unfortunately, I was underwhelmed by my cup of Brazilian coffee from the Clover. There was a sharp acidity, a thin mouthfeel, and an aftertaste of edamame or lima beans. Overall, I thought the coffee tasted a bit "green" or under-roasted. I've had better Clover-brewed coffees from Starbucks and Trabant in my hometown of Seattle.
There aren't a lot of tables, but we managed to find an unoccupied sewing machine table in one corner.
Maybe some of Discovery's other coffees taste better when brewed in the Clover, so I'd encourage you to check them out for yourself and decide. -
Review from Brad W.
Victoria, BC
2/16/2009
Discovery Coffee served me the first truly great latte I've had in Victoria. They roast their own beans and supply some of the local cafes. The croissants are good and so are the cookies, an important part of any good coffee shop!
Most importantly the staff are always cheerful and the space is comfortable and welcoming. Certainly one of my favourites.Listed in: Good Coffee in southwest BC
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Review from Elle J.
Victoria, BC
7/15/2010
This coffee is some seriously good stuff, the beans have so much flavour and very little bitterness you can really get away with very little to no sugar.
If you've been to the famous Blue Bottle Cafe for coffee it is very comparable. In fact, they even do a similar pouring for individual cups! If you are a REAL coffee connoisseur and willing to spend around $8 for a cup of coffee then they have specialty brews here that are definitely worth the experience!
If you just want a regular coffee that tastes amazing, they've got that down too! -
Review from Doug H.
Victoria, BC
7/9/2009
Simply the best. This little operation makes a big impact on Victoria in ways most people don't even notice. They roast beans for a number of restaurants and cafes in Victoria, and train baristas, so if you've had good coffee in Victoria, there's a good chance you've tasted Discovery's coffee and not known it.
The beans: The quality of the beans is consistently high. I know coffee is a very personal taste, but there are always two or more bean varieties in the hoppers, and several more for sale. I've only had one experience with better beans, and that's been from Espresso Vivace in Seattle. However, Vivace only does two types of bean, and Discovery brings in specialty beans from all over the world, then treats them to roasting processes specifically designed to highlight the strengths of each bean.
Drinks: Clover. If I need to say more, you need to try a coffee made by this machine. Basically, the cleanest, brightest coffee you've every tasted, and the only source of coffee I will drink black. Imagine all the "ick" taste of old, skanky truck stop coffee completely removed.
The lattes are also the best I've ever had... they've also been, unfortunately, mediocre at times. The only thing I could criticize about Discovery is the lack of consistency between baristas, which is surprising for a company that trains baristas.
Food: tasties from Patisserie Daniel. What more could you ask for.
Ambiance: the location is a bit out of the core, and on the verge of industrial, but the interior of both spaces is warm, inviting, clean without being sterile, and homey without being worn-out looking. -
Review from Eric G.
6/13/2011
Great coffee and a cool cafe area. Not much else to say, really, except that we were walking past and their signage out front caught my eye. I'm a sucker for good design and I needed a cup of coffee, so there you go. Totally satisfied, and the price seemed low for Victoria.
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Review from Paul H.
Victoria, BC
1/19/2010
Perfection, that is all you need to know. Discovery has all the talent and quality coffee we have come to expect from local coffee shops, and great customer service too! That's right no holier-than-thou Batista shite here, just great coffee.
They also have a great meeting space right next door. -
Review from Ken S.
Saanich, BC
12/1/2010
Discovery coffee is a great choice in Victoria or Oak bay. This is the main place I buy beans for my Rancilio Silvia espresso machine.
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Review from Levi L.
3/24/2010
The locals think this place is the equal to our (Portland's) local stumptown coffee...not quite there- but they give it a valliant effort. Good coffee by Victorian standards, though.
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Review from Tobias K.
BC
12/19/2009
I have always been a coffee drinker and have found some seriously good coffee at Discovery. It was in close proximity to my dog daycare and was always a do not miss occasion. I have met some great people there and the smells in there as well as the taste of the coffee and the overall atmosphere is excellent. Surprised I don't see more police there!
