Author: tauniveve1975

Yates Coffee Bar was a fun experience and represented the mid-way point of a whirlwind foodie adventure that included the following in this order: Pho Vy, Crust, Dutch Bakery & Diner, Yates Coffee Bar, Odean YYJ (popcorn!), Salty’s, and crab snack treats at Bastion’s House...of Seafood. Given that all of these eateries were attended within the span of 8 hours, I think this has to be some kind of personal record on my part. It was calorific and oh so delicious! In any event, despite a fairly tight schedule, M graciously agreed to take me to Yates Coffee Bar so that I might FINALLY sample their mille crepe cake. I was first introduced to this delicate and delicious cake in the Fall of 2018 via Miss Lina Crepe Cakes in Richmond (this store has since moved to Vancouver proper). When I bit into their multi-layered “rainbow” crepe cake it was love at first bite: All of the crepe layers were uniform and thin; the whipped cream between each of the layers was evenly distributed; and, the cake was moist and flavourful. How could one not instantly love this complex and Instagram-worthy creation? We know the Greater Vancouver Area loves it because crepe cake shops have seemingly popped up all over the place in the last couple of years, but what about Victoria? As of this writing, Yates Coffee Bar is the only place you can acquire this delicate dessert treat in Victoria. The good news is that, despite their monopoly, the fine folks at Yates Coffee Bar don’t take advantage of their situation, i.e.: they don’t produce a sub-par product just because they’re the only game in town. In fact, after trying their strawberry crepe cake, I’d say it was just as good as – if not better than – the crepe cake I had at Miss Lina. It was beautifully presented; it had 25 impressive layers of thin, uniform crepes; it contained a few fresh strawberries and thus had a very refreshing element; the crepe cake had a more generous serving of whipped cream between each of the crepe layers, resulting in a far moister cake; and, for the amount of work and skill that goes into making each cake, I felt the price point was more than fair at $7.99 per slice (Miss Lina, as a point of comparison, charges $16 per slice). Each bite was nothing short of divine and had me singing the praises of Yates Coffee Bar’s pastry chef. I should note, as well, that they serve other mille crepe cake flavours: Chocolate, Matcha and Mango. Beyond the crepe cakes, Yates Coffee Bar also serves a decent selection of coffees, teas, smoothies, bagels, breakfast sandwiches, sausages rolls, wraps, and a few other intriguing desserts. I’d certainly return for the crepe cake, but am also interested in trying their version of the cream cheese bun; it certainly looked enticing in the glass display case! In terms of atmosphere, I’ll readily acknowledge that Yates Coffee Bar is kind of lacking in that area, but I think this has more to do with availability of space rather than lack of trying – because I certainly do believe they try. The Coffee Bar is clean and modern and it does strike me as a nice quiet place to relax; however, seating is quite limited. There are three small tables outside, three small tables inside, and two tables in the adjacent “mall.” Even with that, the space is a bit crowded. FOOD: 5/5 SERVICE: 5/5 VALUE: 5/5 RECOMMENDATION: Yates Coffee Bar was a pleasant surprise. Going in, I wasn’t expecting the crepe cake to be as exceptional as it was; however, they blew my expectations out of the water. It was a tour de force of complex flavours and delicate cake. Highly recommended! PS: If you found this review helpful in any way please consider hitting the "helpful" button!More