William Shakespeare did not drink coffee. Not even a taste. Coffee did not arrive in England until long after he had passed. Had any of his iconic characters known the pleasures of caffeine, perhaps Hamlet might have been more expeditious. Falstaff might not have been as debauched. Classic lines might well have been, “Espresso is the soul of wit,” or “Shall I compare thee to a summer’s frappacino?”
In Stratford today, there are no fewer than twenty coffee shops to satisfy every taste, but a few stand out…
Every coffee connoisseur knows Balzac’s. Its Stratford location is the OG. It’s distinguished by its dark roast coffee, of which, over his lifetime, Honoré de Balzac reportedly drank 50,000 cups! Balzac’s emulates the Grand Cafés of Paris, and roasts its own small batch blends for a loyal following. When all other cafés close shop mid-day, Balzac’s remains open for those who need that one more latte before the show.
Tucked into the Stratford Mall, Green Haven Bakery and Café offers a delicious brew. Owner, Jason Hunt, roasts his own medium to dark coffee, and his espresso is robust but smooth and balanced. Since every good cup beckons a good pastry, Green Haven is also growing its popularity with Honey Dip Doughnuts, Apple Fritters and signature Fry Pies that are baked fresh every morning.
A proliferation of cafés downtown offers more than coffee. The display case at Bake My Day and The Bean is a treasure chest of twenty-five different kinds of butter tarts. Alley Cat Cat Café lets coffee goers snuggle with rescue kittens. Coffee Cocktails and specialty coffees at The Bunker Performance Lounge & Café include a blend that, “combines the complexity of Indian Monsoon Malabar, the fruity brightness of Guatemalan Caturra & Bourbon, the sweetness of Mundo Nuevo & Catuai, and the robust character of Ugandan beans.”
Revel
Revel is like a temple in which the revelers’ daily ritual venerates the purest form of the bean exactly as the farmer intended. Uncompromising ethical and ecological values honour the coffee, its source, climate and fair trade. Based on a philosophy of mutual relationships, Revel’s owner, Anne Campion, along with her devoted team, single-highhandedly raised the bar for Stratford’s coffee scene. The popular shaded patio in back, the front patio, which offers the best seating in Market Square, and the exposed-brick interior adorned with local art, are oases for the cognoscenti who appreciate a beautiful cup of coffee with perfect extraction.
The beans are from a family-run farm, Las Chicas, in Nicaragua, where Campion spent time to learn and confirm the responsible and sustainable stewardship of resources and fair treatment of workers, whose ethics and care are invariably imbued in the quality of their coffee. Seasonal rotation also includes beans from Transcend Coffee & Roastery, whose commitment to direct trade relationships with farmers in Costa Rica and Guatemala provides rich, dynamic blends that convey a wide palate of flavour profiles.
An espresso at Revel is presented on a wooden slab and paired with a glass of sparkling water, which neutralizes and refreshes your palate to optimize the depth and complexity of the coffee.
In keeping with the commitment to doing good for the community, every pastry is baked in-house with ingredients like chocolate, flour, butter, milk, eggs as well as meats and vegetables, all sourced locally from farmers who share the same ethical principles of sustainability. And the baked goods…OMG! These are the absolute best in town. The Cruffins on Sundays are second to none. Each week they’re a different flavour. Kouign Amann is layers of crispy, doughy, caramelized decadence. The croissants and pain au chocolat could make any French pâtissier blush. Locals know that every Saturday is Doughnut Day, in which each week’s new soft doughy ring is as inventive as it is seductive.
Brch & Wyn
There’s a Cheers kind of vibe when entering the bright, airy space at Brch & Wyn. White, green and pink colours exude a tropical, congenial atmosphere in which the day’s hemispheres are divided between coffee and wine. Café by day, wine bar by night. Owner, Jonny Kirwin, showcases a flavour-forward selection of quality from the full wine bar and cocktails to the full-service menu, to his small-lot beans that he roasts himself.
Kirwin is a coffee enthusiast and aficionado who was trained in New Zealand where lighter roasts predominate, and so he prefers to offer very light roasts that carry floral, fruity, even tropical aromatics. The coffee is a 60/40 blend of Ethiopian Yirgacheffe and Guatemalan washed. How the milk is steamed is essential to the desired texture, and so the baristas pay attention to softly folding for a wet foam that enables a smooth, thick cappuccino and latte.
The Flat White is the most popular drink here and, for those seated at the high-top tables, the aromas wafting from the kitchen are just too hard to resist. Wooden boards with grilled cheese toasties of Brie, caramelized apple, honey and prosciutto, or flatbreads with Parmesan cream, mushrooms, bacon, pork belly and arugula, are scrumptious temptations. The selection of wines, both local and international, curated by the in-house sommeliers, are not the usual suspects. There is a chalkboard-style menu in which cases are run ’till done. Flight-tastings are their jam, and it’s a constantly rotating selection.
To satisfy every palate and restriction, in addition to non-alcoholic drinks, plant-based vegan-coffee alternatives are offered for those who want the coffee experience without caffeine. One savoury and vegetal blend is Unicorn Sparkles, a balance of beetroot, purple potato, ginseng, lucuma root, cloves and spices whisked into steamed milk like a latte.
Each menu respects principles of sustainable and restorative practices in coffee, wine and gastronomy.
The Livery Yard
In what was once a stable for horses, The Livery Yard is now a magnet for latte lovers who appreciate the airy, positive vibe of an inviting space with fire place and leather-bound chairs, in which to slow down in living room-style comfort. Liesa Hartman is a barista with a sweet tooth and a Wonka-vision for coffee, combined with a cozy beatnik approach to how a café should feel. Her maximalist aesthetic includes knickknacks tucked into corners, including a ‘take a book-leave a book’ library. Her rotating showcase of local artists is bright and quirky. Every Saturday there’s a DJ, art show, and even taro readings to answer that burning question: “Should I have another coffee.”
Coffee is sourced from Rufino in light, medium and dark roasts, and their most popular beverage is the Double Latte in a 16oz cup. All the delectable baked goods are made in-house and are hard to pass up. What is most distinct is Hartman’s ever-changing inspired Bonus Menu of ambrosial concoctions inspired in collaboration with the imagination of her children.
Pretty in Pink is coffee, strawberry syrup, vanilla, white chocolate, whipped cream, dehydrated strawberries, and of course, un peu d’amour, all combined in a cocktail shaker for a fun, frothy, foamy milkshake texture. Maple and Cinnamon Shakerato is an icy blend of espresso, maple, cinnamon and oat milk with a sprinkling of maple flakes. It’s the perfect antidote for the ambivalent palate in need of a shake, rattle and roll.
Tempting cookie jars of Snickerdoodles bring out the kid in all of us, and the chocolate babka rolls, matcha and strawberry muffins, cakes, pies, Danish pastries, croissants, bagel bombs, paninis, savoury tarts and Khachapuri (traditional Georgian bread filled with cheese and egg,) are all addictively noshable.
Furry friends in need of a pick me up can also delight in a 4oz Pawpuccino of whipped cream and unsweetened dehydrated peanut butter.
The Ashborne Café
The Ashborne Café is like an apothecary in which the holistic intention of Buffy Illingworth and Greg Kupefer is to focus on clean, healthy, nutrient-dense ingredients that keep our blood sugar and energy stable. All the drinks and goods include superfoods and adaptogenic herbs. There are no refined sugars, no harmful inflammatory grains or oils.
The coffee is from Brothers Coffee Roasters. The espresso blend, called Notorious, is a medium-dark roast with origins in Costa Rica, Indo-Sumatra, Brazil and Columbia. But it’s the latte that stirs our interest. 5 Defenders Latte includes five different kinds of mushrooms: chaga, turkey tail, lion’s main, cordyceps, and reishi. In addition to boosting energy and overall balance, the healing properties of this beverage benefit digestive and brain health and support gut and immune health. The ever-popular Charcoal Latte is infused with charcoal to draw toxins from the gut. Bulletproof is a great day-starter prepared with organic butter and MCT oil to keep us satiated a little longer before breaking our fast.
Don’t drink coffee? Ashwrtr is an elixir of five functional mushrooms, cacao, ashwagandha, Indian spices, sea salt, and any milk you choose (I prefer coconut.) It feels and tastes like a coffee, but without the acidity and caffeine of a regular coffee. It provides medicinal benefits and the feeling of waking up the senses.
All the herbal tea blends are made in house for grounding, immunity, digestion and cleansing. And the Smoothies! These tasty whipped-up revitalizers are designed for anti-inflammation, energy, detox, beautification (yes please!) and hormone balancing.
Edibles are gluten and dairy free and made without refined sugars. Sinfully textured, the Dark Chocolate and Sea Salt Cookies are one of Stratford’s most coveted pleasures. Chocolates, Chocolate Brownie Bars, as well as the hot chocolate, are all made with three major adaptogens: ashwagandha, reishi and maca. (What is an adaptogen? A unique class of healing plants and fungi that balance and protect the adrenal, endocrine and nervous systems that ultimately help the body deal with stress.)
Illingworth’s background is in holistic nutrition, plants and horticulture, and so the ambience and décor are clean and balanced. Within the spacious room and on the patio, the coconut chai bowls; pumpkin seed butter-stuffed dates; pastries; cakes and sandwiches, like the open-faced charcoal sourdough with avocado, organic greens, grape tomato, pickled onion, radish, pine nuts and poached egg, are all unique and infused with ingredients that make us feel happy.
…They say, “Life’s too short to drink bad coffee.” Stratford’s coffee shops are authentic and refined. Every café may not be for everyone, but every one percolates a cup for every mood, and so the famous question, “To caffeinate or not to caffeinate” is happily replaced with, “Which Stratford café am I in the mood for today.”
