With the beginning of a new year at Laurier, I’ve been excited to stop by some of the city’s finest cafés. If you’re looking for a new study spot, I guarantee there’s a place for you on this list!
1. Midnight Run Café
You might easily pass it by on your walk downtown, but once you get inside, you’re bound to fall in love. The café’s atmosphere is truly peaceful with its plethora of plants and lovely décor. The quality espresso among the other tasty selection of drinks has kept me coming back, and I don’t plan to stop!
2. Seven Shores
This is my grandparents’ favourite coffee shop in Waterloo, and if that doesn’t make you want to sprint down there, I don’t know what will. Being a self-professed “community café” with locally sourced ingredients, Seven Shores is a pleasure in which to spend a nice afternoon with your readings.
3. Princess Café
Right next to the notorious Princess Cinemas, Princess Café doesn’t just have great coffee, but fabulous sandwiches and a wide selection of beer for all your weekend preparations. As for seating, I have a particular affinity for sipping my coffee and reading at the bar, people-watching through the front window. They also have a lovely separate seating space meant for students planning to use their laptops.
4. Café Maison
My most recent discovery, Café Maison is the only spot on this list that isn’t located in downtown Waterloo. For the convenience of Laurier students, the cute little coffee shop is on King Street, right across the street from the Science Building. It has a nice selection of both drinks and baked goods but is often very empty ⏤ I’m exposing Laurier’s best-kept secret!
5. Huether Hotel
No, it’s not an actual hotel anymore, but it is a restaurant, a live jazz venue and a coffee shop all rolled into one building! Specifically, the café is named Café 1842. This is where I go when I need caffeine and a good eggs benedict, but I still want to feel classy.
6. Café 22
Last on the list, but certainly not least in my heart (not that I could ever attempt to rank coffee shops), Café 22 is an expensive but beautiful place for a hot drink and a study date. Remember when I said I go to the Huether Hotel to feel classy? Café 22 is where I go when I want to feel like a rich grandmother. Also in the center of Waterloo, it boasts not only coffee but pastries, light meals and wine if you’re in the mood. And trust me, just being inside the place will put you in the mood.
Being a student is so much easier when you can study in pretty places with coffee. It doesn’t hurt when doing so also supports local businesses. So don’t walk, run to your nearest café!