We recently returned from a family trip to British Columbia. We checked out Victoria, Whistler, and Vancouver, and had so much fun. It is absolutely gorgeous! The trees and mountains and cliffs and water all combine to make something quite magical. Even the rainy, foggy days were beautiful in their own way. Before we left home, I had selected a few coffee shops that I wanted to try. Even after narrowing it down, I chose too many to try, but we did enjoy a lot of good coffee.
After spending a night at a super cute tiny home in the woods near Port Angeles, WA, we took a ferry to Victoria, BC. We got in at about 3:30, which gave us enough time to check into our Airbnb just outside of downtown and take a bus to our first coffee shop of the trip: Hey Happy.
Hey Happy was quite possibly my favorite coffee shop of the trip. It is in a bustling part of town, nestled amongst a variety of shops and restaurants, near the water, walking distance from Parliament. The shop itself has huge front windows, white walls, wood tables, and a bright green accent wall behind the counter. They serve the usual drinks, a few coffee based specials, and a few coffee-free specials. They also serve amazing-looking pastries. We were super tempted to get the homemade “Oreos”, but since we were heading straight for dinner, we resisted.
I ordered the cashew latte, which is a latte made with house cashew milk. I’m a sucker for good housemade milks, so I had to give it a try. Remington got their single-origin espresso, a Kenyan. Everly and Jude got a steamer, which I have started to bring our own cup for. Getting a ceramic cup for them is sometimes stressful, but I hate using a disposable cup, so, I started carrying an 8oz Pura bottle for them. In addition to being metal, and therefore unbreakable, and also not disposable, it has the benefit of having a lid that completely seals, so if they don’t finish their drink, I can put the lid on and throw it in my backpack without getting milk everywhere.
The latte and espresso came in unique handleless ceramics with a textured glaze. The espresso came on a board with water and a spoon. I didn’t take notes, so I don’t remember specific flavor notes, but both the espresso and the cashew milk latte were lovely. Even Remington (who doesn’t prefer alternative milks) was impressed with the cashew milk latte. It was so smooth and creamy, and had a mild flavor that didn’t get in the way of the espresso.
After our coffee date, we headed to dinner nearby at The Drake Eatery. We then walked through Fan Tan Alley (everything was already closed, but it still looked cool), got some dessert at Beavertails, and walked around near the harbor and by the Parliament buildings. After the sun set, we took a double-decker bus back to our Airbnb. It was a lovely evening. Weather was perfectly warm and sunny, the coffee and food were wonderful, and Victoria really is beautiful.
If you ever make it to Victoria, I highly recommend Hey Happy for coffee. The location is convenient for sightseeing and window shopping and the quality is superb. You can expect an overview of the coffee shops we visited in British Columbia in the next couple weeks, but I wanted to highlight Hey Happy, because it was really fantastic.
yum! Makes me want to go!