The Ministry of Coffee

I had high expectations for a place that calls itself the ministry of coffee lol
So I ordered a latte which came into a huge white coffee mug you would find at dollarama ! There wasn’t anything special about just a latte that you would find in any typical generic chain!!!
Same with the English muffin candied bacon sandwich which was a little dry and lacked a certain je né sais quoi…
My friend ordered a long espresso but ended up with a coffee so he had to explain what a long espresso was.
Was just okay basically

I love the atmosphere of this place and is great if you need to get some work done or meet a friend for a quick chat. The coffee is good (much better than Tim Hortons, Starbucks etc.) but their ice coffee was not the best as it tasted watered down. As a specialty coffee shop I just expected something a little bit better. If you are not into coffee though they have some amazing teas and even a Nutella hot chocolate !

Love this coffee shop. Their coffee is decent. The atmosphere and the staff make the shop. It has a very urban feel. However, it’s very small and it’s hard to find a seat.

I wasn’t pleased with my iced coffee. It didn’t even really taste like coffee, it tasted watered down. I had to add sweetener to it and milk myself; Ive never had to do that for an iced coffee. Hot coffee, yes. Even McDonalds does it for you. They charged me $ 4.50 for a small cup, which I felt was super overpriced. I’d get a bigger serving at Starbucks, honestly, and I wouldn’t be limited to only two hours of wifi (at least where I’m from). Why is it more expensive to get cold coffee? This makes absolutely zero sense to me.
That said, the people behind the counter were super sweet and gave excellent service, so this review is 100% aimed at the store itself and not the staff. The décor and the music were also good. It seems very clean and stylish, but that alone isn’t enough to make me want to return.

Great little coffee shop. I ordered a latte and a croissant, the latte was good but had too much milk for my taste. The croissant was actually amazing.

Staff were genuinely friendly, no trouble finding a place to sit mid day during the week. Charming little place, great atmosphere. Good selection of treats and food. Try the almond tea latte! Would definitely return.

What a great little coffee shop! My husband and I stopped in for a beverage one crisp Sunday morning. The staff were super helpful and friendly. I had their chai tea latte and my husband has an espresso. We were both quite satisfied with our drinks.
For those who love fresh amazing coffee beans, this place has you covered! They sell coffee beans from CUT (Toronto based roaster) and Anchored (Dartmouth NS roaster). We highly recommend both!

Tried the Nutella latte to go. I could taste traces of chocolate and hazelnut which is really a special experience. Will come again in the future if around the neighbourhood.

Amazing place to have a cup of coffee… they have plenty of options from Dark to Mild, you name it!
Very friendly and helpful staff…
The cashier got to know that its my first time at their shop and she welcomed me in a big way and suggested what should I order… their specialty etc.
must visit and I am sure you will echo everything I said.

My favourite coffee place in Ottawa! People are super friendly there and always so helpful whenever I tried to explain what kind of coffee I personally like. All the beans I have tried so far were great and delicious. I love the fact that they offer different coffee beans and give you a chance to try out coffee from other roasters.
My favourite coffee place and my favourite coffee in Ottawa!

The coffee is Ok but inconsistent — it was much better when they had other baristas/​staff on hand. There’s not much room to sit, and if you’re in the neighborhood, it’s the only option on Elgin St. that is not a chain (that I know of). So while I would, and occasionally do buy a coffee here, it is no longer a destination for me.

Finding a good coffee place in Ottawa was challenging but this place is good.
I’m not sure of what beans they use (as they had multiple roasted coffee beans displayed including 49^th parallel). I could taste bit more acidity with cappuccino compared to flat white. (Not a fan of acidic coffee) but generally it was good.

Finally checked this place out a little while ago and I love it! I waited to write every few until I had been a few times because my very first time it was not overly pleasant. The girl who serves me was fabulous but while I was sitting reading and enjoying my coffee I could hear her boss complaining constantly, not about her, but just about business in general. I think he must’ve just been having a bad day because the other times I’ve been in everyone has been really friendly.
The coffee here is delicious. They have a lot of different selections including a bunch of Nutella based items, but as usual I simply had regular coffee.
The shop itself is small but well-​kept and clean. There’s also some interesting art on the wall. There is free Wi-​Fi with a purchase, you just need a code. It expires after one hour but the staff are happy enough to give you another code without purchase if you need it.
Overall I would definitely recommend the Ministry of Coffee, mostly based on the taste of the coffee. It was delicious

We had Nutella latte and Almond Tea Latte (sub milk for almond milk). Both were delicious. Owner seemed to be very knowledgeable and passionate about coffee, which reflects in the store. I had a lemon cake and it was a bit chewy but still very good, with an intense real lemon flavour.
Nice décor, quiet, comfortable place to work. Note you can only get Wifi for 1 hour, and not all the seats are plug-​accessible.

This place would be a solid 4 stars for their coffee and pastries. Loved their coffee and Nutella croissant. Also a very cute place that was quiet.
However, their internet policy is a bit strict. You get a sheet with the password for one device. It says valid for 4 hours. When you log into the system, it says that as of September you get one hour. I think my phone still worked for a few hours but I couldn’t log on my computer.
If you’re not there for work it’s pretty nice. If you’re there to work, I guess buy something every few hours to get a new password? Seems like a hassle.

With a name boasting «Ministry» I expected to visit the mecca of coffee shops. A re-​write is in order. Maybe, Altar Boy Coffee? There’s a lot of practice to do. My latte didn’t do Pig Iron justice and unfortunately it was more like coffee with warm milk. I didn’t enjoy it. The avocado breakfast sandwich was pretty good and their sweets looked delicious but I didn’t try them myself. The vibe was okay. Very dark inside despite the sunny day and very etsy-​ish. It’s not anywhere I’d choose to do work, a personal preference. Props to what they are trying to bring to Ottawa.

Très bon café. Leur cappuccino est délicieux et son arôme en dit long sur la qualité du café utilisé. Le nutella latte est un «must». Je recommande pour les amateurs de café. Bravo!

I’m not a coffee drinker, but I heard about their Nutella hot chocolate and I just had to try it. I don’t normally go for sweets in the morning, so I also got a breakfast sandwich — eggs, bacon, and real cheddar cheese on an English muffin. It was good, but the Nutella hot chocolate was definitely the star of the show. It was really fantastic. Sweet, but expected. I hear the Nutella latte is also good, but I don’t drink coffee at all and can’t try their other items, so I can only give three stars.

The Ministry of Coffee is the Best Indie Coffee shop I visited during my Weekend in Ottawa.
The interior is small and cozy. It can be quite difficult to get a seat especially if you come in group.
I tried Cappuccino, Cortado and Cold Brew which were all well made. Love the latte art.
The Ministry of Coffee is no hidden gem as this little coffee shop is just so busy. A lot of regulars come here for take out!
Worth visiting as a local or a tourist like me.

This is a great, cozy little spot. I love the atmosphere and the industrial sort of design going on inside. Most of all, the coffee here is DELICIOUS. I don’t drink sugar in my coffee, so I have only tried their cappuccinos, lattes and coffees, which are fantastic, but I have heard wonderful things about the Nutella latte.
Service here is nothing to write home about, but the guys here are pretty consistently friendly– I guess some of the guys here are more outgoing than others.
The only downside to The Ministry of Coffee is how busy and cramped it can feel sometimes! I wish it were a little bit bigger, but I guess there isn’t much that can be done about that. I think it says something about how great they are too.
I will definitely be back here (probably tomorrow) and will definitely recommend it.

Zing! Cutest coffee shop in Ottawa. Well done boys.
I always get the regular coffee of the day that is being served and it’s always good.
The staff is fun and friendly.
The treats and sandwiches are rich but tasty. I had my first blondie there and I still think about how yummy it was.
I used to take my laptop there to get some work done. I’d rather support local than go to SB if I can. Parking is always a point of contention when you are downtown, so be warned.
I’ll be back for sure :)

Si vous travaillez au centre-​ville, une petite marche en descendant la rue Elgin vous mènera au Département du Café, ou Ministry of Coffee, une nouvelle enseigne qui vient redorer le blason d’Ottawa en terme d’offre caféinée qui se respecte. Le Ministry est un tout petit café, mais qui né pêche pas par manqué de style. Sis dans une zone stratégique où l’on retrouve un agglutinement de petits restaurants et bars à l’ambiance un cran plus relâchée que dans le quartier des affaires juste à côté, il détonne toute de même par sa gentille branchitude.
Mon café, à l’air bien ordinaire, brille pourtant en saveur et est servi à la température idéale. Tout autour, design sobre et efficace, aux lignes diagonales fuyantes, amalgame de bois et de noirs et de blancs, musique lounge et facture soignée donnent envie de s’attarder encore quinze minutes de plus. Malgré l’espace restreint, on y retrouve quelques toiles intéressantes accrochées sur les murs sur lesquelles perdre le regard. Bref, un espace aux effluves new yorkaises ou australiennes, si on se fie à l’accent du barrista, que je recommande chaudement.
Points bonis :
La musique trop bonne qui t’empêche de mettre tes écouteurs.
Accepte toutes les forme de paiement. Pour les bitcoins, je né sais pas. ;)
Très bonne connexion Wi-​Fi.
Collant arc-​en-​ciel dans la porte!
Bémols :
Le peu d’espace.
Les bancs de métal le long du «bar à laptop» sont un peu froids en hiver.
Au sujet du stationnement: Il peut être difficile de se garer pendant la semaine sans devoir payer le plein prix des horodateurs. Les rues avoisinantes conviendront à ceux qui né font que passer, avec des limites de une à deux heures. La fin de semaine, par contre, le stationnement rue Elgin et alentour est gratuit, les deux jours.