This Dao Cafe is co-located with a Tealive. However, they also sell their own drinks (mostly coffee…read moreand tea beverages like lattes and cappuccinos). They sell lots of fancy pastries, with the prices to match, lol. I've tried the Lychee Rose cake $11.50. It was served in a round container the size of a small drinking glass. The lychee and Rose flavours were pronounced, but the rose dominated and I would have preferred the reverse. The top had a light sprinkling of tiny real rose petal pieces. The cake was sponge cake and was soft and moist. The cream was airy and fluffy. It was tasty, but a bit pricey for the portion size. I've also tried their Korean macarons ($3.90 each). Korean macarons are like French macarons except there's a lot of filling and it's a thick buttery cream. I'm not a fan of the filling. It's too rich for me. However, if you like these types of macarons these are well made. My overall assessment is that the desserts look pretty, the taste is good, but you're paying more for the aesthetics. Service is courteous and efficient. The cafe is also really pretty inside. Very Instagramble ;) It's in a plaza, so lots of free parking. (25)

I love the first Dao location that opened in Ottawa…read more Maybe I expected too much for this location which is a a 3*, A-OK, in my books. We went on a Saturday around 5p. The seating and tables weren't being attended to, so there were crumbs at and on every available seating/table combo. The garbage in the seating area was overflowing. Customer service at the cash was cheerful and reasonably efficient. The barrista failed us, as, with only our order, it took a while to receive it. My flat white, which should be smooth with a slightly sweet finish was bitter and acidic. Sigh. Lots of people seemed to be enjoying themselves. The pastries are as stunning and tasty as at the other location. This location is also quite beautiful with an airy feel. Nice space for a chat. The seating along the window is likely best suited to singles, or under thirty crowd, as, to have a conversation, you either have to put a leg up on the bench or crane your torso and neck. I found it a bit uncomfortable. And since that was just about the only seating left...I'm wondering if others may have had similar experiences. This location is much closer to home for us... maybe I'll keep my Doa fix for when I'm in the west end of the city.

The food and coffee I ordered was good, though the felafel was premade and reheated for me…read more Service was prompt. Coffee was tasty! Large space in a stand alone building, it's bright inside. It gets loud in here over lunch. Overall, it was good. Although it was not cheap; 2 of us: 2 sandwiches, 1 soup, and 2 coffees came to $40.00. Convenient and fast.

It's been said that you can't rush art. We've gotten so used…read moreto getting our beverage quickly, that we've forgotten how much time, effort, and skill it takes for a barista to do their thing. My cortado was art in a cup. The cheesecake was the perfect accompaniment.

The service was good and there was ample seating. The matcha latte also tasted great!read more

Loved stopping here again. I have been a few times and it's a cute and rather big coffee shop. But…read moreit's regularly busy! Lots of people here. We stopped in to just get drinks and a snack. I got a sandwich, and it was good. My coffee was even better. Just a perfect stop in to grab a bite. I highly recommend. The parking is good, and the bathroom is small but works!

Tried several of their full size cake, black forest, cheesecake, etc. All are extraordinary n…read morefresh. They also have a good selection of baklava, all taste great. Highly recommended.

My favourite spot ever!! They have great cakes and the staff is extremely kind and helpful :)read more

This second location of Tealive in Ottawa opened up in October 2023. It's co-located with Dao Cafe…read more It's fairly large and is where the Kanata Noodle House Vietnamese Buffet used to be (RIP Ottawa's only Vietnamese Buffet. So sad. And yes, it was called Kanata Noodle House despite being in Gloucester, lol). The inside is spacious and beautiful. Very Instagramble, lol. I got a Sparkling White Peach Green Tea 3Q (which comes with tapioca pearls, sago and coconut jelly). I had never had a sparkling bubble tea before, but was inspired by my friend Mary T. who enjoys them ;) They were BOGO on UberEats too! So for $7.29 I got 2 (regular size). My drink took a bit longer than usual because they had to make new pearls, but I didn't mind because I prefer fresh pearls and they updated my pick up time on the UberEats app, so I knew I had more time to get there (I found out the reason about the pearls when I arrived). Staff were pleasant. I got there a bit early so they were still making my drink. There was an issue with sealing the cup because apparently they ran out of their usual regular cups and were using some substitute that I guess wasn't compatible with the sealing machine. The girl working there tried twice to seal the cup and it kept leaking. I told her I was ok with her putting my drink into the large cup and just having it not full. She seemed relieved and the large cup sealed perfectly. The drink itself wasn't as sparkling as I thought it would be. It had a mild effervescence to it, but it was very subtle. It was also a bit bitter. I got it with no sugar, but I've gotten the exact same drink but not sparkling at the Somerset location and it wasn't bitter. I always get my bubble tea with no added sugar and this is the first time it was bitter. Maybe it's because they are new. I will give them another try to see if things are better. Ambiance and service were great. The drink just wasn't as good as drinks at the Somerset location. This location is in a plaza so lots of free parking on-site (which is a definite advantage over the Somerset location in Chinatown).

I am so happy we have a stand alone bubble tea shop in the east end, and SO ecstatic that its…read more Tealive and Doa Cafe under one roof! The fam and I popped in spontaneously, so we were not overly hungry. We just got two drinks to share and try out. An oreo vanilla frapp (literally tasted like you were eating an oreo cookie, SO GOOD) and a milk bubble tea with pearls. They have an extensive menu, so glance it over before going in if you are newbie like me. Service was quick and friendly. They even have a self serve kiosk at the entrance. There are maybe 5-6 tables for seating spread out around the restaurant, but mostly long benches to sit at along the wall. I was a little confused at how to order the baked goods as they are at the far end of the restaurant and not the first thing you see when you walk in. I observed the restaurant and how things ran while sitting at a bench. So for tealive items its at one cash, and for Doa items, like macarons, and their specialty drinks, its at another cash. I scoped out the macarons and baked goods, and they looked fun and delish. I will have to try one out next time. The restaurant had a magical vibe. Lots of parking out front and from what I understand, cashless.

Great coffee shop inside the Ottawa train station. The coffee was great and the staff was fast and…read morefriendly. There is ample seating nearby as well as throughout the station. Prices were very reasonable. Totally worth getting their coffee even though they had some for us in the VIA business lounge. The name is very fitting for the city.

The matcha latte and bacon breakfast sandwich were decent nothing extraordinary, but they got the…read morejob done for a quick meal. The total came to about $16, which is reasonable given the location. What really stands out is the convenience of being right inside the train station, making it an ideal spot to grab something before or after your journey. There's seating available, so you can take a moment to relax, and the menu offers a nice selection of pastries as well as other breakfast and lunch options. It's a practical choice if you're on the go but still want something better than fast food. The service was great and the staff were very friendly and fast. There are many seats available on the left side of the cafe.

SO delicious! We went with a cheddar scone and a vanilla cream scone and both were delightful…read more Highly recommend!

Scones were good. Worker was super rude and unwelcoming to me and my friends…read more We got the savoury and sweet scones. Preferred the sweets

My first encounter with Michel's Bakery cafe at St Laurent Center though I have seen one every…read moreother day at Rideau Center ground 1, near OC Transpo counter. This outlet has a larger in-dining space compared to the one at Rideau, where they only have a few tables against the wall, along the center's walkway. The service at the counter has been polite and gracious. Although the staff may have little knowledge on the daily special salads ingredients, she apologized for her inability to give information. The cafe is generally cleaned and spacious. Empty seats and lesser crowds were seen at the outlet in mid-afternoon around 3pm on a Saturday. I could easily find my seat and make way to the cashier to order my food. There is a wider range of light snacks like scones, sandwiches, salads, soups,limited pasta (only 1). Breakfast range from platters like Bagel, muffin, croissant/Danish or continental, granola yogurt parfait and even fruit tray. Lunch/ Dinner includes wraps: Cajun chicken Caesar, smoked turkey, Black Forest ham, roast beef etc. sandwiches range from Mediterranean chicken, roast beef with caramelized onions, turkey with grilled mushrooms. Salads lover will get a selection from egg, chicken, albacore tuna or even garden veggies alone. They offer desserts like baked cookies for chocolate chips, lemon poppy or banana loaf slices. They even offer squares platter and croissant platter. I went for a quick tea break. I had with me a small cappuccino which is quite potent in caffeine and smooth in the texture, not acidic even after a while. The cranberry orange cookie $1.25 was a good snack. Mildly sweet and buttery, the disc measures 2/3 of my palm size and was very soft and chewy, I enjoyed the cookie much as it was studded with quite a handful of dried cranberry fruits and candied orange peels and rimmed up with desiccated coconut. Lovely treats on a lazy weekend afternoon!

$6.00 breakfast meal including taxes. Tastes better than A&W's upstairs and they will now have my…read moremorning orders. Thank you for the great service and food.