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Matter of Taste

4.4 (44 reviews)
ModerateCoffee & Tea
Closed 10:00 am - 6:00 pm

Matter of Taste Photos

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MATTER OF TASTE ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Outdoor seating
Good for working

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Maple cinnamon
Jennifer G.

Came by for some late night gelato. Service was really nice and we got to try every flavour between all of us (there are not too many flavours in total). Have never tried the coffee or anything else so cannot speak on the quality or worth-it-ness of those items, but the gelato was really quite good for the price. Most of the flavours were too sweet for my taste, but the mango sorbet was rich and delicious. At $2.75 for a single scoop cone, I really cannot think of a better price. Atmosphere is also great, and I imagine this would be a lovely place to chat with friends or do some work. I will be coming by again if I get the chance.

Sam D.

Was recommended to me by another cafe owner (it's that good). The vibe is very hipster with the exposed brick. Staff was good. I saw electrical outlets but didn't test the wi-fi. Espress was solid. The muffin was the best I've had in SW Ontario so far. Recommended.

a coffee shop with a chalkboard above it
Helen D.

Cute little place in dt Kitchener. Whenever I go there's never a spot for me but if you can it's a nice spot to study. Aesthetically pleasing and their maple cinnamon latte with oat milk is just my favourite there.

two cups of coffee and a muffin
Tyna S.

The service was amazing, the barista explained in detail the drinks I was interested in. The taste of the muffin was so fresh and warm and was served to my table. The cafe dulce was made perfect not to sweet and creamy. Latte was hot steamy and creamy and not to sweet as per request of only 1.5 shot of sweetness. Cute location and plenty of seating. All the deserts and pastry's al looked delicious. They can customize your coffee to your likings I ordered Hot chocolate muffin Cafe dulce Gingerbread latte

An iced match tea, with a kale, beet, chickpea, pistachio salad with honey lemon vinaigrette. Delicious!
Tom F.

Prices are fair and the food is good at this quaint little cafe. Unfortunately I didn't get to sample the coffee, but the iced matcha tea more than made up for it with an invigorating and crisp flavor that was both refreshing and delicious. The salad was filling and complex in flavor, with the pistachio giving it the much needed crunch to bring it all together. There were high ceilings and interesting art on the walls, with relaxed regulars chatting the afternoon away. Save for the difficulty in finding parking, I loved this spot and would be back again, especially before a long car ride!

Yummy mochacinno! So tasty and made with love!
Farhad K.

Great drinks although a bit pricier than tims, you get the value oh pay for! Each sip sings with quality and boasts a rich an full flavour profile, even something as simple as a iced mochiatto is amazing! They have an amazing selection of teas and coffee, and a nice portion of nibbles to curve your need to naw. Amazing drinks, 10/10 will go again!

Iced coffee (with a bit of milk and cream added for my preference.) delish! $3
Bethany H.

Pleasantly surprised with discovering matter of taste. I bought their iced coffee and it was quite good. Their washrooms are clean and spacious, they have free wifi, and they offer a similar menu and atmosphere as Starbucks, just not quite as pricey.

cream horn, tiramisu and Canadian fog here. It's my first time try out the Canadian fog, which is the maple tea latte.

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9 years ago

Great atmosphere polite awesome coffee selections. They have great Columbian coffee very bright inside .

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9 years ago

A hidden gem in KW. Great atmosphere to sip on some coffee and do some work. Coffee and gelato are solid. Must try the iced coffee

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11 years ago

Why would anyone in the KW region even go to Tim Horton's when we have this jewel of a coffee place.

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15 years ago

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14 years ago

Completely redone! Awesome vibe, amazing coffee, and they have loose leaf tea! Will definitely be going back. Pumpkin drip coffee is a gem!

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Page 1 of 2

Review Highlights - Matter of Taste

I've always thought that Matter of Taste has h ad the best coffee, espressos and lattes for years in KW for years.

Mentioned in 7 reviews

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Pilot Coffee Roasters - Iced matcha latte

Pilot Coffee Roasters

5.0(2 reviews)
2.8 km

We actually were in the area visiting and planned to go to Starbucks across the street but when we…read moreparked, I noticed Pilot Coffee Roasters so we decided to stop there instead since it's not usually within reach for us. As we walked in, I noticed the open concept and minimal decor and fell in love with it! We were greeted by both the employees working right away and I must say, the customer service was perhaps the best part of the entire experience. We were never rushed to order as they gave us plenty of time to debate the menu and when it came time to order, the gentleman was very thorough and helpful with the sizes of drinks, explaining the milk alternatives which are free of charge, order was clarified to ensure it was correct - all in all, you could feel he took his time to get things right for us. When our iced matcha beverages were handed off, he realized he didn't let us know they come Una's a default and there, he offered simple syrup or vanilla syrup of our choosing since we do prefer our matcha sweetened. After tasting, we told him two pumps wasn't sweet enough and he kindly added more syrup for us. I personally ordered the seasonal white chocolate matcha as a hot beverage which was tasty but a little too sweet - I would request for half sweet next time. I also got the sea salt chocolate chip cookie as I couldn't resist (it looked so good in the pastry display!) It turned out to be absolutely delicious - the edges being the best part. My mom said it paired well with her Americano which was made with their Heritage blend. Speaking of which, before my mom ordered her coffee, she was offered to try their brew before buying which was really helpful as it ended up being too acidic for her. The Heritage blend was much more her preference with the nutty notes. All in all, a nice place to study and/or grab a coffee and snack to go! I'd highly recommend anyone to visit if in the area.

I had an excellent flat white here today. Deep flavor without being bitter, and a great milk foam…read more Practically empty on a weekday morning. And they had a WiFi password posted.

Photos
Pilot Coffee Roasters - Entrance and sidewalk seating

Entrance and sidewalk seating

Pilot Coffee Roasters

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Balzac's Coffee Roasters - Balzac's Kitchener

Balzac's Coffee Roasters

3.5(23 reviews)
0.6 km
$$

I was looking forward to coming here. In spite of Covid19 restrictions preventing me from a longer…read morestay-in experience. I used to work at a couple of the locations of Balzacs in Toronto, so I was anticipating a great cup of Coffee. Unfortunately, this location did not deliver on the quality I anticipated from Balzacs. And the response in attitude from what I picked up on of the Barista, was not impressive AT ALL. I purchased a mocha, its flavour was decent. I have nothing else to compare it to really because it was a First. I've tried mochas I've made at coffee shoppes I worked at in the past. I thought I'd give it a go. And it is not for me, at least not from Balzac's. The drink was incredibly foamy. Like 1/4 foam to 3/4 liquid. I dont know if that's the recipe at Balzacs for its mochas or if that's the industry standard for this particular drink. What I do know is I dont like paying over $6 for a light in weight, no latte art, too foamy for it's own good, 12oz mocha. I felt the weight as I went to sit down. I also ordered a Walnut and Pepper biscotti. These are absolutely amazing! I remember always eyeing them when I worked there. These biscotti are highly recommended. However are of a fair price. At 3 bucks a pop, they better be noteworthy. I sipped at the mocha. Took my biscotti and dipped it in to the thick foam, which was, as already established, A LOT! At this point, I called out to the barista who was more than 6 feet away (this is the min. Safe distance) , "is the mocha supposed to be this foamy?" Her response was, "yup". Okay, I wasn't in the arguing mood, had I been I might have told her that, "I dont believe steamed milk coffee drinks: lattes & mochas are meant to be so foamy". That "mochas are supposed to have latte art on them, that's fun, playful and creative". And that "in customer service the customer is ALWAYS right". Even when you don't feel they should be. Or even when you really don't want them to be. It's frustrating, I know; yet, that's customer service. Her tone was the thing that I am mostly complaining about though. I read it to be kinda on the snarky side. My perception, yes. It's like, by her responding with the "yup" she was not only dismissing my obviously unsatisfied with the drink question of, "is my drink supposed to be this foamy?" She was also making a statement of, "I am not going to remake it". Although I'll never know because hey, I didn't ask. Back when I worked there, the steamed milk frothed up beautifully in order for one to design latte art. No matter if it was soy or oat, or whatever. That did not happen in this case! Maybe my question or the way I said it, rubbed her the wrong way. Maybe me originally asking about what milk brand Balzacs uses (to know if it would aggravate my stomach), annoyed her. Maybe me switching to an alternative milk, pissed her off. Hey, I've been there. Maybe she was having a bad day. I dont know these things. And maybe I am being petty in writing this review. The possibilities are endless. The things this experience taught me: Request NO FOAM on all drinks that are made with steamed milk. People do have preferences and some prefer to have more foam. If I am unsatisfied with the drink ordered. Request a re-make at all times. After all I am paying for it. Reconsider spending over $6 on a first time drink experience. I will note one final thing: The reason I gave Balzacs in KW 3 stars instead of 2, is because that delivery person that came to drop off an order of whatever, while I was there, reminded me of a dear friend.

Balzac is a beautiful cafe with locally roasted beans. The ambience is both charming and rustic at…read morethe same time. The cafe is set up to accommodate social distancing. The menu items reduced significantly due to COVID. I ordered a genuine Japanese sencha green tea with soy for $2.75. Overall, the drink was average. It was nothing to write home about. Hopefully in the future there will be more options once things become normal again.

Photos
Balzac's Coffee Roasters - Love the decor!

Love the decor!

Balzac's Coffee Roasters - Balzac's Kitchener

Balzac's Kitchener

Balzac's Coffee Roasters - We usually walk to Balzacs from the lofts even on the snowiest and coldest days during the winter, lol. Very good and relaxing!

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We usually walk to Balzacs from the lofts even on the snowiest and coldest days during the winter, lol. Very good and relaxing!

The Yeti - Cold smoke salmon Benedict

The Yeti

4.4(59 reviews)
0.6 km
$$

Wow. What a great way place…read more Down to earth, eclectic, great food and truly a great dining experience. Wouldn't change a thing. Love the cozy feeling, the sixties tables, the mismatched plates, the local farm to table suppliers and awesome service.

We stopped by for a quick drink and bite after seeing this place recommended in the Coffee Passport…read morefor K dubs, but unfortunately it ended up being a major letdown. We ordered two iced lattes: raspberry and lavender. They were ok, but nothing particularly memorable regarding the roasted beans they used. The bamboo straws were also frustratingly flimsy and kept breaking, which was especially annoying since the syrups settled at the bottom and you really needed the straws to mix the drinks properly. The major issue was the food service. We ordered a cinnamon bun and the Pregnant Sasquatch sandwich alongside our drinks, then waited nearly 30 minutes while watching people who ordered after us receive their food. When I finally went up to ask, it turned out the cashier had forgotten to send our order to the kitchen. This was stressful since we had an appointment in Toronto later in the afternoon. The cinnamon bun was then handed to us, which was sitting on the counter the whole time. Another 15 minutes later, a staff member came over to tell us they had run out of the artisan bun for the sandwich, so we had to choose an alternative. At that point, after all the delays and confusion, it honestly felt like some kind of compensation would've been appropriate. I ended up switching to sourdough bread. After waiting yet another 10 minutes, I asked if we could just cancel the sandwich altogether. The cashier assured us it was coming, and it finally arrived about 5 minutes later. To be fair, when I asked what happened, the cashier explained that they were very busy. But - there wasn't even much of a line when we placed our order, so the explanation didn't really add up. And unfortunately, after nearly an hour of waiting and spending around $30 on drinks and food, the sandwich itself was mid at best, Overall, the experience just didn't live up to the hype, and we probably won't be back.

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The Yeti - Flimsy straw

Flimsy straw

The Yeti - Salmon lox

Salmon lox

The Yeti

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Nova Era Bakery - Halloween themed wedding cake

Nova Era Bakery

3.5(28 reviews)
0.7 km
$

I stopped in looking for Portuguese tarts, the price is $1.50per tart so I picked up 6. The tart…read morecrust was not the best, I do prefer a slightly thicker and crispy crust; it may have gotten soft from sitting out all day? The custard is quite generous and sweeter than I prefer. It was my first time and very frankly I struggled ordering because none of the items had pricing so I felt I was disturbing someone to ask pricing of cannoli and tarts...would prefer pricing listed. Not even the website has pricing. Parking is pretty busy, it seems to be busy in waves and there are two entrances into the location. So drive in carefully.

Been hearing about their fantastic Tiramisu for a while and finally got the chance to try it out. I…read moredon't usually go to downtown Kitchener very often and this trip totally did not disappoint. Environment: The cafe is located a little bit west of the Charles Terminal, probably around 20mins walk, but the 7 bus stop is right in front of the store. I immediately saw the array of cakes and other bakery items upon walking in the door. The atmosphere at the bakery was great, suitable for sitting down and grabbing some coffee and treats with friends. There doesn't seem to be many students visiting due to the distance from schools, so it's more of a local favourite. Food: I got their signature Tiramisu, which was $3.10, pretty decent price in my opinion. My friend got the cheesecake which I believe was $3.50. The portions of the cakes were pretty big too. The Tiramisu definitely lived up to my expectation, and I especially loved how smooth and flavourful the mousse part was. Would definitely come back again for their Tiramisu and maybe next time I will try out their Portugese egg tarts as well!

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Nova Era Bakery - Ham & Cheese Breakfast sandwich - $3.35 - egg, Swiss cheese, ham on English muffin

Ham & Cheese Breakfast sandwich - $3.35 - egg, Swiss cheese, ham on English muffin

Nova Era Bakery
Nova Era Bakery - Various pastries - range from $0.90 to $2.50

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Various pastries - range from $0.90 to $2.50

The Bauer Bakery & Cafe - Pastry display

The Bauer Bakery & Cafe

4.4(12 reviews)
2.5 km

This is a huge space with high ceilings that still manages to be cozy. We appreciated their…read moreattention to allergies. Excellent service. Clean. An extensive menu, but everything was delicious and made with care. I already have our next reservation booked!

It was a cold morning and I went with my husband to get some coffee. I ended up also getting a…read moresandwich. They didn't have any March specials or anything; I love a seasonal or limited drink. They have your common cafe options and flavored syrups to choose from, along with a variety of tea. The server was very kind and was willing to think up something unique for me when I asked if they had any specials. I went with a hot classic Hazelnut latte. The coffee was creamy, not too sweet, and the hazelnut was subtle. They had different pastries, sandwiches, and cakes to choose from. I got a bacon egg croissant sandwich, which they kindly heated up. I really liked the croissant they used; it wasn't so flaky that with every bite I was making a mess. The tomato jam they used was sweet but paired really well with the ingredients! Honestly would love to try to recreate this at home because it was just that good. It was a warm cozy place, small area with a small side table with about 3-4 bar stools; it's connected to the restaurant (The Bauer Kitchen). This was a pleasant first visit and would definitely come again.

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The Bauer Bakery & Cafe - Menu (03/16/2026)

Menu (03/16/2026)

The Bauer Bakery & Cafe - Large hazelnut latte + bacon egg croissant sandwich

Large hazelnut latte + bacon egg croissant sandwich

The Bauer Bakery & Cafe - Tea menu and flavored syrups selection

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Tea menu and flavored syrups selection

Cafe Pyrus - Outside

Cafe Pyrus

4.1(61 reviews)
0.1 km
$$

This review is for the Cafe Pyrus Outpost location. Also, Cafe Pyrus has moved to a new King Street…read morelocation recently. I came across the Outpost location while walking along one of KW's many walking paths and had to check it out. I've been following Cafe Pyrus on Instagram and had the restaurant saved on Yelp for a while but hadn't had the opportunity to go since I'm never in that area. I think the new location is a lot more accessible and the outpost is really great. I also discovered it's the meeting place for a community walk and talk which is nice. I was out walking my dog and the staff offered her a treat which I though was so kind. Definitely is a dog friendly spot and they have picnic bench seating available if you choose to stay there to enjoy your treat(s). The Outpost had drinks, snacks, and assorted baked goods. It can be a little difficult to read the board, but the staff are very friendly and will help recommend something great. I opted for a coffee and a Nanaimo bar which was heavenly! Usually I stay away from Nanaimo bars (even though they're my favourite) because of the insane amount of dairy in them, so finding a vegan option made me so happy! My boyfriend opted for the sausage roll and he couldn't even tell it wasn't meat. He loved it so much he went back and got a second one. Since then, I've been back once again and opted for a chocolate croissant and coffee the second time. The chocolate was amazing and the croissant itself was flakey but the flavour wasn't my favourite - just a personal preference, you may love it! If you're looking for a vegan and/or gluten free option, this is the place for you! Even if you're not, everything is delicious and you should check it out!

This place has lost the vibe it had at the last location. Very sterile, no interesting current…read moreart. Very different from what it used to be. Won't be returning.

Photos
Cafe Pyrus - Outside

Outside

Cafe Pyrus - Order counter

Order counter

Cafe Pyrus - Very good cafe ambiance

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Very good cafe ambiance

Matter of Taste - coffee - Updated May 2026

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