The smoothies here are phenomenal. The berry blast one was tremendously good. You get to choose to…read moreadd collagen or protein but we were out of collagen that day. The storefront isn't from the outside of the building but upstairs right after the escalators in the building on the corner of the intersection.

Delicious Açai bowl at Purpel!…read more Açai, Granola, Blueberries & Strawberries Açai, Condensed Milk, Coconut Chai & Strawberries Bowls were delicious and very filling! Highly recommend if you are looking for. delicious treat and it's so healthy!

I absolutely love their fruit bowls and smoothies! The ingredients are fresh, the flavors are rich,…read moreand every bite is bursting with the natural sweetness of fruit. The restaurant has a comfortable atmosphere and friendly service, making it a great place to relax and enjoy delicious food. Whether it's breakfast or an afternoon snack, I'm always very satisfied here. Highly recommended!

Delicious, healthy smoothies and Judy the owner was so kind and knowledgeable. 10/10 recommend!read more

I've always wanted to try Refresh, but never had the opportunity to have it until today, when I was…read moremaking a stroll through Downtown Guelph. They use the highest quality organic fruits and vegetables and are most famous for their cold-pressed juices. Instead of getting a cold-pressed juice, I decided to get one of their açai bowls. Here's my rundown: Food There were three açai bowls to choose from - classic, beauty, and soul. I got the beauty açai bowl which had the açai, avocado, coconut oil, and almond milk blend topped with bananas, granola, coconut flakes and fresh strawberries. The açai blend was smooth and rich in flavour while the fresh fruit and oats made for great flavours and textures. It was a very refreshing treat to get and had the perfect balance between all ingredients. Atmosphere Can't really comment on the atmosphere here because the store is quite small and has minimal seating. There were about 4 high chairs to sit but it's more meant to be used while you're waiting for your drinks or bowls. It's small like most downtown cafés and this place is more so for those grab and go type of people. Service Service was really friendly and the employee was helpful in helping me make a decision about the type of bowl to get. No complaints here; they were really inviting and patient with my indecisiveness. Price I paid $10 for the açai bowl! A little pricy but you're paying for quality organic food here so it's worth every dollar. Verdict Refresh is indeed a refreshing experience has they use only the finest organic fruits to make their products. I'm excited to return here to try their juices and other açai bowls. Definitely worth a try if you're roaming around downtown Guelph. A well-deserved 5/5 experience!

Wonderfully refreshing bowls! I went back immediately the next day for another bowl. Smoothies are…read moregreat as well.

I'm a regular at this location since I love getting the Mango Diamond Slush during the summer. My…read moremom's fave is the Avocado Smoothie if you aren't a fan of mangoes. The staff are pretty nice here as well.

I found four and half stars on yelp for this Real Fruit Bubble Tea, so I tried. The service was…read moreslow and the barista was not friendly. However, this was the only four stars and half review on yelp Real Fruit Bubble Tea, so I thought the barista was taking all business seriously and focusing on making drinks. However, strawberry and banana smoothie was not that good. It tasted like any other three stars review Real Fruit.

Tip: Sign up for a Big Carrot rewards card. It's free. You earn points towards a discount off your…read morefuture bill at either of its two locations. After spending an afternoon with friends last Sunday, I decided to check out this The Big Carrot store. The first store still exists on the Danforth, which I enjoy frequenting when I'm in the neighbourhood. This location is the second one situated in the Beaches, which is where I grew up. I attended high school a few blocks away from this store. Back in the day, the southeast corner of Southwood Drive and Kingston Road had a donut shop called Dip 'n Sip. I would cut through the parking lot to head southbound on Southwood to head home. This donut shop was a hangout for bikers and students from my high school. It wasn't my thing, but it's weird that I couldn't cut through the parking lot. A six-story condo building occupies this corner, with this The Big Carrot on the main floor. My concern has always been where to park if you wanted to visit this store. I followed a sign that led me to underground parking in a laneway behind the building. Nice! I like that there's an automatic garage door. It keeps your car cool in the summertime and free of precipitation outside. I went through the door leading to the elevator. You can grab a cart before you head upstairs. I didn't know whether I needed a ton of groceries, so I simply went up the elevator to the main floor. I then walked through the door. The Big Carrot is the local version of Whole Foods Market. You can find everything from coffee beans with a grinder, to individual portions of a steak in the meat section. I loved looking at grab-and-go meals. The chicken pot pie looked so good. I was tempted to get one, but I had made a lot of food at home. Next time! I find this place fancy when you get the rotisserie chicken section and it has herbes de provence all over each whole chicken. Wow! I like frequenting grocery stores. They open my eyes and tastebuds. Lemony hummus? Sounds great! Organic red watermelon chunks? They were such a glowing red that it stopped me in my tracks. The produce looked exceptionally fresh. I was a happy camper looking at healthy basil plants. I nearly bought one! This place has food that caters to various dietary needs. I saw gluten-free wraps and Daiya cheeze, for instance. There's a smoothie bar. It was busy with a couple of folks in line waiting for their smoothies. I saw hair dyes with natural ingredients. I also saw face wash, cleaners, and more. This store carries the Andalou line of lotions, toners, and more that I like. The drinks section is incredible. I saw raspberry mojitos in a four-pack of cans that looked appealing. If you don't want to commit to a pack of drinks, you can get individual ones that are nicely chilled in the fridge. This place has comparable prices on individual cans of Zevia. A can goes for $1.69, which is the same price at Whole Foods. I picked up a can of Zevia root beer and a can of Crazy D's cherry cola. I headed to the checkout area. The woman who cashed me out was nice. She asked me if I had a rewards card. I didn't. She got me one and said that I simply needed to sign up for a free online account to activate it. Cool! I paid with a credit card. I tapped and was good. I thanked her and headed to the elevator to get to my car. I had the cherry cola as I headed home. I wasn't crazy about this Crazy D's flavour. It's a prebiotic cola. I don't mind it. It simply didn't taste like cherries, likely because it had lime and lemon mixed in. It tasted more like a subtle, watery fruit punch. I love Zevia root beer, which made up for the horrible cherry cola. It was creamy and tasted like good root beer, but without the sugar. I enjoyed my visit to this grocery store at long last. I hope to drop by more often when I'm in the neighbourhood, now that I know where to park! (206)

We have shopped at the Big Carrot Danforth for decades and when they opened the Beaches location we…read moreregularly shopped there. It doesn't have the space to carry the variety but we were happy generally. Then last November rolled around and as my wife was attempting to order some take away food some employee decided a senior woman could be called names and verbally abused! Well, we attempted to complain and after weeks the basic response we have received is that we can shop elsewhere. We will and so should you!

Steve is an encyclopedia of knowledge. Ask anything regarding improving your health - he's happy to…read moreshare. And then there are all the organic, delicious smoothies and snacks, catered to your body's needs. Friendly service and great ambiance for a small space. Not cheap, but neither are the ingredients used.

Great service and very knowledgeable owner who will customize and make recommendations based on…read moreyour need!

3.5 stars - discovered this cafe on my way to Brooklin library and enjoyed a latte and a smoothie…read morethere. They make their coffee with Balzac beans and while I love Balzac's, I found the latte underwhelming and expensive. It was just not pulled properly. The smoothie was pretty good. It has a nice vibe and is small and cozy, suitable for a quick bite but I would say not for large groups to gather or for one to stay and study there. They also have a few baked goods like cookies but no sandwiches or hearty items when I went. Wished they had more to eat. Might visit again and try their frozen yogurt.

We tried several times to go here but their hours were a bit inconvenient. We had seen it in…read morepassing & didn't know what they served. I tried a strawberry matcha cold tea...."not my cup of tea" ended up I threw it out. The space to sit in is very limited. Unfortunately we went when a group of school kids were gathered. We were there to sit, linger, sip our beverages, talk & catch up on emails etc. We had trouble hearing each other as the kids were very loud & animated. We tried their vegan soft serve yogurt, had excellent toppings with fresh fruit, ok but not great. Bottom line, great place if you are into vegan, different taste experiences but sorry, not for us.

Ital Vital serves vegan / plant-based Rastafari (Jamaican) food that's wholesome and made from…read moreall-natural ingredients, a key trademark of the Rastafari practice (diet consisting of plant-based ingredients). The daily menu options consist of small or large-sized containers that you can fill with the dish choices of the day. You get to choose the base (quinoa, brown rice, rasta pasta, or split peas roti) and choose between 2-3 stews depending on the container size you select. All the stews that we've tried are excellent: Curry Chickpeas, Eggplants Stew, Callaloo, Sautéed Cabbage, Curry Cauliflower, Stir-Fried Vegetables, Ital Kidney Beans Stew, Pumpkin Stew. Every meal comes with plant-based BBQ spareribs. Other mock meat / plant-based protein options are vegan chicken (my favourite), vegan fish, and vegan shrimps. My favourite stews are the Callaloo (they use kale here), Ital Kidney Beans Stew, Pumpkin Stew, Stir-Fried Vegetables, and Sautéed Cabbage. My favourite mock meat / plant-based protein is the vegan chicken - love the texture and seasoning. All the foods served at Ital Vital taste wholesome, healthy, and delicious, using all-natural ingredients without any preservatives. Portion sizes are just right; meals from Ital Vital are always filling and satisfying. On top of that, bonus for those who dislike or can't handle spicy food: none of the dishes are spicy (which is great!). You can always add hot sauce on your own if you want a bit of a kick. Sometimes they have daily specials such as Vegan Shepherd's Pie. They also offer desserts such as Cassava Pone Slice, Coconut Cream Cake, Spiced Carrot Cake, Vanilla Cheese Cake, and Sweet Bread (contains nuts). We tried the Cassava Pone Slice - it was quite dense and it actually did taste like cassava without being overly sweet. The place is small and caters to mainly take-out. There is limited parking right in front, but you can park on the small street just beside it (to the left). It's also accessible by bus / public transit.

Service was great. I love the uniqueness of the restaurant but I found that the food was just ok…read more Nothing outstanding. Will go back but not at the top of my list