The Short Version: Canadian chain coffee shop, similar to…read moreSecond Cup. Opens a bit later than independent coffee shops in the area. The Long Version: I have been to this coffee shop many times. It's one of my usual meeting spots when catching up with friends who also live in the area for coffee because it's open until 7pm so it's perfect for dropping by after work and before heading home for dinner. I always prefer the smaller independent cafes but all of them close pretty early like they're open until 5pm the latest. So admittedly, this place is chosen because of its location and hours, lol. I find the drinks themselves fine, no complaints but no raves either from me. I've had their matcha drinks and they've always been ok. At least they've never had that unfortunate fishy aroma due to improper storage (I've had that at the Starbucks at Richmond and Roosevelt more than once. Yeah I know, first time shame on them, but more than once, shame on me). Their prices are consistent with chains such as Starbucks. I have always found service courteous here. My husband also likes this location as he likes to stop by for a coffee when I'm busy in nearby shops, lol. There's a good amount of indoor seating and some outdoor seating as well during patio season. Street parking only. Review #218 (2025)

This was the perfect setting to have a cup of tea with my bff after she returned home from some…read moretravels. True, as Amanda touched on, we didn't have outstanding service, but I was okay with it since all I wanted was a tea and my friend's company. I had a really delicious chai tea latte (can you tell it's my warm beverage of choice?). It was super hot and had a good amount of foam on it, so clearly the barista knew what was up. Kelly G had a lovely-smelling lemongrass tea that she really enjoyed as well. I liked the atmosphere here; it's very cosy. It really does feel like a neighbourhood coffee shop which I thought was lovely. It was particularly nice on a cold winter night, but perhaps the glow might fade during the daytime. I'll have to stop by and see how their wifi is (Jana - I'll score the password for you!). Like all Bridgeheads, I like that they're socially responsible and how involved they are in the Ottawa community. When possible, I'll always choose them over Timmies or Starbucks. #30DaysOfYelp 12/30

Decent bubble tea spot that is open late in Ottawa. The pearl milk tea had hit the spot. Ample…read moreseating. Nice spot to hang out with friends.

Before my friend and I were about to part ways after a fun day hanging out, she let me know that…read morethere was a BOGO deal on Uber Eats for sparkling tea at Tealive. It was so sweet that she remembered that I am a sparkling drink fan. I walked over to my car and opened my Uber Eats app on my phone. Yep, I saw the BOGO deal and immediately added it. I also needed to fetch dinner. It was great that Tealive had egg sandwiches called toasteas. Such a cute name! I got a hash brown and egg toastea. My order was perfect, as I was more thirsty than hungry. One-stop shopping is also extremely convenient! My friend said to head east along Richmond Road that becomes Somerset Street West and keep on driving till I saw this place in Chinatown. It was the easiest set of directions for this tourist. Tealive is by the arch in Chinatown. I turned left into a parking lot. It generally is one that you have to pay. However, I had arrived after the pay-up parking period, so I parked for free and walked over. This store has a single step to get in and out of the store. It may be an accessibility issue to some folks. It's a deep store. There were plenty of places to sit down and enjoy dining in. I went to the back third of the store. There's a counter on the left for pickup orders. I had a nice man helping me. I showed him my Uber Eats order. He fetched my paper bag with my order. I thanked him and happily headed to my car. I safely secured my order in my car and then drove back to my hotel room to enjoy my food and drinks. Toronto has similar places that sell egg sandwiches. What they lack is offering bubble tea. This place has everything that I love, especially with sparkling tea. The hash brown and egg toastea was incredible! The egg was in omelette form. It wasn't overdone. It was fluffy and enjoyable. You also get a rectangular hash brown. I loved how crispy it was on the outside. It was seasoned nicely and was perfect. Perhaps to make you feel like you're eating something healthy, it had a tomato slice and romaine lettuce. They were fresh and complimented the hash brown and egg perfectly. The bread was toasted. You saw horizontal marks on the bread, which made me think that they use a sandwich press of some sort. The bread provided the perfect crunch, while still being soft. It held the entire sandwich together without wearing what you were eating. The toasted bread sets this toastea egg sandwich apart from similar egg sandwiches in the GTA. Here, you get a lot of bread that isn't toasted to the same extent. It's also so dry that you end up consuming a bunch of fluid to wash it down. My sandwich came with a couple of sauces. You can certainly enjoy the sandwich without them. One was cheese. The other one was a cross between mayo and tartar. They were perfect with the sandwich. The toastea tastes better with them. I was so thirst after having consumed a ton of sodium at lunch that I actually had both 3Q sparkling mango green teas that evening. It was a first for me. I normally have one immediately and the other the following day. Both drinks had no sugar and half ice. I didn't have the option to go less ice, but it didn't matter all that much. It was such a hot day that half ice sounded inviting! The drinks were divine. I loved the carbonation in them. Bubbles rule! They feel fancy when you drink them. Sparkling drinks are more enjoyable if the option is there. The 3Q toppings were pearls, coconut jelly, and sago. They were the perfect trifecta in these drinks. You got chewiness, a bit of sweetness, and different textures to devour while sipping on the perfect combination of mango flavour with perfectly brewed green tea. I loved this place so much that on my final full day in Ottawa, I ordered takeout from Tealive again for dinner. My order was the same, except that I tossed in Japanese strawberry shortcake. It did feel like a carbon copy of my visit. Even my order the second time felt like my first visit. The same sandwich and sparking bubble teas were yummy and consistent. I was impressed. The Japanese strawberry shortcake was delicious. It was the perfect portion, with layers of cake, whipped cream, and strawberry puree. I am normally not a huge fan of whipped cream, but I enjoyed how subtle it was. The strawberry flavour was spot on. I loved that it tasted like real strawberries. The strawberry slice on top was a nice touch. The cake was moist and fluffy. This dessert hit the spot. My sweet tooth was happy. This place was awesome! I long to return to try more toasteas, drinks, and desserts. This place had macarons. I'll need to get some next time. Toronto and its surrounding area need at least one Tealive. Please come here! I am thrilled that I can return here for excellent food and bubble teas. I just need to do another vacation. (304)

Great location to go to if you want to sit on comfy seats, and have a long chat with your friends…read more The coffee is OK, a bit bitter for my liking, but hey, its just a personal preference. I usually get the cold drinks or hot chocolate. I enjoy how they have shaved chocolate, cinnamon and other flavored powders on the counter for the customers to use. The staff is friendly. I sat at this location for over 2 hours one evening, and they did not mind. I know some other coffee locations have a maximum time that you are allowed to stay, like Tim Hortons, and their "20 minute rule." In the end, central location if you live in the neighborhood, and great seating. Cannot forget the outdoor patio in the summer time!!

Its not clear what they are competing on service, taste or value. I didn't think it was notable, I…read moretipped in advance of getting the service, which is a mistake, and then the service was super slow and not helpful. I would go somewhere else, the drinks sound better than they are. I like Juice Dudez more.

The Short Version: Tasty bubble tea. Generous with the…read moretoppings. A bit pricier than other places, but also better tasting. The Long Version: Machi Machi is a bubble tea brand from Taiwan. It's a relatively new business, founded in 2018. This location in the Byward Market is relatively new. It opened in the summer of 2025 and is the only Machi Machi location in Ottawa at the time of the writing of this review. I popped by for a bubble tea and got the Mango Yakult Green Tea ($7.10) and added half gold pearls and half kanten jelly (additional $1.20). The drink only comes in the regular size and the ice level is fixed. You can adjust the sugar but the lowest level is "lite sugar" you cannot get "no sugar" with this drink, so I went with "lite sugar." The sweetness was satisfactory to me, it wasn't too sweet. And the ice level was fine, there wasn't too much ice. They were generous with the amount of toppings and the gold pearls were soft and chewy and the kanten jelly was super springy the way I like it, lol. I really enjoyed my drink, but I did find it a bit pricey. They didn't have any specials like some other places have. Good for the occasional treat. Staff were pleasant and my drink didn't take long. It's a takeout spot only. No seating whatsoever. Review #161 (2025)

Update: FYI: In mid-April 2023, the Chatime in Chinatown reopened a few spaces west of where they…read morewere previously. As some may remember, they were at 675 Somerset St West, but that location closed down rather suddenly sometime in the latter half of 2022 and shortly after, a competitor of theirs, Tealive, opened in that location. About 6 months after, Chatime popped back up, but at a smaller space at 695 Somerset St West (where Tea Owners, which was also a bubble tea shop, used to be). Don't know the backstory, but happy that there isn't a reduction in numbers of bubble tea shops in Chinatown, lol. Just note that any pictures and reviews before mid-April 2023 are from the old location. I've been to the new location. Drinks are still good. The space is just smaller.

Chatime will forever have my favorite taro boba drink. The handcrafted taro drink tastes the same…read morewherever I've gotten it (the US, Asia, and in Canada)! It's amazing and doesn't taste like the super sweet & fake taro powder most taro drinks have inside. This is a real taro smoothie and showcases why taro is so good! Come here and try a real taro boba drink!

Jumped in here to grab a to go sandwich while waiting for a bus to arrive…read more According to a small sign, their sandwiches are new, so maybe that's the problem? I grabbed a very basic egg and cheese on English muffin. Keep in mind I was starving and about anything would have tasted good. However, this was the most bland and tasteless thing I've ever eaten. Egg was an indistinguishable light yellow coloured disc that looked and tasted like nothing. Cheese, although smelled delicious, melted all over muffin and onto the paper leaving only grease and zero flavour. Also they had no salt pepper or ketchup to liven it up. I have a very low standard for quick grab foods but given this and the fact it cost almost $5, I feel ripped off. Only plus was staff was quick to take and serve my order. Will not return despite proximity and convenience to transit.

Clean and friendly Second Cup on the corner of Wellington Street. The staff was really friendly and…read morethe coffee shop is large and spacious. I ordered the Pumpkin Spice White Hot Chocolate and it was delicious. The barista asked me if I was okay with 2% milk and if I wanted whipped cream. It was nice of him to ask and double check those preferences. The drink was made in no time. No complaints on my end!

Genuinely amazing service and juice, especially how the place looks tropical, like a local…read morebeachside stand (great ambience). I got a drink for Ramadan (I forgot the name) that tastes a bit sweet yet also pretty strong, and it was at a manageable strength. I also got an Algerian bar to try and it was very creamy and smooth on the inside. The flavours of them both was amazing overall. Best of all, the people were energetic and friendly, even knowledgeable on specific items and recommendations. I look forward to going back!

Finally made my way over to Juice Dudez on Bank Street today after following them on Instagram for…read moreawhile. We were the only people ordering when we arrived, my initial reaction was that the place looked like a cute juice bar/restaurant but I was a bit disappointed as soon as we looked for a table and they all seemed to need a wipe. My friend ordered the Keto shake and I got the Watermelon and Strawberry juice with mango chunks. My drink was cold and refreshing. The drinks looked great and tasted good but were also quite expensive, the two regular sized drinks came to $21. I didn't notice any high chairs and I wasn't offered one for my baby, which I don't really expect. Half way through our drinks I needed to change my baby but the business doesn't have any change tables. I was pretty disappointed that I couldn't change my baby in the washroom, maybe in the future they will open Juice Moms and be fully equipped for all clientele.

Stopped in for a snack and coffee. And I met the loveliest staff. They were warm and helped me…read moredecide on a cold cut sandwich what was so big! My coffee was good too. The place was cozy with plenty of seating. Fresh ingredients, lots of to go snacks. I would stop here again.

Three and a half stars if only we could do halfsies…read more The coffee alone is really good. There's a good variety of food options available. But like everywhere, the prices have gone up; it's a little expensive here. The venue is nice and bright, with lots of windows, but there are not a ton of seats and it gets busy and loud in here. Unfortunately, today's experience wasn't stellar; the barista who is so cheerful is also as I pretty slow, in fact she forgot to push the button to make our Americanos! On the other hand, she was the only one serving today - taking the orders, taking payments, preparing and serving the orders, then cleaning up!