James L.
Yelp
Usually when I'm in the Annandale/Springfield area and want to meet up with people, I hit the Tous Le Jours (www.yelp.com/biz/tous-les-jours-annandale-13). However, as of late, TLJ is always super packed and it's hard to find a table or it's usually super loud which makes conversation challenging.
In keeping with my 2025 resolution to start checking off my list of bookmarked places to try, I finally stopped in Cafe V and was very impressed with the experience. Located off busy Little River Turnpike in what I loosely refer to as the "9292 plaza" since 9292 BBQ and shabu are also in this strip mall, Cafe V is a calm oasis for folks seeking a good cup of coffee/tea.
The interior is best described as modern yet quaint coffeehouse chic. It's a open concept space with stark red furniture contrasting with muted hardwood tables and flooring. There are also "cutesy" Asian themed plushies and dolls on the window sills and walls, as well as coffee/tea themed paraphenalia staged throughout.
Since it was mid-day and I already had consumed my morning black coffee, I opted for the matcha latte. The beverage was ready in about 3 minutes, and had a decorative flower design in the middle. Nice matcha flavor without being too "pronounced" as some matcha drinks can be; wish it was a bit hotter but I'll ask for that next time. I thought my friend's chai latte was better since it had hints of ginger, cardamon, cinnamon and it the perfect "sweet but not too sweet."
Didn't have any pastries or anything else to eat, although there is a full kitchen on-site. There is a display case with scones, chocolate chip cookies, meringue cookies, and egg tarts. After chatting with the friendly staff, they mentioned that all of the items are made in-house. There are also savory items like sandwiches available.
When we visited, it was a diverse crowd inside Cafe V. There was a PTA group planning out their kids events, people working on their laptops with their earbuds were isolating them from the world, and older folks enjoying their coffee while reading the paper.
Cafe V is my kind of place. They serve good coffee/tea drinks in a multi-purpose environment. Best of all, if you're just looking to "hang out," Cafe V is perfect for that also.