Princess Cafe

Let me paint the picture. The sun finally shines in the pale grey skies of Waterloo. The weather is approaching positive temperatures, the melted ice is glistening. What better to pair than a nice refreshing drink? I notice a local spot, the princess cafe, which I’d heard many good things about in the past. To my surprise, only 1 customer was in line in front of me. I was ecstatic and scanned the menu only to be unable to find any cold drink options. So I did the next best thing and took a beverage from the fridge, which was nice and cold, however I’d like to note that no prices on these drinks were advertised. To my disappointment, the customer (who only ordered 2 coffees) took approximately 30 minutes. During which time, the workers continued smiling awkwardly at me to acknowledge the delay in the wait. By the time my turn arrived, there was a line of 10 people populated behind me. The cashier read my total to me and I audibly gasped, $10???? Am I being served gold??? I thought to myself. She turned the till to me and confirmed the amount: 10.14. I hesitantly removed my phone from my pocket to pay. The faint ding of the Apple Pay notification displaying from my phone. I retreated, embarrassed and ashamed that I had spent nearly an hour of wage on this ridiculous drink. Perhaps my bank account is not supportive of my dying will to support local businesses. And here I was, a local customer, one wrong financial decision closer to sadness. In addition, my cognitive capacity took another toll as I sipped the drink, hoping to be taken to the stars by the flavourful taste considering the astronomical amount of money I had just paid. But no, the stars were not aligned in my favor, Mars was in retrograde, as my drink was about room temperature.

A great spot to chill and talk! theres a bunch if seating spots and it makes it great. Only thing was the drinks we got a match and a lavender latter. The lavender latter had no hint of lavender, and the matcha was slightly too sweet. Otherwise, definitely check it out as it's a cute little aesthetic spot.

One of my favorite spots in uptown waterloo for a quick bite or light lunch. Ingredients are very good which makes good quality great. Not a fan of their hot drinks (latte didn’t taste as expected). Service could be better, takes quite a while to get one sandwich (hence my rating of 4 stars instead of 5). My favorite is the California veggie sandwich, and their soup and salads are good too. Recommend this.

princess cafe is a waterloo classic for me! my favourite thing to do on a day off is see a movie at the theatre and pop in for a sandwich and latte🤍 atmosphere is so cozy and cute, staff is great, and the sandwiches are incredible

Recently discovered Princess Café and it instantly became one of my favorite spots! It’s a cozy little hidden gem with a peaceful vibe, perfect for grabbing a coffee or bite. Loved that you can sit outside on a sunny day and just relax. The staff were friendly and welcoming, and the overall experience was fantastic. Definitely coming back soon!

Cafe attached to an independent theatre and perched on a busy uptown square where one can sit and people watch. Sandwiches are really yum - we tried the California Veggie. They have the theatre and an annex to sit next door. Definitely a Waterloo gem this one! 💎

Great place to enjoy a nice coffee and chat with friends! I have visited this cafe a couple of times and everytime I went, the staffs are very nice and responsive. The environment is very clean, pretty and comfortable. They serve all kinds of coffee and teas (they have many kinds of tea :) Any tea lovers would love this place). Their coffee and tea are so nice, it's worth trying! However, I sometimes like some pastries to go with my coffee/tea but they have limited pastries or none this time I went to the cafe. Overall, they have really good coffee and it is definitely worth trying!

Great place with so many vegetarian options! The menu is about 50/50 vegetarian and meat-based. Well decorated, cute, and well priced. Both meat-based and vegetarian paninis are delightful. Get ready to be embarrassed through, as both of us looked quite foolish trying to keep our ingredients between the bread, lol! Street parking is often limited.

Princess Café has an unmatched vibe that makes it the perfect place to hangout with friends or even study in peace. Onto what I ordered! Wanting to try something unique, I got the yamwich, with the filling consisting of sweet potatoes, spinach, red onion, basil pesto, and brie. Utterly delicious, the basil pesto paired unexpectedly well with the brie. The sweet potato that the sanwich was named after was incredibly soft and filling. However, despite how delectable it was, I felt it did not justify the $12 cost - I might have preferred a more generous portion based on how much I paid. Well worth its money though was the chai latte - with the spices bringing out the flavors of the tea leaves, the drink was utterly refreshing, particularly on the rainy day that I went! To hear about this review, follow us @eatinontario on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook.

Best sandwiches in the Province. They use very good meat. Highly recommend!! Never tried their veg options.

I always find myself here when visiting the region (Waterloo, Kitchener, Cambridge). They make great coffee and wait times have lessened. Terrific walk up window during the pandemic

Great place. We ordered cappuccino, espresso and iced coffee - all were wonderful. They also have sugar free coffee flavors (pretty rare). Classic grilled cheese was the best.

The Princess Café is a charming little café in Uptown Waterloo with a vintage flare. It is attached to an indie theater, Princess Cinema by King Street. Every day I intent on becoming gluten free (GF), every day I fail miserably...guess I will never prevail if Princess Café continues to operate. California Veggie ($6.49) My companion ordered the California veggie Panini. As an adventurous hungry hippo, I would normally suggest ordering two different Paninis and do a sandwich swap; however, I kept my foodie impulsiveness to myself. Why? I don't know! It still boggles my mind till today! Regardless, the Panini was outstanding! Grill local bread, with avocado, roasted red pepper, tomato, spinach, sharp cheddar cheese, cilantro pesto and roasted garlic mayo...nom! I should try making this at home! Turkey + Salad ($8.10) This gluttonous gluten-filled Panini is comprised of smoked turkey, spinach, red onion, tomato with sundried tomato presto, roasted garlic mayor and chevre cheese. My friend feel this was a drool worthy Panini. However, the balsamic olive feta pasta salad lacks luster in contrast. It was missing that extra special something something! Dessert Chocolate Cupcake The price of the desserts were a little blurry to me. I would not recommend sparkly pink cupcakes. There was an artificial flavoring to it. Realistically, real food do not sparkle. It should be pretty obvious, but my affinity for all-things-sparkly gravitated towards the pink sparkly cupcake and ultimately clouded my logic! The cupcake was borderline disgusting. Turtle Cheesecake Yes, turtle cheesecake is a "thing". I would not recommend it...unless you are looking to experience a moment-on-your-lips-lifetime-on-your-hips uh-oh moment. Yes, it is the devil. In other words, if you have diet plans or New Year's resolution, do not attempt! Ease this paragraph from your memories! Next time, I should hit up Cheeses Murphy for cheeses lover! MUAHAHAHA! Yup, guess I can never go GF! I heart carbs! *muah*

This is a great place to hang out and their service is fantastic. I also love their food -- The Godfather panini is delicious. However I am becoming increasingly disquieted by the fact that their sandwiches are becoming comically smaller...which is not okay given their steep price. :/

Good sandwich but nothing special. I ordered a cafe mocha but it was more like a cappuccino.

This is such a cute café and eatery! Food & drinks are delish, while the antiques on display are super cute.

This spot is really easy to miss but is very cute! I got a panini and tried the homemade iced tea which was lovely! The cashier was very accommodating to my dietary restriction (no dairy) and made sure to check with me about certain ingredients. I noticed the deal with a meal and a movie which looks great! I'll be back for that.

Very cute place, good local feel to it with a little shop below and a cinema inside. Study space with high quality food and coffee options, which may I add are small portions. The largest size of coffee is about the size of a small or a tall else where. But the atmosphere and quality make up for it. A place dedicated to do work is student friendly and good to stay at for long periods of time. Have to buy something to do work there which is something they don't say anywhere. Also - the door to get out of the the coffee shop and the one into the study room are both pull doors which just lead to be spilling coffee all over myself.. could be improved with a door opener.

I've come to this place a few times over the years and always enjoyed the laid back feel to it. The Princess Cinema, which is a long-standing indie movie theatre institution in Waterloo, expanded a few years back to create the Princess Twin, along with the Princess Cafe, which opens off of one side of the theatre. There is a clean look to the decor, with elegantly matted artwork on the walls and a light, airy feel to the interior. It feels like a cosy, inviting place to hang out of an afternoon or evening. There are also little adorable button bouquets on all the tables, a mishmash of whitewashed chairs at the tables and water is served in vintage glasses with cool old images on them--all of which add up to a really appealing, groovy vibe (they were playing Medeski, Martin & Wood when we came in--another point in their favour and good addition to the feel). On this occasion, we came by here because we had Groupons--but we will most definitely be back. The meal included paninis, a side and a coffee. My decaf was delicious, as was my California Veggie panini, along with a walnut side with balsamic dressing. My companion had an Italian panini with a pasta salad (pasta, olives, feta). He also passed on the coffee and instead purchased their dessert hot chocolate, which is thick and super rich--check out the photos of the spoon standing upright in it--more like warm, thick chocolate pudding in a cup than drinking chocolate, really. In all, a really nice place to hang out--and of course, the movie theatre and magic store (complete with the sign "children left unattended will be sold to the circus") all add to the overall feel. BTW, sorry for the dim images--we came at night and our table was in one of the less brightly lit portions of the cafe. Hopefully you can make out the spoon standing in the hot chocolate, and the panini and salad (with cloth napkins and vintage glasses).

Bacon jam. Seriously, that ought to be enough! Anyways, Cheeses Murphy is this crazy little grilled cheese masterpiece that operates out of the Princess Cinema ticket booth window on Fridays and Saturdays. I heard about them on twitter, and decided to check them out last night on my way home from a Halloween party. Sometimes all you really need on your way home from the bar / pub / club / house party / late night whatever is a delicious grilled cheese - and these guys are here to let you indulge in that need!

I really like the princess cafe comedy night fliers! I like to come here before a film and eat some yummy yummy sandwiches and soups and look at the fliers, in particular, the one I have attached in this review. Thanks!

As a newcomer to Waterloo, I've been meaning to check out Princess Cafe and I'm happy that I did! As some other reviewers have mentioned, it is unpretentious and has this local vibe. The cafe itself is very quaint and cute. It was very calm when I visited during the afternoon past lunch time and felt comfortable enough to do some reading by the window area. As a cheese lover, I naturally found myself being attracted at the Murphy's corner of the menu (all grilled cheeses). I ordered the Bee's Cheese ($8.50), which contains goat cheese, havarti, walnuts, honey, and rosemary butter - SO good. I would definitely recommend this for those who love the whole honey, cheese, nuts combo. The tea is unfortunately the typical Higgins & Burke tea bag, but for $2, I really can't complain. Will be back :)

Had an employee who was opening watch me walk in at 10:40 and didn't say a word, had another employee walk in 3 minutes later and tell me that you weren't open. The employee who was opening then proceeded me to tell me that you weren't open as I was leaving & when i said okay he proceeded to mimic/mock my voice. Very disappointed as I used to come here often.

Decent cafe during the day, moonlights as a great grilled cheese place (Cheesus Murphy's) some nights - my friends and I never remember when, so there's many a time we've stumbled out to the front of this place and then had to go to McDonald's or Popeye's for our drunk-food fix instead. I usually go for their panini's, and a coffee - their iced coffees are great during this summer's oddly oppressive heat (contrasting with the region's typical - depressing rain storms).

my favourite cafe in kw! service is always super friendly and their drinks are great. best grilled cheese in town!

Best. Paninis. In KW. Fair point, they are a tad expensive at $9-$10, but I still think they're worth it given how delicious they are. On the other hand, the coffee drinks are mediocre, but that doesn't matter as much because you should just come here for their paninis. They also have a different daily panini that is always awesome. Plus, you can't forget about Cheeses Murphys that operates out of the cafe every Friday and Saturday night from 12am-3am. I never thought I would willingly pay for a grilled cheese sandwich, but Cheeses changes everything. I have left my house several saturday nights (perfectly sober) just to get some Cheeses. The cheese & chong is amazingly cheesy, slathered with butter, filled with pork and cilantro. Perfect combo, whether you're drunk or sober.

Came in and had breakfast there, super good little sandwich. Fruit salad and beans were also nice. Would easily go back, didn't try their coffee but smelled nice in there. Very friendly atmosphere, fairly standard indie hipstery cafe vibes.

Nice place. I love the look. The pastries are awesome. The sandwiches tastes pretty good an authentic. It is a little bit overpriced, a little bit noisy for a cafe. But recently they provide a place just across the hall if you like to work in a quiet environment. Try blueberry pie jizzzzzzzz :))

Arrived around 8pm in a sudden snowstorm. I ordered a coffee while waiting for a friend. The server put on a new pot and told me she'd bring it out when ready. She eventually remembered I was there and brought it out. When my friend arrived, we both ordered the soup of the day (cream of tomato) and a panini. The soup was okay - a little more textured than I would expect, but the flavour was good. My panini was outstanding - the "Gourmet Cheese & Onion" was carried by the caramelized onions and goat cheese. My taste buds didn't detect any of the promised artichoke caponata, but they really didn't need it. Such a great independent cafe!

Love this place! As good as it gets when it comes to Waterloo cafes. Kind employees and awesome atmosphere, always playing great music. Lots of dairy-free and vegan options. Love their sandwiches!

Delicious sandwiches. Nice deserts. Calm atmosphere. Go get the meal and movie deal it's a fun night out!

They make some of the the best sandwiches in KW. Also, they have an amazingly curated beer selection. An institution in uptown Waterloo.

Some of best coffee in Waterloo. Nice staff, lots of seating. Nice decorations and layout. It gets pretty busy because it's so popular so that's why the have an extra room

I love this cafe! The atmosphere is wonderful, very delicious and fresh food, nice decor, and the staff is always very friendly. They don't have any cold drinks, only hot ones, which are decent. Kind of pricey and portions are not very large - around $10 for a small panini. Alos usually very busy.

Stopped by to update. Everything I said before is still true. I love this place. Probably my favourite café in town. I had to dock it a star though because it's become a victim of its own success. I often find seating extremely constricted when I go there and have on more than one occasion been forced to turn around and leave simply because there was literally not a single seat available. If you can stand the shoulder-to-shoulder congestion of the place (which frankly robs some of its wonderful ambiance) or if you can find a good time when it's not so busy, then you're gold. But that's getting harder. I look forward to summer when the students are mostly gone and you can always enjoy it here.

Favourite place in uptown waterloo. Vegetarians dream sandwichs, great coffee, great atmosphere, awesome staff. I am legitamently addicted to the yamwich and need to have at least one a week. I work nearby and will often have a yamwich everyday if I don't feel like grocery shopping. I want to steal all the artwork for my apartment. Perfect window for people watching. They focus on local which is a huge bonus for me! They also host great events (excited for feminist comedy!) and have a sweet rotating menu of local craft beers. I could go on and on and on about how great this cafe is. Completely obsessed with the molly wingwald "princess" drawing but I am a major fan of puns.

The veggie panini and beet salad are very tasty. The cafe is next to a small cinema and has a nice atmosphere. Simply love this place.

Every time I'm in KW, I have to stop in to the Princess Cafe. They are really making an effort to bring cool things to the local culture. Comedy nights, concerts, and late night grilled cheese. It is very kid friendly. The food is amazing (both soup and sandwiches) and the owner is super friendly! Wish I lived closer!

One of my favourites this city has to offer. The sandwiches and homemade soup are out of this world perfect. The vibe is perfectly hipster yet you will find 75 year olds as well. I've been here more times than I can count and never been disappointed or had a bad experience. Before a movie, for lunch, or just a coffee date - can't go wrong.

Probably my favourite cafe in KW: unpretentious, great food, great coffee, beer on tap. I like the "localness" of it. It's just very warm and friendly. It doesn't attempt to be like a Starbucks franchise. Nice place to study, read, or just hang out and people watch.

I've been here a few times and I've never really been impressed with the place. The twee aesthetic that they're going for is certainly charming, but I find that the sandwiches are just too expensive for what you get.

Amazing simple food, better people. Hands down the best sandwich in Waterloo, the fresh bread is to die for! They have great soups as well made fresh daily. As a sweet loving person their display of cakes and tarts is so appealing. The homemade taste elevates this place 1000% Everything is fresh and delicious

Had the Godfather sandwich and a coffee. Good sandwich, excellent service. Will make this a regular stop. Price is right on for the quality.

Probably the best sandwiches at this price point in KW.

This is by far mine and my husband's favorite cafe in town! We come here at least weekly. Every panini I've had has been fantastic, my favorite is the original vegetarian on wheat, or the curried tuna. The changing soups and daily panini specials are always fabulous. Great low-key place to spend the afternoon.

Craft sandwiches and soups, comfortable decor, laid-back staff. Window seat makes for great people-watching. A quality space!

Cute little cafe in Uptown Waterloo right beside the Princess Theatre. It's a casual spot with a pretty welcoming vibe to sit and chat, study or whatever floats your boat. I ordered the Chai tea latte which I would definitely recommend trying, not too sweet and not too bland. I also ordered the coconut cream pastry but it was a little too sweet for my tastes.

Great location uptown waterloo! The sandwich was good but nothing special.

Tasty food and friendly workers, but the teeny tiny panini was not worth the $10 in my opinion.