Supposedly there is to be a Waterloo location of Balzac’s soon but that mythical location has not opened yet (to my knowledge) and I am very sad that I still have to go all the way to Kitchener for dope coffee. Honestly, it’s worth the trek, but we really need to be bringing more of these cute coffee shops to Waterloo.

Balzac’s is located in the Tannery building in Kitchener and they probably chose that location to help fuel all the cool tech companies that are also housed there.

The space inside the cafe is a little darker than some of the other cafes that I’ve done spotlight posts on but you’re not plunged into darkness or anything. There’s lot of table space with plenty of two-tops spread out in the cafe as well as a couple of larger communal tables which is great if you’re here for group projects. Or even if you just have lots of textbooks to spread out. There’s also a decent number of outlets if you plan on studying most of the day away.

Bonus points for having these wireless charging rings around the tables! Settlement Co. also has these, but if you’ve never encountered this method of charging before it’s basically magical. You grab one of the ringed chargers from the barista and plug it into your phone, and place it over the yellow ring on the tables and it charges! (You can see the ring in the second picture above.)

I’m a big fan of the decor in here with the exposed brick walls, high ceilings and industrial piping. The main wall has a mix of signs and posters that feature their other locations (my personal favourite is the one of Yorick’s skull), and the floor tiling is absolutely gorgeous. Protip: if you’re going to take dope Instagram shots of the floor, hashtag it with #ihavethisthingwithfloors. Also check out the corresponding Instagram profile if you’re interested in seeing a curated collection of interesting floors from around the world.

“But Vicky, what about the food?” As if I would forget to mention your food options here. They have a good selection of pastries and treats if you get snacky during your study session. If you’re around longer and want real food I would suggest venturing towards King St. instead.

Another super important thing about this place: they don’t blast their music. I’ve been in so many coffee shops where the music is playing just way too loud and you can’t even have a conversation with your friends without feeling like you’re shouting at them, much less focusing on any assignments you may have. Not the case here, pals. Chat away while you sip your delicious coffee here.

And because this is me and we all know I have certain priorities, there’s a lovely brick wall outside for #ootd shots. Okay that’s all from me – someone tell me when they open the Waterloo location.

LOCATION

151 Charles Street West
Kitchener, ON

HOURS

Mon – Fri: 7am – 7pm
Saturday: 8am – 6pm
Sunday: 9am – 6pm