Parsonage Cafe
A Fort Street coffee stop with a garden-patio rhythm.
A day-cafe, night-roastery that turned into one of Victoria's coffee institutions.
The North Park flagship of Fernwood Coffee, the cafe-and-roastery the company is built around. Ben Cram and Terra Ogawa got their start in 2007, taking over a decades-old neighbourhood cafe and roasting at night in the 800 square feet they served out of by day. The roaster has since moved into this bigger corner near Royal Athletic Park, but the feel held: warm timber, packed tables, a line of regulars who treat the counter staff like family and the breakfast sandwich like a civic institution. Not precious about it, just very good and quietly proud. Come for coffee that earned its reputation the hard way.
The move
Order the breakfast sandwich locals will fight you over, with a coffee roasted in-house (Fernwood's Rob Kettner took the 2010 Canadian Barista Championship on these beans). Hungry later, the Reuben holds up. Beans to take home are right there.
Go when
Weekday mornings if you want a seat and your sandwich without the scrum. Weekend brunch is the full North Park crush: worth it, but expect to hover for a table.
Known for
Perfect for