Café Oranje

No matter where I go across Ontario, I cannot find Café Oranje's equal. The staff, the atmosphere, the coffee, the food... There is no comparison. I am delighted each and every time I visit. If you are gluten-sensitive, there are always wheat-free options aplenty and their muffins are some of the best I have had in a long time. There is also gluten-free bread available if you want to get into any of their robust selection of sandwiches. And to any fans of oat milk, there is Earth's Own Barrista-style oat milk available. The coffee is excellent - fans of black coffee, rejoice. It needs nothing added to be enjoyed to it's fullest. I simply tend to order lattes as a matter of preference. The store is always clean and welcoming with an atmosphere that delights in clever simplicity. The owner reflects these values with her personable, easy wit, and her staff are always professional and courteous. I'm incredibly socially awkward and still, I find everyone who works here is really easy to talk to. I am also sound sensitive but never feel the need to drown out noise here. Guests trend towards intelligent or pleasant conversation at a reasonable volume, and that over the sound of smooth jazz or lo-fi beats makes for pleasant background noise. If you are someone who likes to work at the café, I have been using the space to draw and work on commission illustrations and have found it very easy to focus and get a lot done here. The front door is a little small and heavy, but the staff are super courteous and if you think you will have any trouble with it, flag them down and they will absolutely help you. It's worth noting for the sake of accessibility as well, the bathroom is a rather small single-person room that requires you to ascend about two or three steps. As a result of the size and age of the building, there is no wheelchair accessibility. The store is very lgbtq2+ friendly! I was asked for my pronouns (for context, I use they/them) and they have been well respected ever since. All in all, I love this café. It is easily my favourite in the province. I am moving away soon, so I will dearly miss it. But I hope that it will continue to thrive so that whenever I visit Hamilton, I can stop by for a while.

When I first moved to Hamilton last fall, I made a point to try out as many coffee shops as possible (for take-out only, of course), as a way of seeing the city & having some sense of normal through the pandemic. When I found Cafe Oranje my coffee shop tour stopped because I knew I found ‘my place.’ Mena and Cameron make an amazing oat milk latte (& with gluten free oat milk), and the shop always smells of warm freshly baked treats. Whenever I visit, I feel like I’m with friends. I’m looking forward to eventually sitting in the window seat to people watch!