We offer you the reviews of people who are buying the services and products of Pure Vanilla Bakery & Cafe (Bakery) in the territory close to Oak Bay (Canada).
At the present the firm gets a score of 4.3 out of 5 and that score has been based on 127 reviews.
As you can see its rating is quite good, and it's based on a high number of scores, so we can say that the valuation is quite accurate. If there are many people who bothered to evaluate when they are satisfied, is that it works.
As you know, we don't usually stop to set reviews when these are correct and we usually do it only if we've had a problem or issue...
This Bakery is included in the category of Bakery.
Food, treats, and drinks are excellent. The service is lacking a bit of communication between staff members which makes ordering a bit more difficult than it has to be but everyone is friendly.
Excellent bakery items! No wifi.
Pure Vanilla sells what my son and I both consider to be, the very best cup of drip coffee in all of Victoria! How I wish they'd open branches, in other locations!! It is a perfect choice for a cup of coffee, or tea, or cocoa, accompanied by a delicious offering of baked goods, ranging from cheesecakes, scones, cookies, muffins, cakes, tarts, and more. They sell very good quality, sweet and savoury, baked goods. Pure Vanilla also offers delicious homemade soups, lunches, and salads. They have outdoor seating. Highly recommended for a quick breakfast, lunch, snack, or more.
Even after all of these years, I still love the food at pure vanilla. Everything I try is always top notch. We all have our favourite treats - pumpkin spice, sugar cookies, vegan/gluten free, caramel bites. And for a treat lunch I get a panini - always impeccable. And I do believe the chocolate swoop and lemon Charlotte cakes are the best in the city. They do close at 5 in the evenings now, which prevents us from visiting as often as we would like. Kitchen currently closed at 3:30 and orders for food need to be made before this time.
Baked goods are amazing. Great coffee. Great service
Fantastic cakes, cookies, and pastries. Great place to have a coffee and read a couple chapters of a good book.
Nice staff. Sometimes the lineups can be long as people are indecisive upon reaching the posted menu items. Coffee is good. My kids like the cheesecake cups
Delicious baking, beautiful cakes. Sweet savory selection. I always get an iced pumpkin cookie and a pumpkin millet muffin. Great seasonal drinks too as well as a comprehensive regular selection.
I love the food here. The baked goods are excellent as are the savoury treats. I think they need to have a staff meeting about how to treat their customers. The staff that work at the counter are not particularly friendly and I would have to say that this wasn't always the case. I know it is a busy place and the staff have to work at a high pace but a smile would be nice. The last time I was there I made a mistake while making my order and rather than a normal response the guy taking my order started laughing and one of his coworkers joined in and added some kind of inside joke. It was terribly rude and had I not been there with my family I would have cancelled the cake order and left.
Great little venue next to willows beach. On busy times there might not be seating inside, but there's a back patio. Super friendly staff. Good food too. Good to work with your laptop.
Why is it called Pure Vanilla when they have the best chocolate cakes in town? Do they even have vanilla pastries? If you want an excellent birthday cake go there. They have a few yummy wheat free and gluten free treats as well. And they're good. They're very good.
The muffins are to die for, especially the good morning muffin and the chunky monkey.
Its all good,you really can't go wrong here.
Great food! The owner is lovely!
Lots of goodies,very busy place, sometimes it's hard to find a seat.
Great coffee shop, food and bake goods
Good coffee and food. Service could be friendlier.
Excellent coffee and service. The baking is excellent.
Great coffee and the pastries are to die for!! Friendly staff and great location.
Great coffee, scrumptious treats and a large patio area if you want to sit outside. It's a nice place to go after a walk on Willows beach.
Fun little place to grab a coffee. Friendly staff.
Delicious. No WiFi.
If you can handle the pretentious and incredibly self-important clientele (Oak Bay...say no more) you are in for some good food and quality baked goods. The staff are just okay. My suggestion - go when it's not crowded.
It has a really good selection of deserts,breads and baked goods. Prices are not cheap.
Great tea and amazing cookies.
Good coffee & pastries. Very popular place.
I went here for the first time with my sister-in-law. I ordered yogurt with fresh fruit. When it came to the table it had bananas, which I couldn't eat. The waitress quickly took it back and swapped out the banana with kiwifruit. Wonderful service, amazing menu, very friendly and accommodating staff. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Pure Vanilla Bakery & Cafe.
Perfect for drinking iced coffee outside on a sunny day. Tuna melt is amazing!
Lots of yummy baked good. Very good cookies, breads and cheesecakes
Great place and food except---- Disappointed with the Thai peanut noodles salad replacement! Please bring it back!
Delicious food, beautiful treats, great staff!
Fabulous cookies and coffee! Could have sat outside all day!
Great bakery and casual lunch spot. You can eat outdoors on a pleasant day.
service and the cookies were good... our very expensive ice latte's not so good... also no WiFi.
Fantastic local bakery that does it all. Phenomenal breakfast sandwiches, muffins, scones, I love it all! Their cheddar biscuit breakfast sandwich with tomato jam is unreal. Sometimes there’s a wait but that’s the world we live in right now, and it’s always worth it. Thanks guys!
Rude staff, ignored me while I stood in line until another customer "verified" that I was actually in line. When I requested a cake I was told I had to order it in advance, which is reasonable, what was unreasonable was immediately dismissing me without asking if I wanted to actually order the cake. Rude.
Cute place with delicious bakery
Always a great stop for coffee and a treat.
Just had one of the best Focaccias ever!! Thanks Pure Vanilla!!
Baking was good. Food to order pretty average.
Great good, acceptable coffee, but service and management needs a refresh. They also need Wi-Fi and better attention to cleanliness at their outdoor areas.
I came here on Thanks Giving at 3:30PM to get an apple or pumpkin pie as I hear they are amazing. Of course, Sold out! Had a misto coffee & fruit Galata which was superb. Helpful friendly staff suggested a 2nd alternative to get my pie!
Go there every Sunday. Great service and atmosphere, but above all great food. If you know kindness when you see it then give Origin a try! .Great coffee and love the Galettes.
Delicious food yes please.
Super cute café! The goodies were delicious and the atmosphere was nice and laid back.
Nice outdoor seating in good weather.
Very delicious bakery and great for lunch.
Umbria Coffee, fresh baking and a fresh menu. The back patio is great on warm days.
The place to go for dessert!
Not a lot of places to sit, but nice drinks and cozy atmospheres.
back in 2004-2005, my sister and i used to get pumpkin spice cookies almost every day, their frosting is a real thing
Excellent Place to Have a Pastry and a Coffee
Great cakes, great coffee and really friendly staff. Love this place.
Best muffins, scones and treats anywhere. chairs are not very comfy. Good coffee too
I dropped in for an americano at 15 min. to closing time. When I ordered my coffee, I was told the bar was closed because they were closing soon. No apology, just a look as if to say 'of course you can't get an espresso coffee near closing time'. I had to ask whether there was any coffee at all and was told they had regular coffee (from the thermos) but unfortunately it was undrinkable.
This place and its workers are amazing! I ordered a cute little carrot cake for my boyfriend's birthday. I don't know what I was expecting, but they far surpassed expectations! It was gorgeous and delicious! I looked at several other bakeries and found that the cakes at Pure Vanilla are much cheaper while still really high quality. Friendly staff, easy website to order online, and really good covid safety set up. Well done!
Great cakes
This is where my Mom and I go for dates. It is always delicious and there are always new things to try.
The staff was glad I was there...felt good to hear them validate my choices...and they were absolutely right about the cinnamon bun
I liked the treats but they were a bit expensive.
Excellent coffee good quick service, great selection of baked goods and a good sit down menu as well
Always the best service, baked goods and coffees!
I like sitting on this sunny patio with those ridiculously good baked goods. Their coffee is my favourite in town.
I enjoy this cafe for its ambiance and friendly staff. Pastries are fresh and made in house. It's not usually listed but they also have a big slice of fritatta in the mornings. The only thing I wish is that they have more savoury breakfast options on the menu.
Love this gem of a bakery. Passionate, friendly and helpful staff. Delicious treats for sharing.
I always visit this bakery when visiting Victoria. Great food and excellent coffee!
Good food, gracious service.
Terribly rude person who answered the phone.
Lots of fresh-made salads, sandwiches, and pastries. Great spot for lunch; limited indoor seating but they have outdoor tables when the weather is nice or you can get it to go.
Whether it's to meet a friend for a bite and coffee, or the best cake gifts in Victoria, Pure Vanilla never disappoints. Highest quality and efficient service.
Amazing, my favourite bakery in Victoria. The cookie selection is incredible, and all of them are fantastic. Some highlights are the Diablo, peanut butter and the ultimate oatmeal. The raspberry walnut crumble bar is definitely worth trying. Lunch is good too, a new soup is offered daily with their tasty sandwich and panini selections. The coffee is good, as are the lattes.
The key to this café that lots of new patrons miss out on is its back patio. Amazing.
Very friendly staff and amazing food! There is a lot of variety of food (cookies, cakes, tartes, soup and sandwiches, pastries, you name it!). A little bit squishy if you go during a busy time but totally worth it.
Amazing! The carrot cake is the best!!
Excellent selection of treats. I recommend the pumpkin spice cookie. You can find a decent amount of breakfast options but this is not an eggs-and-bacon place. Great place with a friendly staff to meet with friends. When the weather is nice, you can enjoy the privacy of the patio on the back.
Great coffee, tasty treats and friendly staff.
Great coffee - Umbria. Exceptional baked goods! Beautiful breads and cakes, lots of take out meals too.
Cute little place, delicious coffee and baked goods. Parking a bit of a nightmare but not their fault. Mini focaccia was delicious as was the tea latte, perfect temp.
Great cakes.. I mean great!! Cute little cafe too. ????
Cafe latte and a blueberry muffin. Perfect afternoon break. Sat in the shaded back patio - serene setting: a great retreat from the downtown scene.
Delicious pastries and treats! Can't wait to go back.
There are great things and not so great things about them. Nice outdoor patio, one of the best grilled cheese sandwiches, great portion for the price, fresh ingredients.... Then you also get over sweet pastries (have tried many of their sweet offerings, greatly disappointed by most), watery iced tea and crappy coffee. We occasionally go there when in the area but not quite the place we make an effort and go out of our way to go to.
They have the best vanilla lattes. All good and baked goods are made in house. Nice atmosphere with friendly staff. Sugar cookies are a must have when visiting.
I used to order soup and salad everyday at lunch. Friendly with vegetarian!
The coffee and fruit crumbles that we had were delicious and in choosing to sit outside on the building's rear deck we enjoyed the sun in a sheltered spot.
The food has been and continues to be delicious. The lattes here used to be fantastic, but over the last year they have steadily declined. Now they are often scorching hot, the milk not separated properly (probably in part because it's too hot) and they just dump the milk in with no or little attempt at a proper pour. Bring the baristas back! :)
I visit Pure Vanilla monthly. THE best homemade soups can be found here- & they are always different. Sally should give it another try! I paid 9.50 for a bowl of soup and a raspberry walnut square. Average prices. The chocolate cake is amazing. Fritatas are amazing. Whoever is the chef here is amazing!
Delicious cakes but repeatedly terrible customer service. For example today I received a confirmation about a cake order and when I called to pay they explained that they are closed on the day I would like to pick up the cake. I was happy to pay immediately and pick up a cake the day prior, but they rudely said I would have to come in rather than hold one by paying by phone. I have had similar experiences a number of times, and they are rigid with their 2 day notice (you cannot even be 5 minutes late to order online). It’s really not worth the stress when staff are so unhelpful. I’m heading to the Dutch bakery, for consistently excellent product, flexible and kind staff.
Pure Vanilla is a cool little café with food that has favourites such as soup, pizza, sandwiches (all made with eclectic ingredients) and very good coffee. The interior isn't very large and can be quite crowded sometimes. The entire café is vegetarian, which is not a problem but is a little disappointing, so if you want meat you'll have to go somewhere else.
Always have good service here and there food is yummy and the coffee is very good. I have literally never had a better croissant anywhere. It is so buttery and flaky and delicious. The prices are on par with other bakeries in Victoria. The place is kind of awkwardly shaped and usually very busy but it is definitely worth it. I would definitely recommend that others try this place out.
Great place for tea or coffee and a treat. Lots of fantastic goodies to choose from and for the most part, they are fresh and tasty. I love that the tea and coffee are always good and very hot. Seating is always an issue and the outdoor tables can be quite uncomfortable. Staff is very helpful and friendly.
Excellent food, friendly atmosphere.
Loved their Chocolate Raspberry cake!
If I want a delicious soup or baked good Pure Vanilla is always at the top of my list. Great patio space out back in the summer.
Great place, good coffee, has gluten free goods as well.
Amazing food. Always visually appealing and great variety of simple done right treats. I always like the soups! Hit or miss with staff; some are super friendly and helpful, others impatient and cold. Prices a little steep, but just about worth it. Awesome patio, minimal seating inside for how busy it is.
Not fantastic. The coffee is ordinary, and without the attention given to the many other wonderful cafes in Victoria.
Nice place. Very busy
The baking here is top notch. I’m a huge fan of the kitchen sink cookie.
Nice ambiance with limited other options in the area. Little over priced for just ok baking and coffee. There are far better options in town but will do ok if in the area.
Great lattes and absolutely delicious food. Love their lunches. Plus a lovely patio out back to enjoy.
Nice atmosphere inside. Outdoor patio available too. Gorgeous lemon tart. Fancy teas available but a poor, sad excuse for a simple English breakfast tea. Sorry but Tetley tea bags make a better brew than that.
My chocolate torte was delicious, and the staff were friendly, even though it took me a moment to decide what to try (this was my first time here). I will absolutely return!
Yummy! A bad place to go if your resistance for great sweets is low!
I called this morning to see if delivery was a possibility (I am in Toronto and was hoping to deliver a birthday cake to my brother in Victoria). The bakery doesn't do delivery, which is no problem, but the man who answered the phone was extremely rude - one word answers and pretty well hung up the phone on me. It was unpleasant and not what I would've expected given all of the bakery's positive reviews.
Good place to grab a coffee on a bike ride - usually pretty busy.
Amazing food!!! returned twice during visit to victoria
What a surprise location. Quaint, busy and full of flavour. Love thier creativity with ingredients
Breads and cakes are not enough for five stars, but I want to give minus to sales staff's service today. In particular, the old female staff gave me the lemon tart I ordered and talked to other young staffs with the "tart" pronunciation in front of me. I was able to learn the pronunciation of "tart" pleasantly, but her service was not an attitude toward customers unfortunately. I always visit here with joy at the thought of buying delicious bread and cake. Please don't disturb my pleasure.
The lemon tarts are incredible. They were a huge hit at our neighbourhood dinner. The staff are super friendly too. I also ordered a sweet and salty cookie and was astounded ???? soooo tasty! I’ll be back!
What a great place! Delicious baking combined with great customer service and excellent coffee. I reccommend using the additional seating in the garden patio when the weather is nice.
Love the service and staff here. Great people
Everything is tasty, if you go right before they close you night get some free stuff if you are nice.
Pure vanilla is a wonderful bakery/cafe. I have only visited for coffee and goodies and have always been blown away by the quality of both food/drink and friendliness of staff. I've never ordered a meal there but the menu looks really tasty and I'll have to try it soon
Great coffee and superb desserts.
Best cheese cake I've had in years!
Nice little place with yummy treats. Go there.
This is one of the best bakery/coffee shops in town. With that in mind, be ready for it to be quite busy -- you might not get a table.
Visited every morning for tea and a muffin...food was fabulous, staff very friendly and courteous and nice atmosphere. I will miss being at Vanilla until next year!! Thanks so much for all your great food.
Such a cute little coffee shop! It is always busy and a bit cramped but I think that just adds to the cute little shop feeling. The food is always delicious. Whenever friends want to get together for coffee somewhere I always recommend Pure Vanilla.
Very nice decor. Excellent service. Great pastries. Little pricey.
Great selection of food abd muffins
Lovely local cafe where you can sit outside at the front or the back. Delicious cakes and more!
One of my favourite bakeries in town. Food is always delicious, cakes are beautiful, and the staff is always friendly and welcoming.
Foods good but they aren’t pour coffee into go cups. Most baristas seem to be able to do this with out touching the cup. Seems like a unnecessary choice.
Most excellent selection of baked items and coffee.
Wonderful baked goods and great coffee as well. It's a good space in oak bay
Service was fast, staff are friendly, Great selection of baked goods
A great little coffee shop. At time cramped and noisy. The back patio is fine but the street side is very noisy with passing traffic. The coffee and cakes are very good but the music can be too loud at times. Asking to turn it down is useless as it seems the owner wants it loud to create atmosphere! Would not be bad with some soothing classical but hearing James Brown screaming or some modern rock is too much. I would consider going back if the owner acknowledged people's complaints about the music but she won't. Attitude??
Pleasant/knowledgeable staff/fast service
Great place for coffee and muffins in the morning
Great friendly place to grab a bite or drink.. Before Covid it was a great social place to enjoy hanging out with friends and having a bite to eat. Great service.
Delicious food, cute spot, and friendly service.
Awesome cheese cake!
Last Tuesday I met my friend and her baby at Pure Vanilla. Our experience was soon soured after an employee, who approached my friend and asked her how old her baby was, found out she was 2 weeks . Upon learning this, she gave my friend a dirty look, shook her head and walked away. We were stunned. If that wasn't bad enough, this employee proceeded to blatantly whisper to her co-workers about how young my friend's child was. We even overheard them whispering about how small her baby was. Needless to say our cozy afternoon coffeeshop experience was brought to a halt by this mother shaming employee. We will not be returning to this lovely bakery because of this unfortunate experience. Why the hate? New moms need to get out and live their lives too.
Wonderful food, fantastic patio with a European feel. Service can be unfriendly and prices are on the high end.
We ordered a birthday cake for pickup. The chocolate Swoop - it was delicious the icing was not too sweet and very chocolatey.
I ordered this 4" Chocolate Cake for our quiet 20th Anniversary celebration. Just the 2 of us during Covid. It was truly amazing and delicious! We'll be back!
The person working the window handed me two hot chocolates calling my name instead of what I ordered. I had no idea it was wrong because they also add the lids, due to covid I assume. I took one slip and knew it was dairy which I’m allergic too. When I went back to make the switch for the wrong drinks they told me too bad you took them and we already had to remake that other persons drinks. Who they also handed the wrong drinks too. Honestly for the cost to them of less than $5 they’ve lost a customer. They were not apologetic and accusatory - clearly they have enough business that do t need to do anything to retain their regulars who live within blocks of their shop. What a sad state of mind to not correct such a mistake when the cost to them would have been peanuts. The way of good customer service has definitely left this establishment. Imagine what a different outcome it would have been if they’d just said oops here’s a couple coffees and smiled. The lovely woman working the cash and counter i do not think are the issue but the older “barista”. Shocked at the response and will definitely frequent a coffee shop that wants customers to keep coming back.
I love everything this bakery has to offer, but continually reach for the muffins, the ultimate oatmeal cookie, and the pumpkin spice cookie. Yum!
The bakery here is absolutely amazing. They have all sorts of pastries, muffins and treats for whatever mood you're in. Great coffee and drinks as well!
I have been a regular customer here for many years. I recently went into the store to buy a small carrot cake. I was short a few bucks and asked if they could hold one for me. They agreed. I left $15.00 out of the $17.50 cost and said I would be back within the hour. They agreed and accepted my money. I came back in less than an hour, as agreed, and they told me they had sold it to someone else. The person who I spoke with didn't apologize and said too bad, so sad. When I got angry she said get out of the store. It's not worth getting too angry over, but I'm just saying... terrible service, attitude and arrogant management. I certainly will not return.
Walking over on Sundays for cheese buns (with eggs and potatoes baked inside!), coffee, muffins, scones etc and then sitting in the hidden gem of a patio in the back has quickly become a family tradition. Excellent customer service and tempting take home treats too!
The food is amazing but the coffee is pretty average
Great service, Great coffee, Great cheese buns
food and drinks are crazy overpriced for the quality, staff was rude :(
Very good baked bread and excellent pizza slides too
Busy little bakery/ coffee house. Good pastry and cakes. Expensive.
Incredible samosa buns … especially ingested after a paddle or walk at Willows. Lovely spot.
Excellent coffee and bakery shop on Cadboro Bay Road in Oak Bay
I like cakes here
Cake is just ok, compare to it's price, not worthy it.
Great cakes and nice cafe - probably top 3 in Victoria. Staff is friendly and helpful. I wish they had longer hours but not a deal breaker. Parking is a little limited but it's a great stop if youre in the neighborhood.
A great bakery with a large selection. Cakes are delicious, but need to be pre-ordered. Chunky muffin is my favourite, but the selection of cookies, muffins and other baked goods is unrivalled in Oak Bay. No wifi and the cafe is often full. Mostly older crowd (mid-50s plus). There is seating out front and in the back. Hours have been changing lately as staffing has become tight.
Coffee was cold and top top $. I thought it was a one off. Went back 3 more times. An same thing. Now I just walk down to estivane village. Plus they close very Early. I won't be back.
Always delicious baked goods at Pure Vanilla.
What a hidden gem!! Everything here is so good!
I tried to get some cookies online for my friend who just had a baby - I missed the part on the website where it says you need 48 hours advance notice for online orders. When I phoned to follow up, the woman who answered was mean, unhelpful, and condescending - instead of trying to help me find an alternative solution, she seemed to be actively discouraging me from giving them my business. Unfortunately this isn’t the first review on here about rude staff. Very disappointing!
"Best cheesecake you'll ever have," claims a friend of mine. No Lie - it is!
Horrible customer experience. Wouldn't recommend if you want to smile while drinking byour coffee.
This place DISCRIMINATES. I have a medical mask exception and the staff was rude and denied service. They said the POH order "doesn't allow them to serve people without mask" which is absolutely false. The POH order specifically grants mask exceptions. Avoid discriminatory business like this.
The staff are super friendly and everything I've gotten from there has been amazing. Go there early for the cinnamon buns, you won't regret it!
They make absolutely awesome desserts
Love this place for lunch and sweet treats Their cakes are out of this world.
Great local bakery, cafe, and lunch spot. Crowded and cosy.
Seems expensive for what it is, uninspired by our visit
I pre-ordered a 6" cake and they messed up and made a 4" cake in addition to getting the spelling wrong. The lady with short blonde curly hair working there is probably one of the nastiest women i have ever met. After i polietly asked to pay the difference she sighed and said the bakers are gone you cant have any writing on it now, plus you still need to pay full price because we are redoing it to what i wanted even though i didnt get the writing! I waited about half an hour to get the new cake and they didnt say sorry for the inconvience or anything. She just handed the cake to me and walked away. Some of the worst customer service experience ive ever had. Wow.
Delicious food - has the egg on the buttermilk biscuit with some kind of tomatoe chutney. Good price too.
just moved to here and tried this place Pretty good food:)
DANGER!!! this place has the most amazing pastries and they are to die for...if you require a special order, they will accommodate you...staff is friendly, service is FANTASTIC and don't forget, they even prepare holiday packages...my goodness...I love this place!!
Exquisite bakery though a tad overpriced. Usual sorts of seating available. Welcoming staff and atmosphere. Cosy on a dreary day!
Delicious food( especially the cookies). very expensive though, but yummy.
Just had a second terrible customer service experience with Pure Vanilla Bakery. Had been a loyal customer for years, then had a very bad experience a couple of years ago... Decided to try to put that behind me and go back again, only to have another negative exchange today. I won't bother going back again.
Awesome food, amazing staff, and really prompt service. I’d highly recommend to anyone!
Good food. Some gluten free items.
Always good service AND GREAT FOOD!!!!
A delicious place for lunch. The outdoor area in the sun will give you a holiday feel.
Good food. Good people! ????
I had the rainbow weapon, it was delicious. Very fresh and delicious.
Took home veggie curry . Fantastic! Large portion too