Reviews of Empire Coffee (Coffee Shop)

Dawn Bollman

Great coffee, fast WiFi, lots of seating, good sandwiches. Everything you need for an office away from the office.

gary mccarthy

Coffee was good, food was a bit basic especially the cookies, the wifi worked great and the terrasse is beautiful.

Ben Deis

Awesome cup, breakfast sandwich, and pastry accompanied by beautiful service ????

F A

I requested my Americano a particular way and they failed. A simple request not carried out and the requested redo was done in 'protest.' Pitt spot seems nice.

Corvid Curser

Nice location. Awesome eats and snacks . Gotta try the Jack Daniels sandwich... OMG. Coffee is fresh and made anyway you like.

Laurie Peck

Great patio, delicious breakfast sandwich, reasonable price. Nice!

n wallis

Such a quaint little coffee shop. I like the outside seating area....highly reccomend this spot ☕

Allyse Rickaby

Often busy when I'm there (a good sign no doubt). Orders come out in a reasonably timely manner and they have a nice solarium to sit in.

Eugene Mendelev

"Third Wave coffee shop" seems to just translate to fancy for the sake of it. The food is overpriced and no better than something without the pretense. The coffee is fantastic however. Also yikes at the owner replying to a low rating with "Seriously!?" Then arguing with the reviewer in their comment. That's not a good look, and underpins the type of pretentiousness I feel whenever I go there. The staff that works the counter have been nice for the most part, although I did get made to feel like an idiot just because I asked where I could put my dishes.

Jasmine Smith

Amazing little coffee shop. They serve great food and the staff is great. You can get small meals here which is nice. There is places to sit outside and use your laptop.

Jason Hartleb

My favourite place for coffee in Nelson, all the baristas provide consistently good coffee. That is a big achievement in Nelson! The atmosphere inside is always good and the conservatory gives you an option to be warm in daylight. A huge bonus in the winter. I haven't tried the food options yet so I have nothing to offer on that front, I just know the barrista made coffee is smooth and tastes great no matter the size of the shot or the size of the cup.

Annie Drysdale

Nice little coffee place, fresh baked goods and great selection of sandwiches. A little on the pricey side. Good atmosphere and vibe!

Isabel Curiston

The breakfast offerings are excellent - delicious and affordable, and the coffee is quite good (although never hot enough) but my complaints are with the staff. Always attractive young women who are busy talking with each other, not very friendly and not very efficient. The last few times I've been there, many people have been 'computer camping'. Taking up a table all to themselves, (even though they've long since finished their food/beverages) while customers are standing around looking for seating. Too bad, because this place has SO much potential.

Airline Lush

Best iced mocha in town!

LAZER HAWK

I’ve given this coffee shop a fair shake now. Coffee is ok, treats are good but staff spend far too much time keeping patrons waiting while they socialize. I even had the experience of bringing my empty mug to the counter and was directed by the girl at the till, who was sitting on a stool while two other staff members were just talking behind her, to bring it over to where they had a dish bin. Neither I, nor the business person I was with, who also was staying at the hotel, had seen anything like it. It’s an ok place, it could be a great place with better management.

Jenelle Wallace

Whoever invented espresso BBQ sauce is a genius - sounds weird but tastes amazing! Great coffee too

Sean Ryan

Great selection of baked goodies coffee and cold drinks. Even so kindly checked in the back for more banana bread for my son.

Dirk Jonker

Fantastic ambiance — my favorite in town — and the from-scratch baked goods are all their own works of art in flavor, but simple in presentation. The flavor speaks for itself in all their products; no need to dress anything up. Fantastic place to hang out for a half hour or so, great lighting and easy access.

James Baxter

Great drink and snack selection, indoor and outdoor seating, friendly staff. I love this place!

Jeff Mochoruk

Awesome staff, food and atmosphere. My #1 go to for coffee as the quality is very high. Great Cafe!

Sebastian Meehan-Winckler

Came for the macarons, was pleased to find really good breakfast + coffee. Macarons were amazing! Stumptown cold brew was good, london fog was not as expected (not as sweet as normal) but still good.

Wendy and Richard Hugli

Good coffee, pricing seems to be on par the with community. Portions are about on par if not a tad smaller.

Andrew Hendrickson

Only had drip coffee and a small snack. The coffee was ok, the choice of quick bite options is and the atmosphere is trendy.

Lisa Lopez

Killer breakfast sandwiches and great coffee. Looking at these other reviews I'm inclined to say it was reasonably priced? Little gem in the heart of Nelson.

Aaron Liu

Awesome Nanaimo bars, friendly staff. A great place for a coffee

Sean Lundy

I like the coffee and solarium, the breakfast bagel with the olive tapenade is great. Although, you may wait 10 minutes for your black drip coffee and when you politely ask if they forgot they might snort at you and make you wait another 5 minutes. Also if you ask what kind of chai tea they have they might tell you “I don’t know” and follow-up by putting in no effort to find out for you even when it isn’t busy.

Benjamin Whitton

Great food and amazing coffee! Empires house blends are a treat, to be paired with the relaxing atmosphere in the atrium!

Douglas Filiatrault

Friendliest baristas in town. Great food options. Coffee is top notch. Assortment of sweets! Outdoor patio!

Levi and Victoria Films

Awesome vibe and excellent, fresh food. Definitely worth a visit.

Lisa Gates

Great atmosphere! Super friendly staff. Quick service and absolutely beautiful atrium. Best coffee in town for sure that comes from professionally trained and educated baristas!

Florian Jaeger

The latte coffee designs stayed till the very last drop...And view was good from inside the glass veranda...And friendly staff... Very enjoyable!!! Thanks!????????????

Robert B

Great food, excellent coffee and good service. Oso customers tired of line ups, wrong orders mediocre food and poor service - here’s your new home!!!

Max Makhnyk

Pumpkin spice lattes were nuts! Highly recommend

Nicole Perreault

Big slide in quality. Espresso burnt, not a usual good Stumptown. Food over cooked. Too many good cafes in Nelson to bother.

Jamie Duncanson

Good coffee great barista but why do I get charged extra for coffee to go? 4 small coffee’s cost an extra $1.00 because I got it to go? Won’t go back.

David Cheatley

Pretty close to a perfect coffee shop. Indoor and outdoor seating, good food and drink offerings made with great quality. My only gripe with this establishment is the staff. I can’t speculate why but every time I stop by it seems difficult for the those working here to show any signs of friendliness.

Robyn Verhoeven

Solid coffee. Excellent Breakfast Bagel sandwich. Lovely service, and super fast! Lots of seating space. Customer bathroom.

Jen Ingrid Engen

Meal type

Lottie Veronica

One of my favourite places for morning drinks and snacks. Lots of seating and friendly staff.

Eric Harris

I often order a breakfast sandwich at an unfamiliar restaurant because it’s really hard to mess that up. It was gross.

Akshya Sarathy

Great coffee shop with a wide selection of food choices!

Jason Babakaiff

Vegan desserts and drinks taste great! They put time and effort into their products, and even when busy give good service with a smile.

Mitch Popilchak

Decent coffe, casual and cool atmosphere. Pacific sandwich was little salty for me but still it was good. Might try their cold brew next time when i visit

210jrd

Great outdoor seating area, limited indoor seating, felt in the way when waiting for drinks.

Melissa M

I used to love this place, but the once-friendly staff are no longer cheerful. The sugar/cream counter is out of spoons and dirty. It’s still a cool place, just needs a gratitude adjustment.

FUZE BOMB

Coffee was good, the tea was real tea leaves brewed when ordered which was a nice change and our breakfast sandwiches were tasty! Overall it was a nice experience and I would return.

Attila Ferenczi

Love the floors and the decor, and the veggie bagel was pretty good, but I was disappointed that their cappuccino was 8oz (not traditional) and wasn't well made. The staff are nice and friendly though!

C Van Dijk

Fast and pleasant service. Good coffee

Dustin David

Last time I went there the pastries were substandard IMO. What a loss , that this cafe was established on the site of that diamond of a quaint, unique top quality cafe, GROUNDED COFFEE HOUSE. sigh. (Nelson's new universe of gentrification in its seemingly unstoppable movement).

M Kong

Avacodo toast was skimpy for the price. Drinks are okay. I wish I took a picture because it was ridiculous. $8 after tax and not enough avocado to even cover a thin layer over a single piece of bread. A bag of 5 avocados is $4.50 at wholesale. They might of used a fifth of one avocado.

Natalie Gauthier

Tasty breakfast sandwich and excellent cappuccino. Good ambiance too and service was excellent.

Ashley Robins

The only place in town serving stumptown coffee, and they do an excellent job. Sandwiches are all delicious especially the capicolli breakfast sandwich, bourbon chicken sandwich and Canadian bacon sandwich. Nice interior with a comfy atrium. I highly recommend visiting empire coffee in Nelson.

Lindy Lin

I wish I could give it 5 stars for the baristas alone. They push out great beverages in quick order especially during busy morning times. The hot food people on the other hand are completely incapable to make even a simple breakfast sandwich. What sounds delicious on the menu turned out to be cold english muffin with cold meat and cold cheese. And it took over 20 minutes to make! Yikes. So, stay for the drinks, go someplace else for hot food.

Lisa Mah

Friendly service, good baked goods and coffee. Informal comfortable atmosphere.

Matt McIsaac

Good coffee and actually open

Nick Soden

Excellent coffee, and great unique food items.

Will Smith

A local treasure. Great coffee and food (well -- usually -- but if anything's wrong, they quickly rectify it)... The solarium is a very nice addition. The girls that work there are almost always pleasant.

Lucas Billingsley

Great food, great coffee and the best part is the outside patio/seating. Great place to sit and enjoy your coffee on a nice on a warm day.

Jana Matsumoto

Best coffee in town! Best part of any day is getting my coffee and sitting in the beautiful sunroom, whether it is open or closed. The coffee is delicious, and the treats and breakfast bagels are well worth whatever they are worth.

Haley R

Great coffee in "industrial chic" surroundings. The enclosed patio is sweet in the summer and when it's heated in the fall.

Sarah Oates

Great coffee, pastries, and sandwich selection! Nice decor, and the outdoor patio looks like it would be great in the summer!

L.J

Fantastic coffee and breakfast sandwiches!!

anshulee singh

Seriously amazing oat milk lattes!!

Anne Simonen

Excellent coffee shop. Good selection of coffees, baked goods & small bites. Staff was very polite, courteous & friendly.

Evan Brynne

This place has the best coffee IMO and the baked goods make my mouth water.

Judy Mulloy

Great coffee, food and service. Always quick and fresh.

Kelly St. John

Great coffee great atmosphere, neat outdoor glass(fishbowl) area. Food items a bit pricey even for Nelson.

G B

Beautiful, cozy coffee shop. They have a unique sparkling cold brew coffee that is absolutely delicious. My girlfriend tests coffee shops by the quality of their chai latte and they have one of the best she's ever tasted. If you're in Nelson this is a place you absolutely must stop at!

Sabin Donohoe

Love the coffee! And they even make mini hot chocolates for my little one!

Keith Steel

We've been here a few times and sat in the glass encased sun room. Nice, clean and it's a pretty modern space to grab a beverage and snack. Good selection of caffeinated, non caffeinated as well as some boozey options. Staff is very nice. Music varies depending on the employee rotation but most times we like the tunes they play.

Colby Katzberg

Obviously very popular with the locals, and popular for great reasons: Great coffee and super friendly staff. The bakery items are super tasty as well! Lots of outdoor seatings and very clean washroom. Will definitely recommend this place to anyone

David Brideson

I loved the menu selections and very pleased with my Matcha. Would highly recommend this place!

Leslie Kuny

After our first choice for breakfast had a line down the street, we decided on Empire Coffee for a quick to-go breakfast. Serving Stumptown coffee and a bakery case full of delectable pastries and muffins, you’re sure to find something tasty. I got the veggie bagel sandwich (pictured) and loved it. We experienced friendly service which wasn’t rushed nor too slow. A great stop for grabbing goods on the go or sitting down on their enclosed patio.

Michael Dowie

Excellent food. Killer muffins with a grand hot chocolate. Industrial works meets wood as décor with greenhouse to be enjoyed.

Jean-Paul Carthy

Unique and comfortable. Outlets at tables to charge your laptop/USB devices while you are there. Properly steeped loose tea, good coffee and a variety of baked goods/salads. Wifi available.

W C

Very cozy coffee shop with a neat sun shelter to take in the great view of Kootenay Lake and Pulpit Rock.

Joe LeBlanc

They are a warm and friendly, just from walking in the doors you feel welcome. The drinks there are amazing and so is the food. It’s a great place to work if you bring your laptop and have something on the side. The outside seating is just as great as the inside. I highly recommend going there.

Bryan Keep

The best muffins in town hands-down.

Shane Clarke

I was sitting on the patio the other day enjoying a coconut chocolate ball and a decaf latte with a wonderful friend. The weather was hot but we were sheltered from the sun and so the patio was rather pleasant. We sipped, nibbled, and chatted away a good half hour. I love the coffee, staff, and treats that Empire Coffee offer up but it’s the atmosphere that keeps me coming back. It’s a great place to meet a friend or that special person in your life.

Paige Heart

Great place to grab a coffee customer service is amazing very friendly but it is on the little bit of the pricey side but it is well worth it really knows what they're talking about when it comes to coffee

Kirsten Dunsford

Great selection of caffeinated and non caffeinated drinks and breakfast items. A peaceful place where someone can sit and do their work or have a good chat.

Victoria Overton

Another piece of over priced Nelson. Value is low, service is high. Coffee has a different flavor than most. Atmosphere is nice... Wanted to like it, but sadly it missed the mark.

Elenna Nickel

Great coffee, sandwiches, muffins and other treats. Also has top quality raw desserts and vegan muffins and cookies. The seating areas are excellent, there are bar height spots by the windows, booths inside and tables in the solarium section.

Sybille M

Breakfast

joe way

Nice coffee shop with some breakfast sandwich selections and baked goods. Coffee was very good--I just had a dark roast, and the breakfast bagel was well made. I didn't care for the tomato jam but it wasn't terrible, only not my thing. We were happy to find it because almost all of the restaurants we'd found were closed for the holiday Monday or not open until later. Sat in the patio and enjoyed the view and the breeze.

Nick K

If you are visiting Nelson and are looking for a cute, professional and cozy coffee shop, Empire Coffee is the best place. I live in Spokane which is about two and a half hours away, and come up to Nelson quite often. Me and my friends love to check out fun coffee shops and this is the only one in Nelson BC that satisfies that crave. This place has seating for approximately 15 people inside, and then an additional 15 in their outdoor glass patio

Phil Mader

Really great coffee and staff. Great vibes from this place. Could do a little better in terms of covid safety measures though.. A lot of high contact spots (sugar, syrup, lids, etc)

Ren Macintosh

Get a decent cup of coffee with a good greenhouse seating area. They serve Stumptown from Portland.

Mike Lake

Really poor coffee for a coffee house. Shot was totally burnt. Americano was overfilled with water. Barista didn't ask how much water to add. Not that it mattered due to lack of quality control. I highly recommend bean here now. Much better product served with care and attention to detail. Muffin was passable but weird flavors... Nothing the kids liked.

Tricia F

Busy but great coffee!

Jennifer Tanios

Was in Nelson for a short time and stumbled across this place. Loved my iced mocha, super good and the look of the place was really well done. Staff were super friendly and seemed very organized.

Lee Hamilton

They open early in the morning and great place to have breakfast and coffee!!!

Shane Lobsinger

Good coffee and bites. Outdoor and indoor seating. It's a small-ish busy place.

Patrick H

This review is for the ownership of the establishment, if there was someone on staff that was management and cared this review would not be needed. Everyone in hospitality will have bad days, I will just hope my experience was one of those days. I sat down excited for my coffee and sandwich, my coffee order was not correct even though she asked twice. (All I wanted was a quad espresso)? The cutlery my partner brought to the table was caked in food, I tried replacing it but it was all brutally dirty. If you don’t care about the cleanliness of cutlery, what else is being neglected? I mentioned this to a staff member that apologized but could care no less. $30 for 2 coffees and 2 sandwiches and before I can even take a bite I already wanted to leave. (I had 2 bites) I could sit here and critique the food and coffee but that has no bearing if you can’t execute cleanliness and customer service.

Chuck Fresco

It has great coffee and friendly baristas. It has unique furniture like custom made, solid one piece wood table tops. It has a high ceiling, enclosed patio with a functioning stove that people cozy up to. :)

Bruce Jepsen

Located in the Adventure Hotel with street access this is a great place to start your Nelson adventure. Stumptown coffee from Portland is on tap here and you'll feel like you're sitting at Stumptown's coffee shop as sip it. There's a wide selection of inhouse baked pastries as well as various sandwiches. Seating in the main area can be a challenge but there's a large glass enclosed area attached to the coffee shop which allows for watching Nelson life pass by. It's also a great place to sit on a rainy day.

Nathan Wheaton

Their lemon cheesecake is delicious. Coffee is always good. Lots of local products and souvenirs , books..

Raja Thalluri

Beuatiful decor, and yummy food. Thank you. ????????

cymbidium orchid

Okay coffee, okay prices. Lots of seating options. Muffins are good. Food is sub par.

Alistair Morphine

Excellent! The food was fresh and flavorful. The coffee has good flavor and the breakfast sandwich has a spicy sauce that was unique in a good way. You must also try the good morning muffins. Overall a wonderful experience.