coffee shops

Kingstonians love coffee. Students love coffee. This, as you might imagine, makes a great market for coffee shops, and as such, there is a slew of them out there.

Coffee and Company: Located directly across the street from the Johnson and Division Starbucks is Coffee and Company, a local chain (in all fairness, I should write that Starbucks is across the street from Coffee and Co., rather than the other way around, as Coffee and Co. was there long beforehand). The selection is fairly wide here, and prices are moderate. The chai latte is well worth trying. Coffee and Co. has another location downtown at Princess and King that is far more elaborate.

The Tea Room: The atmosphere at the Tea Room is not cozy, but it’s a beautiful mix of steel, concrete and glass. On a bright day the light floods into the cafe, making it a perfect spot to enjoy a good book and some of their tempting food! Aside from organic and fairly traded coffee and teas, they serve up a fairly extensive menu of sandwiches and desserts. Portions are good, prices are low, and it’s high quality food.

Tim Hortons: Though there are about 16 of these in Kingston, the locations students will be visiting most are the JDUC location and the corner of Clergy and Princess. The JDUC Timmy Ho’s is always busy- so be prepared to line up. It hasn’t much to offer in the way of atmosphere as it’s in a cafeteria-like setting. This is a good place if you’re on the go. The location at the corner of Clergy St. and Princess is probably the nicest Tim Hortons you will ever see, and is a good place to stop on your way to or from downtown for shopping.

Starbucks: The opening of Kingston’s first Starbucks did not come without some upset, as some folks found it to be a bit unsavory. That said, it is now as popular a place as any, and two new locations have opened up. The most recent addition, and the one closest to campus is located at the corner of Johnson and Division. This is one of the nicest coffee shops the writers of this site have ever seen, as it is located inside a beautiful, old limestone building- something that was well incorporated into the store’s design. Here you will encounter the usual Starbucks fare, free wireless, and many, many students. This is a good place to study in the evenings, and is always a great place to enjoy an overly complicated drink while surfing the Internet.

Common Ground: Otherwise known as CoGro, Common Ground is your average coffee shop. Here you can enjoy a number of coffee-based beverages, along with smoothies, iced teas, and Italian sodas. They also have sandwiches (recommended: the Ham, Apple, Cheddar) and cake- really, really good cake. Located on the second floor of the JDUC, Common Ground has ample space filled with comfy sofas and armchairs, along with regular tables. This is a very popular place on campus, and you will likely run into at least one person you know when there.

Pan Chancho: Pan Chancho is technically a bakery, but in the back they have a nice cafe that serves food and devastatingly great coffee. Their lattes are cheap and enourmous, they also come with a little biscotti on the side. I can't think of a better place to go for an early cup of java, on a rainy spring morning.

Sleepless Goat: Located at 91 Princess Street, the Sleepless Goat, or just 'the goat' as regulars call it, is a workers cooperative coffee house serving up not only affordable fair trade coffees but also desserts and vegan fare.

Sipps: Brand new to Brock Street, Sipps Coffee & Dessert Bar is a good place to stop after a day at the market or downtown. It's bright, clean, and a good change of pace from the usual campus haunts. Though coffee is not particularly great, the baked goods are tasty.

Lake's End Trading Company: They roast their own delightful coffee, bake fresh treats daily (usually they are warm from the oven) and have light meals on hand. The only down side is that there currently aren’t any tables to sit and enjoy your foamy cappuccino, so you’ll have to take it out in the cold.

Above: Coffee and Company is a Kingston staple.

Above: The newest Starbucks in town is located right in the heart of the ghetto.

Above: The Sleepless Goat serves up cheap fair trade coffee.

Above: On the main floor of the JDUC is one of Kingston's many Tim Hortons.