Hot and Cold Cafe
Cozy, Convenient and Casual, the Hot and Cold Café is sure to please!
In the heart of the charming Cook St. Village is the casual and friendly Hot and Cold Café that serves the world’s MOST delicious soup (and that’s no exaggeration - trust me!), plus other simple yet flavourful choices such as rice bowls, sandwiches, salads and desserts.
The Yellow Coconut Curry soup is a heavenly combination of potatoes, yams, celery, carrots, onions and garlic in a rich yet light coconut yellow curry. It is gluten-free and vegan and is served with jasmine rice or a piece of homemade focaccia bread. This soup is very satisfying and my new go-to comfort food. I buy it by the litre and freeze it. Follow my lead and you won’t be sad!
As well as the always available yellow coconut curry soup, there are also other delicious flavours which rotate daily. Other tasty pre-made meals are also available to purchase in the cooler.
Another ridiculously delicious offering that I have become hopelessly addicted to is the Creamy Curried Kale and Spirulina salad. This edible trip to the heavens leaves me almost unable to speak, and let’s be honest, that’s saying something! I’m handing it over to the experts here who describe it on their website as, “massaged kale tossed with avocado, apple, red onion, basil, spirulina, and curried creamy almond dressing topped with organic hemp hearts, red pepper, organic alfalfa sprouts and cucumber“. I describe it as luxury for the taste buds! It is simply the best tasting kale salad I’ve ever had. Hands down!
There are also many other great vegetarian and vegan choices for breakie, brunch or lunch. My friend had the sweet chilli seitan sandwich (also available with chicken), which was served on focaccia bread and found it very yummy. Another friend had the Mama Lynda’s Italian Baked Eggs and declared it “the best brunch in years“.
Cup of the delicious Vegan Yellow Coconut Curry Soup with a side of fragrant Jasmine Rice
Accessibility Features
The space is very small and cluttered with chairs and tables, definitely NOT possible for a large power chair or scooter, but it does (just barely) work with my compact mobility scooter. There are regular height tables for two or four, some high tables with stools, and a communal table down the centre for eight. The staff are very friendly and helpful. On the website (hotandcoldcafe.com), they admit that it’s tight, but “we’ll make sure you are well taken care of and well fed”. That is true! However, there is NOT an accessible bathroom. In a pinch, I have used the fully accessible bathroom at the Beagle Pub (beaglepub.ca - review coming soon!) a couple of doors down. The staff seemed fine about me coming in to use the facilities without being a customer that day, though I felt a tiny bit guilty but what are you gonna do? The Hot and Cold Cafe bathroom is down a very narrow hallway, and through the kitchen. There is a back door that one can use to access the bathroom and the back of the kitchen from the parking lot behind , if you were so inclined to go out the front door and down the block and around the back to the parking lot, but the Beagle Pub is closer than all that!
The Verdict
For a fresh, nutritious and satisfying meal, the Hot and Cold Café is a great bet. Stop by and prepare to be impressed!
Hot and Cold Cafe 313 Cook Street, Victoria, BC
“Cozy” space, but with moveable chairs. Counter service for ordering so you have to manoeuvre yourself to the back of the restaurant to order, but they bring your meal to your table for you.
The bathroom is an ok size but it requires coming through the tiny gap beside the pay counter, and through the narrow kitchen to the very back of the building! Not easy nor accessible. One can come around the back of the building and through the back door to the bathroom in theory, but that requires going around the block and that is a long way to journey!
This is the kitchen access through to the bathroom, not easy nor wide nor accessible.