Blowers Street Paperchase Newstand & Cafe

When I’m walking through downtown Halifax, I always make sure to stop by Paperchase. They have a wide variety of delicious drinks, sandwiches, and soups — plus, they serve breakfast all day! I love a good grilled cheese sandwich and Paperchase, in my opinion, serves up the best in town. The atmosphere is cozy and inviting with just the right amount of cool factor: perfect for grabbing a coffee with a friend, getting some studying done, or just relaxing with a book. Also, as an aside, the bathroom graffiti is hilarious. It’s a bit out of my neck of the woods but its one of my favourite cafes in Halifax and always worth the trek.

Great little place to escape the cold and unwind. Love the vibe, mishmash of furniture. I wish I could say more but we got there not long before closing time, sadly! But I will check it out again whenever I’m in Halifax again.

A hidden gem in Downtown Halifax. This place has it all, and I mean it ALL. Drinks, smoothies, all day breakfast, salad, soups, bagels– it goes on! Usually with such a coffee shop so small you wouldn’t expect a vast menu to be that great but oh man is it. They have some of the best soups in the city. But what I like most about Paperchase is the atmosphere. Comfy living room sitting and large windows make this cozy café one of the best places to work/​study/​read in Halifax. So much love for Paperchase, you guys are awesome!

Food is amazing. No need to expand, everything good there. I come in everyday for lunch take away. However every time I’ve ever been there there is a scary old batshit woman working who I assume is the owner who is constantly yelling at and degrading her workers.
I do NOT value her appearance there as she is also making it awkward for her customers.
Again food is great but if you value places that treat their employees like people, don’t go there. I’m afraid that when I tip she might be getting some of it.
Yummy soups!

If I could give this place 0 I would, had superstore tea and a shitty brownie. All over priced!

I have yet to try the café, so my review is mostly based on the newsstand on the ground floor.
What can I say? This place is pretty awesome. Definitely the place to go if you’re the kind of shopper that likes to support mom n pop stores (or pop n pop or mom n mom — doesnt seem to be the kind of place that would have qualms about making such distinctions).
I probably don’t need to echo most of the other reviewers, but I will anyway. they have such a fun and eclectic mix of greeting cards and hard-​to-​find magazines, that its a pleasure to shop there, and one can always expect to find something new there every time.
They have really interesting bulletin boards with postings about local events, classes, groups etc, that one can’t help but feel that the store has deep roots in the community and that alone is a good enough reason to whole-​heartedly support them and the work they do.

In the early 90’s I was a coffee shop nut, I went to almost all of them. Nowadays, I am less caffeine-​driven, and more want to sit down and mellow out. This is a great spot, In the summer, the air breezes through, and in the winter you can watch Ragnarok unfurl, name stay out of the dang cold.
I love their Hot Chocolate, The cup is more like a bowl. Which I happy can share with the wife and daughter, They make wonderful muffins, always different whenever I go.
Another big draw is the newsstand down below. Only place to get some of my favorite magazines. Great servers there as well.

This is one my favorite cafes ever.
Although the spot is a tad cramped and maybe not the cleanest… don’t let this discourage you. With lots of different seating options, I usually opt for those by the removable windows.
The variety here is awesome! And the coffee is delicious. I have never been disappointed by any of their tasty food concoctions– their bagel sandwiches are great, and they offer really creative compilations. The lattes never disappoint– and they have a large drink menu– any one would love this place, not just coffee lovers.
I love this space. It’s a great place to people watch and have some variety for your lunch!

Love this café! A few items may be on the pricier side but there are plenty of affordable options as well. As with anything you get what you pay for and the food is good. It’s great to be able to bring vegetarian friends and know they’ll have many choices. The cornbread is a real favourite.
Seating varies from traditional tables for eating, comfy chairs and couches to larger tables near the window with stools. This is a great place for a chat, to read a few chapters or to play one of the games they have available for patrons’ use.

This is a nice spot to grab lunch or a coffee and relax. I like the atmosphere, and the fact that they have some more interesting lunch options than a basic sammie — their samosas are very good, and the veggie lasagna is tasty as well. It can be a little pricey, but it’s often worth it for a cozy atmosphere and free Wi-​Fi.

So I arrived where Unilocal and my GPS were leading me and was initially really confused. It looked like I had just walked into a convenience store/​newsstand/​place I buy cigarettes. But I saw a wooden staircase on the left and the man behind the counter gave me an encouraging smile so I headed upstairs. The upstairs and downstairs could not have contrasted more starkly.
Upstairs — people laughing, talking, joking, lounging. Customers hanging out with staff. Wooden counters, wooden tables and chairs, random sofas and loungey chairs. Just a really chill vibe. I was feeling peckish so I ordered the curry veggie burger with a side bean salad and an iced ginger peach tea. I settled down with my books and laptop on a counter and a few minutes later, the burger was brought out. So yummy! Perfect mix of toppings (pickles, onions, lettuce) and a really neat take on a veggie pattie.
After studying for about an hour, I realized that they had forgotten my drink. When I went up to the counter, I reminded them and asked them to change the iced tea to an iced americano. It’s a 70 cent difference. I felt like I shouldn’t have had to pay 70 cents extra seeing as they had forgotten my original drink. The staff member didn’t agree with me.
After a bit of awkwardness, I paid. The americano itself was a bit bitter and I had to add sugar to it (which I never have to do normally). Apart from them forgetting my drink, this place is ace. I would love to spend school afternoons here studying or hanging out.

Don’t let my ³⁄₅ fool you. The Paperchase is a top notch café, but sometimes the individual parts of a spot aren’t quite what you get with the sum…
Atmosphere: ⁵⁄₅
Super comfy, relax environment, light music. I wanted to stay all day and maybe even take a nap…
Customer Service: ⁴⁄₅
Staff were very friendly and helpful. Not the least bit annoyed when a rank amateur like myself could not decide what to try for lunch, and very accommodating. Couldn’t really tell who was working and who was just hanging out though…
Food: ⁴⁄₅
Delicious. Healthy seeming. Not overly large portions, but big enough to get the job done.
Price: ²⁄₅
You don’t have to be rich to eat here, but you may if you get it everyday. $ 7 for a sandwich by itself? $ 3.50 for a teeny tiny soup? $ 1 extra for cheese, because no sandwiched come with it already? Hard to justify $ 12 for a ham sandwich and small soup… (I got a Black Forest Ham Sandwich, though most of the sandwiched seem to be about the same price…)
If you’re looking for a chill place to meet, or a relaxing venue for a coffee (or your choice of caffeinated drink), or a place to just get away for a few minutes and surf the web (or write a Unilocal review), then the Paperchase is a great choice. Maybe not even so bad for a quick lunch date once in a while. But not quite the place for a daily lunch.

Paperchase is a good spot for a quick bite. I have a bit of a soft spot for the atmosphere, since it feels like there should be a backpacker hostel upstairs and you should look outside and see the Rockies or the Scottish highlands instead of Argyle. I love the garage doors so very much, especially on a nice, sunny day.
Prices are a tad on the high side for what you get, but I do dig the pakora burger. Staff aren’t super friendly, though they’re not off-​putting either. I think cheerier staff on the level of say, Just Us! or TIBS would bring this spot from a three to a four.

Everything I’ve had here was delicious. The veggie burgers are great, and the soups are always really good. My favourite is the mushroom barley. I also like the breakfast bagel sandwiches.
The only thing holding me back from 5 stars is that the owner is quite snappy at the servers right in front of customers, which is kind of awkward and inappropriate.

How have I not made this a regular stop in my local coffee shop rotation?
I’ve only been a few times, but I just love the vibe. It’s somewhat disheveled in appearance, but that’s sort of the charm it has. And, if you can snag a window seat, you have a great view of the street below.
I like that you have to wind up the worn stairs at the back of the shop to get to the café, and I really like their tea selection. It’s not looseleaf, but they have a long list to choose from. The oatcakes with the PB filling and a coating of chocolate are really yummy.
You do get a hint of library vibe in here — the music (if any?) is soft and it feels like wannabe authors must be in the midst, typing away on their laptops. Don’t come here if you want to have a loud conversation with your LOL girlfriend, but do come if you want a quiet spot to hang and just chill.

Love isn’t a strong enough word to convey how I feel about you Paperchase. I was forever turned off as you have to cut through a convenience store to stumble upon this café, but that soon changed. Their cappuccinos are simply one of a kind, but what really needs to be discussed is their sandwiches. They are served with ALL fresh and local meat and vegetables, and they are not cheap with their servings! It is simply HUGE and oozing with flavour!
Paperchase is a perfect spot to escape to. They make sure you’re taken care of and then just leave you to your thoughts, work, music, company or food. I encourage you to sit your tush in this tucked away gem the next time you’re feeling overwhelmed and sick of the mainstream joints.

Ohhhh Paperchase! My love for this café went pretty much from zero to sixty in the span of about three visits and it’s never going back.
First off, by comparison to just about every other café in the city worth going to, this one is actually quiet and calm pretty much all day. Since it has become my homebase in between meetings downtown, the chill environment helps me regroup, get some work done, and actually relax a little bit.
That’s not to say it’s not the right place for a boisterous catch-​up with old friends — because it is — it’s just that it’s not constantly swarmed with 20 people long line-​ups, loud espresso equipment, or crashing dishes.
Second, ohmysweetbabyjesus the food! I nabbed the Avocado Melt on Teresa F’s recommendation and pretty much go back weekly for more. It’s the perfect lunch! It’s satisfying but won’t weigh you down, it doesn’t give you weird breath or bits stuck in your teeth, it doesn’t take long to eat, and with fresh, identifiable ingredients that you can see with your own two eyes, there’s nothing weird or processed lurking in the shadows.
The spanakopita square was a nice, authentic bite too and I can’t wait to dig into the all-​day breakfast.
The rest of my old review still stands. It’s awesome to have your drink delivered to your table, the staff have a super balance between hip and friendly (that’s right — you can still wear ironic tees without having to roll your eyes at me through your vanity glasses), and the vibe is just fantastic.

So while one the lookout for a place to feed my caffeine fix I came across a «patio» (more like a double garage… In the air). Paperchase café is a little newsstand/​convience store that had a secret identity as a coffeehouse/​sandwich/​kitchen.
During the summers you’ll have their airborne garage doors open for ventilation allowing to gaze upon pizza corner on your stool of power. No but actually it’s pretty nice up here as I type this review. After a row of «window seats» are a lounge of couches and a little eating area.
Their coffee is alright. It’s not the best I’ve ever had, but the atmosphere is exactly what I’m looking for.
This place would be off the hook with some live jazz on the 2^nd floor. Now it’s time to nap on their sofas… Don’t wake me.

Paper Chase has MANY things to offer a café lover. The open and airy, art filled, two-​level space offers a wide variety of seating options, which is something I really treasure in a café. You may sit at a retro two seater table with attached royal blue spinning chairs, a regular 4-​seater table with traditional chairs, plush couches (yes, multiple!), mega plush and roomy chairs, as well as long high tables with stools and a view overlooking Argyle Street! Oh, I almost forgot… there are computer chairs for the many internet capable computers that cost mere cents to use.
If that doesn’t bring you in, let me tell you that there are PLENTY of vegan food options here. Also, you needn’t worry about the barista’s ability to froth your hot soy based coffee beverage. Paper Chase soy cappuccinos and soy lattes are well frothed in wide mouthed mugs for all your brown sugar dusting (or clumping) pleasures.
Shall we begin? Their bean salad is ah-​mazing, as is the couscous salad. Both are vegan. I’ve been frequenting Paper Chase for oh, yanno… 7 years or more… so trust me when I tell you if you like them, you always will. They have never changed and I consider this a good thing! If it’s not broken don’t fix it, right?
You can have the salads alone or with a veggie samosa or pakora! YAY PAKORAS! I love me some deep fried carbs and spices. The salads also come as a side with the wonderful curried veggie burger. The patty itself is moist, thick, and flavourful. Not a spicy hot curry, just a pleasant curry you can have at lunch and not worry about offending anyone afterwards. It’s one of those Halifax vegan treats that I could never reproduce at home. it’s magical. 99% of the time I go to Paper Chase I get the curried veggie burger. That statement is so true that the majority of the staff know exactly what to punch in the till as soon as they see me walk up the stairs.
For breakfast there are a wide variety of vegan smoothies! My favourite is the Roasted Oat Breakfast Smoothie! It has roasted oats, maple syrup, soy milk, and your choice of strawberries or blueberries. It is so thick and flavourful (oats and maple! dreeeeeamboat!) I consider it to be a full meal! It’s so hard to choose between blueberries and strawberries though. And no, Paper Chase won’t do a mix!
Most of their soups are vegan and change daily! Don’t hesitate to ask for a sample to make sure you’ll enjoy your meal! (: The veggie chili is also vegan as is the cornbread.
As you can see, you’re going to love it here!
If you want something vegetarian and cheesy, I hear their avocado melts are top-​notch. So is their super affordable all day breakfast!
The only reason I am not giving my beloved people-​watching, newspaper reading, internetting café 5 stars is the owner. Way more than often she is in a sour mood accompanied with a poor attitude. The way she openly «treats» (read: disrespects) the staff is abrasive, abrupt, and uncomfortable to be around. Once upon a time, years ago, she lied to me about her margarine being vegan. I pressed her for the truth and she was unnecessarily defensive and wouldn’t budge even though I knew very well she was using Verve which contains Whey!
Whatever though!
Long live Paper Chase! I kinda need you in my life.

It has been a year since I wrote my first review for the Paperchase. Everything I said before stays the same but there is always one small thing that I didn’t mention which continues to give me a small itch in the back of my head. One of the Managers or Owners just always seems to be in a bad, stressed out mood. Which isn’t great since the rest of the staff are doing a great job from a customers point of view. I would recommend Yoga or Wayne Dyer because the coffeeshop is busy, successful and fun to write reviews in. I just hope the Manager who stresses out a lot, which in turn stresses the staff and customers out, will start drinking some of their own lovely green tea. Because its great and proved to be relaxing.
Aside from that, no other coffee shop in Halifax is like the Paperchase. I highly recommend it.