Planet Coffee

I really like the coffee at Planet Coffee and am also a big fan of their baked goods. There isn’t always seating available as it’s usually quite busy, but whether I sit in and read a book on a Saturday morning or just grab a coffee to go, it’s a good experience.

No Wi-​Fi??? Should have checked the reviews a bit closer before ordering my coffee…
I’ve lived in Ottawa for 30 years but this was my firs time here at a Planet Coffee — and I haven’t been missing much. Staff seemed inconvenienced by my order for just plain ol’ coffee and continued talking to each other while taking my order and money. Every table inside is in need of wiping or clearing.
Loud clanging behind the counters, no wi-​fi (I mention this again because it seems this should be a staple item. Yes, I like to pull out my book and read but I want the option if catching up on some work without using all my data up) no an ideal working-​persons place.
Coffee is average taste, average price ($ 2). The large outside seating is the only thing bumping them from 1 to 2 stars.
I don’t think I’ll be coming back.

Love this place. Their lunches are always amazing, and so are their desserts. Its also a beautiful spot to go and sit at for a coffee! They have a great patio and air conditioning inside if you are feeling too hot to sit outdoors. Staff are always super friendly and helpful. Cheap and good coffee! Would HIGHLY recommend!

I visited here because I had already tried all other places for coffee in the courtyard and wanted to check this place out just because. I went on a Saturday and the place was packed. I wanted outdoor seating though so I was able to find a seat. The location of the seating is not as good as the other restaurants next to it. It doesn’t get as much sunlight if any and you’re kind of sandwiched between the buildings and stuck in the shade. Another thing is that it smelled really bad. Like sewer or urine smell. The coffee was ok but the dessert was bad. I ordered the double chocolate cake which just tasted really poor in quality. My friend ordered some sort of berry filled cake and she did not like hers either. Also they only take cash which I think is so silly. They have an atm inside but you’ll get charged $ 1.75 for a withdrawal. Who carries cash nowadays anyways? The total for 2 lattes and 2 cakes was about $ 20. Not worth it at all for bad tasting food and sitting in the shade in a narrow path that smells like sewer. No thank you. Definitely never coming here again. Go to The Courtyard or one of the other restaurants next door and you’ll have a way better experience.

Stopped by and had their cream cheese brownie, vegan expresso brownie, oatmeal chocolate chip brownie and a medium roast coffee w/​maple syrup. And I liked all of it. And yes, I ate everything in one sitting. The shop is tucked away in some sort of courtyard in the Market. The staff are sooooo nice, friendly and helpful! :) I only had plastic and US cash and they happily took my USD and when I couldn’t find an outlet to charge my phone, they happily offered to charge it behind the counter. Its inconvenient that they don’t take plastic but the coffee and food is good and I appreciate walking into an establishment w/​staff that value their customers.

Possibly my favourite small coffee shop in the city so far. Is located in a hidden little courtyard in the ByWard market area. Probably the best little hidden gem first date spot. You can keep cost down and still actually chat with a girl then take a walk around the market/​majors hill park. Baked goods are actually very tasty. Highly recommend the cheese cake brownie which alone draws me bake in here. I do wish they would get a little more adventurous with their coffee selections and try out some specialty coffees to bring in bigger crowds but they do the basics well. If you can find seating it is a great place to people watch from the patio or relax inside with a great atmosphere. Also wish that they would be open later as it would be a great spot to grab a coffee on a date after a meal in the market, just a suggestion.

The espresso drinks are not very good. The drip is passable.
The baked goods i.e. molasses cookies — are great. I always get those.
This business is a testament to location, location, location.
Since there’s no pressure to up their coffee game, even if it’s in their name, why would they bother?
Then again, most people aren’t used to good, or strong coffee.
The staff that recognize me are great, the ones’t that don’t aren’t.
From what I’ve seen at other patrons tables… the food looks decent
So, When I have to meet someone in the Byweard Market, I get a tea and a cookie, no coffee.

Located in the Market, Planet Coffee has an ideal spot for people watching, relaxing in downtown and/​or catching up with friends. They make great ice tea, homemade lemonade and chai lattes. What’s even more amazing are there gluten free treats! When you find a place that makes great GF food that doesn’t taste like cardboard, I’m sold.

Can’t pay with a credit card? Come on, it’s 2013!
Coffee and cake are ok, but I’ve been a total of 5 times in over two years because they only take cash (and it is the closest coffee place to where I live).
Their loss, now I just go to Starbucks.

As a nice little oasis of coffee in the wasteland for coffee junkies that is Byward Market — Planet Coffee is a very sharp place. It’s got that fantastic indie vibe and has ample seating. It’s a great place to have a coffee in the summer or pop into during the winter for some shelter from the east coast winter wind. The coffee itself is pretty top-​notch (on par with Starbucks and bit better than Bridgehead’s brew) and the baked goods are really solid. I really enjoyed the Chocolate Fudge cake and would recommend it to others.
I would give Planet Coffee an extra star if it had wifi. But at the same time that I’m disappointed that there is no wifi I also understand the decision to not have wifi available.

Definitely not recommendable. It looks like a great place until you realize the staff is unfriendly and rude. They don’t even acknowledge their customers by looking at them, they act as if its a freaking favor… no thanks, that completely ruined it for me.
That said, the london fog was good. The pastries are not worth it.

Went here for the first time yesterday. Great atmosphere, a little pricey, but no more so than Sbucks or Second Cup. Nice interior, friendly staff. Would definitely return.
CASH ONLY! Be warned.

Planet Coffee is basically my go-​to place for coffee when I’m in the Market area.
I like the coffee much better than Starbucks, Bridgehouse or (shudder) Second Cup or Tim’s, but not as much as I Deal Coffee (which is more out of the way) and the food I have tried here has always been good.
Espresso drinks are very hit-​and-​miss here, it really depends on the barista. I’ve had perfect, sweet milk topped with cloud-​like foam on some days and a bubbly mess of a latte on others, so I’ve started sticking to the brewed coffee instead.
For ambiance you really can’t beat Planet Coffee in the summer. They have an amazing patio under the trees in Clarendon Lanes that’s great for eating, drinking, relaxing and people watching an afternoon away. Inside is very trendy/​cool, with random advice printed on the walls and furniture. The music is always good and normally at a reasonable volume so it’s good.
Do be aware that they only take cash BEFORE you come so you’re not stuck paying to use the overpriced ATM. There’s no wifi here, so it’s tough to get work done if you need the Internet, but great for getting work done if the Internet mostly distracts you. It is also typically busy, so while you will probably find a spot for a group to sit even with the diverse seating options don’t count on getting, say, table space.
When i feel like something hot: drip coffee or green tea. When I feel like something cold: iced coffee, iced assam tea. And the rhubarb bars. Oh, the rhubarb bars. Also a good place to grab soup, salads and sandwiches for lunch, if their offering that day appeals to you.

Nice convenient location. The coffee is good but the café itself is a bit more on the commercial side. That it’s located inside a courtyard is great for hanging out and people watching.

Coffee and service are just mediocre, but this place gets 3 stars because it is open later than the other independent cafes in the area (giving you an alternative to the starbucks inside Chapters) and the courtyard patio is lovely.
Lots of seating and interesting art (I like the humpback whale painted on one of the walls!), and you can pick up flyers for different art/​theatre/​music events in the city.
I have only had espresso drinks here, but their teas look really nice. They had a selection by the cash, so you could see what they look like and smell them. Most recently, had the carrot cake, which was moist and flavourful (cinnamony and also had a hint of banana, with a creamy chese frosting). However, for desserts, I still prefer Moulin de Provence.

Discovered while still in university, this place has become one of my go-​to coffee shops. I love this place’s vibe.
I like the variety in coffees and teas, in savory and desserts — many vegan options there, but their soups aren’t guaranteed to be vegetarian, so I stick to paninis and salads. There are witty quotes hidden in plain sight all over, tall windows and the décor is urban chic. The staff is friendly, the service is personalized (ex: they call your name, rather than your order) and the music is usually nice.
The down sides are it is practically always busy and seating is limited. In addition, the prices are reasonable for drinks and most food items but their prices on paninis are outrageous for their small size. You could get a huge tasty sandwich at La Bottega for the same price.
Located in a pedestrian mall in the heart of the Byward Market, it’s close to the hustle and bustle, but is away from traffic. It’s also great to sit outside as it gives the place a bit of a European feel.

I have had many fine cups of coffee here and the peanut butter bars are sublime but lunchtime paninis are middling and service is indifferent. Sorry, PC, you can do better with lunch.

I’m a regular at Planet Coffee as it has some of my favourite baked goods out of all the coffee shops in town and the staff is always fun to chat with.
The sandwiches, soups and salads are usually really good. I especially love this location in the summer for the great people watching in the courtyard.

Went here for some coffee and catch ups yesterday. It proves to be a lovely place! I like café lattes in bowls and a bowled latte I got! It could have been a little warmer, by the time I got to the bottom it was cold and I’m not a slow drinker. Maybe the large bowl is too large? I don’t know; I drank it all up anyway. Coffee shops can run together so it’s all in the details, like providing a little spoon for me to scoop up the frothy milk on top.
We shared a corner piece of a lemon square and the servers knew to include two forks. Intuitive. It was nicely caramelized with powdered sugar on top. The shortbread crust on the bottom was delicious and buttery goodness but took a sharp stab with a fork to get a piece off. And the lemony part was tart and creamy– just the way it should be.
They serve food here too and only do cash. Take note of the interesting music, as well as the cute sayings and messages to you that are scattered around the walls and furniture.

I’m always up for a good cup of Joe, and I’m willing to go to the non standard Starbucks or Tim Horton’s to try them. Unfortunately this place didn’t do it for me.
Located in the Byward Market, this coffee shop has a nice location, secluded from some of the busier places in the market, it has a nice courtyard feel and would be great to sit out there on a summer’s day. Inside the shop the place is kind of industrial with some trendy décor.
My wife had a latte and I had an americano. The one plus to these drinks were that they were piping hot. Outside of that nothing else was good. The latte had pretty much no flavour to it, and my americano was very watered down. I also didn’t really understand why they would also serve some guy a piping hot cappucino in a glass mug with no handle. You should have seen the guy trying to handle this mug.
Despite all this, this place has a steady influx of patrons and many of these people were ordering food as well. I would probably enjoy their food, but coffee shops must have good coffee first and foremost, and I didn’t like it.