Freya - Nordic baking & kaffe — Restaurant in Campbell River

Excessively Expensive Unclean and Unfriendly

Where to start? Sorry this is going to be a long review. The nicest thing about this establishment is its location.

Any success this café/bakery has is due to the dire need of the town to have one. If this were done right, it would be such a plus to the downtown area, whereas the way it is going now this business will not survive, nor should it. The seating is inefficient, the counter where the croissants are displayed is not a proper food-safe cabinet. It is not enclosed. Any dust and debris from staff movements at that same (cash) counter, in fact the entire space the croissants are in, is _completely-unprotected- just an ineffectual shield at the front where you order. On further recent review this has been updated offering better coverage. Open baking racks are still a mere 1-2 feet from cash machine -fully exposed. Prices are beyond ridiculous from two selections at $6 and up to $13 for the remaining choices, for a croissant?? Ridiculous! All croissants look slightly overcooked. Taste? Yes they do taste ok... although the writer has not tried every variety.

If you are on any kind of health regime, low-fat, or vegetarian, or even stopping by for a warm drink, and a snack, at a decent charge, this is NOT the place for you. The imagination into some of the additions to these croissants leaves you scratching your head, and not all have the look of being fresh - - but at $13 we are not surprised there would be daily left-overs. Onto the only bathroom; pink and black mould around the drain in the sink, dirt in the corners of the floor and on the walls. The door has dirty hand marks all up and down and around the handle. This one-bathroom establishment has never been cleaned properly, ever. The handyman style plywood counters and poorly installed trim throughout does not give the impression that care is given. Each of writer's visits were a cpl months apart - there has been ample time to clean and put care to the finishes of this business.

This complete lack of all care comes through with one thing: Profit is #1 And, as owners, witnessed: sit at one of the two 4-seater tables and do your accounting, staff reviews, scheduling and prospective staff interviews at one of the customer's very few tables —in the middle of a day ..! As owners why choose to do this? Extremely unprofessional. Information gathered in the few visits: the staff are repeatedly cold, almost robotic. Customer after customer this was witnessed as the norm. This is not a place where you walk in and feel the warmth and friendliness of people who want to work here... Maybe that's why the people being interviewed appeared more friendly than those that already have the job... And why is this? Again the only success this place has is its location and proving that Campbell River still needs a Café...

I had to rush out the door and didn’t have time to make my usual oat caramel shaken iced espresso at home, so I stopped into this café for an iced matcha latte. To my surprise, they didn’t offer any flavor syrups at all—not even something simple like vanilla or strawberry. which is where cause they make filling for croissants. strawberry or lavander syrup is SOO easy to make at home. When I asked about sweetening options, I was told there were sugar packets by the door. One barista kindly offered to blend the sugar packet in so it would dissolve, which I appreciated, but I was already unsure.

I received my drink and headed out, only to discover after a few sips that it tasted like nothing more than warm milk with melting ice. I went back inside, politely explained that I wasn’t happy, and was offered a replacement—but not a refund or a choice of something different- I was offered another matcha.. I accepted another drink, but unfortunately it was no better. I ordered a sweet iced coffee with cream and sugar, but what I got was an iced Americano—watery, bitter, and again unsweetened. I had to add sugar and cream from the condiment table myself, but it didn’t help at all.

While waiting, I overheard the staff discussing their “matcha formula,” which apparently was just “two loose scoops” of powder with milk. Based on that, I would not recommend ordering matcha here if you’re expecting quality or balance.

To make things worse, when I noticed the cream at the condiment station had run out, I brought the empty container up to the counter to let them know since others were waiting. Instead of a “thank you,” I was met with what felt like passive annoyance, as though I was inconveniencing them.

Overall, I left disappointed. For nearly $7, I essentially paid for drinks I couldn’t enjoy and ended up leaving one entirely untouched on the table. The male staff member was polite and professional, but I was never offered a refund or a chance to take my business elsewhere—just another poorly made drink.

If you like your coffee sweet, creamy, or with flavor options, this is not the...

I have been to this Freyja many times, both here and in Courtenay. Like any newer cafes, the interior is white with pale wood furniture and a splash of green from indoor plants. It is generally quite clean, though they understandably struggle to keep up with the wet dirt tracking through on rainy days (otherwise known as 80% of the Van Isle year).

Their coffee is phenomenal. Delicious, not over-roasted, and time and care is put into each and every espresso-based drink. I never come for the croissants, always for the coffee. That said…

The croissants are not like any other croissant you’ve had, unless - and I am speculating here - you’ve been to Europe or some dense metropolitan place in North America where if you are not wearing clothes that are not “in season” people will sneer at you.

What a treat it is to have such finely crafted pastries for someone like me. I cannot afford a plane ticket, and I will always wear socks with my sandals, fight me if you don’t like it!

I never feel like I need to fight anyone at Freyja, though! I am always impressed by how friendly they are, how do they do it? I am a bit of a dullard sometimes, and they are so patient with me as I make a blank stare at the menu as I struggle to order the same thing I always get, a plain croissant with a decaf cortado (pronounced like “tornado” and they don’t even correct me...