Equator Coffee NAC/CNA — Restaurant in Ottawa

Their drink menu is always super fun and delicious. I am a huge fan of the banana bread and pumpkin spice lattes from their fall menu, and want to try the Black Forest one next. And their cold brew is always super good! Now their matcha…I say this with so much love but although the flavours are yummy (like the strawberry or banana bread) the quality of the matcha varies greatly depending on who makes it. The other day I got a banana bread matcha and after I left I realized that there were huge clumps of dry matcha that were so disgusting and bitter and I could hardly drink it. (I would have gone back and asked for a new one but I had a meeting). So if you’re getting the matcha here, keep in mind that it might not be mixed properly. I have gotten amazing matchas from here before, but maybe avoid getting it when it’s super busy. The picture is of the bad banana bread matcha...

Located inside / right by the Elgin entrance of National Arts Centre. They have an open space with modern ambiance and comfortable seatings.

Drip: brewed coffee with 2 options usually. Just ask for what you like and you should be able to get something to your taste. However they only have milk, cream, oat and sugar. Kinda limited sweet option. Always feel being in Canada, we should have maple syrup or honey …. Not a great fan of raw sugar.

Reasonable price and they do have mugs for onsite use which is an applause as too many coffee shops only use disposable regardless or take out or dine in.

Pastry/ bakeries available but not...

An excellent coffee shop in the NAC! Over the course of a few hours, I tried a simple latte, a cortado, and the summer seasonal iced cherry cola chai latte. All of the drinks were excellent, though the cherry cola chai latte leaned more towards a dirty chai with a cherry twist, lacking a distinct cola flavour. The environment is lovely; the cafe area is surrounded by large windows to allow for lots of natural light, and there is a decently-sized seating area that is great for getting some work done or just relaxing with friends. The staff were very friendly and efficient. Overall, I highly recommend this...