I don’t know about you, but when I imagined college, I imagined spending a significant amount of time would be spent sitting in coffeehouses, discussing highbrow literature with my friends. Sure, there’s Aromas in CW, which has a great small town, coffeehouse vibe and there’s swemromas for when you don’t want to spend real money, but as of last August, there’s a new coffeehouse in town.
The Culture Café opened at the tail end of 2016, and I’ve been dying to try it. David Everett opened the café with the hopes that it would feel like a coffeehouse while serving breakfast, lunch, dinner, and alcohol for those of us of age. The café now joins Everett’s other restaurants in the area like the Blue Talon Bistro, The Trellis, DoG Street Pub, and others though it’s co-owned by Scott Hoyland and Louis Wood.
When I first walked in to the Culture Café, I was struck by the intense atmosphere they’ve worked to evoke. There are cozy armchairs mixed with rustic furniture and trendy lighting. You can seat yourself at one of the many tables downstairs, the counter, or you can tuck yourself into a corner near the big window on the second floor. When you choose a seat, you get a carafe of water for your table and a menu of the drinks and small plates offered.
The first time I went to the Culture Café, I ordered poutine tater tots and the blackberry lavender white mocha. The tater tots were crispy, hot, and smothered in cheese curds and gravy. They were delicious, and I basically ate an entire bowl of tater tots by myself. I was curious about how the mocha would combine so many flavors, boasting espresso, white chocolate sauce, lavender and blackberry syrup. It tasted very sweet but was a comforting flavor, and I would definitely order it again.
Other things I loved about the café are its location, barely across the street from campus. The food and drinks are also reasonably priced for when you need a break and want to treat yourself. Lastly, the service is excellent, and the servers are extremely attentive.
For me, one of the downsides is the confusing branding. The Culture Café could just as easily be named something like “The Carroll Café” that would match its very Alice-in-Wonderland Vibe. They use a mixture of fonts around the restaurant, and while some go together, others stick out. Another downside of course is that as of now, they only accept “real money,” making it only an occasional treat for someone like myself with an extremely low budget.
Overall, I really enjoy the Culture Café and look forward to trying more of their menu. It’s a great place to spend an afternoon with some friends or to curl up with some reading. I don’t know if in reality you’ll discuss highbrow literature (my friends and I only sometimes do), but it’s definitely a welcome addition to the Williamsburg area