The Souk Whitby, our First Review!

kaylacarlisle289
Mar 30
4 min read

Ah, the cafe that started it all. I visited The Souk a few days ago on March 27th, on my way to the local library. I quite enjoy trying new cafes and wanted to try this one after seeing that it is a very popular cafe in the area. I went in and noted the beautiful decor, glassed-in refrigerator filled with beautiful treats, and an interesting menu with ethnic- inspired drinks. I walked up to the cash register and was greeted by a seemingly lovely lady with a gold headband, it appeared to be her birthday. I usually order espresso drinks as my choice when I first visit a new cafe, but I was thinking about ordering something different as I also noticed Turkish coffee on the menu and asked the lady with the gold headband what she thought of it as well as other drinks on the menu. She seemed annoyed and just quickly described each item I wanted a genuine opinion on. I had the vague feeling of being rushed to hurry up and order so I went with my usual, an espresso drink. A latte, to be exact. I also ordered one of the lovely looking pistachio croissants. Over to the library I go to do some work as I am currently in a nursing program and had an assignment due soon.

I get comfortable, set up my laptop, take my jacket off and start having my coffee and croissant while I wait for the internet to connect (it doesn't). Upon my initial taste of my coffee, I notice that the flavour is off. I have tasted coffee like this many times before, as I have been to a lot of independent cafes by this point and honestly, nothing turns me off of a place more than bad espresso so I know the flavour well, however I have always had trouble explaining the taste. I usually describe it as sour or bitter. My bestie and I visited an excellent pizza place up the road from The Souk called Tuscan Wolf Pizzeria, and the chef described the flavour of bad coffee as, "harsh, astringent and metallic." I think anyone who has had a bad espresso experience would be able to relate, and may be very hesitant on spending Starbucks- level money at an local cafe on a coffee that isn't good instead of just going to Starbucks and getting a coffee that is consistently good.

The pistachio croissant was delicious, but very dry. I expressed my displeasure to my other friend over text as I had spent around $15 on these two items as well as a 69 cent tip. He suggested I start a blog about cafe reviews, clearly I thought that was a great idea as The Souk is a highly rated cafe in the area and I was expecting a better experience than I actually recieved! Of course, the establishment could very well just be having an off day, but I definitely think that the standard should be consistent from guest to guest.

The internet continued to not work at the library so I decided to re-visit The Souk, ultimately deciding to do a more fair assessment of the cafe itself and order an item that is unique to the place and maybe get some work done.

I decided to sit on one of the bar stools in front of the big picture window that they have at the front. I get set up, the internet works just fine, the vibe is good, however a bit busy and loud, as I expect a popular cafe to be. I also notice how the chairs are a bit uncomfortable and the seat is tilted forward slightly. There is also not a lot of outlets in the cafe, making me believe that the intent is to ensure that customers like myself wanting to do some work on my laptop, do not stay for very long. Perhaps this is the kind of place that a small group of friends can get together to chat, as they have more comfortable seating in another area of the cafe. It is also absolutely beautiful, a wonderful place to take pictures.

After realizing that I cannot focus on my work, even with the brown noise coming through my Air Pods, I decide to pack up and go back to the library. On my way out, I decide to order my "specialty item," a drink or food item that is unique to the cafe. I decide on a rose and lavender loose leaf tea. This time, I had a different lady serving me and she was a lot nicer! The tea however, despite being sweet and delicious, was a bit too sweet and the tea blend was not in a bag, diffusing into the water, but floating on top. This may just be something unique to the ethnicity that the cafe seems to be based on, but it took me by surprise as I was not expecting it. If someone has an issue with texture, I would understand completely if they just asked for something else or threw the whole tea out completely.

Overall, I was not overly impressed with The Souk cafe, but the experience started my new passion, writing about the many cafes and restaurants that I enjoy visiting either by myself, or with my best friend, Rose.