A Local Gem Where Paninis, Pudding, and Community Shine
For this month’s edition, we wanted to review one of our favourite spots in Waterloo: The Princess Cafe. A part of the larger Princess Twin Cinemas at 46 King Street North, it offers a great spot to not only get some refreshments before catching a movie, but also to just hang out and even possibly study. In our case, it was the former, as we stopped in for a light lunch before a showing of the admittedly pretty good Johnson-led picture of The Smashing Machine.
Starting with drinks, we jumped on the bandwagon and got Iced Matcha lattes. Served in cute mason jars and radiating with that iconic green colour, it is a sweet and refreshing perfection of this now common-place coffee adjacent drink.
At this point we urge you, dear reader, although “cafe” is in the name; it is NOT just a coffee shop. In fact, coffee often takes second place on their vast menu of food options, ranging from soups, to salads, to the focal point of our meal: their paninis. Offering 11 different inventive options, there truly is no wrong answer. However, Andrew got The Godfather and Lizzie chose Mr. October.
Andrew cannot give enough praise to his selection: a savoury medley of salami, bruschetta, sundried tomato vinaigrette and feta cheese that would make Tony Soprano blush. You simply cannot beat cured meats and vinaigrette on a sandwich in Andrew’s eyes. It is the only panini he has ever gotten at The Princess, and he seriously doubts if that will ever change.
Given that it was October, Lizzie thought it would be best to pick the namesake panini: Mr. October. She’s a huge fan of the spooky season, and she was thoroughly impressed with how the sandwich integrated both pickled squash and two, count them TWO, different pumpkin products: pumpkin goat cheese, and toasted pumpkin seeds. That fall foundation is matched with delectable Canadian prosciutto and arugula, which help to give the panini some diversity in flavour profiles and add some bite.
The unexpected start to our visit to The Princess, however, was a snack item in one of their fridges: a homemade container of Butterscotch Banana Biscoff pudding. Above the excellent matcha, above the inventive paninis, this small container of creamy goodness was far away one of the best sweet treats we have ever reviewed. Perfectly sweet, with all of the elements playing their role to create a truly warm and enveloping pudding that absolutely blew us away!
Aside from the food, drinks and amazing, sweet treats, the true charm of The Princess Cafe, and the whole Princess Twin building, is its overwhelming sense of community. The cafe is a dynamic space deeply marked by everything and everyone that makes Uptown great: the walls are adorned with local art, the tables with local magazines; fridges filled with homemade sweets and local beers.
The true Princess experience is that of local culture and grassroots’ earnestness, a commitment to supporting all the small businesses and products that Waterloo has to offer. Although this is a restaurant review which should end with us recommending you visit the establishment in question, we want to expand our suggestion this time. The entire Princess facility is absolutely amazing, housing much more than just this amazing cafe. The theatre itself is our personal go-to for catching any movie, and it offers a range of showings that go far beyond what Cineplex offers: not only the popular new releases, but lesser known releases that you won’t find anywhere else in theatres, a rotating selection of both mainstream and alternative classics, singalongs, the whole nine yards. The Annex across from the cafe is also an amazing place to study, however the true hidden gem lies beneath it. The Truth Beauty Company, below The Annex is an absolutely amazing wellness and beauty store that is sure to fulfil any and all of your skincare and beauty needs.
The Princess is one of our favourite places in Waterloo, and one that we urge you to check out regardless of what you’re doing. Whether you’re catching a movie, grabbing a snack, studying, or picking up some beauty products, it is a perfect spot. And if you do end up going, tell them LizzDrew sent you!
Here’s our ratings: Ambiance: 9 out of 10 – Drinks: 8 out of 10 – Food: 9 out of 10 – Affordability: 8 out of 10
Contributed Photo/Sangjun Han
