This was my first coffee shop in Ottawa. So many people had told me about this place, all saying it was cozy and welcoming. However, I was skeptical. I mean what does welcoming even mean, right?

So, I decided to visit the location on Elgin Street. It had been months since I had a latte, or even seen the art work. I ordered an almond flavored latte, which was not the same thing I usually got at other coffee shops. The same day I arrived there to get my soothing latte, Ottawa had issued a tornado warning, but stubborn as I can be, I decided to sit there, sip on my latte, think, plan and just let my fingers do their thing when they met the keyboard.

The service at Happy Goat was amazing! I ordered my latte and got it just 3 minutes later! Looking at my cup, I saw the artwork and was in awe! I hadn’t seen this type of artwork in a while, so I was very impressed by it. I went back to my seat to sit down and relax. There are pillows on the couches near the window that look like rice sacs, and once you lean into them, you feel really relaxed. THEY ARE NOT ACTUAL RICE SACS THOUGH… that would just be a waste of rice. There is mellow music without any lyrics playing in the background, so no distractions or thinking about the music too much (whether you are having a conversation or working on your own things). There are normal chairs and tables on the opposite side as well for people to do their work, or if they are here on a date with someone. Trust me, if you bring someone here on a date you can get cozy with them.

Happy Goat’s hot menu is filled with many coffees and teas, as you would expect. You can also get all these teas and coffees cold as well! They have their very own bakery with oatmeal bars, chocolate chip bars and even dates. See, even if you don’t come here on a date, you can still have one before you go! At this location they also have maverick’s donuts, which would be amazing during the summertime!

Final Thoughts:

I liked it, but do I love it? The interior of the place is amazing as stated before. It’s a warm environment situated in the heart of Ottawa. However, the place isn’t the biggest and it can get crowded pretty fast here, so if you’re looking to come and catch up with friends, I would not really recommend it. That being said, the coziness is all part of the charm, making Happy Goat a nice spot to come sip on a drink and unwind. I’ll definitely be coming back here again to try their different desserts and have a good laugh (#BenGiggles).

Being the curious person I am, I asked one of the baristas the secret behind the name Happy Goat, which he was more than happy to explain. It has to do with a story of an Ethiopian goatherd who loved and took care of his goats. One day, he was walking with the goats and stopped at a place that was filled with many cherry trees. It was so relaxing that he fell asleep next to these trees. When he woke up, all his goats were happy and laughing (or so the story goes). He glanced over at the cherry trees and saw that all the cherries were GONE! While there are many variations to this story, the key takeaway is that the goats represent us (people), and the cherries on the trees represent coffee beans.

As the barista so simply put it:

People are happy and laughing when they have coffee.

Please comment and share your story.

With Love,

Benspiration