Met my brother & sister at the fishbowl today before we visited our mom....first time at this restaurant. I wish there was a sign saying seat yourself, maybe I missed it. Stood at the entranceway for about 5 minutes before seating myself. I am still not clear if there are waiters or not, but I finally went to the counter for service. I looked directly at the girl behind the counter & spoke to her .....she just left for somewhere else. Went back to my chair....eventually another person showed up behind the counter & I ordered a smoothie, it was was ok but cost was over $10. When my brother arrived I sent him to the counter & he got a coffee. My sister arrived & got a coffee & ordered me another smoothie.
I guess my real complaint is about the staff who seemed to not really care about clients. They were definitely not overwhelmed with customers when we arrived. I should say that the young guy who I ordered my smoothie from was polite but I still had to ask if he was going to deliver it to our table. Incidentally, my second smoothie never arrived until my sister went & asked about it.
Thanks Trevor
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 1
DonM
AWESOME 👏🏼
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Charlene
First time visiting this cafe as a meet up place for me and my longtime friend . Relaxing atmosphere . Very reasonable prices and the food we had was good . Friendly staff . My only negative’s are while there is a wheelchair ramp there is no button to open the door either from the exterior or interior and my friend is in a mobility chair and I am disabled . They do offer some gluten free desert’s and vegan item’s are limited to that selection as well . I did not see any savoury item’s which are gluten free and vegan .If you are looking for a quiet place to meet up even given my negative’s I would recommend this place as a meeting place .
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Jan Grygier
As my wife said, A great find. Amazing scone, got us thinking we gotta try baking some ourselves, and the curry meat pie was very flavorful. We are also taking leftover mango chutney home it’s that good. Oh yes lattes also great in fun big cups, and friendly staff. We sat in the couch by the big window so we could watch parents and kiddos walking to school. A great hip cafe in Duncan, who knew :)
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Austin Bye
The fishbowl cafe is a must spot place if you’re traveling through Duncan (or live there!)! The staff are always friendly and welcoming and their food from their sweet to savoury always makes me come back! The muffins are my person favourite and they always have multiple kinds to choose from! Added bonus is that they have DF and GF options ☺️
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Allen Barnhart
A wonderful ambience with a good mix of healthy food options from homemade muffins, soup and sandwiches to a excellent mix of coffees, smoothies and fruit juices. A strong, family owned business that loves their community. Enjoy their friendliness and great food.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Izmet Barranco
We recently visited this place for the first time in an effort to support local businesses. Unfortunately, our experience left a lot to be desired.
To start, the prices were noticeably high for what was offered. One glaring example was the glass of lemonade — it was nearly $5, and more than half the glass was filled with ice. When we politely mentioned that it seemed like too much ice, we were told that they actually charge extra if you want it without ice, which felt a bit unreasonable.
The service was also very disappointing. When our sandwiches were brought to the table, they were placed down with what felt like minimal care — almost dropped, really. It gave off a rushed and dismissive vibe, which made the overall experience feel even less welcoming.
As for the food, it was okay — nothing particularly special, and certainly not enough to justify the high prices. Everything felt a bit overpriced for the quality and portion sizes we received.
But honestly, the biggest letdown was the service. It lacked warmth, attentiveness, and basic hospitality. It’s unfortunate because we really wanted to enjoy our visit and support a local spot, but based on this experience, we won’t be returning.
Lizzi Johnson
Nice atmosphere. Friendly staff. Great tea!
Kayla Lemon
Lovely little cafe! Yummy sandwiches, great cookies, baby high chair, cool artwork for sale.
Matthew Collins
Very nice little café. Affordable, great vibes, friendly staff, and delicious coffee. I plan to return the next time in the Duncan/Cowichan Valley area.
Food and drinks are consistently delicious, staff are friendly and professional, lots of seating and a great environment. One of my favorite cafes!
April and Mike Page
I ordered a Green Tea Matcha and it was luke warm. It was okay, but I didn't drink a lot of it. It needs to be hot. It was my first time ever going there. Sort of disappointed But I think I will give it another shot. The sandwiches looked really good !
Nicole Dunne
Really good gluten free baking, and good coffee!
Jeff Smith
It's a high-end coffee shop. Very nice.
Christian Stocker
Lovely community cafe with friendly staff and great food and drink. Gluten free and vegan options available
Met my brother & sister at the fishbowl today before we visited our mom....first time at this restaurant. I wish there was a sign saying seat yourself, maybe I missed it. Stood at the entranceway for about 5 minutes before seating myself. I am still not clear if there are waiters or not, but I finally went to the counter for service. I looked directly at the girl behind the counter & spoke to her .....she just left for somewhere else. Went back to my chair....eventually another person showed up behind the counter & I ordered a smoothie, it was was ok but cost was over $10. When my brother arrived I sent him to the counter & he got a coffee. My sister arrived & got a coffee & ordered me another smoothie.
I guess my real complaint is about the staff who seemed to not really care about clients. They were definitely not overwhelmed with customers when we arrived. I should say that the young guy who I ordered my smoothie from was polite but I still had to ask if he was going to deliver it to our table. Incidentally, my second smoothie never arrived until my sister went & asked about it.
Thanks
Trevor
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 1
AWESOME 👏🏼
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
First time visiting this cafe as a meet up place for me and my longtime friend . Relaxing atmosphere . Very reasonable prices and the food we had was good . Friendly staff . My only negative’s are while there is a wheelchair ramp there is no button to open the door either from the exterior or interior and my friend is in a mobility chair and I am disabled . They do offer some gluten free desert’s and vegan item’s are limited to that selection as well . I did not see any savoury item’s which are gluten free and vegan .If you are looking for a quiet place to meet up even given my negative’s I would recommend this place as a meeting place .
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
As my wife said, A great find.
Amazing scone, got us thinking we gotta try baking some ourselves, and the curry meat pie was very flavorful. We are also taking leftover mango chutney home it’s that good.
Oh yes lattes also great in fun big cups, and friendly staff. We sat in the couch by the big window so we could watch parents and kiddos walking to school. A great hip cafe in Duncan, who knew :)
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The fishbowl cafe is a must spot place if you’re traveling through Duncan (or live there!)! The staff are always friendly and welcoming and their food from their sweet to savoury always makes me come back! The muffins are my person favourite and they always have multiple kinds to choose from! Added bonus is that they have DF and GF options ☺️
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
A wonderful ambience with a good mix of healthy food options from homemade muffins, soup and sandwiches to a excellent mix of coffees, smoothies and fruit juices. A strong, family owned business that loves their community. Enjoy their friendliness and great food.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We recently visited this place for the first time in an effort to support local businesses. Unfortunately, our experience left a lot to be desired.
To start, the prices were noticeably high for what was offered. One glaring example was the glass of lemonade — it was nearly $5, and more than half the glass was filled with ice. When we politely mentioned that it seemed like too much ice, we were told that they actually charge extra if you want it without ice, which felt a bit unreasonable.
The service was also very disappointing. When our sandwiches were brought to the table, they were placed down with what felt like minimal care — almost dropped, really. It gave off a rushed and dismissive vibe, which made the overall experience feel even less welcoming.
As for the food, it was okay — nothing particularly special, and certainly not enough to justify the high prices. Everything felt a bit overpriced for the quality and portion sizes we received.
But honestly, the biggest letdown was the service. It lacked warmth, attentiveness, and basic hospitality. It’s unfortunate because we really wanted to enjoy our visit and support a local spot, but based on this experience, we won’t be returning.
Nice atmosphere. Friendly staff. Great tea!
Lovely little cafe! Yummy sandwiches, great cookies, baby high chair, cool artwork for sale.
Very nice little café. Affordable, great vibes, friendly staff, and delicious coffee. I plan to return the next time in the Duncan/Cowichan Valley area.
Restaurantji Recommends
Food and drinks are consistently delicious, staff are friendly and professional, lots of seating and a great environment. One of my favorite cafes!
I ordered a Green Tea Matcha and it was luke warm. It was okay, but I didn't drink a lot of it. It needs to be hot. It was my first time ever going there. Sort of disappointed
But I think I will give it another shot. The sandwiches looked really good !
Really good gluten free baking, and good coffee!
It's a high-end coffee shop. Very nice.
Lovely community cafe with friendly staff and great food and drink. Gluten free and vegan options available
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