Good food but it would be nice if they had more options. Great place to hang out.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Nicholas van Beek
You can read by yourself, sit on the patio catching up with an old friend, meet a bunch of people, dance until close to great music, in the middle of it all realizing you are having so much fun just being yourself and leave more full than when you arrived.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Sue Allen
Vegetarian options: Excellent hummus plate and guacamoleParking: Depending on time, can park for free on the street or in that parking garage across the street
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Mia Switzer
Super chill and beautiful environment, love all the art on the walls! Will be coming back!
Akhil Thomas
Loved the breakfast, we were visiting Peterborough for the Sunday and we found this gem of a place. Even though the cafe is close to the down being a Sunday morning we found places to park close to the cafe. The Cowboy Breakfast was so good. I would recommend this place to anyone looking for a great breakfast while at Peterborough.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Dane Bland
You never feel cooler than when you’re at the Only. Incredible drink selection, lots of seating, best patio (a total hidden gem spot tucked behind trees).Come during the day for great sandwiches and well made fresh coffee. The World’s Best is really the World’s Best sandwich.Only downside is the small kitchen means a bit of a wait during peak hours - like weekend brunch. But the food is so good, as long as you’re patient, it’s 100% worth it.
If you're looking for a high-class five star dining experience, then The Only Cafe is not for you. This place is a five star experience, a dank bohemian cave that pulls in the artists and musicians of Peterborough as if it has its own special kind of social gravity. You come to The Only for the incredible music. You come to The Only to interact with the best, friendliest bartenders and staff in the City Of Peterborough. You come to The Only to engage in pseudo-intellectual rhetoric with the barflies and denizens that are as regular as the light fixtures, and the sun-bleached portraits that festoon its eclectically busy walls. You come to The Only because you want to become part of the ambient magic that permeates the incredible atmosphere.There is nothing else quite like this place in the entire world. Many days, you can find me writing my poetry as I hold up my end of the bar, drinking cinnamon-spiced coffee and waiting for a conversation to make its way into my personal bubble. I'll be a regular here until the day they put me in the dirt, and bury me with the Pisces mug.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Canadian Club
Len Whittaker
An awesome spot to have a chill evening with friends. Cozy and relaxed. There's music, but not so loud you can't have a conversation. Love the collage decor. They offer a selection of canned and very basic mixed drinks - nothing fancy.
This place is phenomenal, me and my boyfriend tried two different sandwiches and they were both absolutely incredible. the bread is the perfect thickness and is filled with high quality fresh ingredients. i am beyond impressed. the prices are also very reasonable. the cafe is very cute and filled with cool artwork, the atmosphere is super cozy! unfortunately one of the men working was quite rude, to such an extent it slightly damaged the experience:( however, i’d still recommend it to anyone looking for a nice breakfast in peterberough.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 3
Recommended dishes: Deluxe Fried Egg Sandwich
MonkeyJazz75
The sandwiches we had were delicious, but very pricey for what they were. Service was a really big miss. At times we would ask for something and be handed it without acknowledgement or even eye contact while the server chatted with another guest. The atmosphere of the place is amazing though. Prices, lack of options, and service brought down the experience for our group though.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 2
Tanaya Matchett
Got the British Breakfast - took over an hour for ham, beans, 2 sausages, two eggs, homefries and toast.Started at the bar with my partner and our friend and the bartender / server ignored us for 15 minutes before taking our orders. When she finally took our drink and food orders (coffee, rootbeer and a ginger ale, x2 British Breakfasts and JerkTurkey Sandwich w/ soup), it took another 15 minutes to be handed a can from the fridge.We sat around for another 45 minutes after that (1 hr 15 min) and when the food finally arrived I had 3 slices of paper thin luncheon meat ham straight from the fridge, two scoops of beans right out of the can, overcooked eggs, undercooked homefries- the only thing that turned out was the two breakfast sausages and the toast and they were just the bare minimum of not being burnt or raw.My friend got the same thing as I did, no difference.My partner got a JerkTurkey sandwich and it was inedible and disgusting. He took two bites and had to give up- the jerk sauce was rancid or maybe just ridiculously cheap but either way it was absolutely awful. It actually made him gag, and when I tried the turkey to see if he was exaggerating, I had to spit it out. His potato and bacon soup was the highlight of all three of our meals- it contained potatoes and bacon and that's really all that can be said about it.None of us had eaten yet today so we ate what we could, paid and left. If we weren't so hungry from waiting so long I 100% would have complained and sent it back, but between the disgusting food and awful service, we just wanted to be done. My bill came to $50 after tip (partner and I) and I feel like I cut up a $50 bill and tossed it into the wind. I have no idea what the hype is about The Only. Seriously, if you're debating going for food- don't.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 1
Madison Stewart
I've been here a number of times over the past couple years and I cannot recommend this place enough. Especially if you are looking for a staple in Peterborough's bar/café scene. A kitschy and cozy bar/café in the heart of Peterborough's restaurant district. They have an average menu, but the ambience, staff, and community here sell it for me.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
The Captain
Excellent sandwiches, and a great environment as night. Bartenders are hardworking, friendly and genuinely care about the people they serve.
Good food but it would be nice if they had more options. Great place to hang out.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
You can read by yourself, sit on the patio catching up with an old friend, meet a bunch of people, dance until close to great music, in the middle of it all realizing you are having so much fun just being yourself and leave more full than when you arrived.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Vegetarian options: Excellent hummus plate and guacamoleParking: Depending on time, can park for free on the street or in that parking garage across the street
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Super chill and beautiful environment, love all the art on the walls! Will be coming back!
Loved the breakfast, we were visiting Peterborough for the Sunday and we found this gem of a place. Even though the cafe is close to the down being a Sunday morning we found places to park close to the cafe. The Cowboy Breakfast was so good. I would recommend this place to anyone looking for a great breakfast while at Peterborough.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
You never feel cooler than when you’re at the Only. Incredible drink selection, lots of seating, best patio (a total hidden gem spot tucked behind trees).Come during the day for great sandwiches and well made fresh coffee. The World’s Best is really the World’s Best sandwich.Only downside is the small kitchen means a bit of a wait during peak hours - like weekend brunch. But the food is so good, as long as you’re patient, it’s 100% worth it.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Eggs Benedict, Vegan Breakfast Option
Cozy and delicious.
If you're looking for a high-class five star dining experience, then The Only Cafe is not for you. This place is a five star experience, a dank bohemian cave that pulls in the artists and musicians of Peterborough as if it has its own special kind of social gravity. You come to The Only for the incredible music. You come to The Only to interact with the best, friendliest bartenders and staff in the City Of Peterborough. You come to The Only to engage in pseudo-intellectual rhetoric with the barflies and denizens that are as regular as the light fixtures, and the sun-bleached portraits that festoon its eclectically busy walls. You come to The Only because you want to become part of the ambient magic that permeates the incredible atmosphere.There is nothing else quite like this place in the entire world. Many days, you can find me writing my poetry as I hold up my end of the bar, drinking cinnamon-spiced coffee and waiting for a conversation to make its way into my personal bubble. I'll be a regular here until the day they put me in the dirt, and bury me with the Pisces mug.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Canadian Club
An awesome spot to have a chill evening with friends. Cozy and relaxed. There's music, but not so loud you can't have a conversation. Love the collage decor. They offer a selection of canned and very basic mixed drinks - nothing fancy.
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 4
Nice place to hang and have a coffee in Pbro.
Restaurantji Recommends
This place is phenomenal, me and my boyfriend tried two different sandwiches and they were both absolutely incredible. the bread is the perfect thickness and is filled with high quality fresh ingredients. i am beyond impressed. the prices are also very reasonable. the cafe is very cute and filled with cool artwork, the atmosphere is super cozy! unfortunately one of the men working was quite rude, to such an extent it slightly damaged the experience:( however, i’d still recommend it to anyone looking for a nice breakfast in peterberough.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 3
Recommended dishes: Deluxe Fried Egg Sandwich
The sandwiches we had were delicious, but very pricey for what they were. Service was a really big miss. At times we would ask for something and be handed it without acknowledgement or even eye contact while the server chatted with another guest. The atmosphere of the place is amazing though. Prices, lack of options, and service brought down the experience for our group though.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 2
Got the British Breakfast - took over an hour for ham, beans, 2 sausages, two eggs, homefries and toast.Started at the bar with my partner and our friend and the bartender / server ignored us for 15 minutes before taking our orders. When she finally took our drink and food orders (coffee, rootbeer and a ginger ale, x2 British Breakfasts and JerkTurkey Sandwich w/ soup), it took another 15 minutes to be handed a can from the fridge.We sat around for another 45 minutes after that (1 hr 15 min) and when the food finally arrived I had 3 slices of paper thin luncheon meat ham straight from the fridge, two scoops of beans right out of the can, overcooked eggs, undercooked homefries- the only thing that turned out was the two breakfast sausages and the toast and they were just the bare minimum of not being burnt or raw.My friend got the same thing as I did, no difference.My partner got a JerkTurkey sandwich and it was inedible and disgusting. He took two bites and had to give up- the jerk sauce was rancid or maybe just ridiculously cheap but either way it was absolutely awful. It actually made him gag, and when I tried the turkey to see if he was exaggerating, I had to spit it out. His potato and bacon soup was the highlight of all three of our meals- it contained potatoes and bacon and that's really all that can be said about it.None of us had eaten yet today so we ate what we could, paid and left. If we weren't so hungry from waiting so long I 100% would have complained and sent it back, but between the disgusting food and awful service, we just wanted to be done. My bill came to $50 after tip (partner and I) and I feel like I cut up a $50 bill and tossed it into the wind. I have no idea what the hype is about The Only. Seriously, if you're debating going for food- don't.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 1
I've been here a number of times over the past couple years and I cannot recommend this place enough. Especially if you are looking for a staple in Peterborough's bar/café scene. A kitschy and cozy bar/café in the heart of Peterborough's restaurant district. They have an average menu, but the ambience, staff, and community here sell it for me.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Excellent sandwiches, and a great environment as night. Bartenders are hardworking, friendly and genuinely care about the people they serve.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5