Review: Two Whales Coffee Shop in Port Rexton, Newfoundland

I've been wanting to try the Two Whales Coffee Shop in Port Rexton, Newfoundland for a few years and I finally got the opportunity during my "staycation". The Two Whales Coffee Shop is a family-run cafe housed in an adorably quaint building with a gorgeous view of the ocean.

From the moment I entered the building, I fell in love with its floral wallpaper, wooden floors, and exposed beams. The restaurant features local art on the walls with rotating artists featured each month. They also feature concerts with local musicians, with 100% of the door money returning to said musicians. 

After scanning the chalkboard featuring the restaurant's daily specials and desserts, we took a seat at a table by the window. Our server, whose name I regretfully missed, was excellent. True to Newfoundland style, she politely asked where we were visiting from and informed us about numerous local activities that we could partake in during our stay.

The first thing I noticed upon reading the menu was the lack of meat. As in, the menu was entirely vegetarian. I am the type of person who practically needs meat to complete a meal, so naturally I was a bit hesitant at first. However, upon stumbling upon the words "partridgeberry pickle", I was enamoured once again (for those unfamiliar with the fruit, partridgeberries, or lingonberries, are similar to cranberries and are perfectly tart and delicious).

Jordan and I both decided to order the "Root Cellar Soup" which is made of pureed carrots, turnip and beet, amongst other things. It was a little chilly outside and the soup was warm and comforting. To pair with the soup I ordered the "Berry Picker" panini, which is made of brie, partridgeberry pickle and spinach. Jordan ordered the "Parisian", which is the other option that I was debating. The Parisian is made of brie and garlic mushrooms and would be an excellent option for meat-lovers thanks to the savoury mushrooms. Both paninis were absolutely delicious and were served with a side green salad with homemade dressing as well as homemade coleslaw. Both were good (especially the dressing!) but still allowed the panini to steal the show.

I also ordered a cappuccino which was a tad bit strong thanks to the double shot, but nothing that a little milk couldn't fix! I'm not normally a coffee drinker at all, so those of you who are would likely not find it too strong (also, for you coffee lovers, they use Jumping Bean!). After finishing our meal, we were all stuffed but absolutely had to make room for dessert! I'm not a dessert person at all but the partridgeberry brownie caught my eye and I had to have it! Luckily they offered it in two sizes - humpback (large) and minke (small). I got a minke and it was just enough to top off the delicious meal. Perfectly crunchy on the outside and chewy on the inside with the tart partridgeberries balancing the dark chocolate.. mm, I could go for another right now! Jordan ordered the chocolate cake which he thoroughly enjoyed and our friends shared a large slice of carrot cake which supposedly tasted "just like mom's"!

For two soup and panini combos, a lemonade, a cappuccino, and two desserts, the bill came to approx. $55 with tax and a tip, which I thought was perfectly reasonable. I would absolutely return to the Two Whales Coffee Shop but until I do, I will be scouring the recipes on their website and attempting to recreate those delicious brownies.