Cafe Stella

I don't know why it's taken me a long time to leave a review for Café Stella because I've gone to this place so much. I've finished so many assignments and books in this place. Even though we live across the water and have since moved further up, we still make the drive just to hang out here. Definitely one of our favorite cafés in Hampton Roads. It's a cozy yet lively place, and in our more recent visits we got to sit through some music performances in the café as well. The place welcomes people of all kinds and of all ages. Though it can get a bit hectic, a lot of people like myself still come to Cafe Stella to get work done. There's plenty of seating with both indoor and outdoor options. The owners themselves actively engage in the café as baristas, chefs, and servers. It's a business carried out with love. The iconic gigantic chalk board menu has almost all that you need to know. They have both caffeinated and non-caffeinated drinks. If you're more of a tea person, you can help yourself to your own pot of tea. They also sell alcoholic beverages with bottles of wine and a whole bar with a variety of liquor to match. They sell their coffee beans as well and you can also buy canisters of tea from this place. For food, they also have a good selection of savory and sweet to choose from! A great place to get focused or to wind down. I highly recommend even just for the atmosphere alone!

Went here around 6 pm on a Thursday to meet a friend, it was actually pretty full in the cafe which I wasn't expecting honestly. There was also a live band playing which was nice to see. I ordered the Pork Rice Bowl (0/10) I really couldn't finish my bowl at all, took two bites and that's all I could stomach. It just wasn't what I was expecting and it had a weird/funny taste to it. Hindsight now, maybe their "dinner" meal items just aren't really their specialty, but that's what I ordered so I can only base my review off of what I experienced. If I were to go back; however, I would definitely give their breakfast/brunch or maybe their pastries a try instead. I also ordered a raspberry iced tea (5/10) it was okay, I just had to add a lot of sweetener to it to even get the flavor to pop. Both the food and drink were served fairly quickly.Spent around $16 for my order. I'm definitely considering giving them another try for sure.My overall rate of experience : 4/10

Cafe Stella is a delight! They have all kinds of drinks like coffee and tea! As a tea lover this option was exciting to see. I ordered the Earl Grey and it was amazing. You can order a cup or a whole teapot! The place is super cute with charming decor. I went on Jazz music night which was such a fun experience. The chocolate chip banana bread was perfect and went well with the tea. As far as parking it's street parking mostly , I heard there is a tiny lot in the back. I ended having to walk a block, but it was pleasant. Have fun at Cafe Stella, it's great

Great selection of breakfast sandwiches and coffee. The shop is pretty roomy now but still feels cozy and nice to sit down over a cup of coffee or smoothie. 10/10 recommend

Same coffee, brunch and treat (sweet, savory) vibe in an expanded space. Dedicated bar counter appears to serve alcohol too. WiFi and restrooms for customers. Lots of spots to work, read, sip, and/or eat; gotta love the various knick knacks and eclectic decor. 2 breakfast sandwiches and 2 coffees for $25 w tip.

I've been a Stella regular for about five years. The coffee (roasted in house) has always been consistent and fairly priced. You can get a refillable can for your beans to be more eco-friendly and also get a discount (free drink) on refill. The food, in my experience, has been complimentary. The variety added to the menu in the post-COVID expansion into the adjacent building (1909 colonial, if you look around at the decor) has been a boon to business. Prior to the expansion, Stella was a bustling and always-busy coffee shop with decent food, good coffee, little seating, and always seemingly busy in half the space you see today. After the construction/expansion, menu change, addition of a full bar (which makes an excellent old fashioned and other cocktails) they've got the same problem that often happens on the interstate - you add another lane and it just attracts more drivers. For a coffee shop in the heart of Ghent, a great issue to have. With ample seating, love music events, and the coziest atmosphere in the area, I'll take Stella over Starbucks anyway.

Use to be a great place, now horrible. The temperature was cold, the service was decent however the food I had was tasty, but small, cold and overpriced. The place has gone downhill since I first started here in 2016.

Cafe Stella is a unique cafe filled with antiques and artwork! There is plenty of seating for all which makes it a fabulous place to socialize with friends or to pop a squat and do some work. The staff is very welcoming and helpful when you're ordering. I didn't feel rushed when I wasn't sure of what flavor to choose for my latte. I didn't get the name of the person at the register but he is tall and skinny and gave me a French vibe. lol. Shout-out to him for being warm and delightful. It's such a busy place so the staff are constantly on the move. I see that some people say that service is slow. I didn't get that impression when I was there compared to other cafes in the area where the service is truly slow.It is a lively spot and proves itself to be a neighborhood staple. The menu is extensive and they have lots to offer from coffee to tea to full on meals to desserts. What caught my eye immediately was the display case of treats. And I was automatically drawn to the almond cake. My brother's eye caught the coffee cardamom cake. My cousin ordered the cinnamon bun.The almond cake was THE BEST I ever had. It was everything I imagined it would be. It was moist, the flavor was just right, and it was the perfect pairing to my latte. The cardamom cake was THE SECOND BEST. I always heard of cardamom in cake on the Great British Baking Show but never had it until I had this cake... and I can't believe I was missing out on this powerful flavor. I highly recommend getting both!!! The cinnamon bun was kind of a bummer. It was dry and lacked the filling in the inside.The double latte that I ordered had almond milk and their brown sugar syrup. It was fantastic as you can probably tell by the photo attached to this review, with my face approving the taste. My brother ordered the butterfly pea latte which was a pretty blue. He liked the flavor but to him, it was too grainy for his liking. He wasn't sure what that grainy-ness was. I couldn't put my finger on it either. But I'm sure if it was nice and smooth, he would have had 0 complaints.When I want a more poppin' place to chat with my friends, this is the spot I'll be coming back to when I'm in town! Def stop by and get those cakes I mentioned!!!! :)

Very cute place. Went mid morning on a Saturday. It was pretty busy but no big line. The quinoa bowl was okay. I would probably getSomething more substantial next time!

I absolutely love this place!! Its such a good place to work, read, and chat with friends which most cafes are only good at 1. Their prices are amazing and they have so much variety its kinda overwhelming. Staff has also aways been nice, even when im indecisive lol. Only down side is parking, which is street or bust, but i love this place too much to give it anything less than 5.