When Raphael Wakin first stepped into a vacant retail unit in Ottawa’s Little Italy, he didn’t hesitate. “I’ll take it,” he told the agent.
The large circular light fixtures overhead had caught his eye and he knew instantly it was the place he had been dreaming of for years.
That moment in January marked the beginning of Café Raphael, a new addition to Little Italy. For Wakin, it also marked the fulfillment of a decade-old dream: opening a high-end café in his favourite neighbourhood.
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Wakin had first opened a smaller café in Gatineau eight years ago. His heart, however, was always on the other side of the river.
“There was nothing available in Little Italy at the time,” he said. “When I learned of this place, I knew it was time to have a look.”
Wakin is a solo owner and operator. He has handled nearly every part of the transformation of the site from an empty retail space with bare cement walls to a luxurious European-style café. He hired a painter to prepare the walls but did the rest by hand. The space is now filled with carefully chosen antiques, each one handpicked by Wakin at auctions and from online groups. The most recent addition is a striking painting in its original gilded frame.
“The antiques and the furniture are important,” Wakin said, “they create atmosphere. But the coffee is the most important. If someone walks in and doesn’t like the coffee, it doesn’t matter how beautiful the interior is. If the coffee is amazing, they will bring their friends.”
Wakin has spent eight years honing his craft as a barista. He has studied every detail of the brewing process and has followed international coffee competitions. He developed his own custom blend using a mix of arabica and robusta beans, roasted locally. The arabica beans provide a smooth, almost creamy flavour and texture, he explains, while the robusta gives his blend a touch of the smoky bitterness that people love about coffee. It’s part art, part science.
Even his lattes follow a system. The milk is frothed to exactly the right temperature, otherwise, the microfoam will collapse before the design is poured.
To ensure consistency, Wakin hired a fellow barista whom he compares to a chef.
“In a restaurant, food depends on the chef,” Wakin said. “It’s the same with coffee. Daniel treats every drink like it is his best ever. He’s one of the best.”
There’s more than just espresso and latte on the menu. There are sandwiches and baked goods. A grilled croissant with egg and rich Quebec cheese is served hot on a classic ceramic dish. There’s also hand-made cannoli.
The cannoli is so good, according to Wakin, a tourist from Sicily declared it the best she’d ever had. The cream is made by Wakin and the recipe is a family secret. “My brother is the only other person who knows it,” he said.
Café Raphael also bakes its own breads when it can. If quality cannot be guaranteed, Wakin orders from artisan bakeries.
“Everything has to be the best,” he said. “It has to be the best every time a customer comes in.”
The café itself is all old Europe. There are elegant chandeliers, velvet-backed chairs and plenty of natural light. Outside, a patio with classic wrought iron furniture sits just steps from Ev Tremblay Park on Beech Street. There is often live music, such as a man playing violin on the patio over the previous weekend.
Located at 101 Champagne Ave. S., Café Raphael is tucked into the ground floor of the luxury Soho rental towers. The response from customers has been good in the few weeks the café has been open. Reviewers on Trip Advisor wrote, “If you are searching for a piece of old Europe in Ottawa, go to this café.”
With the café he’s always dreamed about in the location he’s always wanted, Wakin said he has no plans to expand.
