The Scone Witch located in Beechwood is a charming café known for its delicious scones. With a warm and cozy atmosphere, it is a popular spot for locals and visitors alike. The café offers a wide variety of freshly baked scones, both savory and sweet, that are made with high-quality ingredients. One of the highlights of the Scone Witch is their extensive menu. From classic flavors like cranberry orange and blueberry to unique combinations like cheddar bacon and apple caramel, there is a scone for every taste. The scones are always baked to perfection, with a crisp exterior and a soft, fluffy interior.
The Scone Witch
One of my favourite places ever to eat lunch is The Scone Witch. I started eating there years ago, back when they only had one location on Albert Street. The restaurant/cafe was in easy walking distance on a lunch break when I worked downtown, and I must have popped in at least once a week. Since then, they have moved their flagship restaurant, and they have three locations in total: one on Elgin (near City Hall), one on Beechwood (across from the Metro and adjacent to Books On Beechwood, which is just as tempting to me as The Scone Witch but for totally different reasons), and an express counter on Cyrville (across from Home Depot). Yes, I actually did like this restaurant before it was cool. How hipster of me.
The Scone Witch entrance at 33 Beechwood.
I am happy to say that the quality of their food has not suffered as the company has expanded. Their scones are flaky, their sandwich fillings generous and tasty, and their side dishes remain scrumptious. Service-wise, I think that increased experience only makes things better. At their pilot location, service was sometimes slow and the restaurant was often over-crowded — which, to be sure, was a problem with running a successful restaurant at downtown, where all office-workers seem to take lunch at the same time. I did make a point of trying to come by in non-prime hours when I could, and that did help a lot. But now that there are different (and more spacious) locations, and the staff is more seasoned, I find that things run more smoothly. Mind you, I haven’t braved the Elgin location at noon recently, either. I think that’s for the best.
The main counter at the Beechwood location.
I think that, over time, I have come to try everything on The Scone Witch’s main menu, although I may have missed some of the seasonal dishes. My favourite is the poached salmon with cucumber SconeWitch, closely followed by the bacon cheese melt. But honestly, I wouldn’t turn down anything on their menu, it’s all mouth-watering.
Poached salmon with cucumber SconeWitch with mushroom soup.
So if you can, head out to The Scone Witch for breakfast, lunch, or afternoon tea. You will not be disappointed. And hey, if they are super-busy and you can’t find a seat, you can always get their food to go — or, in the case of the Cyrville location, that’s the only way it’s offered. If it’s not pouring rain (and this summer, there’s a good likelihood that it may be), bring your take-out to a nearby park and enjoy a picnic. I believe that there are city parks within easy walking distance of all three locations.
The Scone Witch
An open face sandwich made with one of our savoury scones, broken open, topped with St. Albert extra old cheddar and some bacon strips, then melted in the oven.
A cheddar or herb and onion scone, that has been hollowed out and filled with creamy eggs that have been scrambled with cheddar, ham or both.
The SconeWitch Brunch
Our brunch plate is made up of creamy scrambled eggs, that are topped with either; mustard glazed ham, mushroom ragut, mediterranean vegetables with goat cheese, or smoked salmon.
Sconewitches MENU - The Scone Witch
Poached Salmon with Cucumber
Built on an herb and onion scone.
Smoked Turkey with Stilton Cheese
Built on an herb and onion scone.
Tuna, Tomato and Black Olive paste
Built on a feta scone.
Goat Cheese with Tomato and Pesto
Built on a feta scone.
Cream Cheese and Cucumber
Built on an herb and onion scone, with a cranberry-mango chutney.
Ham and Gruyere
Built on a cheddar scone.
Built on a cheddar scone.
Mealwitches MENU - The Scone Witch
Mediterranean Vegetables with Goat Cheese
An herb and onion scone, broken open and topped with a mixture of sauteed Mediterranean vegetables and some crumbled goat cheese. This mealwitch is accompanied by a salad of spring
Poached Salmon in Zucchini Cream Sauce
An herb and onion scone, broken open with our poached salmon and zucchini cream sauce as the topping and a salad of spring greens on the side.
Chicken in White Wine Sauce
An herb and onion scone, broken open and covered in our rich and comforting chicken in white wine sauce and sharing the plate with a salad of spring greens.
An herb and onion scone, broken open and smothered with our mushroom ragut and accompanied with a salad of spring greens.
The perfect scone
I have to begin this inaugural post with a disclaimer. I don’t even really like scones. Prior to being bewitched, I had only eaten one scone worth blogging about, at the garden restaurant of the Ritz Paris. It was divine, but so was the cream, and the jam, and the garden, and the whole sensory experience is, in retrospect, hard to properly untangle.
Then I moved to Ottawa from Montreal a few years ago. The thing about Ottawa is, it’s much nicer than it used to be, and much more cool than people think it is. Ottawa is that slightly stand-offish girl at a party, who looks deadly bored and is dressed in an ill-fitting suit, but who opens up and tells you about her t-shirt design business and her weekend job as a DJ when you take the time to talk to her.
What? Scones, you say? OK, ok.
So one of the first places I discovered in Ottawa was the Scone Witch. At the time, she had two locations, one in a lovely old home at Albert and Lyon (in the heart of Ottawa’s “business” area downtown) and one on Crichton in New Edinburgh (essentially a doorway and a counter-top).
Heather Matthews is indeed a witch; there is simply no other moniker for a woman who can do such marvelous things to a scone. Not to mention the play-on-words of the name of the establishment: Heather may be the witch, but among the other white magic she performs, she also makes her scones into sandwiches (or, of course, sconewitches).
The scones in question are both light and crunchy, with the perfect mix of flavours (she makes sweet ones: vanilla cream, lemon-poppyseed, orange-cranberry; and savoury ones: cheddar, herb and onion). They are never, ever dry. You can eat them on their own, and they are an adventure, or you can opt for the more traditional accompaniment of Devon cream and/or jam.
Behold my favourite, a cheddar sconewitch with tuna and black olive paste.
In addition to your regular scones (individually priced, or by the half-dozen or dozen; also available frozen or day-old) and your sconewitches, you can also get a lovely breakfast (eggs and veggies with a scone, and a tiny salad and fruit garnish), or a mealwitch. Oh, and of course you can get infinite varities of tea, strong coffee, and cool drinks (I love her even more for stocking Bottle Green drinks – why is Elderflower so hard to find in North America?)
The Scone Witch has made some changes in the (few) years since I have been in Ottawa, also: she closed down the Crichton St. closet, and opened a much larger (thank God!) location in the heart of Beechwood Village here in Ottawa, a location with lovely big windows looking right out to Beechwood (and in the same building as Books on Beechwood), featuring the same simple pale wood furnishings as the Kent and Lyon location. She also sells lovely cards, tea cosies, and assorted other crafty items, especially in the larger Beechwood Village location.
For many years, my place of employment (and some of the librarians I consort with) have used Scone Witch’s catering services for events. Nothing takes the edge off another professional meeting like a Scone Witch scone. In fact, recently, a colleague tried to entice me to an event with the promise of lunch-time catering from Scone Witch. It almost worked (perhaps thankfully, it does take more than a scone to buy me).
We almost had a Witch – Librarian schism looming, as the site for our new Central Library was intended to be the city block on which Scone Witch’s original location (Albert and Lyon) now sits. Alas, plans for this site fell through, thereby meaning librarians had to both breathe a sigh of relief and feel disappointed at the same time.
So I suppose you are wondering, did I have any scones when I was recently in England? No! Why would I bother? The perfect scone is just a hop, skip and a jump away for me! Hooray!
The scones are always baked to perfection, with a crisp exterior and a soft, fluffy interior. In addition to their scones, the Scone Witch also offers a selection of delicious sandwiches and salads. Their sandwiches are made with fresh and flavorful ingredients, and each one is served with a side of their famous scone.
Whether you're in the mood for a traditional ham and cheese sandwich or a more adventurous turkey cranberry brie, there's something for everyone. The café itself is cozy and inviting, with a rustic and charming décor. It's the perfect place to relax and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee while indulging in a tasty scone. The staff at the Scone Witch are friendly and attentive, providing excellent customer service and ensuring that every visit is a delightful experience. Whether you're a scone lover or just looking for a cozy café to visit, the Scone Witch in Beechwood is a must-try. Their delicious scones, extensive menu, and warm atmosphere make it a top choice for locals and visitors alike. So next time you're in the area, be sure to stop by and treat yourself to a scrumptious scone at the Scone Witch..
Reviews for "Scone Witch Beechwood: Where Traditional Meets Modern"
- John Smith - 2 stars - I was really disappointed with my experience at Scone witch Beechwood. I found the service to be incredibly slow and unorganized. It took forever for someone to take my order, and even longer for my food to arrive. When it did finally come, my scone was cold and hard. The staff seemed disinterested and didn't apologize for the delay. Overall, I wouldn't recommend this place if you're looking for a quick and pleasant breakfast.
- Sarah Thompson - 1 star - This was one of the worst dining experiences I've had in a long time. The staff at Scone witch Beechwood were rude and not attentive at all. I had to wait for over 30 minutes just to be seated, despite the fact that there were empty tables available. The food was mediocre and overpriced. I ordered a sandwich and it was dry and tasteless. I won't be returning to this place and I advise others to stay away as well.
- David Johnson - 2 stars - I had high expectations for Scone witch Beechwood, but unfortunately, it didn't live up to them. The food was average at best and the portions were small considering the prices. The service was slow and the staff didn't seem knowledgeable about the menu. The atmosphere was also lacking, as the restaurant felt cramped and noisy. Overall, I was disappointed and won't be returning.