10 Dean | Waverly: An Aggregate Café Review
So here you are, I couldn't recall the definition, so I'm sure someone else needs it, too.
When I was considering how I'd approach my first café review, I thought I'd start with something that covers the basis of why I love cafés.
To that, I start with 10 Dean. Oh, and if you want just the review and not the stories I associate with the experience, scroll way down to where it says "the details" in bold.
When you enter 10 Dean, you enter through a glass box, one of those entryways that act as insulation to the inside so that the cold air doesn't come wafting through. Upon entering the main café, you'll realize it's also the lobby of the Waverly apartments.
Source: 10Dean | Waverly
Also known as, the first photo used on my blog that's not one that I took... sigh.
The key reason I chose the word aggregate in my title was that my experience of going to cafes surrounds the experience that is singular but possible for everyone to feel.
What I mean by singular is the idea of meeting someone irreplaceable or unique. I've never had a moment like that one, and I will never have it again.
At least, it's not exactly like that day.
The pieces of that experience reminded me of my time as a barista--unavoidable, it's coffee--time spent with my grandmother, catching up with a friend from my undergraduate degree, and a mix of muddled emotions unsure of what would be next.
With this experience occurring in 2024, most of these feelings still remain.
The Experience
I went to 10 Dean to connect with an old rowing teammate of mind, to catch up, reflect, and learn about what we would do moving forward.
At the time—and I believe it still holds relatively true—our paths had been progressing as we anticipated, and we both moved on to getting another degree.
It's bittersweet, as I know we didn't stick with the rowing team. Which is something that more recently
I've learned to become more comfortable with that. Namely, due to the fact I'm bordering on being in the best physical condition I've ever been in at this point--but I digress. More to do on that front.
Regardless of that follow-through detail, I enjoyed catching up with an old friend. I'm sure there will be more of those to come. I certainly know I'm due for another with that particular friend soon.
But 10 Dean facilitated a modern spin on ideas that intertwined with what I can only express as a seeming need for grounding myself in my past.
We all do.
Alternatively, the associated experience might not necessarily mean that someone needs to be stuck in the past but move forward with and beyond it.
For example, my favourite part about 10 Dean was their butter cookie latte. If anyone is familiar with the blue tins that advertise cookies but only promise needles and sewing kit instruments, those butter cookies reminded me of the small semblance of a relationship I really formed with my Dutch grandparents. I was never particularly close with them, but I will always experience hope in the moments when I recall leaving my grandmother with a smile in her final moments in hospice.
And I'm grounded again.
Reflecting on something simple, like a flavour that reminds me of family, I long to know my ancestry more.
But it's not impossible.
It's difficult but not impossible. Someday, I'll travel to the Netherlands and learn more about where my grandparents immigrated from. I look forward to that.
I'm due for another visit to 10 Dean. I'm due to revisit my roots.
Source: Tiffany A, Google
The Details
10 Dean Waverly is an experience that reminds me of the interior of a modern cabin getaway. Appropriate for both studying and small meetings with friends, the staff during my time there were friendly to both patrons and each other--believe me, that's a factor--and were patient even with folks that seemed to like a conversation that dragged on. Regardless, the environment was a lovely change from the gray outdoors.
As for the latte I had--I'd review more, but we're balling on a budget--it was lovely. If you like a more savoury, sugar cookie flavour (for those who don't know what a butter cookie is), I recommend it. However, due to the thick sauce, it might be a sweeter drink if mixed with more effort. Seeing as I had a hot latte, I can't recall if that was a detail. Shame on me for not paying attention to their process in motion. Regardless, I used the sauce for multiple lattes later at my own home. I'm not ashamed, either; that flavour was incredible.
I may change my arbitrary rating system in the future, but for now, I would give 10 Dean a solid 4.5/5.
TLDR:
Ambience: Feels like a modern cabin getaway—cozy, clean, and ideal for studying or chatting with friends.
Staff: Friendly with each other and customers. Patient with those long-winded regulars (you know the type).
Latte: Butter cookie latte = nostalgia in a cup. Think Dutch biscuit tins and cozy childhood winters. Sweet, thick, and honestly so good I bought the sauce later for home use.
Rating: 4.5/5 — would visit again, especially on a gray day.
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