Unlike speedy in-and-out coffee shops, cafés indulge fantasies of sneaking off through misty European streets paved with pain au chocolat and lined with biscotti parking meters. Indulge in savoury streetside fare with today’s Groupon: for $5, you get a panini, side, and coffee (an $11 value) at Princess Café in uptown Waterloo. Recently renovated, the sleek café specializes in soups and paninis, and is attached to the independent Princess Twin movie theatre. With 11 different paninis ($6.46 each) on the menu, from veg-tastic options to meatier, cheesy grilled delights—such as the Godfather, a cheek-stuffing mass of salami, garlic mayo, feta, and vinaigrette between Grainharvest Bakery bruschetta—even the pickiest princess can find a grilled sandwich to devour there or hide in her conical headdress for a movie snack. Soups are made in Princess' kitchen from scratch daily, and all sandwiches are made to order. Side options include soup, salad, or chips. Although not included in today's Groupon, the café also serves lighter salads, locally made pastries, and local and imported brews.

Reviews

The Waterloo Chronicle newspaper and the Kitchener-Waterloo Life blog featured the Princess Café. Nine TripAdvisors give it an average of four owl eyes.

• I visit here often for lunch, and the soups are all made from scratch and the best in the city. A personal favorite of mine is the cauliflower + walnut cream, or anything with butternut squash! Very good panini too and recently renovated to feel almost like a country kitchen in the middle of the city… lovely! – goodfoodie75, TripAdvisor
• The vibe and decor are basically what you want from a coffee shop, there’s a movie theme (for obvious reasons) with some really great posters and a section with great cartoons about the Princess Cinemas. – Kitchener-Waterloo Life