Vancouver: Top 10 Cups of Coffee
June 08, 2009
● 49th Parallel (Kitsilano) - Where Vancouver’s coffee geeks get serious. Light on outlets, heavy on yoga mats, and you’ll have to hack around for wi-fi. NERD PRO-TIP: If she’s there, barista Mya can point you towards some old-school X-Files landmarks to satisfy your Mulder-and-Scully roleplaying needs.
● Re-entry Espresso (South Main) - Perfectly positioned between a thicket of antique stores, Red Cat Records, and a jumble of sidewalk activity, the espresso drinks and amazing fresh pastries here are great on the go, especially if your next stop is nearby Queen Elizabeth Park.
● Lugz (South Main) - Other places are grab and go, but Lugz is a place to linger. Comfy chairs for wi-fi users, internet stations for the laptopless, and a wide variety of food, beverage, and stimulation. From newspapers large and small to owner Jark’s keen support of local arts, the vibes here will warm you up even if your coffee is iced.
● Medina (Yaletown) - Brewing 49th Parallel Roasters coffee, nearby office workers are willing to take a few extra steps to get their takeout here. And even if you don’t go for the full fricassee, the dessert-y little waffles aren’t to be missed.
● Uva Coffee Bar (Downtown) - Placidly amid the noise and haste of downtown’s entertainment and shopping district, the Moda Hotel’s happening little nightspot sobers up by day into a great espresso bar for the weary, bleary, and not-yet-cheery. Starring an Italian-born barista and one of only two Synesso machines in BC.
● Abruzzo (Commercial Drive) - There’s a lot of contenders for best coffee place on Commercial Drive, but it’s hard to compete with Abruzzo’s devastating espresso and elderly European soccer fan vibe. It wasn’t always bongos and wet Huskies in these parts, and Vancouver’s East side Italian community still has some thriving outposts like this one.
● Finch’s (Gastown) - Finch’s brown-paper-and-string-wrapped sandwiches do not disappoint, nor does their beverage menu. If you’re done browsing at nearby secondhand book, music, magazine, and antique stores, grab lunch to go and have an effortless picnic in Victory Square, further east along Pender Street.
● 2 Chefs and A Table (Gastown) - Railtown isn’t traditionally an area you’d expect formalities like service in a French press, but the eponymous two chefs’ roots in catering have brought more than a few touches of class to make this suddenly the right side of the tracks. A couple of swigs of this brew will have you jumping boxcars in no time.
● Café Zen (Kitsilano) - Coffee competition in Kits is as stiff as the dudes watching women’s beach volleyball, but if you want to avoid the franchise beans, walk a little further up the hill to this bright patio to fortify with a latte and benny before your day in the sun.
●Mink Chocolate Café (Downtown) - Whether you come to indulge in chocolate or a precision brew from their state-of-the-art Clover single-cup vacupress system, you’re in good company. The Vancouver Canucks are fans of their hot chocolate, and actor Christopher Guest thinks their coffee goes to eleven, so wife Jamie Lee Curtis placed a standing monthly order.
Vancouver Canucks Tickets
General Motors Place Tickets
Vancouver Tickets
Comments (10)
Posted by Paul Kamon on Mon Jun 8, 2009 at 11.48 pm
A solid list, however, you missed two of Vancouver’s most kick-ass coffee joints: “Bump and Grind” (916 Commercial Drive) & “Elysian Coffee” (1778 W. 5th & 590 W. Broadway). Both have Clover machines and both serve 49th Parallel beans.
Posted by walt schmenge on Tue Jun 9, 2009 at 12.29 pm
what about caffe artigiano? pre-sellout, of course.
Posted by nar on Wed Jun 10, 2009 at 02.48 am
“… one of only two Synesso machines in BC”. Fact check FAIL.
Posted by Sean on Wed Jun 10, 2009 at 04.32 pm
Missing Wicked Cafe - both the original on Hemlock & 7th and the newer DT (Hornby, near Smythe) location are terrific and the Black Cat has been spot on all of 2009.
Posted by stephen on Wed Jun 10, 2009 at 04.54 pm
Medina is not in Yaletown btw. its in ‘crosstown’ or even Gastown if you want, but not Yaletown.
Posted by Gideon on Wed Jun 10, 2009 at 04.56 pm
Elysian brews a “special blend” of 49th parallel, but still worth a mention, And I’ll third tip of the hat to Bump & Grind, they know what’s up with espresso. JJ bean is on it for a chain.
Posted by John Giannakos on Wed Jun 10, 2009 at 05.29 pm
To follow up on what Nar mentioned above, here are some cafes in Vancouver that use Synesso’s. In fact, three of the cafes on the list your provided use Synesso’s.
- Elysian Room Broadway & Ash
- Elysian Room Burrard & 5th
- Cafe Crema
- Bump N’ Grind
- Uva
- Re-Entry
- Mink Chocolate Cafe
- Cafe For Contemporary Art
I wonder if the title of this article would be best changed to “Vancouver: Top 10 Cafes”. For what it’s worth, I consider myself someone who’s fairly involved in Vancouver coffee scene and I frequently visit most of Vancouver’s “spots”. I respectfully say, there are cafes on this list I would not goto for coffee, but yet would for their unique atmosphere and setting. Maybe this distinction is ‘nitpicky’ but I feel it’s valid for an article called, “Vancouver: Top 10 Cups of Coffee”
If this is an article purely about coffee, I would humbly recommend these cafes (which, I understand you may have already been to, but just in case!) jjBean Main Street, Both Elysian Rooms, Cafe Crema (disclosure: My family’s cafe), Bump N’ Grind, and Both Wicked Cafe’s.
Cheers.
Posted by Spencer Viehweger on Wed Jun 10, 2009 at 11.03 pm
I must echo some of these comments. There is a lot of outstanding coffee that has missed this list. Some more in depth research was definitely in order. Eg. How about the fact that not only are there significantly more Synessos in VANCOUVER either than the one found at Uva, three of the listed cafes have them! Honestly, this is ridiculous.
Yours Truly
Posted by adam on Sat Oct 24, 2009 at 10.49 am
Unique, charming and best coffee along with homemade baked goods has to be Arbutus Market/Coffee at the corner of Arbutus and 6th… Not another cookie cutter coffee shop! I can’t resist to take a picture or two everytime I go there… Maybe because I am Europian but I like a bit of character!
Post a Comment
Anonymous comments are moderated. To comment instantly, register with BlackBook. Click here to login.


Posted by Saelan on Mon Jun 8, 2009 at 10.41 pm
Lugz but no Gene? Really? I’d also mention the Elysian Room on 5th in Kits and Bump & Grind on the Drive.