the sky had that washed out, endless grey, the kind that presses down on the city. the trees were…read morestill vibrant, their leaves scattered thick across the sidewalk. puddles gathered along the curbs, slick with light from passing cars. i tried to sidestep the biggest puddles, thankful for my boots and umbrella. typical vancouver weather. by the time i reached west 4th and trafalgar, 3:06 pm, i was ready for another caffeine break. i slipped into café lokal and was greeted warmly, the kind of place that feels like someone forgot to tell it the world outside is wet and miserable. inside: mismatched chairs, repurposed wood, the faint scent of coffee and something sweet. eclectic charm everywhere, nothing quite matches, but it just works. the fireplace in the corner wasn't turned on, though it didn't need to be, the place was warm and dry. gaetz and gilberto played soothingly and quietly in the background. the baristas moved with calm, unhurried ease, the kind of rhythm that only slow afternoons know. i ordered another matcha latte with oat milk, my second of the day. it came out too hot, the matcha powder scorched, the taste lost. but i didn't mind. through the window, the rain kept falling, steady and unrelenting. outside, the city moved on through the rain, people passed by, shoulders hunched, heads down. inside, it felt like time had decided to rest for a while.

Love the vibe in this cozy cafe! The food and coffee are high quality and fresh. I had the…read morebutternut squash soup and flat white while my friend enjoyed an Americano and avocado salad. They gave each of us a piece of truffle with our coffee. We really enjoyed the atmosphere. Lots of parking on the street. We were lucky to get a table on Saturday noon. Busy place but so welcoming!

This is one of my favorite Bowen Island spot for delicious breakfast foods. They only serve the…read more"fancier"breakfast items between 8am to 2pm so go before 2pm if you want a full breakfast meal. It's also nice that they start as early as 545am to coincide with the first ferry sailing departing from Bowen Island. This is a cozy cafe with good pastries, coffee and yummy savory items like soup and sandwiches. There are often lineups and you need to budget extra time for foods here if you are buying foods that requires cooking. There are food options here that quick for to go orders such as chia seed pudding and muffins, etc. Walking distance from Snug Cove ferry terminal and people heading off island can park their car in the ferry lineup then order coffee or foods to go. Snug cafe have a cozy outside patio, with chilled vibes for those warm sunny day.

Food tastes good but I was surprised with the portion of hash brown. It can be more! Also refilling…read morecoffee was $1.70. Usually break fast restaurants give us free refills so maybe it's Island price.

Got off work early which gave me time to drop by and visit my mom. We went out for brunch at…read moreCindy's. On the table: Brunch Waffle Crepe du Matin Sunny Dish Even though I wasn't the one who ordered a crepe, I am still delighted to know that they offer crepe at this restaurant. I feel there is a shortage of crepes and wish there were more places that served crepe. I will definitely order a crepe on one of my future visits. I went with the Sunny Dish this time in an effort to go low carb and have more room for dinner in the evening. It was a great option and I think my favourite part of the dish is the avocado. It's just always so satisfying to see lovely, green avocado on my plate as avocado tends to go brown quite easily when we have them at home in our kitchen. It's also tasty, healthy and filling...The filling part matters when avoiding filler foods such as pancakes, bread, potatoes...etc. This is such a great place for brunch and really becoming quite a favourite for us now!

You know what pisses me off more than disappointment? Laziness…read more Their menu states they serve Persian "Sangak" bread. They don't. What is irritatingly stupefying here is that there is a Persian Bakery right across the street from them. With their approximately 10 seater dining table and 5 staff on hand someone could've done what?.....Yes!...jumped across the street to the bakery and stocked up on the bread they promised the customer on their menu before opening....Or am I just crazy? Well...I guess if they had done that....they wouldn't have had the time to giggle about it in the back like little school girls. Moving on...... The French Toast - Undercooked & doughy in the middle. Way too bare and unimpressively lacking in presentation. I mean you're paying for these dishes. I've had my 10 year old nephew make better French Toast. The bacon was tasty and the coffee was decent....even came in a cute little cup. So, that's something.... Breakfast Burrito - Good for an appetizer...Oh wait...it was an entree dish....enough said. Fancy Benedict - No, it wasn't fancy...that's the name of the dish ironically. It was cold, the salmon lacking and clearly someone's first attempt at making a Benny. The Service - We had to ask for everything. There was an underlying impatience with our server....like we were keeping her from something. Finally someone else came by with more coffee. Not the end of the world, but not charming either. This place reminded me of a first year medical student trying to do brain surgery. Education, Experience, Commitment. Then open your doors.

The Hideout Café is a lovely little spot right across from the courthouse. It is run by a very…read morefriendly couple who make you feel genuinely welcome. The woman was especially warm and kind, and when I went outside to enjoy my coffee, the gentleman came out and chatted with me for a while. I was surprised to learn that the café has been operating for somewhere between 16 and 19 years. The panini I ordered was delicious, made with fresh, high-quality ingredients. The owner told me that he even makes his own mayonnaise and prepares everything from scratch whenever possible. You can taste the care that goes into the food. This is the kind of small, independently owned café that is well worth supporting.

Total vibe of a cafe, you'll feel right at home. The two owners have a calming pace to the place…read morethat creates a wonderful experience. But the food really stands out. The grilled cheese and tomato basil soup is INSANE. Delicious, the perfect lunch. Highly recommend for a cozy laid back cafe.

Low key coffee place near the middle of Burnaby Heights. So low key I didn't notice them for years…read more Parking is available on the side streets. The interior is a bit of old meets new. Old style armchairs and chairs, but new style tables. Staff were friendly. No complaints. Coffee was pretty decent. I also tried their chocolate bun. Looked like a long thin swirly pile of, um, poop. It was tasty though. I liked that it wasn't ridiculously sweet. Went well with the coffee. The place is nice and quiet, and is great for chatting. I'd come back at some point.

Incredibly comfortable and sweet place with spectacular pastries, cakes, sandwiches and drinks…read more The young person who took our order was so sweet and helpful. We shared an open faced caprese sandwich that was delicious! I had the fruit blend iced tea off of their summer menu and my companion had a latte. We were both delighted. Planning to come here again during this short trip to British Columbia.

After an early morning Quarry Rock hike, Cafe Orso was the kind of post-hike treat I needed! The…read moreIced Caramel Macchiato was sweet and comforting, honestly hit the spot after the climb! I would like to try their liège waffles next time. The staff were welcoming from the moment I walked in, and service was impressively quick. The cafe itself felt bright, calm, and quiet at that hour. I could easily see this becoming my regular stop after future hikes in the area. Looking forward to coming back already!

This is my personal favourite in deep cove. I go for the atmosphere and also had the pleasure of…read morebooking the space privately. The owners are incredibly friendly and accommodating - that goes for all of the staff as well. The drinks are delish with my go-to being the spice-y warm chai latte. I go for the waffles with berries and whipped cream but have had the pleasure of trying and greatly enjoying the waffle affogato which is incredibly unique to this cafe! It'd be great if they expanded their menu to offer waffles other than liege but all in all it's a great place to visit in deep cove

Yummy drinks and friendly service. They have a variety of options for food too, ranging from small…read morebites to more substantial meals. I enjoyed my refreshing avocado toast which was the perfect size! Light and bright space.

Cafe Overflow is a nice addition to the neighbourhood selling Korean traditional street food!…read moreI went there during my lunch break with a friend. I got the Tteogbokki which consisted of rice cake, fish cake, noodles, and fried shrimp. The portions looked a bit on the small side at first, but it was surprisingly filling. The restaurant doesn't have a lot of seating inside, however, there were a few tables outside. The staff were polite and friendly, and the food was fresh, but also prepared quickly.

Stayed at a BnB near in walking distance. Space is a little small but it makes for a cozy setup…read more They had plenty of vegan options and good coffee. They didn't have a cold brew but that's okay, though, they did have iced coffee.

Despite the name, Kranky Cafe is staffed by the nicest, most pleasant people you will find…read moreanywhere. The vibe they've created here is everything you could want from a community cafe. I was made to feel so welcome from the first time I walked in, and since then the baristas have cared enough to remember me, learn my name, ask how I'm doing/what I'm up to and follow up on it the next time I'm back, which is sometimes a month or more later. I've really never been to a coffee shop where the baristas show such genuine interest in customers. I'm not naturally very outgoing so I usually don't really get to know staff at cafes that I frequent, but it's not like I feel like these people are forcing me to converse with them, they're just really nice and it is infectious! As wonderful as the people are, I wouldn't be coming back over and over again if the food wasn't equally as wonderful, but it absolutely is. Their baked goods are homemade and it's very evident in the quality - everything tastes so wholesome! The sandwiches and wraps are great - the Big Veg sandwich, my favourite, is a killer vegan option. And they make good drinks too. The espresso drinks are pretty standard but brewed strong (but not TOO strong), and I think all the tea drinks (including the tea lattes and just straight-up tea) are excellent. They offer a lot of variety in the menu. It's not a vegan cafe (there are plenty of meat options) but there are some very good options for vegans: an assortment of vegan baked goods and two vegan sandwiches. They whip up new things from time to time. It's pretty small inside but they have a lot of patio space for when the weather's decent. They have blankets you can use to keep warm. I love the vibe, it's colourful and cozy inside and the patio has a rustic garden feel. This is the place to visit if you need to lift your spirits.