I thought I'd update this again as Red Umbrella has kind of gone downhill in the last year or so. Their menu is more or less identical to what it always was, with the exception of the fact that they removed the burger for some unknown reason. Burgers are usually the biggest seller on any lunch restaurant menu, so ... not sure what happened there. The sandwiches are the same which has always been a sore spot with me as they are super "bready" containing what to me is roughly two thirds of my weekly bread intake in one single sandwich. They now give you free "fries" with them but Red Umbrella's fries are let's face it, awful! They are somehow both overdone & burnt as the same time as being alarmingly wet and soft. They have no flavour beyond "paprika." They still resist even giving you a small salad with your sandwich which would be cheaper than their horrible fries option and give some relief from the carbohydrate overload. Sadly, the soups (which were always a bit weird) have really gone downhill. They have gone from "pleasantly quirky" to "WTF is this?" The chef leans VERY heavily on creamed vegetable varieties which is odd because if there ever were a type of soup that is almost universally reviled, it's a creamed vegetable soup. They also change from day to day, but the name remains the same. One has the feeling that they just add some more vegetable or beans, some more milk, and just keep it boiling on the stove for the whole week as it morphs from one thing to another. While the serving staff generally are nice and mostly try hard, service has always been a problem at Red Umbrella as the management has them do a large amount of "back kitchen" stuff like washing dishes etc. This leaves them off the floor for significant amounts of time and thus their tables are unattended. I also question the sanitary aspects of this. You can get away with this sort of thing if the staff is "trying" and nice, unfortunately, a lot of the new staff are neither. They are sometimes rude and more than a few of them are just plain lazy and inattentive. The coffee situation is still as bad as it ever was. It's good coffee when it's fresh but it's very strong and when things are flying and the staff are (committing the cardinal sin of) mixing the bottom of one carafe with the top of another, what you get is an oily, bitter, lukewarm shame. This happens very frequently lately leading to situations where you order a coffee, get the worst cup of coffee in town, and never see the waitress again for a refill. All for three dollars. Lastly, it's simply NOT the *cleanest* restaurant anymore, but the less said about that the better, lol. I know this review is long and no one cares about such nowadays, but this is (or was) my main neighbourhood restaurant and I know it so well I'm genuinely disappointed in how things have turned out. They still do a pretty good breakfast although it's expensive and "good breakfast" is not exactly a culinary feat is it? read more

I ordered the works omelette minus the mushrooms and potatoes. Soooo good!the omelette has delicately cut tomaties and onions and was served piping hot. Coffee is delish. I prefer raw sugar and she brought it to me without question. Not five minutes later, she was asking if we needed top up. Very fast for our food, I think, 10 minutes. There were lots of people and everyone was happy. Lots of happy chatter. I would gladly eat here again. read more

Red Umbrella Cafe - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

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So, I've been here several times over the years. They changed ownership, I think and did a nice renovation. Anyway decided to stop by the other day for brunch. I ordered coffee and the basic breakfast. Scrambled eggs, potatoes, bacon. Kept it simple. My partner ordered the blt, and coffee You don't get toast with the breakfast, which is extra. But no worries not really a fan of too much bread, anyway Don't go here if you're in a rush. There will be a wait, at least 30 min. We had to wait which is okay, but they didn't refill our coffee and it was hard to flag down a waitress. So at the end of the day, the food is very good. It's worth the wait, but the service leaves a lot to be desired. Since I live in the area, I'll be back most likely one day. But I'll make sure that I have plenty of time. read more

Staying in the neighbourhood, this quickly became our stop for cheap breakfast that didn't taste cheap! We'd snag a spot on the patio, read our menus, then enjoy breaky and coffees as we watched the world go by. Note: Not the place to go if you need to be in and out in 20 minutes. But if you're walking by and in need of some fuel, this would do the trick! Tip: Get the French toast with fresh strawberries on top. They were rather delightful. read more

Red Umbrella Cafe - Deluxe breakfast - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

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We were craving a traditional bacon'n'eggs feast, so headed down here on a Saturday morning. It was surprisingly quiet, we were there around 8:45 am - but there were two larger reserved tables. It is a country diner style place, not super clean but clean enough. As others have mentioned the male server that works there is not overly friendly - but that doesn't bother us, he refilled our coffees and delivered the breakfast we ordered. We both had the deluxe, bacon, eggs, toast and hashbrowns for $7 - coffee was about $2. The breakfast was good - nothing fancy but it tasted good. Coffee was slightly above average for this type of place. Would go again for the same thing, and would be interested in trying their very reasonably priced advertised pasta specials some time. read more

Went mid week so service was ok and food arrived fast. Tried one of their sandwiches, unfortunately found it very uninspiring and underwhelming. Really dissapointed...for $18 I was expecting way more effort. Guess they save the pizzazz for their weekend bennies...the hype from this place isn't coming from their sandwiches. read more

what a quaint little cafe! I am staying at a nearby hotel on a business trip, and in less than 24 hours, two business owners have recommended that I try this restaurant. The prices were surprisingly low to me. Their breakfasts start at $6 for eggs hashbrowns and choice of meat. The ambiance is calming, with neutral colors, wood furniture and nice artwork. The display cases are full of pastries and treats. All food and pastries are apparently made in house. Kudos to them! I am on a post new years diet, so I took it easy on the menu, and got ONE buttermilk pancake (not the best choice for a diet, but all in moderation, right?) with Blueberries, and a decaf americano. Delish! They baked the fresh blueberries right in! no gummy sugary sauce. I am in town a few days. I am definitely coming back! read more

Red Umbrella Cafe - nummy decaf americano on BEAUTIFUL wood tables at Red Umbrella Cafe #foodporn - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

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A West End staple since 1997, the Red Umbrella Cafe is a great spot for a quick breakfast or lunch. Despite it's small size, and dated decor the Red Umbrella is a step up from your normal greasy spoon restaurant. The food is simple, straight forward, and inexpensive, but freshly prepared and good quality without the grease. We've been there a number of times for breakfast, and have yet to have any complaints with the food. The service can be a little slow at times, and the overall aesthetics of the restaurant needs a make-over but for the price and quality of the food, these trespasses are easily forgiven. read more

Red Umbrella Cafe - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

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Went here with my girlfriend on vacay. She is very hard to please in terms of food, but we went to the red umbrella to give it a shot. Our server was splendid and super engaging, very sweet and showed great care toward her customers. Service was quick, and the food was marvellous. Huge quantity, very filling and the product used to make the sandwiches was perfect. My hard to please girlfriend was amazed, which already goes to show how good the Red Umbrella is. Will be recommending to friends. read more

Very good. Great ingredients. Not cheap but worth it. Add ons are overpriced. Busy on weekends.

Breakfast near Denman Street / Stanley Park - OK, but not special We were hoping to find a nice new breakfast joint. There was really nothing wrong with it, but the food was just OK, and the atmosphere was neither good, nor funky enough to be quirky and interesting. As it was, this was a case of food as fuel, not a memorable breakfast experience. read more

I'm actually giving this place a bad review due to myself experience, I went to grab a breakfast couple days ago. And I asked if I can get my coffee refilled , waited almost 10m no response from the waiters and I decided to leave the place since I was almost done with my food . The time I was paying my bill I ask the cashier "Do you do coffee refilled" she was like yes we do but you have to ask not like the other restaurant we won't come to you and ask . And I know everytime you guys come you get coffee refilled coz of read more

Went for lunch here a few weeks ago and left utterly...confused. I wanted to order the soup and sandwich combo which was lentil soup and a BLT. I asked for a veggie alternative and was told 'No, not possible'. Which is...fine, I guess. If I didn't eat bacon for religious reasons I'd be pretty pissed at this point though. So, I compromised and asked would they just leave the bacon out and I would be happy with lettuce and tomato. "No, not possible." WHAT Why not, I was so confused. Tell me this...why would it have been a big deal to swap the bacon for a slice of cheese for a veggie? I don't get the thinking here. Just introduce a veggie option for the combo, it's not a totally crazy ask. In the end, I just went for the soup by itself so they lost money. The mind boggles. read more

Unbelievably delicioso! Not only was the food exquisite but the service was Outstanding! The menu has the perfect breakfast, lunch or brunch. I personally went for the meat lovers breakfast. The eggs were perfectly cooked, the ham, turkey, bacon and sausage were AMAZING! Let's not forget about the potatoes, toast and pancakes! I highly recommend this cafe! Bon appetite read more

Red Umbrella Cafe - Meat Lovers breakfast - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

I spent a couple days in Vancouver recently. Rather than eat at my hotel I checked out the neighborhood and came across the Red Umbrella. I was there around 9am. Quick seating as well as service. Smallish space. I loved the potatoes they served with breakfast. The service was so friendly. I will remember this place for my next trip. It's close to the English Beach area on Davie. read more

Dropped by for our inaugural experience on a Sunday around 2PM. Lucky for us there was no wait. The interior is filled to the brim with tables and chairs so you won't be having any private conversations here. We ordered some breakfast, some lunch and a pancake to share. The sandwich was good, but I wouldn't say fantastic. However, the fried breakfast potatoes and the pancake were excellent!! Also, the breads that they serve are very tasty and fresh. A number of reviews are complaining about service but we had good service on our one visit. The food did take a little longer than might be expected. I will definitely go back for the potatoes and pancakes--delicious. Maybe tomorrow.... read more

Great breakfasts, coffee, and the sandwiches can be made to go. We were there each morning eating outside. Wonderful staff and welcoming atmosphere. read more

pretty well what you would expect from the long lines on a Sunday morning. Quite crowded, we had to wait outside for a table as there is no space inside. Brunch was good, not outstanding and i would like to give this place a 3.5 but feel that it doesn't quite warrant a 3 star review. While we waited, we went across the street to grab a coffee at the JJ Bean. They were quite polite to let us bring it in with us when they called us earlier than expected. We didn't think to just order a coffee from them and stand outside with it, other people were doing it and i suggest that you consider it if the line is too long. read more

I've given this place many chance, as the food is amazing, and the service has now caught up with the food! I'll continue to come back and recommend The Red Umbrella to people I know. read more

Red Umbrella Cafe - This cheesecake.... Oh.My.God. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

I went here for brunch today, have to say normally I think this is a decent place but the last two times I have been disappointed. I ordered two blueberry pancakes with hash browns today. They were far from generous with the blueberries but I enjoyed the first pancake. When I started eating the second one there were no blueberries I took a few more bites and definitely it was without blueberries. Not a big deal but when I went inside (with my 1/3 eaten pancake on the plate) to pay and mention it they refused to help and said I had taken too many bites of the pancake to be refunded for the pancake without blueberries. (No discussion, period.. too bad for me) From a customer service prospective what could they have done differently? Just about anything!! 1st Apologized and then; refunded the one pancake, credit for one pancake next time, a 10% discount or whatever % they think I ate of the one without blueberries lol, or offered to make me a new one right then. It's about 'making it right' so the customer is happy, wants to come again and spread the word about a positive experience. Not a too bad for you arrogant attitude. By the way.. this is the first time I've ever written a review. On the previous visit, I ordered a sandwich. If you look at the menu you'll see on the sandwich list some are listed to have garlic sauce others not. I'm allergic to garlic and therefore ordered a sandwich whiteout. When it arrived it was loaded with the garlic sauce I pointed out that the menu shows differently but they didn't seem to care. They would not offer a refund or something else to eat. I let that go but after todays visit I'm seeing a pattern and decided to share. There's a lot of attitude in this place. Not very friendly at all. Won't go back. read more

What an incredible breakfast!!! Homemade bread, homemade jams, yum, yum, yummy!!! I had the Smoked Salmon Omelet and it was so wonderfully good....didn't think I could eat the whole thing but my mouth kept yelling for more. Super nice folks run and own the place and I look forward to going back! read more

This could be a five star review if the service was just a little quicker. The food was absolutely incredible. And the bakery goods were excellent as well. The wait was only like 15 min to seat during lunch time on Friday. The food took quite a long time. I'm guessing kitchen maybe small and working at capacity. But the food and our hot and fresh. So, in the end, if it's about the food, it's a 5. The idea of being there for 1hr and 15 min for lunch seemed a little long. Would definitely go back. So, the food is worth the wait. read more

Red Umbrella Cafe - Wild Salmon Eggs Benedict. Incredible!! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

Really nice neighborhood stop. Great breakfast and service! After being around town and trying several places this one is Tops! read more

Red Umbrella Cafe - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

Food is great. For the quality of ingredients you get, the price is fair. However, the service is always slow. I used to go every other week and the service have always been consistently slow. The servers look lost or lack of guidance. I saw someone ordering tea and two servers were making it together while I am waiting for a coffee refill. Huge line up at the door. If this doesn't frustrate you, this place is great! read more

If you don't mind the long wait to be served , about 30 mind on a busy day, the breakfast is quite good. Service was friendly and food quality was good. Messed up my tea order and the salsa wasn't spicy as requested but toast was the best. read more

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Friendly, prompt and attentive service. We stumbled upon this little café in our morning walk from the hotel. The espresso was excellent, flavorful and topped with a layer of crema. We had the breakfast combo and veggie omelet. The hash potatoes are seasoned with an interesting chili powder mix. read more

We had brunch at the Red Umbrella. I had the smoked salmon omelette. The potato's were really good with some spice to them. The omelette was ok, a little to well done but tasty. We've been here before when we are in town and the Benedict's are really good but they only do them on the weekends. read more

Red Umbrella Cafe - Smoked salmon omelette. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

I like this little place. Had veggie eggs benny and was very happy with it. Coffee is good and servers are friendly. I agree that food does not come that fast. But maccas is right up the street if you want fast food there you have it. read more

Small restaurant but the food was amazing!! We sat outside on a nice late morning and it was comfortable. The food was priced well for the quantity and quality. Wait staff was on top of things and friendly. We had brunch there and I'm still thinking about their perfectly thick sliced sourdough toast, pancakes and the potatoes to die for!! read more

Red Umbrella Cafe - Ham and Swiss omelet with no shortage of cheese!! Scrumptious potatoes and thick sour dough. Just wonderful! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

Good points: Friendly service and that's pretty much it. Bad points: Below average brunch, average prices but already too high for not so good quality ingredients. White-ish eggs look like they're out of a carton of industrial egg liquid, definitely not fresh farm eggs. Cheap gross mayonnaise, super thick bland soft toasts, very light coffee. Quantity over quality. The worst: metal pieces of scrubber in our food and brownie served with piece of plastic stuck to it. No compensation offered whatsoever. read more

I don't give 5 stars easily, but I have to say I had a really nice experience here! The homemade bread and jam were utterly delicious, such as the brown hash. The poched eggs were a bit too cooked though. My tea pot was refilled with hot water without asking anything and I stayed there 3 hours on my laptop without anyone saying anything to me. There were 2 waitresses at the time I went there and I have to say though that the male server was nicer (and so quick) than the girl. Would definitely come back until I'll have the same experience as other reviewers here (which I don't expect, of course). read more

I'm not one to complain about restaurants, but I've been asked to leave this restaurant a couple of times now. The first- the server took our plates and we asked for a second cup of coffee (our cups were empty throughout our meal)- and she said no, there are people waiting and we needed to move along. And again today- I went to sit on the balcony and the server came out saying someone sitting inside had asked for the table and we needed to go wait in line. I did not bother to wait in line- I walked to another restaurant... One that at least appears to want our business. read more

This is a solid 3. Got here for a late lunch with my boyfriend one Sunday afternoon, and the place was empty. My bf got pasta with marinara sauce (I think). His pasta, according to my bf, tasted good, but looking at it, I thought it lacked sauce. I tasted his pasta a bit, and although I liked the sauce, the pasta was too soft for *my* taste. I got one of their breakfasts with grilled vegetables, and my food was (for the most part) great. My faves were the well-seasoned fried potatoes, which tasted homemade. (The menu was a little off though -- I thought I was getting hashbrowns.) My sunny side up eggs were cooked fine but could have used a touch of salt. The slices of bread were buttered well and were, therefore, yummy. My veggies were nice and were grilled well. In terms of drinks, my bf's mango milkshake was too sweet. I'm pretty sure it wasn't made with fresh fruits. My coffee was okay. Our server, while quite easy on the eyes, was a bit too slow and didn't seem happy to be there. (Disclaimer: It was Sunday, so perhaps he was nursing a hangover?) He only became chipper when we paid our bill and he saw that I tipped more than 15%. (For the record, I only did this despite the service because my bf is also in the service industry. :P) Ok food here -- will probably go back again, but I wouldn't recommend it either. read more

It's nowhere near my hood but given the opportunity i'll go back for sure. I had never eaten eggs benny before (yuk it up) as I am just getting accustomed to saucy foods, and I have NEVER liked runny eggs. I found out you can get eggs poached hard and I was in. So a friend said this place makes awesome eggs benny and after a hard night we had to go refuel. I was ready to try this oh-so-popular breakfast for my first time. The meal didn't look huge but I couldn't finish it - and I was raised to finish my plate - the pan fried potatoes were soo good! He got some massive breakfast and it came with the most darling toast. Swirls of Rye and Multigrain mmm ... The place is pretty small and closes early at 4- i think - everyday. So be ready to get squishy and drink out of plastic cups. And leave a happy, full, camper. A nap just down the road at the beach may be in order after this fulfilling meal ;) so bring a blankie read more

While the staff is warm and welcoming, my experience with Red Umbrella was lacking. My party, mostly ordered eggs Benedict, as described, served on English muffins. Alas, these seem to have run out today and they were instead presented on dry scone. When this was pointed out, a menu consulted, met with a shrug. While mostly forgivable, alas the hour it took to get food , plus all plates, including a hot sand which being cold at that point was disappointing. I'll admit, I'm not patient, but if something delays food for a table by an hour, good service dictates saying something. However, to take an hour and be cold, a travesty. Furthered by a lack of communication on substitution, it's a disappointment all around. My sandwich had sat so long as to allow the once toasted bread to be collect grease, become cold, soggy and meh. A bit of communication and error correction could have gone a long way in redeeming a lacklustre visit. read more

This is a 4.5 star review. I have heard of this cafe for a long time and finally had a chance to visit it. It is quite easy and straightforward to discover why this cafe has enjoyed success. Allow me to break it down in points form. - In the West End, one of the most characteristic neighborhood in Vancouver. - Friendly and attentive staff, actually have many staff to serve so you don't get forgotten. - Clean and modern environment. - Simple and reasonable priced menu. - Outstanding food. If you are lucky to be in the cute cafe in a sunny day. You will probably stay for a good hour and plus just to enjoy the shineshine. The only downside is that it takes a long time for the dishes to be served. Hence the 0.5 star deduction. Enjoy ! read more

I've only ever eaten at this place for breakfast and lunch... and I can tell you that it is one of my favorite little eateries. the location is prime (great peopole watching) and there is a cute little patio if you want to eat outside. Breakfast to me is "basically: the same everywhere, but the Red Umbrella manages to make it a bit better than everywhere else.. The home fries are to die for, and they actually use real bacon... (instead of that really thin stuff McDonalds uses) To top it all off, breakfast is around $5.00 !!! So cheap!! Soups and sandwiches are pretty decent.... The only reason I didn't give 5 stars, is because of the service... The young guy that works there isnt the friendliest of characters, and could probably stand to smile a bit more... read more

Great breakfast. Not too, too expensive. Sat outside, but construction on the tower next door ruined the otherwise peaceful spot.

I have to admit that the food is tasty, really homemade flavour, but the wait time is just out of this world, it seems that they are short on staff (kitchen, waitress, etc). It can take almost an hour for a simple eggs with bacon. Also, they have recently changed their menu and I don't believe is fair to increase your prices if you don't get more staff for the kitchen and servers to improve the wait time :( Shame! read more

Always amazing food. The benny's are insanely good! Friendly, caring staff. Absolutely love everything about this place!