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The Federal Store

4.4 (48 reviews)
ModerateGrocery
Closed 8:00 am - 6:00 pm

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Recommended Reviews - The Federal Store

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Stephanie M.

We came for a quick snack on a Saturday. We got the rose hibiscus tea and the chicken sandwich. The chicken sandwich was missing a tang but overall tasted not bad. The chicken wasn't too dry and the portion was okay for the price. The rose hibiscus tea was refreshing but could have done with more rose flavour. The service was not fast but it's meant to be a place to take it slow and relax. Good for chilling with friends and grabbing a small bite

Very good chili oil! Carp chili oil $9.95. Holy Duck chili oil $20. January 2024
Carolyn L.

A little shop tucked away on the residential streets in the Mount Pleasant area, a few blocks from Cambie and Broadway. 2 hour parking can be found in the area. Can be tricky to find on Sunday as it is near churches. I came here when it was raining buckets so the outdoor tables were wet. There were a few small tables for two inside. I managed to get a seat by the bar table when someone left. Otherwise it was full house. Besides pastries, sandwiches/toast and drinks, they also sell locally produced stuff. I was quite stoked to see Holy Duck chili oil here! I had read about it online but never came across it till now. I bought one home and also another chili oil (Carp brand produced in Mount Pleasant). I tried them at home and they were really good! The Carp chili oil has a sweeter hint while the HD chili oil in mild spicy had the right amount of kick to it for me. Not cheap ($10 and $20 respectively) but I'll gladly repurchase again. That was an unexpected purchase but so glad I came here. And I was here just for the hot chocolate festival. I tried the Suntory Time and it was pretty good. Hint of whiskey in the crushed pecan on the rim of the glass and a salty sweet taste of the hot chocolate because of the white miso. The mini cupcake was ok, too small to taste much. Description from website: White miso brown butter and Valhrona Caraibe 66% dark hot Chocolate, Vancouver Island Smoked Salt and Suntory whiskey roast pecan rim, toasted brown butter housemade marshmallow. For a relaxing times, make it Suntory time. Served with a smores cupcake with toasted meringue buttercream, smoked salt graham cracker crumble, chocolate devils food cake. I saw the avocado toast which my dining neighbor ordered and it looked really good too. I'll be back to try the sandwiches and coffee in future, as well as to get more of the chili oil.

Audrey T.

Cute lovely cafe and store with a great cozy ambiance. Indoor and outdoor seating available. A neighborhood gem. Drinks and food are great - I recommend the lemon tart! Great service as well.

a variety of baked goods
Michelle S.

Suntory Times ($11.50) white miso brown butter hot chocolate served with mini s'mores cupcake. One of the better unique hot chocolate I've tried during the festival. The smoked salt and whiskey roasted pecan around the rim also added another layer to the drink. Cupcake itself was also super rich in chocolate flavour. I actually live around the neighbourhood and have visited a few times before. Really like the ambiance and cozy interior. Their coffee is quite nice (a tiny bit sour though) but I remember their sandwich was pretty bland. The biscuit had a nice buttery texture, but the eggs and bacon were both cold and tasteless.

Menu
Kay F.

Cute neighbourhood grocery store that has both coffee and food. They have a small amount of seating inside and a decent amount of seating outside. I got their matcha latte and usually quite enjoy the matcha from Whisk Matcha which is where it is sourced. I did wish the matcha taste itself was a lot stronger as the milk somewhat overwhelmed the matcha. Overall, a great atmosphere and a great place to read or catch up with some friends or neighbours.

a sandwich and a drink
Lauren W.

What a cafe gem! Came on a sunny day, so we enjoyed brunch, coffee, and the sunshine. Would highly recommend the avo feta toast - it was a mix of sweet, salty, spicy, savoury, and a hint of lemon. The ham and cheese sandwich was also yummy - savoury ham, melted cheese, and toasted bread. Although the area is mainly meter parking, you can find free parking along the residential streets, which is around 1-2 blocks away. The walk to the cafe lets you enjoy the cherry blossoms and neighbourhood architecture.

Kimberly C.

Love this place! It's super cute and just a couple blocks away from main st. It has everything you've ever wanted in a quiet local spot! Out of all the avocado toasts available in Vancouver, this one is my personal favourite. It's just too good! To add onto that, they make great espresso based drinks as well. Service is very friendly and comfortable. There is some outdoor seating too which is great on a sunny day! * other local products available for purchase here.

Abigail S.

Vancouver, please don't ever out-condo yourself to the point where sweet local businesses like this become completely extinct! I initially clocked this place while riding on the 10th Ave. bike route. I love it's vintage cherry red Coca-Cola-style sign, and its cozy corner location. Every inch of the tiny interior has been lovingly attended to, from the geometric linoleum floor to the selection of local foods and gifts such as Salt Spring Kitchen jam, maple syrup, and bundles of palo santo incense sticks. There are also refrigerated cases stocked with Avalon dairy products, cheeses, juices, ice cream, and other basic groceries. The proprietors have clearly done their homework in designing a smart and delicious menu of sandwiches, soups, salads, and coffee house buns and sweets. Every component of my roasted chicken sandwich was fantastic, from the firm fresh bread, to the rich manchego, to the peppery arugula, to the fresh pear and fig jam. The malted chocolate chip cookie also tasted homemade, a bit soft and more complex than a random mass market cookie. The space is small, but if you can't snag one of the tables lining the window side of the space, they also have a few wide benches to plop down on for a spell. Staff were warm and friendly. Rain or shine, this place is a pleasure to visit.

Becky M.

This is a beautiful place to come for breakfast, lunch or just coffee. The shop has food you can buy to go, whether it's eggs, bread, etc, as well as magazines and a few other options. Plants and tabled are among everything else. It also has outdoor seating near the garden, which is perfect on a sunny day. I had the avocado & feta toast with coffee. Both were delicious, and quite filling. There are options of quiche, eggs, tarts and other food, including homemade bread. Also, there's a water refill station, which is always nice. I definitely recommend stopping in here.

A toast of many delights.
Holly L.

If avocado toast could be uplifted from a simple breakfast item, this would be it. This version is served on thinly sliced toast with a pretty combo of avocado, feta cheese, pepper flakes, basil and lemon juice. It's the most complex avo toast I have ever had. Well done. Savouring this is like experiencing a party in my mouth. Amazing. Sitting by the window and enjoying the greenery and church view across the street gave me a Jane Austen moment. Don't come here unless you're ready to be transported.

Bruce C.

Snackalicious might be a word, except I'm not going to use it for The Federal Store. It just doesn't have the gravitas. My second visit to my local commissary/cafe, and I've got nothing but praise for the detail, the atmosphere, and the excellent sense to stock Chinotto in small batches. Having it on tap would be dangerous. But it's not the beverage that needs mentioning. Try the food. Somebody has really good taste, and dare I say, the moxy to not want to be another trendy cafe. Which of course makes The Federal Store impossibly cool. Like, you can't be this cool (jazz fusion, anyone?) AND be this nice, can you? Pastry. This kind of pastry is hard to achieve. And just "volunteering" to heat the sweet potato quiche, with a small baby spinach leaf garnish lightly drizzled with infused oil, was exactly the right amount of assertion. See, "heat" is not a euphemism for microwaving or grilling here. A silicon matted baking sheet in the oven. That's how they heat quiche here. And oh, lest I forget. Avocado toast, Jim. But not as we know it. The bread, the crumbled feta. The texture. Please, don't come. I don't want anybody to ruin this place for me.

Cardamom knot ($3)
Marc D.

* Good baking, coffee needs work * This little former convenience store has had a hipster re-do and is now operating as a small bakery and coffee shop which has a few gourmet groceries for sale as well. Considering the entire place is perhaps 700 square feet max, I was surprised by the number of staff behind the counter. It was REALLY busy behind the counter! The spot is outfitted with a smattering of second hand furniture which gives it a homey feel, although the chairs and tables could be a bit more stable. The cardamom knot ($3) was very fresh, with a strong buttery flavour to its pillowly dough. There was not a lot of cardamom, but it provided a distinct punch after the butter flavours hit first. This was a nice piece of baking. 4 stars. The coffee ($3) is from Bow & Arrows, which I normally quite like. But it was not executed very well. It had a significant amount of coffee grounds in it, which provided an unpleasant texture. Perhaps they have a leaky filter or didn't grind the coffee with the right setting for their setup? They need to work that out, as the beans themselves I'm sure were good before they were prepared. 2 stars. So, for now, until they work out the issue with the coffee preparation this is a 3 star spot. I imagine they'll figure out the coffee issue and then they should be a reliable 4 star spot.

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2 years ago

Some of the servers are very surly. They definitely need to work on that. The coffee and the pastries were okay.

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3 years ago

very cute atmosphere and good coffee! nice ambience, good service. good could use a bit of work though

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Review Highlights - The Federal Store

We love tucked away gems like this, so we stopped in and tried the avocado toast and chocolate banana bread - both lived up to the hype!

Mentioned in 4 reviews

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IGA Market Place Robson

IGA Market Place Robson

3.7
(30 reviews)
2.3 km
$$

This grocery store was near where I was staying and I wanted to stop in to see if there were any…read moresnacks I wanted to buy. This is not what I assume a full size grocery store would be. It is a split opening. You either walk into IGA or Home Sense. The store is very small inside and almost a triangle/wedge shape, which made it difficult to navigate. The aisles are very narrow and very tall. I was overwhelmed by all the close proximity of things and people so basically cruised through then left. I had wanted to buy some chips but I am not sure if this particular store is expensive or that is just the price of things but I didn't find anything I wanted to buy. Lines were long and near the exit (which is already a long, narrow entrance). Upon entering the store there was a pop up tent out front of the store and someone was selling fresh fruits and vegetables. Not sure if they are an outside vendor or affiliated with the store. I assume that if I had gone to a store not in downtown it may have been larger, more spread out and less expensive. I assume that the aisles are tall and narrow as a space is at a premium and they are trying to fit the most amount of product in to cater to people.

Really nice store and great for the tourist that are around this area. Easy and affordable options…read morefor grab and go food and a nice hot Indian food station and good soups. I guess this review is really from a tourist point of view but they also seem to be a good grocery store that I know I would shop at if I lived here.

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IGA Market Place Robson
IGA Market Place Robson
IGA Market Place Robson

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Loblaws City Market The Post

Loblaws City Market The Post

3.3
(23 reviews)
2.3 km

This was a decent sized grocery story downtown near our hotel. We came at 7 am on a weekday and…read morealready had customers coming in and out. It had everything we needed and even had ready meals available. Definitely would come back when we are in the area again.

I was walking towards the Vancouver Public Library. I was kind of hungry as I didn't have lunch…read moreyet. Saw this huge building with a couple of shops on the ground floor including a Starbucks. Loblaws is on the second floor. The place is nice and clean. Lots of cooked food choices. Price and servings were reasonable. I ordered a quarter sized ribs with korean noodles as my side. Don't ask me why. I just did. Never heard that pairing before! But wish I ordered some potatoes or veggies instead! There were lots of sides to choose from. Can you believe this was $8? It's their $8 menu, available everyday. Can't go wrong with that! Took it to the self serve counter and paid for it. Then went around the back where they have plenty of tables to enjoy my lunch. There are microwaves to heat my order. The area is really clean. After my meal, went downstairs where they have plenty of places to sit, study, read, hangout. This place is great! They have a nice membership gym on the third floor as well! It's nice place downtown to hang out in! This place is modern and very spacious! I'll definitely come here often!

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View from building lobby~
View from building lobby~
Huge long lobby with seats and tables.
Huge long lobby with seats and tables.
Canteen area~

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Canteen area~
H Mart

H Mart

3.1
(103 reviews)
2.4 km
$

i stopped by hmart at the corner of robson and seymour, and it's one of those places that feels…read morelike it's doing a lot at once, but it works. it runs 9am to 10pm, 365 days a year, and you really get the sense of it being a hard working, always on kind of store. it spans two levels, with a main ground floor and an escalator up to the second floor, so it feels more like a compact vertical mall than a typical grocery stop. the ground floor leans heavily into kbeauty and lifestyle. there's makeup, skincare, fashion, luggage, and accessories, cuteness overload, all mixed together in a way that's easy to browse. the layout is compact (very downtown), but it adds to the energy. they've also got artbox items and a surprising amount of canadian souvenir goods, which gives it a slightly tourist friendly feel. interestingly, no bts merch in sight, maybe due to their hiatus? kpop music videos play on screens above us, full choreography and colour coordinated outfits adding constant movement while you browse. it makes even a quick stop feel a bit more alive. medicube on sale was tempting, and i'll probably look into it more later, mostly to justify whether i actually need it. one thing that stands out pretty quickly is how direct they are about shoplifting. for a store open every day of the year, you get the sense they've had to deal with it more than most. the signs with photos of shoplifters paired with police file numbers are very clear, and security is visible as soon as you enter. it takes a certain level of boldness to be that upfront about it, and instead of softening the message, they've chosen to address it head on. it shifts the tone, but it also makes their stance unmistakable. heading up the escalator to the second floor, the focus shifts to groceries. there's a small food court, along with housewares, a lottery kiosk, and everyday grocery staples, all tucked into the flow of the space. it's easy to lose a bit of time just moving between sections. from there, the snacks section does what it does best. they have hello kitty kikkoman soy sauce, roasted sweet potatoes, pouch drinks with separate ice cups, and a solid selection of ready to eat meals. on this visit, i ended up buying two new flavours of turtle chips: wagyu beef with wasabi and carbonara spicy chicken. priorities. they also have a stamp card system, collect ten stamps and you get a $25 hmart gift card, which feels like a quiet nudge that you'll probably be back anyway. overall, it's a high energy, well contained space: part grocery store, part beauty shop, part snack discovery zone, with a hardworking downtown rhythm and a very clear sense of how it runs.

One of my favourite asian grocery store in the core of DT Vancouver…read more Excellent produce and seasonal specialty produce and fruits is what I come in for. Pine Mushrooms is in season at the moment. Other items to look out for: special Korean style cut beef and imported kimchi.

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Hello !
Hello !
H Mart
One stall

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One stall

The Federal Store - grocery - Updated June 2026

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