Loved this café--the vibe, antique interior, and food were all excellent. Portions were generous and well worth the price. We tried the Lox bagel, and Double-B, everything was delicious. and the staff were friendly and helpful. Would definitely come back! Food: 5/5 | Service: 5/5 | Atmosphere: 5/5 read more

Such a cool, eclectic spot to enjoy breakfast and a coffee! The decor was spectacular and I loved looking around the cafe while we waited for our food. Service was extremely friendly, and although the food took quite a while because they were extremely busy, they were very transparent as to why. The homemade granola was delicious. If you're looking for a vibrant way to start your day, this is it! read more

The Vault Café - Yogurt bowl - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Nanaimo, British Columbia

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So, I HAD to have a Nanaimo bar while visiting Nanaimo. Decided on this cute coffee house for the experience. $5.50 for a small bar is rather steep but then I remembered it was in Canadian dollars and that made me feel slightly better! Now I think I'm hooked on these dessert bars. I didn't really think that I would like it, but it was delicious. So was my chai tea latte. We stayed in the store, so our experience included some pretty eclectic cups, silverware and plate, but that seems to be the vibe here at The Vault. The barista was all smiles, too. read more

The Vault Café - Nanaimo bar and chai tea - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Nanaimo, British Columbia

Such a cute cafe and I can understand the buzz around it! It has a high ceiling and lots of seating area. The bathroom is very clean and spacious. We were hoping to check out the upstairs area but it's closed until noon. It has a thrifting area with plants you can buy as well. The food and drinks came out in a timely manner. The staff is nice. The drinks were good and as expected. We found both dishes to be under-salted but otherwise good. read more

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As this cafe seems to pop up on any tourist searches in Nanaimo, we decided to try it out as we were in the vicinity. When we arrived at about 3 pm, on a Friday, the place was packed. Only one open table and a couple of spaces at the counter. The line was short and we were able to order quickly. We ordered a soy latte, a chai tea latte with oat milk and a Nanaimo bar. When our drinks were made a second table opened up and we grabbed it as it actually had chairs! Our drinks were excellent and the Nanaimo bar was just as we expected it to be. Very tasty. Parking may be a problem here as there aren't a lot of spaces. I think all parking is on the street. The whole cafe experience made me think of the 60's in San Francisco (not that I experienced that!) Everyone there seemed quite laid back and enjoying a good experience. They do have live music on many evenings. Definitely worth a visit if you are in Nanaimo. read more

The Vault Café - Interesting wall art. - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Nanaimo, British Columbia

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Needed a little caffeine fix after all the Nanaimo bars. Stopped due to cute interior decor. Staff looked miserable. Latte and scone was average. read more

The Vault Café - Scone and latte. - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Nanaimo, British Columbia

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Brunching at this adorable café in downtown Nanaimo, where cozy vibes and charming memorabilia make you feel right at home. The Double B was a perfect choice, and their iced latte hit the spot! With both indoor and outdoor seating, it's the perfect spot to unwind and enjoy a delicious meal. Can't wait to come back and explore more of their menu! Vault Cafe 99 Wallace St, Nanaimo, BC V9R 5B7 Mon-Tue 8am-6pm, Wed 8am - 11pm, Thu-Fri 8am-midnight, Sat 9am-midnight, Sun 10am-midnight Food 5/5 Service 5/5 Ambiance 5/5 read more

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Looking for a late breakfast, or lunch, or a combination of both I came upon The Coffee Vault, which offered both and most everything else. It's an eclectic and cluttered place in a good way, that is a good thing. My breakfast wrap was really good, but also quite different from anything I have had before, again in a good way. My London Fog also very good, and picked up from the counter after it was made. The wrap was delivered to my table, identified by the playing card on the stand I was given after paying for my order. The interior has a stage in the corner with tables and chairs on it, to be removed later in the day for live music. There are park benches outside for nice afternoon sitting and a fair amount of inside seating as well. It's a unique place to check out in Nanaimo, be sure to do so, you may never come across a place such as this again. read more

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Had a bad experience with the staff at the vault on Monday evening. I usually love the vault and their drinks as well as the atmosphere. But the staff made us feel very unwelcome. They were turning people away at 5:30. In addition, when we ordered a few coffees, they looked very exasperated and told is snarkily that they close on half an hour. Do better vault staff read more

Normally I love this place but it is in need of a serious cleaning. Cobwebs and dust everywhere on lamps and ceilings. Also my coffee was cool. I am sad to see this. read more

GIRLS! Grab your flannel, backwards caps, and doc martens & strut your way over to the Vault. like us, the Vault REFUSES to conform- she's a thrift shop, cafe, and all around good time. Decorated with our favorite icons, this breakfast spot knows how to lick all our secret spots. #WLW -- we LOVE the wraps! The breakfast wrap made all of my lips tingle read more

The Vault Café - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Nanaimo, British Columbia

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Great interior decor, delicious oat milk chai latté, sweet & scrumptious vegan strawberry muffin, CD's, tapes & vinyl by local bands for sale, they have events such as open mic comedy, drag shows & local bands. Very cool place! Vancouver needs a spot like this. read more

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Atmosphere is lived in antique eclectic. Staff so friendly and well informed. Food is to die for. What else could you want? Vegan strawberry muffin was heavenly and the vegan breakfast wrap was the best I have ever had. We will be going back for seconds thirds and fourths. read more

The Vault Café - Excellent atmosphere - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Nanaimo, British Columbia

Loved The Vault Cafe! We visited on a Friday morning and found it very busy. The decor inside was fun and eclectic, with green walls covered in mismatched art. Part of the seating area also doubled as a stage for live music and other events. I ordered a Matcha Latte, which was as pretty as it was tasty. I also loved that it could be made unsweetened. For food, I got the Apple & Brie Sandwich and a Date Square. Both were so delicious! The sandwich was filling and overall savory, despite the sweet flavors. I was also obsessed with the aoli they used. The Date Square was also fantastic - perfect texture. My boyfriend got the Breakfast Wrap, which had egg, cheddar, roasted vegetables, avocado, and bacon. The cheese was somehow on the outside of the wrap, and he said it was incredible. He also loved the Snickerdoodle and Ginger Cookies. Overall, this was my favorite coffee shop I've visited in Nanaimo. Would return for the great food and cool vibes! read more

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Had a great experience at this coffee shop. The decoration, music and ambience is really fun and a great way to start a morning. As vegans you always appreciate when a place really tries to put an actually good plant based option on their menu, we tried the vegan breakfast wrap and it was delicious, make sure you ask to pair it with their Marie Sharps smokey hot habanero sauce which they sell at their bazar, the sauce was so good we took home like 6 of them. Great attitude from the staff and great food/drinks. read more

The Vault Café - Vegan Breakfast Wrap - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Nanaimo, British Columbia

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Best chai tea latte I ever had. Forgot to take a picture of the mac and cheese I ordered - it was so good! Great place to bring your laptop/study too. read more

The Vault Café - Chai tea latte - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Nanaimo, British Columbia

First of all this place is now called The Vault Cafe. Great cafe and amazing decor and vibes! You go up and order and then they bring it to you. We had the bacon eggs Bennie and rueben sandwich. Both are recommended. The hollandaise sauce cud use a bit more lemon but overall very tasty. Bacon was cooked spot on (crispy but not over cooked). Rueben was delish but for the price shud have those tasty potato wedges. Had 3 beers on tap. read more

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Friendly with food service. Delightful drinks (enjoyed cafe latte and the London Fog). Neat place. Nice patio seating as well as lots of nooks and crannies to get lost in on the inside. Friendly peeps. Really eclectic. Bathroom was cool. Decent snackies and breakfast foods. Willing to work with you on dietary restrictions. read more

Inexpensive but healthy food, friendly staff and it has a bar and live music evenings. Great place to hangout if you like a Bohemian vibe and a diverse crowd. read more

Awesome corner café in downtown Nanaimo - wish we had more spaces like this on the mainland in Vancouver! Staff was really friendly and quick considering we were there during the Sunday brunch rush. Decor and environment is great - all the attention to detail in the cozy corners. Wanting a Nanaimo bar from Nanaimo, we got their Nanaimo bar, a chai latte, and salad to go. Nanaimo bar was awesome! Thick n' chunky homemade layers of everything. The salad came with a nice tahini dressing and the chai had a good amount of spice and sweetness to it. The crowd that early afternoon was pretty hipster and kind of cliquey and pretentious. Still, would love to sit down for a bigger meal and catch a show at this place someday. read more

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quaint eclectic coffee shop / restaurant. great decor and vibe. Cinnamon bun was excellent ! Struggles during busy times as we had to wait 40 mins for food. for grill cheese toasties we were charged for BLTC and the sandwich had next to no cheese, but a load of roast onion! All in all nice ambiance but need more staff for busy periods read more

I like to call this place, "Nanaimo's Living Room." The staff makes your visit more like coming over to a friend's and having a place to sit for awhile. With weekday openings of 7am, you can come in for coffee and breakfast. Weekends, I believe it is brunch all day. Most every evening there is live music. Usually, Thursday, Friday and Saturday there is a cover. Wednesday is their famed open mic. This is just a cool place to hang and enjoy a slice of Nanaimo. Breakfast, desserts, burgers, and salads served here. If I'm having something to eat, I order a bowl of soup. Never been disappointed at The Vault Cafe. I've been coming here since June 2015. read more

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LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this funky well laid out restaurant/cafe. The music is a bit loud but their menu is so varied for different tastes/fads and coffee is great, their chamomile tea is great (scooped fresh into tea 'bags'), and their Chai Lattees are fantastic. Love their snacks. And the cute guys are so sweet. Now I have to try one of their live music nights. read more

Artsy open cafe with lots of choices for drinks and eats. Yummy cheesecake squares. Yummy mochas and lattes. read more

The Vault Café - Menu - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Nanaimo, British Columbia

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I have to say that the food is phenomenal here. Our party had the soup and the open face chicken pesto sandwich and both were great! Chicken and artichoke not overcooked, the bread was just the right texture and the pesto sauce was delicious. The drinks were really good as well, had the London Fog which not too sweet and definitely worth the time that it took. Friend had a latte and that was good as well. Service was great but a bit slow as they were pretty full. Atmosphere is cozy and I would say is pretty unique. read more

The Vault Café - Open face chicken pesto sandwich - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Nanaimo, British Columbia

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The vibe, the people, the food, the music. Live local music. Variety of seating options. Order from the menu at the bar. Don't forget to check out the daily specials on the blackboard. Home made, small batch desserts in the chill case to your left as you place your order. Seriously reasonable prices. read more

The Vault Café - The Vault's new paint job. - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Nanaimo, British Columbia

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Made a day trip to Nanaimo on a Sunday and it was hard to find a cafe that was open. Lucky for us we came across the Vault--I've got nothing but good things to say! The space is unique and cozy with warm, friendly staff. Got the breakfast wrap and it was delicious, as were the sweet and savoury scones. I can be picky about espresso drinks but the oat latte was perfect--smooth and not too acidic. A++ experience all around--worth the drive from Victoria! Highly recommend. read more

A sweet spot to stop for a drink or a bowl of something so good you can't tell how good it is for you. The quinoa choice or the roasted vegetable bowl both fall into the stealth nutritious category with unexpected flavors and edible touches like pistachios, nasturtium, calendula and hyssop flowers. The staff are casual and the atmosphere is comfortably swank inside and out. Highly recommend. :) read more

This is a very cute cafe with big personality! Definitely a great corner to finish a book here. Highly recommended:)

A great latte in a beautiful atmosphere. Art on the walls, massive vaulted ceilings... the building must be 100 years old. Every Monday is open mic night and it's actually really fun to watch. The outstanding feature in my opinion is the hot chocolate... it's made by hand, so if the shop is busy it'll take about 5 or 10 minutes to get it, but it's absolutely fantastic! read more

There is a true reason why this spot is favored among locals. For me, it is a great corner for those days when you can catch a moment by yourself with something warm, or in a group. Menu items are all the fast-favorites, and includes some really good veggie choices for the growing group of healthy-minded individuals. My friend's wrap looked really fresh, and the orders arriving to other tables, including nachos and dip, foaming-looking coffees and such, diverse and mixed salads, and the usual pub faves. Staff are all young hires, it seems, with a few who have been around a bit longer. All seem very hardworking and genuine. Food arrived at good speeds, and the space was quite busy. Repeat visits have shown their service to be consistent and friendly. Keep an eye out for their events and open mic days. This place, apparently, used to be a bank vault and has undergone many changes in guise over the years. The old style interior decor is quite becoming, with artwork spanning the entire interior, complete with collectibles and heirlooms, some going all the way up the very high ceilings without being overwhelming in the slightest. It is at a very convenient location, easy to find, and the locals fill the place daily. It was a delight to be in such a historic place, and feeling quite at home for the short visits. Thanks! read more

Great space to have a coffee shop in an old heritage building with high ceilings, big windows with a tun of sunlight. A cool feature is the narrow second level balcony area that fits smaller tables for a more private or intimate area. read more

The Vault Café - Interior - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Nanaimo, British Columbia

Situated in the downtown heritage part of Nanaimo this place is truly a space to relax enjoy the high ceiling, art, and , hip atmosphere! The staff are amazing and very friendly and the food and drinks are amazing all served on mismatched plates and second hand cups! Love IT read more

Terrible service. Never received our paninis after waiting 45 mins and it wasn't even busy. The dark haired girl with a clear face shield said they tried looking for us, but they never even called out our order and we were even sitting right next to the till. When we mentioned that we haven't gotten our food they tried to give us cold, stale panini's that had been sitting for however long. Asked for a refund and she threw the cash on the counter, short of what we actually paid (not including tax or tip). Never got an apology or anything. I also work in food/customer service and could not imagine treating customers this way. read more

Great Room, super disappointing Coffee Visited on my way off the ferry. Came here because of the Yelp rating. No unsweetened almond or other milk. Frustrating, but not tragic. But the 4 expression shots had NO crema. The whole.point of an espresso based coffee is that. This made the espresso watery and taking like nutty dishwater. Clearly the Batista had never been trained. Of the machine wasn't cleaned. Or the grind was set wrong. Or all of the above. Look, I admit I am a coffee snob. That is why I come to help to find a great coffee. And maybe my standards are high. I lived in Rome. But this was frankly a bit insulting to pay $6+ for a quad espresso and wish I had a good strong cup of drip. If you care about the taste of your espresso, or cappuccino, or Latte, give this place a pass. If you just want a yummy scone in a very cool room, it might be good, but bring a coffee with you. read more

Nice vibe, has board games. We had gotten a cinnamon bun. Service is a little bit on the slower end. However, the vibe makes up for it. Casual place. read more

Staff was very helpful and great, food was excellent. I had a awesome sandwich, and my iced mocha was delicious! Will be back

Yelp needs a filter for "awesome artsy independent coffee houses" as I would base my travels purely on them. This is an awesome place, good coffee, excellent food, probably stellar acts in the evening but in the morning the huge theater windows and looming house plants are all you ever need. read more

Stopped in here late night to grab a last minute snack for my family as we had just rolled into town off the ferry. Even though they were shutting down for the night, the waitstaff and kitchen were incredibly accommodating, saved the day and the food was delicious. read more

Great atmosphere, but staff just always seem to be quite rude and careless. Came in here yesterday and ordered a pot of tea. Received the cup, and there were coffee stains I could rub off with my finger. I asked to get a new cup and the lady in the floral shirt gave a irritated look, saying nothing, and just slid the new cup across the table. I've had similar uncomfortable experiences with the baristas here, and I thought I may have simply gotten them on a bad day, but it seems everyday is there bad day. Looking for friendly staff? You won't get that here. read more