I got the iced Matcha Meet Hojicha! I felt that the ratio was a bit off as I mostly tasted hojicha…read moreand the matcha foam at the top didn't really mix in well regardless of how much I stirred it. The foam was also mostly sweet with not much matcha taste. Overall it tasted like an iced chocolate tea. Seating was quite spacious inside though - I would recommend it for a study spot!

solid coffee shop with some asian-oriented flavours. I tried one of their seasonal specials, a hot…read moreblack sesame latte. Actually pretty good. The ladies at the counter were nice enough. Space is clean. I didnt stay or have any of their food though so cant really comment on more than that. Pricing is high but similar to other local coffee shops. If i was in the area I would come back for their special items. Overall solid 4 stars. A step above any of the big chains for sure. But it isnt good enough that I would go out of my way for it. If you're nearby though, worth a visit.

This small coffee shop offers some unique and seasonal coffee options. The space is quite compact,…read morewith a few small tables available for dine-in. Parking can be a bit tricky -- if you're lucky, you might find street parking right out front. With limited space inside, expect a line outside if there are more than a few people ahead of you. We ordered the Earl Grey Matcha, Earl Grey Flat White, and a Pastéis de Nata. The drinks took about five minutes to prepare, and the staff worked efficiently. Their menu seems to rotate seasonally, so you might find limited-time or specialty flavors depending on when you visit. As for the drinks, they were just okay in my opinion. The flat white was quite strong, and while it included Earl Grey syrup, the flavor didn't come through as clearly as expected. The Pastéis de Nata was decent -- not too sweet, but a bit dense. Overall, prices are reasonable for what you get. Worth a visit if you're curious about their seasonal offerings.

The friendliest staff I've ever met. It's a very hipster bougie place with two locations. The…read moreowners are pretty instagram famous but what stands out is their commitment to providing a good workplace, they don't offer a tip option as they just make the price $9 and excellent matcha. My sister talked up their frozen matcha here and it delivered! I got the frozen matcha that they are known for and I added a little of the passion fruit syrup which is actual fruit. This was excellent. They also do the traditional strawberry as well. They also had the best cardamom bun I've ever had. Truly a must visit if you live here or you're visiting. The way they do the frozen matcha is amazing. Truly epic.

2 years later and still my fav spot for matcha lattes! The staff are sooo friendly and the drinks…read moreare quality! Love that oat milk is free to substitute! Highly recommend their mochi pastries and icecream too!

iced matcha latte with oat milk and a chance to win a whisked away to japan? okay, avik, you have…read moremy attention. stopped into avik a little after 3:00 pm on a tuesday, on my way to an appointment, and the place was packed. not exactly surprising given that this west broadway café has become known for its specialty coffee and tea, house made pastries, and all sorts of creative japanese inspired treats. it's a bright, modern space, and there's a lot going on once you start looking around. i went with the iced matcha latte with oat milk, and it was a solid matcha. smooth, nicely balanced, and definitely enough to satisfy the afternoon matcha craving. avik describes its matcha as a high grade tea offering, alongside hojicha, chai and london fog, so tea clearly gets more than an obligatory spot on the menu. then there's the pastry display. so. many. things. the strawberry matcha cookie immediately caught my eye, but then there was a mochi black sesame croissant and i was basically standing there thinking, wait, what?! the menu leans into those japanese flavours in some really fun ways, and there are enough interesting combinations to make a return visit feel very necessary. the strawberry matcha cookie, for example, combines matcha, dried strawberries, white chocolate and cream cheese. the ordering setup is also very much of the future is now variety. there's a huge tablet for self ordering, plus a sliding freezer case for chocolates and ice cream bars. because apparently a regular pastry case wasn't futuristic enough. and then there was the little bonus dangling in front of me: the chance to win a trip to japan through the whisked away to japan promotion, courtesy of paragon. considering how much i've been thinking about japan lately, that felt like a particularly well timed bit of temptation. i sure could use a trip to japan right about now. between the matcha, the creative pastries, the japanese inspired flavours and the very modern ordering setup, avik is a fun stop when the usual coffee and croissant routine needs a little shaking up. even on a packed tuesday afternoon, there was plenty to catch the eye and plenty of reasons to start planning the next visit.

I LOVE this place. I hadn't been in years, but stopped by yesterday as I was in the area. It was…read moreeven better than I remembered. Not only is the coffee amazing but the food is equally good. I got a Latte and Rosemary Egg Muffin. Loved both. The atmosphere is bright and airy, and the staff are super nice. I definitely won't wait so long before coming back again!

Good ambiance but smaller space. Can get noisy so bring noise cancelling buds if you wanna work.read more

Imagine your typical food truck. Now instead of a truck, picture a solar powered pedaling coffee…read morecart. And instead of your typical food truck type food, imagine a hot cup of Americano (or in my case, a latte)! 5 stars! Why? - it's a pedaling coffee cart!!! - it's solar powered! - it's just awesome. - the latte's enjoyable. - and he has a cool accent. I haven't tried his selection of baked goods yet so I can't vouch for those, but everything else about On the Grind is pretty amazing. If you're strolling around the Strathcona area (or he could possibly be somewhere else) and you're lucky enough to stumble upon a pedaling coffee cart, go up to this guy, give him some money and in exchange, he'll make you a tasty caffeinated beverage.

Pedalling Epic Coffee... Pretty much describes On the Grind in one shot…read more With what can only be described as a one of a kind custom built tricycle which travels around VC selling espresso coffee and snacks... powered by solar and covered in coffee beans and leaves you cant miss it. Having a Double-Espresso or a Macchiato from Brett will load you up with enough caffeine to see you right through to the afternoon which is great! Feel free to stop and have a chat, enjoy some superfine beans and the smell of the fresh coffee crema first thing in the morning, its a perfect start to any day.

Very quaint classic French Café, in a historic heritage house. A little oasis of calm in the heart…read moreof the city. Excited to come back for the "thrift-ique" vintage shop opening upstairs. Curated clothing and housewares. A must visit spot!

We came for brunch and the eggs bennys were pretty good! I'm always a bit off put by the "heritage…read morebuilding smell" but I think this would be a cute place to sit for a coffee on a nice day. Service was a bit slow, I think due to there being two floors and servers having to carry food up and down.

We came for a quick coffee break on Saturday. All the tables were full but we managed to snag a…read moreseat on the communal tables outside We got the latte and the snickerdoodle latte. The latte is definitely better. You can taste the flavour of the beans in the latte much better. It gets muted in the snickerdoodle one. I would come back for the latte. I read on Reddit that their chocolate chip cookie is the best and I had to try it for myself. The cookie was good. But not the best I've ever had. I prefer crunchy and chewy cookies but this one is more cakey. The outside was a bit crispy and crunchy but it was too cakey in the middle. The chocolate chips were definitely a bit overly sweet. Overall loved the vibes here. Would come back for the latte and try their brownie cookie

Wonderful and cozy neighborhood cafe with on sidewalk seating…read more I had the cheddar scone with a latte. 4.5/5 for the scone and 5/5 for the latte. Street vibe with a wonderful, especially with r shade the location gets.

This cafe spot is on the second level of City Square and I quite enjoy their coffee. I have not…read moretried their food delivery services or their sandwiches and pastries though their cinnamon bun looked tasty. Service is decent & I like to visit here just for their tea lattes or coffee. I find it a convenient spot to pick up good coffee on a rainy day with City Square's indoor underground parkade available. They are open early before City Square is open and there are small tables of two or a small bar table for 3 close by.

When I arrived at the till, the cashier dropped everything and asked if I needed anything. Very…read moreattentive to customers! I ordered an iced latte macchiato as weather warms up even at 8:30am in Vancouver these days! It was the most decent drink I had for a while - not too sweet, right amount of expresso and fresh! Totally worth it. The seating area was pretty nice, people were peaceful enjoying their free time here.

dropped into elysian coffee on west broadway after discovering that lumière is now permanently…read moreclosed. it wasn't exactly the plan for the afternoon, but sometimes those unexpected detours lead to pleasant surprises. the café has a clean, minimalist look with plenty of natural light, high ceilings, and a relaxed atmosphere. there was a steady stream of people coming and going, but it never felt crowded or rushed. it's the kind of place where people settle in with a laptop, catch up with a friend, or quietly enjoy a coffee by the window. i couldn't resist ordering the mango matcha latte, mostly because i was curious. visually, it was beautiful, with the vibrant green matcha layered over the bright golden mango puree. unfortunately, i don't think i'm a fan of mango and matcha together. on their own, i enjoy both, but the sweetness and tropical fruit seemed to overpower the earthy, slightly bitter notes that make matcha so enjoyable. it just wasn't a combination that worked for me. while there's certainly nothing wrong with elysian, i also didn't find anything particularly memorable about the experience. the coffee shop feels pleasant enough, the service was friendly, and the drinks are well prepared, but nothing really stood out or gave me a reason to make a special trip back. sometimes that's perfectly fine. not every café needs to be a destination. elysian is a comfortable neighbourhood coffee shop that does the basics well, but for me, it was missing that one signature drink, unique atmosphere, or memorable detail that leaves you thinking about it long after you've finished your cup.

Ordered an iced oat milk latte with honey which was delicious. Cute place with seating inside and…read moreout.

Why are the nurses screaming?! Well, we brought them a box of amazing pastries from L'atelier! The…read morepure joy echoing from behind the nurses station made our heart sing. They were showing each other the flavors, and shapes, and designs. Sweet plus savory. Cutting them in half and sharing. It was the least we could do to bring these high quality goodies, made by high quality bakers, to these high quality nurses in the cardiac unit for my mother-in-law. We were so impressed with the staff at L'atelier. They know their stuff and their recommendations are top notch. The bakery itself is so cute and modern and fun. I loved that you could sit outside even in the rain because they have stellar permanent awnings.

French bakery on Broadway with lovely interior and good coffee…read more We tried the canelé, which I think is one of the best indicators of a French bakery's pastry skills. Unfortunately, this one was a bit disappointing. The interior was overly moist, the caramelized crust lacked the crispness I was hoping for, and the honeycomb structure wasn't very well developed. Overall, it was just average. We also ordered the Strawberry Pistachio Tart. The strawberries were fresh with a nice balance of sweetness, and there was a good amount of pistachio chunks. However, it lacked the layers of flavor that make a tart memorable. On the bright side, the coffee was excellent and easily my favorite part of the visit. I'd happily come back for a coffee, but I'd probably try different pastries next time.