This is a really great European cafe. They sell fresh organic milk, bacon, jams, and other curated grocery items. We enjoyed their croissant, pastel de nata (Portuguese egg custard), and chocolate chip cookie (thicker yet still soft). I bought a jar of rhubarb jam to take home. It's located on a quiet residential street with beautiful landscaping in front of all the nearby residences. read more

Union Food Market - Grocery Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

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I love this area with the gardens and parks, and this adorable coffee shop fits right in amongst the cozy little houses and gardens! Great drinks, desserts and sourdough! Staff are lovely and lots of seating outside - just gorgeous! read more

This little café hidden on a lovely block in Strathcona is one of the quaintest cafés I've been to in the city. A friend and I went to another café nearby for lunch a week ago. I realized Union Market was only a few blocks from us and my husband had told me about the pasteis de nata at the market so we walked by after lunch to check it out. It looked lovely so I made a point to come back with my husband today. The street side patio is the nicest among the many cafés we've been to in the city. There are ample seating covered by strung lit awnings surrounded by lush landscaping and vegetation in the neighbourhood. We thoroughly enjoyed our quiet late morning having our brunch watching neighbours and commuters gently cycling by. We had a flat white, an americano, a BLT, a prosciutto sandwich, a pastel de nata and a s'more cookie. My flat white was rich and strong. The bread of our sandwiches was soft, moist and thick. While my pastel de nata was good, the s'more cookie was sinfully good (and I do not like s'mores and never participated in roasting s'mores in any BBQ). A bite of the gooey lightly charred marshmallow on top of a large piece of soft cookie with a graham cracker embedded inside almost tempted me to trade my pastel de nata with my husband's cookie. The cookie is so much better than the traditional s'more. read more

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Update hiatus? I'd say so. It is no longer a neighborhood convenience store/grocery since my last visit. It's now a small bakeshop and cafe, with nominal items for sale. Ownership has changed, but the Portuguese egg tarts are still here. Yay! Not too busy here on a Saturday AM, after my romp at S2 Cafe. Strathcona has changed a lot. It's slowly gentrifying. This shop is mainly for the locals and cyclists that pass by. Parking is difficult if you do decide to come via car. read more

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I visited Union Market several years ago, and when I returned this time, it seemed like they had renovated? The interior decor and table settings looked different. I actually like the ambience even more now. This visit was for a limited item from the Hot Chocolate Festival. #166 - Last Call for Baby Guinness A Baby Guinness-inspired hot chocolate featuring rich, coffee-infused cocoa, topped with a velvety layer of non-alcoholic Bailey's-style cream. This indulgent drink pays homage to the classic Dublin-originated cocktail, reimagined as a cozy, alcohol-free treat. Served with honey butter toast on Guinness sourdough bread. This was one of the most unique flavors I tried at the 2025 festival. The hot chocolate had a classic texture and taste--but I get why. It allowed the non-alcoholic Bailey's-style cream on top to truly stand out. The non-alcoholic cream was fantastic--just delicious! It blended perfectly with the classic hot chocolate. The sourdough bread, caramelized with honey, was amazing. When I soaked it in the hot chocolate, it brought out even more flavor. They offer their signature item, Pastel de Nata, and it was very, very delicious! The filling was so creamy, and the pie crust was perfectly flaky--I could easily eat more of these. They also offer cookies, sandwiches, and croissants. Overall, it was a great experience. Highly recommended! read more

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Been wanting to try this cafe + shop and loved it! So quaint and instantly comfortable. The barista was friendly and made a great flat white. Enjoyed the selection of baked goods - nice to see a varied selection of croissants, tarts and cookies. They all looked delectable. The outdoor seating was full, a testament to the awesome vibe, food and drinks at Union. Can't wait to return! read more

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Discovered this cafe when I was browsing through the Hot Chocolate Festival flavors. And wow did Union Market bring a taste of Portugal to the festival! I tried the The Golden Flake of Balem hot chocolate during my visit. This was a Pastel de Natal-inspired white hot chocolate that is topped with a flakey panna cotta, and accompanied with a classic pastel de nata. Was fortunate to catch this one before the flavour ended and what a good deal with the two desserts included. We enjoyed the pastel de natal so much we ordered one more! read more

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Great selection of artisanal foods and local items that are great for dinners and celebrations

Union Market is a great place to get you European groceries. They also make quick lunches and lattes espresso coffees if you in the go? this is the place to go. Very friendly people and always very busy. There is parking on the streets a round it and nearby. read more

The Portuguese egg tart looked mouth watering. Pros the crust was flakey but wished they offered to heat it up. The cons it was too sweet and milky for me. I like to taste the egginess in my egg tarts. But I do believe their flavor is more authentic. So if you like it more authentic! Definitely try it. Also very friendly service and cute neighborhood market/bakery. read more

No longer a Portuguese grocery store doesn't have any meat or fish products - staff ok baked goods fine

I've been craving a Portugese tart since the start of the pandemic. I quickly hit up their IG account and asked if they still made these and confirmed they did. Flakey, custardy, sweet, delishes bites of heaven. Only thing i wished was that it was warm but man... just beautiful. read more

Union Food Market - Grocery Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

Union Food Market was one of the places that's been on my "to try" list for a few years, as finding Portuguese products in Vancouver is bizarrely difficult and I love that it's owned and operated by a Portuguese family. I was in the neighbourhood last week and actually remembered to stop by and check this place out. It's a café and small market front that's a favourite amongst local residents and those passing through. It's quaint, it's charming, and if you don't find what you're looking for you're probably still going to way away with at least a coffee and a pastéis de Belém (the infamous Portuguese custard tarts) for your troubles. I wasn't looking for anything in particular as it wasn't a planned visit, but more to satisfy a curiosity. They have a nice (albeit small) selection of homemade treats for sale (pastéis de bacalhau (salt cod fritters), rissóis (shrimp cakes), coxinha (actually Brazilian, but it's a chicken croquette), pastéis de Belém, malassadas (a fried donut shaped like an elephant's ear with a mild orange taste and covered with cinnamon and sugar), and a mix of regular coffee shop treats (carrot cake, etc) along with their coffee bar. In terms of Portuguese ingredients, they didn't have as much selection as I had hoped - they had piri piri in various forms (dried, pastes, marinade), tinned sardines, olives, olive oil, and then several frozen items which include frozen whole sardines, small portions of bacalhau, linguiça/choriço, and the aforementioned homemade treats that have been packaged and frozen. I recognize that we're still in the throes of COVID-19, which has disrupted everyone's supply chain (amongst other things), so the selection may be better during normal times. For the homemade goods, the prices I think are quite reasonable, but I was quite shocked at the price of other items, such as the bacalhau. A very small package (about the size of my hand, a women's size small) was over $20. I kept thinking I was misreading this as you would need to buy about 2-3 (or more...) packages to make one recipe of bacalhau. Cod is the very essence of Portugal, particularly salt cod (bacalhau), but the price here is extremely cost-prohibitive and not feasible for those who enjoy it on a regular basis. The frozen whole sardines, on the other hand, seemed to be a reasonable price - about 3 large sardines were around $8. We left with 2 pastéis de Belém and a malassada to enjoy later that day. The pastéis was delicious, and should be enjoyed warm with a sprinkle of cinnamon. The malassada we found to be quite thin and dry - I imagine if you're stopping by in the morning when they're freshly fried they would be excellent. All in all, it's a cozy neighbourhood favourite that I would recommend if you're in the area with time for a coffee, a treat, and a chat while people watching. In terms of specialty goods, I would say it's certainly worth having a browse while you're there though I wouldn't say it's "the" spot I'd recommend to folks looking for Portuguese fare. read more

Union Food Market - View from the street - inside is quite tight for space so hard to get a good angle! - Grocery Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

Such a cute neighbourhood market. Operated by Portuguese people, they have a selection of Portuguese baked goods, as well as your corner store items. I came here for the orange fritters. It's listed in Vancouver Magazine's 101 Things To Taste 2011 Edition. Verdict? It's a nice light fritter (almost like the texture of a Chinese donut), dusted with sugar, and a hint of citrus taste. I also discovered that they have Portuguese custard tarts. Now here's where I got excited. Bought 2 for myself, and enjoyed every single bite of it. It consists of a soft flaky crust, enveloping a sweet, creamy custard! I ate both of them, consecutively. read more

Union Food Market - Orange fritter - Grocery Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

Off the beaten path and isolated on the Adanac Street bike route, this coffee shop/market sells cereal, pasta, canned goods and other kinds of things you'd expect to find in a bomb shelter. With it's large awning stretching out of what used to be a regular house, it looks like somebody decided to have a garage sale in their pantry. But the locals love it, perhaps because of its unpretentious mom and pop feel, and the very friendly service from the cashier is contagious, leaving every shopper and coffee buyer polite and chatty. There is a nice outdoor patio for sitting and watching the fit people coast by one their 10 speeds, and a lot of neighborhood kids come here to spend their allowance on candy or buy some last minute flour for their parents. Buying things here makes you feel like you're contributing something back to the community, after taking so very much. Simplistic and independent, it the quickest way to pretend that you live in a small town, even though it's only a short walk to downtown Vancouver and the suburbs sprawl out in every other direction for miles and miles. read more

Union Food Market - Grocery Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

Portuguese Egg Tarts!! We stumbled on Union Market by accident. It's a great little place (kind of like a fusion of Benny's and Wilder Snail combined) and they've got delicious baked goods, salt spring island coffee and various snacks in the middle of their little store. Their Portuguese egg tarts ($1.50) are amazing! Even though the ones from T&T are a bit cheaper they're more eggy and the ones from Union Market have a creamier consistency which I prefer. Their carrot cakes are yummy as well! They also have samosas and even fried chicken which I've been curious about. read more

Union Food Market - Portuguese Egg Tarts - Grocery Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

Disappointing and overrated. I had breakfast there twice (to be sure my first time wasn't an off chance) and had the plain croissant (little flavor tasted like a bun), spanikofpita pastry (best of the three items but nothing to rave about), thai chicken wrap (wrap stuck to the paper wrap and filling was mostly noodle, little chicken and tasted sour). Ordered brewed coffee and was told to help myself at the dispenser. Coffee was lukewarm. Stern and impatient female counter staff who was older, the man was cordial. Another option nearby is Benny's market at Union/Hwak if you're in the neighborhood but I have yet to try it. read more

Awesome little place to sit and have a fritter. This place is what all neighbourhoods should have: a little market with covered outdoor seating, friendly staff, and right on a bike path with almost no car traffic. I can't say enough about places like this (especially in Strathcona),.. I just love them and it doesn't matter what you order. Enjoy this find. read more

Always pass by bicycle on the Adanac bike-way going to East Van. Decided to stop by yesterday. Nice clean Deli Grocery inside with quality selection of grocery, food and snack choices for there neighbours /customers enjoyment. We had some salmon sandwiches on brown bread for lunch. Tasty and very fairly priced. The seating area in the front of the story was busy with a group of camera buffs trading stories and people visiting. They could have a few more chairs to match tables capacity. Union Food Market knows what its business is all about and its worth checking out if you in the area-but if you live in the area-you already know about this place. read more

This little market is a hidden gem that not too many people know about for the fact that it's wrapped inside a residential neighbourhood. Most of the people I know who know of this place either are cyclists and come by here as it's along a popular route, or they have friends living in the area. This little convenience market feels like the type of small business you encounter in a more rural town, providing a small offering of a large variety of products. It's a coffee shop / store so there's a nice sitting area out front complete with bike stands for those coming along the bike route to stop for a break. It's definitely gotten a lot nicer and the people who work here are still super friendly. This store alone will make you want to live in this area. read more

Like to stop by this neighbourhood gem when I am passing through on the bike and have some time. Lots of sweet and savoury baked goods and snacks, a small produce selection, and some interesting seasonings, home cured meats, and freezer items. Bike pump available in case you need it, and a great community business overall. read more

I discovered Union Market years ago when I was staying with a friend in the area...we were out for a walk and feeling a bit hungry when we happened upon the market..we thought it looked a bit suspect (this was prior to the recent renovations) but we though we'd give it a shot! I am soo happy we did! When we walked in there was a case with the best looking fried chicken I have ever seen..I was really not expecting warm food..and not food that looked so figgin' yummy...the lady behind the counter greeted us like family and told us we must try her chicken..and so we grabbed 2 pieces and some chocolate milk and headed on our way...she had put the chicken in brown paper bags and the grease was starting to make the bag translucent almost instantly...a sign of GREAT fried food! We gobbled it up in a park and sipped in our milk..it was the BEST fried chicken I ever had and I became a frequent shopper after that... Years have past since I have been back and telling by the photo they have made some upgrades...I hope they still have the amazing chicken..I will have to make my way over there and report back! read more

Impossibly inexpensive, high quality, oven-style fried chicken... now available any time of day. Discreet, quick, affordable... What's holding you back? It's 10 am and your breakfast is waiting... *mysteriously drags one grease-covered hand across the door of Union Market.* read more

One of Vancouver's best-kept secrets in a neighbourhood that might also be considered one of Vancouver's best kept secrets. Open 7 days a week, 'The Union' is a local favourite and literally a lynchpin of the community. The outdoor patio is a great meeting spot and people-watching favourite. You'll find friendly staff and locals Old timers like myself still refer to this family run shop as "The Gomez" - from when Mama Gomes ran the bakery and fed many a bachelor. Today, the market still feeds many a bachelor, couple and family alike. All your staples can be found here, along with some specialty Portugese imports : seasonal favourites, baccala (salted codfish), membrillo and more. The real stand out though, is the fresh baked goods: Macau style egg tarts, cod cakes, meat pies, fruit pies, fresh breads, cookies, croissants, brioche, sauage rolls, fried chicken, oh my! Ask about Andy's home-made chorizo! read more

Judging by my fellow yelper's who have had nothing but rave reviews about this market (and it's deli) I don't know if it was just not in the cards for me to visit when I did. If you DO decide to visit this place, and you drive, for the love of god listen to google maps. I don't know the neighbourhood very well so I had no idea there were so many dead ends. So when google tells you the best way to get to this place is to turn on Campbell off of Prior St, do it. Don't do what I did and think you can just go to the next street and double back on Union, it doesn't go through and then you end up near Hastings by the time you find a through road. But I digress. I went to this market with the express purpose of trying their baked chicken and I left really disappointed. I should add that I like my cooked chicken hot unless it has just come out of the fridge. I was disappointed in the quality; it was over cooked, warm at best, and lacking in any flavour. It was definitely homemade style and I'm sure it's more palatable when it's actually hot and hasn't been sitting in what I can only describe as a pretense to a warmer. Don't come here expecting to eat it on their patio, best to take it home and re-heat it in the oven. Even better, go to Duffin's or LA Chicken. I think if the owners have no intention of serving anything hot, they should just store it in a refrigerated display case. It was also really odd that there was no advertised price of the chicken (either by piece or by weight). When I asked how much the chicken was their response was, "Well it depends because each piece weighs a bit differently." When I asked what the price was per 100g, the response was, "Well each piece is usually anywhere from $1.50 to $3." Huh?! That said, I was also extremely disappointed with the customer service. When I entered the store, there was a customer before me who couldn't make up his mind about what he wanted and kept asking questions about every other product on the main counter. He was completely oblivious to the fact that there was someone else (me) waiting for service from the only staff person on duty. While I was waiting for someone to help me with my chicken order I scanned around the store. I must say, for a store of its size, it has a lot of stuff that's actually worth making a trip to a corner store for. At one point, there was an older gentleman who looked like an owner or manager and he kept mulling around the main counter and even heard the cashier say to me, "I'm sorry, I'll be with you in a minute..." and all he did was look at his co-worker, look at me, and then walked away. I ended up having to wait 10 minutes before I got any service. The best part was when right after the cashier finished attending to the customer with a million questions, her cell phone started ringing and she answered it right in front of me. Not a store phone, her cell phone. The things I do for chicken. Will I ever return? Not likely. Mostly because it's a b***h to get to but also because first impressions are everything. 1 star for having a good variety of offerings in terms of groceries and snacks 1 star for having a decent ginger beer stocked (you'd be surprised how hard it is to find good ginger beer in this city) -2 stars for customer service -1 star for the baked chicken read more

I love union market !! I live in strathcona and this is the best little neighborhood market in town. Anytime I need a last minute bag of flour, liter of milk etc union is to the rescue. They have a great selection of tasty baked goods, which you can never pass up the opportunity to purchase. The staff are very friendly and get you out the door quickly and enjoying your newly acquired treats. They also have a lovely patio to enjoy a coffee and the traffic going by. read more

We ordered the chicken and feta croissant, it was good not bad at all. Its rainy weather and so cloudy, we sat outside after we ordered and twas so cozy. There is the big heater in the ceiling which is very helpful.. read more

Union Food Market - Grocery Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

Great photos here which show the ambience and also the great food of the Union although they have such choice that it is not possible to give a clear picture of the big culinary picture. It is nice that the photos show the comfortable seating heated on cool day from overhead, the happy dogs and even the visiting cats. read more

Fresh baked bread & snacks,espresso & coffee are a few of the offerings Union Market has, plus a little outdoor sitting area, on the bike path. A jammed packed quality neighbourhood market of fresh & frozen produce, is just what you need at 10am saturday and your friends turn up for breakfast... read more

What a great place to buy your groceries. Has plenty of homemade food of great quality under 5$ cost ( most of the times less than 4$) ,local products and a great energy from the staff. Totally recommended. And they have great coffee that is not mentioned at the description read more

Coffee is the best - friendly staff and nice front patio cafe...met some nice people and got briefed on what's happening within the neighborhood! read more

One word: Chorizo. Hanging out with Nevada Basques for nearly twenty years had given me quite an appreciation for good chorizo. Since moving back to Vancouver I haven't had any really good chorizo for a while. Yesterday I was craving some, so I yelped and found this reference. The market itself is small and crammed full of good stuff. We also bought some olive oil and a few other sundries. The baked goods looked awesome, but I was there for the chorizo. As you walk in keep going straight and it's in the cooler on your right. Beautiful, deep mottled red with a gorgeous smoky meaty smell. I was in bliss the moment I picked one up. Once home I pulled out the iron skillet (it's gotta be a big ol' iron skillet for these babies. Barbecue is NOT the right place for chorizo), heated it over a medium flame and drizzled in about a tbsp of olive oil, stabbed the sausages a few times each to allow the grease to vent, laid them in and covered with a spatter screen and let 'em sizzle. Immediately the smells wafted up and I was brought back to friends and places and lots of great times from my past. A couple of minutes on each side, a few more stabs to vent more grease, then I sliced a crusty french baguette open and popped the chorizo in, letting the rich white crumb soak up the tasty grease from around the sausage. There is no need to pollute with mustard or ketchup or relish or mayonnaise or onions or garlic or anything. Just the chorizo and bread. Serve with a big garden salad and a glass of powerful red wine (Cabernet will do, but the bigger Sicilian and Puglian style wines really stand up well to this). Ahhh... bliss. I have a sneaking suspicion that I'll be riding home over the Second Narrows Bridge a bit more frequently just to stop by the Union Market for chorizo now. I just may have to learn how to prepare baccalau as a result of this discovery (I've have some great baccalau in Portugal). The market is open until 7:00 on week nights read more

I play softball right around the corner most weekends in summer. This place is a great lunch stop if we have a couple of games in a day. They have this awesome Portuguese. Chicken with super crispy skin. They have a lot of other good stuff too but the chicken is my go to. Friendly service and convenient location. read more

for me, it's all about the chicken! since leaving strathcona, being so far from that baked/crispy/fried chicken is one of my greatest sources of remorse, regret, and nostalgia. here's a photo: http://lockerz.com/s/110191185 great people, great food, and above all, great quality. but don't blame me if you are sidelined by the simple and delicious donuts, banana bread, chorizo, pies.... i could go on! read more

Fantastic little pit stop along the Adanac Bikeway and obviously a great small community business. They have display cases full of tempting food from the pastry family, great coffee, and a big shaded patio to rest your tired ol' pedalling legs. Dogs, kids, yuppies, hipsters, and even the tragically spandex clad, everyone is welcome here. read more

So small, but so well stocked. I've literally done my week's grocery shopping here before! Tasty baked goods, too. The Union Food Market is a great neighborhood feature. read more

This tiny community market is a gem! Very friendly staff (community members) and tasty & cost effective pastries and other refreshments. I've been living in the neighbourhood for about a month now and while I've seen this marketing, just now I decided to stop in. A cozy little hanging out spot for members of this community that also attracts those pasting through as it right on the Adanac bike path! read more

It truly is the local hangout for all honest Strathcona-ites. It is not a secret to us or a gem, it is just part of our everyday landscape. It is sort of like that well worn and loved couch that has served you well and you have no desire to change out for something fancy and sleek. The place serves as my outside fridge, as I am sure it does for others in the hood. I love it. And do not forget to ask for their Portugese Custard tarts, they are the best! read more

Cute little store.....sells hard to find Portuguese food items. Good coffee and treats.

Cafe, corner market, mom and pop store all in one. Probably the best mom and pop store in the city with a variety of artison coffee flavors and pastary, fresh fruit and veggies, milks and cheeses. i come here for their homemade pastry, cheese cake, sandwiches, baked chicken, shrimp cake, cod cake, curry pocket. Great place for a quick lunch. read more