Kafka's Coffee & Tea (Best Cafés of Vancouver - 5 of 48)

Well I am slowly but surely making my way through Erin Ireland's best cafés of Vancouver and am loving every minute of it!  My latest outing was to Kafka's Coffee & Tea on Main, which I thoroughly enjoyed.  The beverages were great and authentic, the prices included tax (nice touch), the artwork was eye-catching and original, the space was modern but hipsterish at the same time (but not to the point so non-hipsters like myself felt unwelcome), they had fabulous bottles of water for free so you could re-hydrate post caffeine treat (another nice touch), and they had neat little things that caught your eye throughout the café (e.g. handles for canning jars to make them into cups, etc.).  The other bonus is they were open until 9pm on weekdays.  Definitely made for a fun evening out!  Now, on to the beverages...

My wonderful coffee companion's wet cappucino.  Very pretty to look at and my coffee companion thoroughly enjoyed it.

My Chai.  I had a feeling this Chai was going to be good when they listed it as "Chai" not "Chai Latté"...and boy was it ever!  Definitely tasted like it was made with fresh spices and it tasted every bit as good as my friend's homemade Chai, and her family's from Goa for crying out loud!  I'd definitely order this puppy again.  ($4.50)

The view of the coffee shop from our table.

 

 

The X that marks the spot.

 

http://kafkascoffee.ca/

Twitter: @Kafkascoffeetea

Artigiano - Best Cafés in Vancouver (4 of 48)

Slowly but surely I'm making my way through Erin Ireland's list of best café's in Vancouver...not too shabby for a non-coffee drinker!  This time I opted to check out Artigiano.  I would be lying if I said I hadn't been here many a time before, but it's always a nice coffee shop to visit.  It's that cross between a one-off independent coffee shop and a Starbucks.  You feel the coffee machine they use was shipped straight from Italy and there's a personal feel to everything, but the shop itself is bigger than a hole in the wall with plenty of seating, and everything moves at the pace of an organization.

Erin suggested checking out the Artigiano on Hornby, but I decided to visit the one at Pender and Thurlow.  Definitely a bustling place that is good for meeting up with an old colleague, a casual cup of joe with a good friend, or an interview.  No scrabble this time, but perhaps in the future!

My tall Chai Latté.  ($3.95)  Very enjoyable...a really nice mix between spice and sweetness.

 

http://www.caffeartigiano.com/

 

http://itstodiefor.ca/best-coffee-in-vancouver/

Wicked Café - Best Cafés in Vancouver (3 of 48)

A while back, a dear friend of mine sent me a list of the best coffee shops in Vancouver that she found (included below for your viewing pleasure).  I was super excited...even more options for my Chai Latté and Scrabble challenge!  So, when I was meeting up with a friend for coffee recently, I decided it was time to start putting this list to use and check out Wicked Café.  I had heard fabulous things about this cute coffee shop for years and was thrilled to see they were all true!

The space is great and welcoming, the artwork on the walls is gorgeous, the baked goods are out of control and all looked home-made, the service was friendly and easy-going, the prices were normal, and my matcha latté was delicious.  There was no chai latté or Scrabble this time...just wasn't that kind of day...but I have no doubt my scrabble board will be making an appearance there in the future!

Only 45 more to go!

My delicious matcha latté.  (approximately $4.25)

The unbelievable selection of baked goods.  Talk about heaven!  And for you gluten-free folks out there, I was impressed with the number of gluten-free options available.

My Orange-cranberry Muffin.  (approximately $2.75).  Definitely hit the spot!

My coffee shop partner in crime's chocolate croissant.  (price unknown)  Looked very yummy!

The view from our seats.

The other view from our seats.

 

The X that marks the spot.

http://itstodiefor.ca/best-coffee-in-vancouver/

Bel Café - The Best Hot Chocolate EVER!

It's official, the hot chocolate festival finished with the best hot chocolate I have ever had in my life!  Imagine the yummiest hot chocolate you've ever had (not too sweet, just the right amount of chocolate), add chai spices and top it all off with a homemade chai spiced marshmallow.  Heaven on earth!  Even the orange palmier it came with was to die for.  My only regret?  That I waited until the last day of the festival to taste this yummy goodness as it's a special release only for the festival.  Mind you, it's probably a good thing...otherwise I'd be over there on a daily basis!

Things to note: (1) Bel Café is a full service café.  So, if you want to eat in, you have to be seated at a table like at a restaurant.  If you want take-out, feel free to go up and order from the counter.  (2) Their baked goods look mouthwateringly delicious.  (3) Their soups and sandwiches also looked very yummy and a decent size.  (4)  Everything is homemade in house.  And (5) they do have a regular hot chocolate on their menu, which I most definitely plan on trying out after the yummy deliciousness me and my fabulous cycling buddy tried yesterday.

"BENGAL DAYDREAM"
Milk chocolate with sweet spices (chai),
served with caramelized honey and orange palmier.

http://www.belcafe.com/

Medina Café

I hadn't planned on going for brunch this past weekend, but when I got a call from a very dear friend to say she was in town and wondering if I could join her for brunch on Sunday I was super excited!  Not only did I get to have lunch with a bunch of lovely ladies, but I finally got to try Café Medina.  It was just as fabulous as I had heard.  The food was unreal, we actually ate in the back of Chambar because they were so busy, and the whole meal was a treat.  Further details on the food have been included below for your mouth watering pleasure.

Things to note: (1)  I don't think this place ever doesn't have a line-up.  However, it is a true testament to how delicious it is and the line is well organized and there are awnings to keep you out of the rain's reach.  I would definitely recommend planning on a minimum 30 minute wait, though.  (2) Your whole party has to be there in order to be seated.  (3) The food is delicious, but it's definitely not an inexpensive brunch.  (4) The service is relaxed and enjoyable, which was fabulous for us because we wanted to sit and chat.  However, if you're hoping to be in and out quickly, this may not be the place for you.  From the time we put our name down until the time we paid our bill was about 2.5 hours. 
 

My matcha latté.  Oh so pretty and very good.  It took me a couple of sips to get used to the fact that it was unsweetened but once I did, it was very nice.  ($4.30)

 

Paella with egg sunny side up: 1 baked egg, curried orzo, Hungarian chorizo, zucchini, red pepper, roasted corn, grano padano, watercress, tomatoes, avocado.  ($13)

 

Paella with egg over easy: 1 baked egg, curried orzo, Hungarian chorizo, zucchini, red pepper, roasted corn, grano padano, watercress, tomatoes, avocado. ($13)

 

Cassoulet: 2 fried eggs on baked beans, saussison de Paris, double smoked bacon, and andouille. Grilled foccacia.  ($15)

 

Les Boulettes: 2 poached eggs, spicy Moroccan lamb and beef meatballs, cilantro, houmus, raita. Grilled foccacia.  ($15) 

 

La Santé: Soft boiled egg, prosciutto, ripe tomato, olive tapenade, avocado, extra virgin olive oil, grilled ciabatta.  ($12)

 

My Tagine: 2 poached eggs, spicy tomato stew, merguez sausage, sundried black olives, and cilantro. Grilled foccaccia with hummus and raita.  This was out of control delicious!  The flavours were amazing, the sausage unreal, the spicy tomato stew was full of chick peas and delicious with the poached eggs, and the foccaccia with hummus and raita was such a treat.  I just wish there were a few more olives...you can never have too many olives!  ($14)

 

Waffle with berry compote.  I almost didn't get the waffle because I was on the verge of being full and really, how good could this waffle be?  However, since they were known for their waffles, and since everyone else at the table got one, I succumbed to peer pressure and ordered one.  It was the best waffle I have ever tasted.  And the berry compote was divine!  ($4.15)

 

  

http://www.medinacafe.com/