THIERRY

As anyone with a sweet tooth can attest, finding a good location for dessert that caters to every mood and craving can seem like an impossible task. Unless you've discovered Thierry. 

Thierry, by award winning pastry chef Thierry Busset, is part chocolaterie, part patisserie, and part café. It serves hand crafted chocolates, macaroons, pastries, and desserts, all of which have seasonal options. You could spend hours perusing the counter, looking at all the delicious cakes and the rainbow assortment of macaroons. The only thing stopping you will be the impatient line up behind you - this place is popular!

The interior of the café matches the luxury of the Alberni shopping strip on which Thierry resides. With curved, palmwood walls, Thonet brentwood café chairs, and a heated outdoor patio, you may never want to leave!

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PORTO CAFE

Porto Café is where presentation and design mix to create a coffee shop that is casual enough for your teenage brother but with the attention to detail your grandmother demands.

This 30-seat café boasts a contemporary design with natural tones, concrete and wood accents, and Eames chairs.  The food and drinks are served on wood boards, etched with Porto's logo. Even the logo has been carefully thought out - it depicts the buildings surrounding the café. As the brand expands, each coffee shop will have its own logo to represent the buildings in its neighbourhood.

The coffee beans served at Porto come from Vancouver's Pallet Coffee Roasters, and are served in all shapes and sizes (and types). Even non-coffee drinkers have choice here, from a wide selection of teas, to hot chocolate, and smoothies. While some of the baked goods are made in the café, others come from local bakeries including Cadeaux Bakery (the cookies taste as good as they look). If you're in the mood for something savory, try the breakfast sandwich, prepared with avocado, Italian meats, and greens.

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CAFFE CITTADELLA

This caffè is anything but a cittadella, unless your fortification is coffee.

Caffè Cittadella has taken up residence in the Shaw House, one of the first homes built in Fairview Slopes. The house was originally constructed in the 1890s and was home to James and Emma Shaw. Since being restored as part of a larger commercial project, the caffè has turned the house back into a welcoming home.  With seating on two stories and a patio outside, there's a nook or cranny for everyone.  And whether you're looking for a sandwich, pastry, or something gluten-free, Emma and James are probably looking on to make sure you pair it with a warm cup of Forty Ninth Parallel Coffee or tea.

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TIMBERTRAIN COFFEE ROASTERS

Timbertrain is serious about three things: coffee, trains, and people.

In 2013, owners Jeff Shin, Min Shin, and Peter Kim combined their mutual love of coffee and trains and opened a unique café in Gastown. Elements on trains are embedded throughout the décor, from the obvious elements like the seating that looks like the booths in passenger cars, to the bar that looks like a rail on its side. Stepping into Timbertrain is like walking into a bustling train station where the staff want to know you by name and make you a perfectly brewed cup of coffee.

Timbertain has a passion for roasting good beans to make great coffee. Whether you're in the mood for a pour-over or a glass of cold brew (available on tap), make sure you pair your liquid with a pastry. We guarantee you'll hope your train (or bus) is running late.

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MUSETTE CAFFE

In a city renowned for its love of bicycles and coffee, Musette Caffè must be the most quintessentially "Vancouver" caffè around.

Named after the small bags used to pass meals to bicyclists during a bike race, Musette has married bicycling and coffee at its two downtown locations. As you may have already assumed, both locations are adorned with bicycle paraphernalia, from the various parts of bicycles and outfits hanging on the walls and from the ceilings, to the chandeliers made of old bike wheels. And, as you may have also already assumed, Mussette is also a caffè. 

What you didn't probably didn't assume was the level to which Musette has joined bikes and coffee - to the point that you can literally ride your bike into the caffè and order while your shoes are still clipped into the pedals. 

Looking around either location, there's usually at least one group wearing spandex, sometimes even a few people whose bikes are so loved (read: expensive) they join their owners inside. But there are also a healthy contingent of "regular" people who just want a good cup of  Forty Ninth Parallel coffee or a pastry.

If you're intrigued by the city's love of bikes and coffee, Musette invites riders of all abilities to their weekly group rides, which leave from the Burrard Street location every Saturday at 8:30am.

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CAFE BICA

Tucked between the bustle of Kitsilano and Granville Island lies Café Bica, a small coffee shop that’s not afraid to slow things down in order to do things right.

Café Bica is completely unassuming and unpretentious. You would never assume from its exterior that through its doors are some of the best coffees and baked goods you may ever have. Not only does this café know how to make a really good coffee, they also know how to create an environment where time seems to slow down. The décor is simple, with exposed concrete floors and wood furniture. Choose from a long communal table, or grab a smaller one if you can. You’ll need plenty of space, though, for all the food you will inevitably order. Brunch is offered until 11:00am on weekends and 2:30pm on the weekends. They offer soup, sandwiches and salads for lunch, and baked goods all day long. And in a delicate balancing act of making sure there are enough spaces for patrons to sit, and for students to “write” their essays, free WiFi is available after 2pm.

While you’re in the area, if you’re looking for something made in Vancouver, head to the café’s south wall. There, they stock things like candles from Vancouver Candle Company and packaged goodies from Butter Baked Goods. 

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