PLATFORM 7

Platform 7 Coffee Brew Bar is best described as a truly unique coffee culture experience.

Walking into the café, you know you have entered a coffee addict's haven. Platform 7 chose Portland's Stumptown Coffee Roasters as their flagship coffee roaster. The Brew Bar provides hand crafted coffee in every possible variation: pour over, French press, siphon, cold brew, iced coffee, shakerato, martini style, shakuato, and even a tasting flight. They also offer espressos, prepared in their handmade La Marzocco Strata machine from Florence, Italy. French style baked goods are displayed on the behind a glass case, with gluten free, dairy free, and vegan options. Coffee is clearly a big deal here (in a friendly, unintimidating way).

The design of Platform 7 is as much a part of the experience as the coffee, reminiscent of a Victorian London train station with reclaimed wood floors, exposed brick walls, and bench seating. Combined with the backlit vaulted glass ceiling, you may think you have stepped into King Cross Station. Hidden at the back of the café is an urban version of The Secret Garden. Find a bench among the planters and pretend you are in some faraway country (it helps when the weather cooperates). 

On a sunny day, we recommend a glass of Stumptown's Nitro Cold Brew Coffee (the coffee is infused with Nitro and dispensed on tap to give it a creamy taste and a foamy head just like your favourite craft beer) with a chocolate cookie in the back garden. Close your eyes and you might start to think you're somewhere between Portland and London. 

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CULPRIT COFFEE CO.

If the bright yellow exterior doesn't catch your attention, then the cute little racoon face on the sign should be enough to entice you in to this independent coffee shop. And if the friendly staff behind the counter don't make you want to stay a while, then the coffee and food definitely will. 

Located on a side street just off 4th Avenue, Culprit Coffee Co. describes itself as Vancouver's first fully dedicated gluten free coffee shop. For those of you who say that gluten-free-anything must taste like cardboard, be prepared to swallow your words (excuse the pun). For those of you who are always searching for the best gluten free treats, welcome home. 

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