Commerical Street Cafe at 20th & Commercial

I've used this cafe a few times. It's a nice spot, a local cafe of the type that I would love to see more of in Vancouver. Furniture and decor are a mix of this and that, doing their jobs in a slightly worn, comfortable kind of way.

The layout of the store is a little unusual - I think it was probably two stores at one time. You move between 2 seating areas by cutting through the serving area. The room with the main service counter is dominated by a large fridge and kitchen prep area so the adjacent seating isn't the best choice. Of course there is other quieter seating available, including some outside tables on a fairly quiet street corner.

For the visit that I have rated below:

Staff were welcoming and efficient.

My large Americano was pretty good. I needed a bit more room for milk so the first few sips had quite a kick, but once I topped up the milk I had a tasty, nicely-flavoured drink. My partner in crime had good things to say about her drink too.

Between us we ordered a lemon tartlet, a sandwich, and a tofu rice bowl. The tartlet was so so. Its pastry was fine but the filling lacked a nice lemony zing. The sandwich was much better - generously filled and tasty, only marred by the bread being slightly dry. The tofu dish was really nice: first class.

Coffee rating	👍
Sandwich rating (includes tofu dish)	👍👍
Baked goods rating	👎
Service	👍
Cleanliness	👍
Seats available	👍👍
Décor	👍
Ambience	👍👍
Overall	👍

June. Thursday. Lunch time.

Elysian Coffee at Fifth & Burrard

The outside is inviting with a few tables on the wide sidewalk of a low-traffic street just off Burrard. The inside decor is simple, modern, and quite comfortable, but showing a few signs of wear. The thud, thud, thudy music was playing a little too loud and detracted from the appeal of the location.

Service tended to taciturn with few customers receiving much more than a perfunctory "Hello" or "Thank you", but the pace was good enough to keep up with the steady stream of customers of a Saturday lunchtime. A nice touch was that the staff were bringing orders to the customers' tables instead of leaving people to hover at the counter.

My friend rated her Moccachino highly. The fern artwork in her milk froth indicated an experienced hand at work but, oh dear oh dear, my drink, an Americano, was completely insipid. Blah! The accompanying Ameretto cookie was slightly undercooked (I look for a slightly crisp shell with a soft centre) but tasted really good.

In summary, on the day of our visit, this place was a mix of good and bad. On balance, it left me disappointed.

Coffee rating	👎
Sandwich rating	?
Baked goods rating	👍
Service	👍
Cleanliness	👍
Seats available	👍👍
Décor	👍
Ambience	👎
Overall	👎

June. Saturday. Lunch time.

Uprising Breads Bakery at Venables & Commercial

This is a bakery that sells drinks and sandwiches - and I mean sandwiches, not fancy panini - rather than being just a cafe or coffee shop. As a consequence, there is a wonderful and enticing array of baked goods on display. It also means that the decor is focused on the functional, and all the indoor seating areas are dominated by a large serving and display area. Even so, there's a nice vibe to the place and the steady stream of customers is a positive sign.

My drink, a large Americano, was wonderful and my friend rated the chai latte extremely highly: "one of the best I've ever had".

We shared a sandwich and a pastry. The sandwich was acceptable everyday quality - wrapped, not made to order. The almond croissant was quite yummy, and generously filled.

Even though it was a weekday lunchtime there was enough indoor seating, plus a few open spots outside. Noise levels were great: just a pleasant humm of conversation, and not much intrusion of either street noise or kitchen noise.

Staff were friendly and efficient, and helped each other out to move the orders along.

Coffee rating	👍👍
Sandwich rating	👍
Baked goods rating	👍👍
Service	👍👍
Cleanliness	👍
Seats available	👍
Décor	👍
Ambience	👍
Overall	👍👍

June. Monday. Lunch time.

Pallet Coffee Roasters at 22nd & Oak

My drink, an Americano, was perhaps a little too strong, but the taste was still fine. I didn't want to buy food, but from a quick glance around I guessed that the selection available at the time of my visit was a little limited.

There was enough seating and it didn't feel crowded. The decor is modern, tending towards minimalist. The music level was acceptable but I was bothered by the traffic noise from busy Oak St.

Clean-up and tidiness are sometimes allowed to slide, but at this location the staff were clearly making sure to be on top of their chores.

I encountered attentive, efficient and welcoming service.

Coffee rating	👍
Sandwich rating	?
Baked goods rating	?
Service	👍👍
Cleanliness	👍👍
Seats available	👍
Décor	👍
Ambience	👎
Overall	👍

June. Thursday. Mid-afternoon.