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Where to Drink Coffee in Vancouver Right Now

by Nikki Bayley
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by Nikki Bayley

[Photo via CafeYVR ]

Vancouver residents are rarely spotted out and about without a take-out cup of coffee in their hand (and, yes, a yoga mat slung over their shoulder) but where to go for a java shot that's a cut above the usual burned bean brews? We asked Vancouver coffee scene expert, Lawrence Lee, who runs Vancouver's cafe photography blog CafeYVR to select his pick of the city's finest.

Got a suggestion for a cafe you think deserves to be added to our next coffee map? Drop us a line or leave a comment and stay tuned for the next edition.


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Note: Restaurants on this map are listed geographically.

1. Culprit Coffee

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2028 Vine Street, Vancouver
British Columbia, Canada
Visit Website
It's hard to miss the brick wall painted bright yellow with the huge raccoon on the side. Culprit is one of the few cafes in the city with coffee from Victoria's Fernwood Coffee and all the food prepared in their kitchen is gluten free.

2. Elysian Coffee

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1778 W 5th Ave., Vancouver
BC V6J 1P1, Canada
(604) 734-1778
(604) 734-1778
Visit Website
Since they opened in 2000, Elysian has been a favourite for specialty coffee drinkers in the city, thanks to the sourcing of their coffee and brewing techniques. With the move to roast their own coffee beans they're more focused than ever on serving up the perfect cup.

3. Innocent Coffee

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1340 W 4th Ave, Vancouver
BC V6H 4A3, Canada
(604) 730-1155
(604) 730-1155
Visit Website
What they lack in floor space they make up for with a beautiful design and great coffee from two local specialty coffee roasters. Upstairs you'll find more seating along with exhibition space that is regularly used by local artists.

4. Kafka's Coffee and Tea

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2525 Main St., Vancouver
BC V5T3E5, Canada
(604) 569-2967
(604) 569-2967
Visit Website
An emerging art space in the city, you can sit down with a great cup of coffee from Seattle's Herkimer Coffee while browsing the latest art exhibition at Kafka's. With new extended hours, they're also open late until 10pm from Mon-Thurs.

5. 49th Parallel & Lucky's Doughnuts

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2902 Main St., Vancouver
BC V5T 3G3, Canada
(604) 872-4901
(604) 872-4901
Visit Website
With loyal fans of their coffee beans across North America, their Main Street cafe is the perfect environment to enjoy their coffee. 49th Parallel also added a whole new legion of fans by opening a Lucky's Doughnuts inside the cafe.

6. Matchstick Coffee Roasters

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639 E 15th Ave, Vancouver
BC V5T 2R6, Canada
(604) 558-0639
(604) 558-0639
Visit Website
One of the city's newest specialty coffee roasters, Matchstick combine their roasting operations with a beautiful cafe filled with warm natural woods. If you want to learn more about what goes into creating a great cup of coffee drop by the cafe on Saturdays for their public coffee tastings.

7. Le Marché St. George

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4393 St. George St, Vancouver
BC V5V 2N4, Canada
(604) 565-5107
(604) 565-5107
Visit Website
On the corner of a residential street, Le Marché St. George is an immersive experience into the creativity of the owners who designed a space that is a gathering spot for the neighbourhood. The unique touches extend to espresso drinks served in an eclectic collection of vintage tea cups. The cafe serves up coffee locally from Elysian Coffee.

8. PRADO Cafe

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1938 Commercial Dr., Vancouver
BC V5N 4A7, Canada
(604) 255-5537
(604) 255-5537
Visit Website
One of the perfect spots in the city to grab a coffee thanks to the huge windows looking onto Commercial Drive. PRADO is run by the four-time Canadian barista Champion, Sammy Piccolo, and he keeps it in the family with coffee from 49th Parallel Coffee Roasters which is run by his brothers.

9. East Cafe

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2401 E Hastings St, Vancouver
BC V5K 1Y8, Canada
(604) 559-6400
(604) 559-6400
Visit Website
On the corner of Nanaimo and East Hastings you'll find a neighbourhood cafe that is filled with Vancouver memorabilia; photos and posters collected by the owners over the years. East cafe is one of a handful in Vancouver that serves coffee from Chicago's Intelligentsia Coffee.

10. Finch’s Market

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501 E Georgia St, Vancouver
BC, Canada
(604) 558-1644
(604) 558-1644
Serving up some of the best sandwiches in the city, Finch's pay an amazing amount of attention to detail into service and presentation. Espresso drinks are prepared on an ornate Italian espresso machine made from brass and copper with their own packaged direct trade and organic espresso blend.

11. East Van Roasters

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319 Carrall St, Vancouver
BC, Canada
(604) 629-7562
(604) 629-7562
Visit Website
Run by the Portland Hotel Society, the cafe roast their own chocolate and coffee in the back room, while also providing training and employment to women residents of the Rainier Hotel. You can also find pastries from Kerrisdale's Faubourg bakery on sale here as well.

12. Nelson The Seagull

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315 Carrall St, Vancouver
BC V6A 0A7, Canada
(604) 681-5776
(604) 681-5776
Visit Website
A stylish room in Gastown, Nelson The Seagull focus on using local and organic producers combining them into favourites like the Avocado on Toast. Their coffee is from Matchstick Coffee and they also make their own bottled cold brew coffee.

13. Revolver

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325 Cambie St., Vancouver
BC V6B 1H7, Canada
(604) 558-4444
(604) 558-4444
Visit Website
Run by the Giannakos brothers who take a scientific approach to producing a cup of coffee and use beans from some of the best coffee roasters around North America and a variety of brewing methods. With their new coffee education/home brew retail store next door it's the coffee mecca of Vancouver.

14. Cartems Donuterie

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534 W Pender St, Vancouver
BC V6B1V3, Canada
(778) 708-0996
(778) 708-0996
Visit Website
There's nothing more Canadian than a doughnut with a cup of joe. Along with finding unique flavour combinations and making everything fresh, Cartems source all their ingredients as locally as possible - which includes their coffee from Matchstick Coffee Roasters.

15. JJ Bean Coffee Roasters

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353 Burrard St., Vancouver
BC V6C 0C4, Canada
(604) 558-2469
(604) 558-2469
With more than a dozen cafes, JJ Bean is a staple of the Vancouver coffee scene. Their latest location inside the historic Marine Building raised their game bringing their design flair to the art deco treasure of the city. Take the time to look at the unique architectural features in the cafe while sipping one of their single origin coffees in a French press.

16. Bel Cafe

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801 W Georgia St, Vancouver
BC V6C 3G1, Canada
(604) 673-7000
(604) 673-7000
Visit Website
David Hawksworth's intimate street cafe is a regular for people looking for a quick business lunch or to enjoy one of their pastries and a cup of coffee using beans from Vancouver's 49th Parallel Coffee Roasters.The table service at the cafe is a great touch, but you can also head to the counter to get something to go.

17. Musette Caffè

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1261 Burrard St, Vancouver
BC V6Z 1Z1, Canada
(604) 336-1159
(604) 336-1159
Visit Website
In a back alley located off of the Hornby Street bike lane, Musette is a cycling cafe that is frequented by cyclists and non-cyclists alike. It's a visually interesting space with a colourful collection of cycling memorabilia along with antique furniture displayed throughout. With coffee from 49th Parallel Coffee it's one of the few places downtown to grab a good cup of coffee.
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1. Culprit Coffee

2028 Vine Street, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
It's hard to miss the brick wall painted bright yellow with the huge raccoon on the side. Culprit is one of the few cafes in the city with coffee from Victoria's Fernwood Coffee and all the food prepared in their kitchen is gluten free.
2028 Vine Street, Vancouver
British Columbia, Canada
Visit Website

2. Elysian Coffee

1778 W 5th Ave., Vancouver, BC V6J 1P1, Canada
Since they opened in 2000, Elysian has been a favourite for specialty coffee drinkers in the city, thanks to the sourcing of their coffee and brewing techniques. With the move to roast their own coffee beans they're more focused than ever on serving up the perfect cup.
1778 W 5th Ave., Vancouver
BC V6J 1P1, Canada
(604) 734-1778
Visit Website

3. Innocent Coffee

1340 W 4th Ave, Vancouver, BC V6H 4A3, Canada
What they lack in floor space they make up for with a beautiful design and great coffee from two local specialty coffee roasters. Upstairs you'll find more seating along with exhibition space that is regularly used by local artists.
1340 W 4th Ave, Vancouver
BC V6H 4A3, Canada
(604) 730-1155
Visit Website

4. Kafka's Coffee and Tea

2525 Main St., Vancouver, BC V5T3E5, Canada
An emerging art space in the city, you can sit down with a great cup of coffee from Seattle's Herkimer Coffee while browsing the latest art exhibition at Kafka's. With new extended hours, they're also open late until 10pm from Mon-Thurs.
2525 Main St., Vancouver
BC V5T3E5, Canada
(604) 569-2967
Visit Website

5. 49th Parallel & Lucky's Doughnuts

2902 Main St., Vancouver, BC V5T 3G3, Canada
With loyal fans of their coffee beans across North America, their Main Street cafe is the perfect environment to enjoy their coffee. 49th Parallel also added a whole new legion of fans by opening a Lucky's Doughnuts inside the cafe.
2902 Main St., Vancouver
BC V5T 3G3, Canada
(604) 872-4901
Visit Website

6. Matchstick Coffee Roasters

639 E 15th Ave, Vancouver, BC V5T 2R6, Canada
One of the city's newest specialty coffee roasters, Matchstick combine their roasting operations with a beautiful cafe filled with warm natural woods. If you want to learn more about what goes into creating a great cup of coffee drop by the cafe on Saturdays for their public coffee tastings.
639 E 15th Ave, Vancouver
BC V5T 2R6, Canada
(604) 558-0639
Visit Website

7. Le Marché St. George

4393 St. George St, Vancouver, BC V5V 2N4, Canada
On the corner of a residential street, Le Marché St. George is an immersive experience into the creativity of the owners who designed a space that is a gathering spot for the neighbourhood. The unique touches extend to espresso drinks served in an eclectic collection of vintage tea cups. The cafe serves up coffee locally from Elysian Coffee.
4393 St. George St, Vancouver
BC V5V 2N4, Canada
(604) 565-5107
Visit Website

8. PRADO Cafe

1938 Commercial Dr., Vancouver, BC V5N 4A7, Canada
One of the perfect spots in the city to grab a coffee thanks to the huge windows looking onto Commercial Drive. PRADO is run by the four-time Canadian barista Champion, Sammy Piccolo, and he keeps it in the family with coffee from 49th Parallel Coffee Roasters which is run by his brothers.
1938 Commercial Dr., Vancouver
BC V5N 4A7, Canada
(604) 255-5537
Visit Website

9. East Cafe

2401 E Hastings St, Vancouver, BC V5K 1Y8, Canada
On the corner of Nanaimo and East Hastings you'll find a neighbourhood cafe that is filled with Vancouver memorabilia; photos and posters collected by the owners over the years. East cafe is one of a handful in Vancouver that serves coffee from Chicago's Intelligentsia Coffee.
2401 E Hastings St, Vancouver
BC V5K 1Y8, Canada
(604) 559-6400
Visit Website

10. Finch’s Market

501 E Georgia St, Vancouver, BC, Canada
Serving up some of the best sandwiches in the city, Finch's pay an amazing amount of attention to detail into service and presentation. Espresso drinks are prepared on an ornate Italian espresso machine made from brass and copper with their own packaged direct trade and organic espresso blend.
501 E Georgia St, Vancouver
BC, Canada
(604) 558-1644

11. East Van Roasters

319 Carrall St, Vancouver, BC, Canada
Run by the Portland Hotel Society, the cafe roast their own chocolate and coffee in the back room, while also providing training and employment to women residents of the Rainier Hotel. You can also find pastries from Kerrisdale's Faubourg bakery on sale here as well.
319 Carrall St, Vancouver
BC, Canada
(604) 629-7562
Visit Website

12. Nelson The Seagull

315 Carrall St, Vancouver, BC V6A 0A7, Canada
A stylish room in Gastown, Nelson The Seagull focus on using local and organic producers combining them into favourites like the Avocado on Toast. Their coffee is from Matchstick Coffee and they also make their own bottled cold brew coffee.
315 Carrall St, Vancouver
BC V6A 0A7, Canada
(604) 681-5776
Visit Website

13. Revolver

325 Cambie St., Vancouver, BC V6B 1H7, Canada
Run by the Giannakos brothers who take a scientific approach to producing a cup of coffee and use beans from some of the best coffee roasters around North America and a variety of brewing methods. With their new coffee education/home brew retail store next door it's the coffee mecca of Vancouver.
325 Cambie St., Vancouver
BC V6B 1H7, Canada
(604) 558-4444
Visit Website

14. Cartems Donuterie

534 W Pender St, Vancouver, BC V6B1V3, Canada
There's nothing more Canadian than a doughnut with a cup of joe. Along with finding unique flavour combinations and making everything fresh, Cartems source all their ingredients as locally as possible - which includes their coffee from Matchstick Coffee Roasters.
534 W Pender St, Vancouver
BC V6B1V3, Canada
(778) 708-0996
Visit Website

15. JJ Bean Coffee Roasters

353 Burrard St., Vancouver, BC V6C 0C4, Canada
With more than a dozen cafes, JJ Bean is a staple of the Vancouver coffee scene. Their latest location inside the historic Marine Building raised their game bringing their design flair to the art deco treasure of the city. Take the time to look at the unique architectural features in the cafe while sipping one of their single origin coffees in a French press.
353 Burrard St., Vancouver
BC V6C 0C4, Canada
(604) 558-2469

16. Bel Cafe

801 W Georgia St, Vancouver, BC V6C 3G1, Canada
David Hawksworth's intimate street cafe is a regular for people looking for a quick business lunch or to enjoy one of their pastries and a cup of coffee using beans from Vancouver's 49th Parallel Coffee Roasters.The table service at the cafe is a great touch, but you can also head to the counter to get something to go.
801 W Georgia St, Vancouver
BC V6C 3G1, Canada
(604) 673-7000
Visit Website

17. Musette Caffè

1261 Burrard St, Vancouver, BC V6Z 1Z1, Canada
In a back alley located off of the Hornby Street bike lane, Musette is a cycling cafe that is frequented by cyclists and non-cyclists alike. It's a visually interesting space with a colourful collection of cycling memorabilia along with antique furniture displayed throughout. With coffee from 49th Parallel Coffee it's one of the few places downtown to grab a good cup of coffee.
1261 Burrard St, Vancouver
BC V6Z 1Z1, Canada
(604) 336-1159
Visit Website