Coco Et Olive

This past Saturday, a couple friends and I went to the Vancouver Farmer's Market. After picking up our cheese's, bread's etc, we decided to go for coffee on Main Street since we were in the area. We decided on Coco Et Olive, which was perfect for me as I had the opportunity to go to a new cafe to check out and review.

Coco Et Olive is located on 3707 Main Street, just on 21st and Main Street.

The decor of the cafe was absolutely spectacular. It looked like a cafe that you would discover somewhere in France. It was very chic and European yet simple at the same time. It felt very Sex and The City like, meaning a place where you can go to to discuss your weekend. My friend's & I lives aren't as crazy as the women of SATC (I'm totally Samantha) but if you want to catch up over coffee instead of brunch, bring the girls here. The good majority of the people were well dressed as well. There was a cute bench towards the back as well, but my friends and I chose to occupy a table. The layout of the place was nice as well. Their pastries looked absolutely tempting and I certainly would have bought one but I decided to stick to the cranberry loaf and berry cream cheese spread that I purchased earlier at the farmer's market. They offered a lot of beverages as well so if you don't enjoy the taste and feeling of coffee, you can try something else.

The service was lagging but it picked up. When it was my turn to order, the server looked at me, waiting for me to speak up. Usually, the server will say something and than ask for your order, so I found this a bit odd. However, she became friendlier once I ordered my cappuccino. The barista was nice as well. He thanked me, which is something rare amongst barista's. Usually, I'm the one doing the thanking so I appreciated this.

Their cappuccino was excellent! It was the third best cappuccino I've ever had, right after Kafka's and Prado. The amount of foam was perfect and it lasted to the final sip. It really complimented the espresso, which was not overbearing, but it was not strong either. My only regret was the fact that I did not get the larger size, as I wish I had more cappuccino to enjoy. My friend ordered a caramel macchiato, and they served her drink in what looked a soup cup. I wish I took a photo, as it was adorable and so well presented.

I highly, highly recommend Coco Et Olive. If you ever want a good cappuccino and you find yourself on Main Street, solo or with friends, dressed in your loveliest clothing, than come on down to Coco Et Olive. Soon enough, you'll feel like you've been whisked away to Paris. All you need is a cute Parisian boy or girl to have coffee with.

Thierry

After a delicious, filling meal at Steamworks, my friend and I ventured from Gastown into downtown to go to Thierry. Thierry is located on 1059 Alberni Street, minutes away from Burrard station and seconds away from the iconic tourist attraction Robson street. I've been to Thierry before, but I've only had their hot chocolate (best hot chocolate ever!) but this time, I was settled on trying their cappuccino.

Thierry was packed. My friend and I scanned the area, looking for an empty table where we can occupy ourselves. Luckily, thanks to my friends awesome vision, we found a free spot in the matter of seconds. I instantly felt like I was back in Europe. Everything from the pastry display to the tables looked very Austrian. It suddenly felt like a warm, summer evening in Vienna. It was a very chic, classic and modern looking cafe. It was also extremely loud. Maybe it was because the tables were placed so closely together but I could hear every conversation happening around me. Having a pounding head due to a bellini that I enjoyed earlier didn't help either. That sadly interfered with the ambiance, which was unfortunate.

The service was friendly, efficient and courteous. They made eye contact, smiled and were extremely helpful and kind. They even brought my friends and I beverages and dessert to our table so we wouldn't have to linger around at the counter. That right there is authentic European service, as the same occurred in Europe at the various cafes that I visited. That really impressed me and I was grateful for the extra assistance and extra effort. It was a nice, welcome change from having a barista hollering that your beverage was ready.

Their cappuccino was strong. Very, very strong. I was unable to fall asleep till 5 AM, 8 hours after I finished the cappuccino. Maybe it's because I handle my caffeine like my alcohol (not so good) but was I ever wired. My body was begging for sleep but my mind told it "no frigging way" & boy, did I ever pay the price. However, I woke up at 8, three hours later, feeling refreshed. I do wish there was a bit more milk and a bit less espresso to balance out the gut punching strength of the espresso. If you like caffeine (& how it makes you feel) and don't care much for sleep, I highly recommend ordering their cappuccino. If you want something more sweet and less subtle, stick to their world class hot chocolate. Best hot chocolate ever!

I highly recommend Thierry. It's a nice change from all the Starbucks that occupy pretty much street corner downtown. It's a taste of Europe located in downtown Vancouver. If you go to a proper hour where the noise doesn't drown you out, you'll get to fully experience the ambiance. Just make sure your stomach is strong enough to handle their cappuccino.

Gene Coffee Bar

My next java craving led me to Gene Coffee Bar. Located on 2404 Main Street, Gene is located on 2404 Main Street, in the heart of main street and mount pleasant district, where main street and kingsway divide.

The decor of Gene was very simple, very minimal. It wasn't an eyesore, it wasn't overbearing but it wasn't bare.It looked like a studio loft, which is fitting as most of the people there were artists and writers. There were people sketching on their art pads and writers writing away on their mac books. It felt like a creativity class that happened to be serving coffee and treats, instead of a coffee shop that was invaded by art and writing students. It makes sense, as I believe coffee is the spark that lights the creative flame. After all, I do get all my writing done in a coffee shop.

The service was mediocre. The servers were a bit standoffish. They made minimal eye contact and small talk, almost like they were bored. I don't expect them to stare me straight in the eyes as we have a full on conversation but regardless, it felt awkward. Still, I've had worse service.

It ordered their cappuccino. While it didn't taste like pure espresso, it was still quite powerful. It felt like a right hook to my tastebuds and an uppercut to my brain, instantly sending a jolt of energy down and around my body. The taste of espresso was eventually replaced by the taste of milk. I'll admit that I like to experience the flavour of the milk right away with the espresso so overall, this cappuccino fared on the stronger side.

If you like your coffee strong but don't care for service, check out Gene's Coffee Bar. If you're an arts student, that I highly recommend going to Gene while getting your work done. I would not be surprised if a regular at Gene turned out to be a future artist, writer or fashion designer. The chic, modern decor encourages, not distracts. Otherwise, there are other coffee shops in the area that value good coffee and good service. Just don't forget your mac book and sketch pad!

Coffeebar

Coffeebar is located on 10 Water Street, right in the heart of Gastown and minutes away from the iconic tourist attraction, the steam clock. I discovered Coffeebar by luck. It was during a walking haunted Vancouver tour back in October that I found this place. I'll admit, a cafe named Coffeebar intrigued me. After all, it told the people what they were selling.

I decided to venture into Coffeebar one wintery Vancouver evening before I had to trek back to downtown for a meeting. If you know me, you know that I will my house extra early just so I can get my java fix before a meeting or work and this day was no different.

My vision took an immediate liking to the decor. It was very modern, very spacious, very hip, and very Gastown. It suited the area just fine, making it the perfect location. The seating arrangements very generous, offering space to everyone from students to friends to people like myself who want to escape the world and leave it out the door, go to a cafe and get some writing done. It's essentially a place for everyone who likes coffee. The setup of the bar and food selection was really lovely as well. The layouts of the sweets looked professional and European, as well as tempting and inviting. However, the only thing that my wallet (and waist) agreed to was their cappuccino.

The service was quick, friendly and efficient.  The server wasn't overbearing, but she wasn't nonchalant either. The barista was friendly and approachable as well. It was obvious that they were familiar with the basic etiquette's of service. In fact, out of all the cafes I went to in Gastown, Coffeebar had the best service.

Now, on to the cappuccino. I'm assuming the beans came from 49th parallel coffee, as the cups read forty parallel coffee on them (see the photo that I included). A lot of the cafes that I frequent use 49th parallel coffee beans so I was excited. The cappuccino had a unique taste to it, almost nutty. Now, I'm no expert on undertones (or is it overtones) in cappuccino, but I certainly liked it. This cappuccino had more of an espresso taste to it, at least for the first few sips. Afterwards, I could taste hints of milk on my tongue complete with the espresso. Compared to other cappuccino's, this one was on the stronger side.

Overall, I was pleased with this place. I would return and I would recommend it as well. And now that I'm starting to exercise regularly again, I might just treat myself to one of their desserts. Well, maybe. 

Review

It's been nearly two months since I started this blog, so I figure I'd review my old posts and than pick the best overall coffee, best overall service and best overall ambiance. Let's start with the most important one, best coffee...

Best coffee: My pick for best coffee/cafe is Prado. Prado is located on 1938 Commercial Drive, just on the corner of 6th. At the end of December 2011, Sammy Piccolo, who started Caffe Artigiano, took over Prado and revamped it. Before he took it over, I was a casual fan of Prado and only stopped when I was in the area. Their coffee was average to me and nothing stood out. However, that all changed when Sammy made me my cappuccino. It was love at first taste. The smooth, clean taste was thoroughly enjoyed by my taste buds. It was the perfect matrimony of milk and espresso. With the exception of Kafka's, I find that most cafes make a cappuccino that are too strong (too much espresso) or too subtle (the taste of milk overpowers) but Prado has the perfect blend. I'm also a fan of their Americano Misto's, Mocha's, Espresso Macchiato and Latte's. And don't get me started on their raspberry crumble bar. It's like biting into a taste of heaven. The fresh raspberry taste is the perfect compliment to the crumble texture. And best of all, their raspberry crumble bar is made there. Talk about local. It's nice knowing that the pastries I buy are made in store and not shipped in frozen from some random American bakery or store. I highly recommend pairing the cappuccino with their raspberry crumble bar. Your tastebuds will thank me and thank you.

Best Service: I didn't have to review my old posts to figure this one out. The best service title goes to Kafka's Coffee and Tea. Located on 2525 Main Street, Kafka's is on east Broadway and Main. Kafka's is fairly new, just over a year and half old. Whenever I need somewhere to go to get some writing done, I go to Kafka's and after the first sip of their cappuccino, the spark that gets my inspiration going lights up. It feels like a home away from home, a place where my imagination is born. I also give huge credit to the barista's for making me feel welcome. I must give a shout out to a barista there by the name of  Genevieve. She is the sweetest, most kindest person that I have ever encountered recently in the service industry. She serves each coffee with a smile and makes the effort to get the names of the regulars. Her small talk is welcoming, not annoying or overbearing. If you ever go to Kafka's, I hope you're lucky enough to have her as your barista because not only is she really kind, but she makes great coffee as well. The rest of the barista's are kind as well. Nothing is worse than barista's who make you feel like you're intruding on their time. That certainly is not the case for Kafka's. It's impossible to get a bad coffee or bad service there.

Best Ambiance: The best ambiance title belongs to Caffe Artigiano. Located on 4539 Hastings Street, this is the only Burnaby location. As soon as you enter this Caffe Artigiano, you feel like you stepped into a cafe in Rome, Italy. Seeing how Caffe Artigiano was started by Italian-American Sammy Piccolo (yes, the new owner of Prado) it seems fitting that the cafe has a European feel to it. The decor was atheistically pleasing, a real pleasure to the eyes. The cafe is very spacious, with lots of lovely lighting. Your eyes cannot help but fall upon the floor and tables. Instead of cheap seating arrangements that you may find at other cafes, you'll find a classy, upscale decor. However, it's not over the top or overbearing but it certainly is a welcome change. It has a warm, inviting vibe that makes you sit down to enjoy every sip of your beverage instead of taking it to go. Having the barista's dress all in black gave the cafe a professional edge too, which shows that management care not just about the coffee they make, but the people who serve it.

So if you ever find yourself in North Burnaby or East Vancouver, be sure to go to Caffe Artigiano, Prado and Kafka's. And make sure to go those cafes when you have time because really, how can you enjoy the best coffee, service and ambiance when you're on the run?