Where to Find the Best Specialty Coffee in Vancouver, B.C.

Looking to find the finest coffee in Vancouver? You’ve come to the right place! I, Matt, the local coffee aficionado on this corner of the internet, have spent recent trips to Vancouver searching out the highest quality artisan coffee the city has to offer, and I’m sharing my experiences to help you discover exceptional coffee in Vancouver.

It`s no secret that the Pacific Northwest is renowned for some of the finest coffee in the world. After all, how else are you supposed to motivate yourself out of bed on a dreary February morning if not with the promise of a jolt of caffeine directly into your bloodstream?

After briefly not visiting Vancouver for a few years, we booked a winter trip to the city as I began my quest to find the best coffee in Vancouver.

Now, having lived in both Portland and Seattle previously, I expected the coffee scene in Vancouver to share similarities given the nearby locations.

Oh, how wrong I was. 

Compared to Seattle and Portland, Vancouver is miles (kilometers) ahead in terms of the progressiveness of the coffee scene.

While Portland and Seattle have just started dabbling in lighter roasts and specific harvest lots, Vancouver has fully embraced specialty coffee, with countless microroasters crafting innovative things with coffee.

As we drove home to Portland, I reflected on the fact that only one establishment in Portland – Proud Mary – could potentially rank among the top 5 places (or perhaps even the top 10 places) that we visited in Vancouver, which served as an eye-opener because I had always considered our local coffee scene to be fairly good.

This location provides the ideal spot for those interested in coffee and looking to explore the finest coffee shops in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Of course, just like most cities on the West Coast, there are quite literally hundreds of coffee shops that can serve you a good cup of coffee, so trying to narrow it down to the top 10 or so is somewhat impractical. Especially given the subjectiveness of the word “best.”

However, providing guidance is why I`m here, so I`ll do my best to assist (see what I did there?)!

In this guide, I will walk you through the Vancouver coffee shops that captured my attention for one reason or another – generally because of an unusual experience you won`t find elsewhere or a unique approach to coffee – and explain why I consider them worthy of a spot on my list.

By the end, the hope is discovering at least one or two new spots to add to your list, and that visiting those places results in an remarkable cup of coffee and pleasant conversation with the barista.

Sound good to you? Let’s get into it. 

P.S.: Although some of these places offer fantastic food, I have Celiac Disease and can’t eat 99% of it because…gluten. As a result, this guide is all about the coffee.

• Scout Coffee Co serves pastries from their bakery and craft roast coffee at their two locations found in SLO.

Their coffees are available at several shops around Vancouver, like when they were at Revolver, or you can order directly from their website. The people who run them are very friendly, and they roast truly exquisite coffee.

I had not seen this brewer before but it seems fun, blending styles. It`s also beautiful, though large and better suited to cafe versus home use.

As you look at their brewing setup, your eyes will also surely be drawn to the four Aillio countertop roasters, something I have never seen before in a cafe.

Generally, if it’s a “roasting HQ” or something similar, you’ll see a large drum roaster somewhere in the space.

However, in this case there are four small roasters operating, which I assume allows them to roast in small batches and offer over a dozen coffees (23 coffees when I was there!) on the menu.

I appreciate their maximizing space by trying different, more compact tools (in terms of area at least) than most other coffee shops I`ve been to.

Several of these tools, like the Gina brewer and the peculiarly formed grinder (from Weber Workshops), are implements I`ve never previously encountered.

That’s all enjoyable, but the real inquiry here is how was the coffee? And that, my associate, brings us back to the fact that I returned at 8:00 am before driving back home to Portland to get seconds, traveling across the city (and away from my path) to get there.

The coffee was excellent. The Gina brewer brews a cup that is well-balanced in regards to acidity and sweetness, but also in body.

On my inaugural trip, I was already fairly stimulated, so I tried one filtered coffee, a Colombian brew with a 360 hour oxygen-free fermentation that was an emotional roller coaster in regards to tastes (though it made me realize that I only really want a single cup of oxygen-free coffees, not an entire bag).

The experience was wild, exciting and just what I hoped it would be.

As I was leaving, I was discussing the menu with the barista, who suggested the Colombian gesha they had, saying it was the best coffee they’d had recently. Plus, if I enjoyed fermented flavors, I should really try a coffee from Mexico that they had available as espresso.

Which was precisely what I did the following morning, both experiences being highly enjoyable.

Nemesis Coffee

I am enamored by Nemesis Coffee. Everything from the café designs, to the inverted heart logo and color-blocked packaging, to the coffee itself, is beautiful.

They have a few locations in Vancouver – one in North Vancouver, one on Great Northern Way (their newest and most attractively designed), and the original in Gastown, which was where we found ourselves on a sunny Tuesday morning.

We entered the cafe from the street, and immediately my eye was drawn to the left side, which features floor-to-ceiling windows and hanging plants (very hip), along with light wood tones that are used throughout the space.

The second thing drawing my eye is their colorful coffee packaging, looking spectacular when stacked with offerings.

As I was researching ahead of our trip, I found A LOT of praise for Nemesis, especially over the past few years when it seems like their business has exploded. The result was high expectations, and I’m happy to say they far exceeded them.

They offered a couple filter coffee selections as well as some espresso options, which included a decaf coffee from India described as possessing watermelon undertones (sadly, I didn’t get to sample it on either of my two visits to Nemesis).

On that initial trip, I went with a Costa Rican coffee that was juicy AF. I watched the barista brew it with a Kalita Wave (I think), and later noticed they were experimenting with an Origami Dripper, which is an enjoyable brewer!

On my second visit, which was to their place at the Polygon in North Vancouver, I spent a little more time interacting with the staff. I ordered their two espressos to try side-by-side – a coffee from Honduras and a naturally processed coffee from Brazil.

The Brazil came out first, and I took a sip. It was juicy and full, and in the middle of that sip, the other coffee came out.

The barista delivered it over and must have understood what I was doing, because as I went to take a sip of that second coffee, he prevented me and said I necessary water first (he was right), which he ran and grabbed.

Then we had a brief discussion about espresso ratios where he provided some insight into how they fine-tune their freshly roasted coffee beans (which he had just calibrated that morning).

They maintain a shorter ratio for the Brazilian coffee to highlight the fruitiness and body, and employ a longer ratio to bring out the brightness and acidity of the coffee originating from Honduras.

Mostly because of a scheduling mistake on my part – they were in the process of a soft launch at a brand new location when we were in town, and I totally forgot that they were only open Thursday to Sunday at that particular time.

After finishing other activities on Sunday upon our arrival, I realized this on Monday morning, and Alysha mentioned I seemed irritated for the remainder of the morning (which is probably accurate).

On our next foray up to Vancouver a few months later, I managed to stop by and it was exactly what I was hoping for.

Mainly because they are a multi roaster that brings in both Canadian roasters (like Luna, one of my favorites!) and other roasters from around the world (like DAK, who was featured at the bar when I arrived).

I in fact stopped by twice during that brief period because they were brewing a unique coffee (Candy Crush by DAK) the day after my initial visit, which I felt I had to try (for science – it was magically fruity and juicy).

Pallet Coffee Roasters

Pallet Coffee Roasters has various sites around Vancouver, however if it makes sense for you, you must certainly go to their headquarters and Roastery up on Alexander St. in Railtown, only a couple of blocks east of Gastown.

It’s a beautiful space – an old steel factory built in 1923 that they converted into part espresso bar and cafe, part roasting facility, and part training center (there’s a separate coffee station in the back corner that, when I asked what it was for, the barista said it was for instruction sessions with new baristas).

It’s a lovely space with some seating areas – not a large amount – and plenty of natural light thanks to the big skylights in the ceiling and windows along the back wall.

The second I looked at the menu, I recognized the El Vergel estate in Colombia, and immediately knew I wanted the anaerobic coffee from them.

Experimental fermentation techniques and novel creations are undertaken, and generally whenever a coffee featuring “Guava Banana” is seen, trying it is worthwhile. Those varieties often result in unconventional yet exciting drinks based on past experiences.

At that point, I was the only customer waiting in line for coffee. Usually, I try to prevent ordering a filtered coffee that requires 3-4 minutes to prepare when business is busy, and I felt good about the timing in this situation.

Ultimately, you’ll hit the high point, and start the middle section of the trail, which has some elevational increases and decreases.

I admire the productivity and calmness of both baristas, who worked together to make certain people were getting their coffee (such as me) and getting to order, often running between stations.

Clearly, they’ve accomplished this a few times previously, and I see why that training station is so crucial.

The coffee was good – rich and fruity, with a definite distinctive flavor from the anaerobic fermentation process. Like stated above, I’m not certain I’d purchase a whole bag of it, but it was definitely worth trying once!

Propaganda Coffee

Propaganda Coffee is in an older building in Chinatown, just east of the downtown core of Vancouver (and just a short walk east from Gastown).

This was a recommendation from a barista at a different spot, who spent an hour with me talking about the coffee scene in Vancouver and called out Propaganda as their favorite shop in town.

Their specific recommendation was to go find Monogram Roasters, one of their favorite coffee roasters in Canada.

• A novel experience providing a nice break from the beach

I proceeded over to the counter serving drinks and mentioned to the person making coffee that I was there on a recommendation from another establishment, and was told to try Monogram. Luck was on my side, as they had it available both as filter coffee, as well as espresso (they provided 2-3 different choices for both options).

I opted for a filtered coffee, and inquired if he had a recommendation between the Ethiopian or Kenyan brew.

The next piece of information shared by the barista informed me I was in good hands: they asked if I enjoyed Kenyan coffees. Kenyan coffees can be quite polarizing. They often contain high levels of acidity, which suits my tastes but I imagine most people are not as receptive to it.

When I mentioned enjoying Kenyan coffees, he replied along the lines of “that`s great, they`re outstanding right now” (or something similar).

Alysha had found a window seat, so I joined her to watch the barista brew coffee using a Kalita Wave (covered during drawdown to retain heat, an interesting method I observed) and a few minutes later our coffee was served in diner mugs.

The coffee was fantastic – a punch of both acidity and that bright red fruitiness (think blackberry or raspberry) that you often get with Kenyan coffees.

Modus Coffee

Among the first details I noticed on their website while compiling my list was `no blended or dark roasted varieties here,` immediately capturing my interest.

Modus is a miniature coffee roasting facility in Vancouver, with a cozy cafe on W Broadway in Mt. Pleasant with soft walls and an inviting environment.

They opened the current place after two years of searching and a public fundraising campaign.

I like how they have crafted their unique perspective on the distinct flavor aspects of coffee. They categorize tastes into six profiles and cycle different coffees under each profile throughout the year.

They range from “the Coast,” which is broad and understanding, to “the Opus,” which is exotic and intricate.

When I was there, they had a few pour over options available at the cafe, and I selected the Kenyan coffee, which fell under the “Opus” category.

Promising aromas of cantaloupe and blood orange, it provided an excellent example of a light roast that was more balanced than many Kenyan coffees, which tend to emphasize raspberry and blackberry flavors (on my palate, at least). This coffee was much sweeter, resulting in a more balanced cup.

Plenty of sparkling acidity remained, but it also exhibited something additional.

Modus offered enjoyment – both for the coffee, the space, and the apparently robust schedule of events. As an expertise in Vancouver’s geography is lacking, the location on a busy, multi-lane road seemingly wouldn’t receive very much foot traffic.

Timbertrain Coffee is situated in Gastown, around the corner from Revolver and a block or two from Nemesis, and I believe that contributes to it not ranking higher on this list.

I am quite fond of the space in which this transportation vessel has been repurposed. It feels quite roomy despite its narrow dimensions and modest size, thanks to lofty ceilings and broad windows, and the railway seating lining one wall opposite the serving area adds an amusing feature.

They have a categorization system for their coffees that separates them into three groups: classic, curious, and wild. It reminds me of how Proud Mary in Portland discusses their coffees.

There were two wild coffees available as pour over selections, and I opted for a coffee from Colombia following their separate pour over menu. They also had a couple coffees accessible as espresso, and a batch brew drip coffee too.

The barista went to the back end of the bar and brewed it using a Kalita Wave. The coffee was fine – I think they needed to adjust it to bring out the brightness a little more – and the serving tray was gorgeous.

Sunny M Specialty Coffee

Sunny M is a coffee shop located in Richmond, a city just south of Vancouver (it feels like a suburb, but it’s also the fourth largest city in British Columbia).

If you’re looking for a constantly changing selection of some of the top roasters worldwide, this place is great for you (provided you can make the trip down there).

The initial thing to know is that it’s essentially situated in a strip mall in Richmond. We drove into the parking area, parked our vehicle, and as soon as I walked through the entrance I knew I was in the correct location.

Why? Because lining the walls of the shop was a boneyard of old coffee bags featuring roasters like Manhattan Roasters (from the Netherlands), Gardelli Coffee Roasters (from Italy), and other famous roasters around the globe.

La Candelaria: Best for budget vacationers, backpackers, and people with 1-2 times in Bogotá. Affordable and central, but sketchy at nighttime.

I sampled a coffee from India roasted by Hatch, which is not something I`ve truly ever tried, so that was the one I opted for after the friendly barista (and owner) presented me with a few options.

I say that they`re multi-roaster-ish because, when we were there, they had a little mini coffee roaster operating on one of the three tables inside the small cafe.

There were some coffees on the shelf that were roasted by Sunny M, so they were plainly experimenting with small batch roasting. However, the majority of the coffee there was roasted by others, which is what the “ish” stems from.

It`s near the airport, so it`s a good stop for coffee if you`re driving from Seattle / the USA into Vancouver, or if you land in Vancouver and are picking up a rental car.

Location: Empire Centre, #1345 4540 No.3 Road, Richmond

Website: sunnymspecialty.com

Instagram: @sunnymspecialty

The Best Vancouver Coffee Shops, Mapped

---