You need coffee and a place to connect…either to the internet or with some people.
Vancouver may be one of the best places in the world for sipping on a cup of slow-brewed java made with organic, fair-trade, and locally-roasted beans, but where do you go when you’ve got a meeting, a paper due, or a pile of emails to send?
Here are our picks for some great Vancouver cafés to hit up when you need wifi or a meeting place.
Calhoun’s Bakery Cafe
Photo by Angie Holubowich/Vancity Buzz
If you went to UBC, getting work done at Calhoun’s might be an old familiar routine. You’re not here for the food, though; you’re here to sit down, crack open the laptop, and crank your work out at any hour–they’re open ’round the clock.
Address: 3035 West Broadway, Kitsilano
Phone: 604-731-7062
Website: www.calhouns.bc.ca
Kafka’s Coffee and Tea
Photo by Hisakazu Watanabe/Flickr
Pour over coffee, conversation-stirring art, and plenty of seats are a draw for Kafka’s. If you’re hoping to score a plug, though, this isn’t a place. Bring your device fully charged to take advantage of the available work spaces.
Address: 2525 Main Street, Mount Pleasant
Phone: 604-569-2967
Website: kafkascoffee.ca
Blenz
Photo by Henry Faber/Flickr
Vancouver’s Blenz coffee house chain is a good bet for a seat and access to the internet (though you may get the boot after two hours and need to buy that muffin you’ve been eying to log back on).
Address: Locations all over Metro Vancouver
Website: blenz.com
Aperture Coffee Bar
Photo via Aperture Coffee Bar/Facebook
Bright, welcoming, and with wifi and plugs to boot, Aperture is a great place to get some work done. They brew Intelligentsia coffee, and also have tasty sandwiches and baked goods. Lots of tables suitable for groups, including a large communal table.
Address: 243 West Broadway, Mount Pleasant
Phone: 604-620-8065
Website:
Allegro Café
Photo courtesy Whole Foods Market Cambie
Allegro Café is located inside Whole Foods Market Cambie, but with its own entrance, and opening time an hour ahead of the store, it’s a great place to get a coffee, bite to eat, and they’ve got wifi and seating with tables for the crucial laptop setup. Bonus: They serve beer and wine (after 9 a.m.).
Address: 510 West 8th Avenue, Mount Pleasant
Phone: 778-370-4210
Website: Whole Foods Market Cambie on Facebook
Waves Coffee
Photo by hercios/Flickr
Waves Coffee was born (and brewed) in Vancouver, and they remain a reliable go-to for locals for coffee and a good spot for firing up the laptop. They’re even, as their origin story goes, the first coffee shop in the area to have offered their customers free wifi. Take them up on it!
Address: Locations all around Vancouver
Website: www.wavescoffee.com
Matchstick Coffee Roasters
Photo via Matchstick Coffee Roasters/Facebook
Bright, spacious, and very hip, both Matchstick Coffee Roasters locations are ideal for snagging a seat and getting wrapped up in some work while enjoying a fantastic cup of coffee. Seating is ideal if you’re working solo, and you may not find a plug, so take charge of your own charge before you get there.
Address: 639 E 15th Ave, Mount Pleasant and 213 E Georgia Street, Chinatown
Phone: 604-558-0639 (Mount Pleasant) and 604-336-0213 (Chinatown)
Website: www.matchstickcoffee.com
Our Town Café
Photo via Our Town Cafe/Facebook
Our Town has cozy on lock. Ideal for small groups (don’t be that guy hogging the four-top for yourself and your laptop!) and an inviting space with good food and drink to enjoy while you toil at the keyboard. Bonus: They serve beer!
Address: 245 E Broadway, Mount Pleasant
Phone: 604-879-1924
Breka Bakery and Café
Photo by Sayuri Miss/Flickr
There’s much to love about Breka, since they’re affordable and open around the clock. Fans of their three locations know and love them for their baked goods, seating, old school bakery vibe, and free wifi.
Address/Phone:
Sunset: 6533 Fraser Street/604-325-6612
West End: 812 Bute Street/604-620-8200
Downtown: 855 Davie Street, 604-428-8080
Website: breka.ca
Momento Coffeehouse
Photo via Momento Coffee House/Facebook
Serious coffee lovers love Momento, since here they can get their coffee by French Press, siphon, or pour over, along with less common espresso drinks like the Flat White. It’s a nice space for meeting up with someone, or getting work done (though you may run into wifi time limits, if you’re there for a longer haul).
Address: 2766 W 4th Avenue, Kitsilano
Phone: 604-736-9900
Website: www.momentocoffeehouse.com
Milano Coffee Roasters – Gastown
Photo via Milano Coffee/Facebook
Milano Coffee Roasters has multiple locations, but it’s the one in Gastown where scoring a table and getting some work done (with tasty coffee in hand) is best.
Address: 36 Powell Street, Gastown
Phone: 604-558-0999
Website: milanocoffee.ca
Mink – A Chocolate Café
Photo by Raul Pacheco-Vega/Flickr
Mink is a great place to go if you need to satisfy a sweet tooth, thanks to their delicious chocolate to eat and drink. But they’ve also got a bright café with free wifi that’s perfect for getting some work done or taking a meeting. They also offer free wifi at their South Surrey location (at Morgan Crossing) if you find yourself out that way.
Address: 863 West Hastings Street, Downtown
Phone: 604-633-2451
Website: www.minkchocolates.com
Featured image: Coffee and laptop/Shutterstock