A Vancouver cafe was just named among the best coffee shops in the world
Vancouver is home to plenty of stellar cafes, and one of them has just been recognized among the best in the entire world.
World’s 100 Best Coffee Shops revealed its 2026 list, and Nemesis landed at number 15 on the list. This also makes it the highest-ranking Canadian cafe on the list.
“We are so proud and humbled to be named one of the World’s 100 Best Coffee Shops,” said Jess Reno, founder and CEO of Nemesis. “This year, we got word we were nominated for the Top 100 list. I’ll be honest. Sometimes when things like this happen, we tend to brush past them — like we didn’t earn it. Then I look at our team, and the standard we’re trying to hold. The care. The effort. The way people show up every day.”
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World’s 100 Best Coffee Shops makes its rankings through a weighted evaluation model that combines public participation and professional assessment. Thirty per cent of the score comes from community voting, with the other 70 per cent coming from an international panel of more than 800 coffee and gastronomy professionals.
Evaluation critera includes coffee quality, barista experience and technique, sustainability practices, customer service, space design and atmosphere, food and pastry quality, innovation capacity, and service consistency.
“To us, what matters most is that nine years ago, we opened a small door in Gastown, and it grew into something far bigger than we ever imagined. Along the way, more people found their way into that space, and this work began to mean something deeper,” said Reno.
“We’ve heard countless stories of people meeting their partners here, finding community during difficult seasons, building friendships, and feeling more connected to the city. Being named one of the World’s 100 Best Coffee Shops is an honour, but what truly matters is the community behind it and everyone who believed in us, and continues to make Nemesis what it is.”
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The recognition also coincides with Nemesis’s ninth birthday, which was on Feb. 14.
“It feels poetic in a way. A little sweet and a little serendipitous… that this ceremony kicks off on Valentine’s Day. Our birthday. Thank you, everyone,” said Reno.
Nemesis first got its start as a single cafe in Gastown in 2017 that was known for its pursuit of “coffee creating culture.” Today, the cafe operates five locations across B.C., along with its standalone location for its pastry brand, Dope Bakehouse.
Nemesis is the only Vancouver cafe to make the list. Other Canadian cafes include Seven Mystery in Toronto (ranked 41) and Little Victories Coffee in Ottawa (ranked 71).
Nemesis
Address: Multiple locations across Metro Vancouver
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