Faubourg ~ Vancouver Coffee Shops Part 7

In the heart of Kerrisdale, east of train tracks that don't go anywhere, and along busy 41st Avenue, is a remarkable little place called Faubourg. Beside Caffe Artigiano and across from Bean Brothers and Starbucks, Faubourg presents a bit of French culture with pastries, baguettes, cakes and much more.






The coffee is good, not great. Better coffee can be found next door at Artigiano. What is outstanding about Faubourg: breads, cakes and treats. The pastries are simply wonderful, with the croissants being the best we've encountered in Vancouver.




Service is decidedly un-Parisien: efficient and friendly. Faubourg is busy through the day, everyday, and the setting, inside or out (on a very small sidewalk patio), is noisy, but with breads and treats like this, who would complain?

Best Fish & Chips ~ Centennial Beach Cafe

Fish and chips cafes in Metro Vancouver are almost a common as sushi restaurants, and many offer their own variations on the traditional working class British fare. It is actually believed that deep fried fish was introduced to Britain in the 1600s CE by Jewish refugees from Portugal and Spain, and derived from pescado frito. The chips came later, probably sometime around the mid 1800s.


Without doubt the best fish and chips we've encountered this summer is found at the Centennial Beach Cafe . It's part of the wonderful beach park of the same name in Tsawwassen. The sky and beach seem to go on forever, and the fish and chips never disappoint.

In particular, the halibut is excellent.Thick and moist, with a light (almost slightly healthy) batter and not overcooked, this dish is first rate. Perhaps a little stingy on the cole slaw side, and I can't recommend any of the add-on salads, the fish and attending chips are highly recommended. Some of the other menu items are well worth a look too; the chowder looks great, and the views aren't too bad either.

Vancouver Coffee Shops ~ Part 6: VanDusen Gardens

A gem of a place, the coffee shop at VanDusen Gardens is actually Truffles, a company that specialises in event catering in Metro Vancouver. At the Gardens, the location is wonderful, and location is everything. What could be better on a sunny day than to sit outside in such a beautiful setting. Inside... it's a bit utilitarian.




The coffee is good, with all the basic espresso drinks available. Not quite the flavour of Viva Java, or the cool hipness of Elysian, the coffee at Truffles is fine. The service is great. The staff is actually delightful, courteous, helpful and attentive.



There are food items of course, and for a simple lunch of sandwich and soup, or afternoon tea, Truffles is a great place to spend time. And the gardens are okay too.

Full moon over Vancouver ~ July 22

View some other full moon photos from Dawson City, Yukon and Buenos Aires, Argentina on the links below:

Dawson City Journal Moon     Buenos Aires Full Moon     Buenos Aires Full Moon Centro

Sign of the times...

On a street corner in Vancouver...