Moving Coffee
Moving Coffee has moved into Fife Bakery since our last article, so we thought it only prudent to re-review them. This is definitely not because every time I go in there Shirley, one of the owners, gets me into a headlock and shouts “Where’s our new review, Vancouver Coffee b*tch!”. She may look small and dainty, but she has the strength of ten regular men.
Get your ass to Moving Coffee, it’s one of the best coffee shops in Canada.
Coffee
The head roaster at Moving Coffee is a chap called Edmond. Edmond is a Q-Grader, essentially the nerdiest of coffee nerds, somewhat like a Sommelier is for wine. As you can expect the coffee here is something pretty special.
Pour Over $4.75
There are usually about 3 different beans available for pour over and it doesn’t really matter which one you choose, as they’re always going to be incredible. You’re going to get a well balanced and tasty cup each time, so my suggestion is to chat with one of the baristas and tell them what your likes and dislikes are. They’ll then recommend a bean for you. My preference is always their fruiter Ethiopian coffees.
The Split – $4.50
The split is actually two drinks! The first is a straight shot of espresso and the next is a tiny macchiato. The “Phantom” beans make an impossibly well-balanced espresso shot, but with the addition of grass-fed milk you get a nutty, sweet, smooth and luxurious macchiato. This is something I get every time I’m in Moving Coffee, without fail.
Morning Whisky – $4.50
Morning Whisky is one of the best cold brew (or cold drip) coffee’s that I’ve ever tried. It’s so perfectly balanced, with next to no acidity. Bright fruit flavours shine through and a delightful smoothness to it.
For a list of our 10 best places to drink cold brew in Vancouver click here.
Food
Sausage Roll – $5.75
OK, OK, I know I mention this all the time, but I’m a Brit. Wait, it’s relevant here. Brits KNOW their sausage rolls. So believe me when I tell you that this is one of the best sausage rolls I’ve ever had in Canada. Buttery, flaky pastry with an intense savoury sausage filling. The herb taste from the banger isn’t too overpowering and the pastry doesn’t get too crumbly. Honestly, I could eat these every day.
Mont Blanc – $3.75
Chesnut cream and Tonka-Bean filled bun with caramelized white chocolate. Sounds like it’s going to be a sugar bomb, but it actually is really smooth and not overly sweet. The cream inside was not too over the top and the bun was light and fluffy. Delicious.
I’d be remiss if I didn’t also mention the sourdough here, as Fife Bakery is famous for their sturdy, massive loaves of it. The first time I tried one of these I actually made myself a little sick. Not from the bread mind you, but because it’s SO VERY VERY GOOD that I ate about 3/4 of a loaf in one sitting, along with probably two sticks of butter. Reasons like this are why Mrs. VancouverCoffeeSnob hides all the treats from me in the house.
Staff
Moving Coffee is run by husband and wife duo Edmond and Shirley. Edmond is incredibly knowledgeable about coffee, a very engaging conversationalist and his passion for his work pours out of him in every chat we’ve had. I don’t think I’ve ever seen Shirley without a big smile on her face and she’s always incredibly welcoming. She also is about as patient as you can get, having to put up with the endless coffee conversations I have with Edmond as well as laughing at my terrible jokes!
Venue
Moving Coffee is located in a venue called Fife Bakery which, to be honest, is pretty damn small. There are four window seats and a couple of chairs over near the counter, but the rest is standing room only. That being said, what little space there is, works well, with the bakery items on display, the Black Eagle espresso machine front and centre as you walk in and the whole room lit up with modern lighting.
Location
Moving Coffee is right in the heart of Mt Pleasant. There are loads of free on-street parking spots in the area with buses that stop on 2nd and on Main Street, both of which are only a block away. For the Sky Train, you’re looking at a short walk of about 10 minutes.
Bathrooms
There’s one, it’s a good size, it’s always clean and tidy and because the place is so small, there’s almost never a lineup!
Conclusion
Moving Coffee is named as such due to the passionate quest to keep “Moving specialty coffee forward”. There are only a few places in the city that I can really say are doing this and Moving Coffee is one of them. This is one of the best coffee shops I’ve ever been to in the world and if you’re even halfway interested in coffee, you would be doing yourself an incredible disservice if you didn’t visit Moving Coffee.
The map ID you have entered does not exist. Please enter a map ID that exists.