Bows and Arrows
Aug 2018 – It’s with an incredibly heavy heart that we have to announce that Bows and Arrows is now permanently closed. Thanks to the BxA Fraser team for the amazing few years of operation. You’ll be missed.
Originally from Victoria, Bows and Arrows have expanded with their first and might I say, stunningly beautiful coffee shop on the mainland. Serving up some incredible espresso-based drinks from their fully licensed bar, along with some of the best food we’ve had in a cafe for a very long time, Bows and Arrows is a very welcome addition to our booming coffee scene.
Coffee
Cappuccino – $4.50
The first thing you’ll notice when getting any espresso-based drink is the amazing cup that it’s served in. Bows and Arrows have sourced a platoon of stunning handmade cups from Vancouver Island based designer Amanda Marie Ceramics. You could serve soil in these things and Instagram would implode with envy. Instead of soil, try an espresso-based drink, you weirdo.
The cappuccino (and the latte, and the cortado) is always perfectly made, with milk as smooth as soul music and a great balance of their own espresso roast. I’ve been many times and I’ve yet to have anything other than A-Class latte art on it too, which always makes it taste better (I like the taste of jealousy, because their worst efforts are better than my best!)
Even if the coffee was terrible (which it isn’t) it wouldn’t matter, because they’re fully licensed. I partook in some Hoyne High Voltage coffee stout. Not only was it delicious (Hoyne are a GREAT brewer that I highly recommend you try) I got better and better looking the more I drank. Witchcraft? Natural beauty I never knew I had? Was I looking at the picture of a famous person rather than a mirror? Let’s chalk it down to one of lifes great mysteries…
Food
Bacon and Eggs on Toast – $7.50
I don’t care if you don’t drink coffee. I actually don’t care if drink anything there, but I’d be pretty upset if you didn’t try their food because it’s incredible.
For example, the bacon and eggs you see in the above photo. Perfectly poached eggs on top of some nice juicy locally sourced bacon, with a rich and flavorful sun-dried tomato sauce, all sitting on top of some freshly baked sourdough. Let me tell you, I grew up in England, so I know a thing or two about good bacon and eggs; this is the best I’ve ever had. For the love of God don’t tell my Mum that though.
Seasonal Orange Custard Pastry – $4
For a lunchtime dessert I had the seasonal pastry which was a masterpiece of delicious custard and subtly sweet fruit. There are plenty of other sweets to chose from and all look equally as appealing.
Venue
You can tell they’ve spent a vast amount of effort making Bows and Arrows look beautiful. White and wood cover the giant venue, with a huge communal table in the center, encouraging conversation with randoms. There’s plenty of other seating both at tables and at the bar. The most stunning feature is the huge planter/lighting fixture that runs above the communal table. Designed by the fine folks at Space Lab (the venue that Aubade is in) it’s a huge focus point for the room, with vines from the various plants hanging down and subtle lighting underneath shining down on your drinks.
Location
Bows and Arrows is located in the middle of the Fraserhood a very popular area of town right now (Fraser and 25th). There’s any number of buses that stop close by, heaps of on street parking as well as parking at the back of the building… but to those of you that might take your dog to do his or her business there, be warned, they’re on to you:
Bathrooms
There’s two, which is a great start, given the size of the venue. They’re both big, clean and well equipped. Stylewise they’re good, nothing fancy but that’s not the end of the world.
Staff
Bows and Arrows have a reputation with their suppliers for being some of the best in the business and their staff at their Vancouver location are no different. Polite, courteous, funny, engaging and more than willing to dish my sarcasm back to me when I teased them! The only exception to this is when they’re busy, in which case expect great service but not the stand-up routine I’ve witnessed in the past!
Conclusion
Might I be one of many people to say that Bows and Arrows is very bloody welcome in Vancouver. Their coffee is great, their venue is sexier than Pamela Anderson (before she went all ‘funhouse mirror’ looking) and their food is up there with the greats like Cafe Medina. Throw in amazing staff and a fun location and you’ve got yourself a really perfect example of how to open a coffee shop.
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