Decent enough coffee and a killer beef sandwich, Nelson the Seagull is only really let down by the fact that its lack of ventilation makes it hotter than Christy Clark in a bikini.
Coffee
Flat White: $3.75
Latte: $4 (not sure why this was more expensive than a flat white, technically it’s got less milk in it)
They have a great Rancillio hand pump espresso machine and the barista knew how to use it (I always get nervous when I see those things as they’re often a disaster waiting to happen in the hands of the wrong person). The coffee was slightly too strong or maybe a little over extracted. Milk was great and presentation was good enough.
Food
Carnivore Sandwich: $12
Definitely on the pricier side but it was truly excellent. Amazing bread (as they’re well known for) and a delicious combo of roasted beef, aged cheddar and wholegrain mustard. The only peculiar addition was a cilantro sauce (maybe a pesto?) that, whilst tasty, was a slightly strange accompaniment. The salad was your standard leafy greens with balsamic but they’d added some strawberries into the mix which was delicious.
Location
Slightly off the beaten track in Gastown and near the small park where a lot of homeless people hang out. A fine aroma of urine will accompany your visit, but that’s the downtown east side for you.
Venue
It’s a tremendously interesting venue. It’s got that old school Gastown look without all the pretentious shine too it. Everything is a bit rough around the edges and vintage. My table was kind of ridiculous though – I couldn’t use a knife and fork on my food, as I thought it would break!
Where they let everything down, though, is the heat and ventilation. It was a relatively cool day and it was baking hot in there. It’s screaming out for air conditioning or just more fans.
Bathrooms
The bathrooms are definitely ‘themed’ like the rest of the venue – rough around the edges. That definitely lends to the charm. The dusty surfaces and dirty toilet, however, did not. I did enjoy the amusing graffiti among the numerous paint chips though.
I thought bathroom graffiti had all but vanished as an artform, since we all now have the ability to abuse others on twitter via our smart phones whilst sitting on the throne. Reminds me of being back at school.
Staff
Pleasant but quiet staff. My questions were answered well and I was given a farewell on the way out.
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