Their There? They’re where? They’re over there. Next to their Weir. Where is their Weir? They’re right next to it, over there. They’re not there, they’re there. Their Weir is there, where they’re standing.
Now that I’ve proven to you that I’ve mastered the English language, let’s talk about Kitsilano’s newest, sexy coffee shop with a bizarre name.
Welcome to Their There, master of the sandwich, splicer of pastries and lover of light wood.
Coffee
Latte – $ 4.50
Beans: Heart Coffee Roasters Stereo Blend
An excellent effort right off the bat with my first drink. The milk to espresso ratio was nice, with the milk smooth and silky. The temperature was perfect and the drink had a great balance of sweetness from the dairy as well as toasty, brown sugar and chocolate notes from the espresso.
Americano – $ 3.50
Beans: Heart Coffee Roasters Stereo Blend
Interestingly enough I didn’t pick up on any of the above notes of chocolate and brown sugar when the espresso was made into an Americano. I did pick up notes of dates though, which was enjoyable. Perhaps this blend is more suitable to being used in a milk-based drink.
If I had one major area I’d like to see improvement in, it’s that they are using a US roaster rather than a local one. Not that Heart isn’t great, they really are, I’ve just got a soft spot for anything Vancouver. If I had a choice, I’d love to see them start doing pour over/filter with a local roaster and keep Heart on Espresso.
Food
Their There is actually a spinoff of the already popular AnnaLena restaurant around the corner, so I was expecting the grub to be great… I wasn’t ready for just how great though.
Soy Ginger Beef Sandwich – $ 10
HOLY. CRAP. THIS. WAS. SO. EFFING. GOOD.
This honestly might be one of the best sandwiches I’ve ever had in my life. First off, the bun was intensely buttery but light and fluffy at the same time. The coleslaw was crunchy and there was no shortage of sauce to go with it.
But, my God, the beef! Mountains of tender, sweet- but-savoury, steak that bought the whole thing together in a symphony of deliciousness.
The fact that this was only $10 was mind-blowing.
Smoked Meat Breakfast Sandwich – $9
Another amazing effort from Their There, with this light but huge breakfast sando. I’m so happy that great breakfast sandwiches seem to be breeding like bunnies in Vancouver at the moment.
This was a similar buttery bun as the Beef Sandwich, with some greens (I think alfalfa sprouts) a pile of smoked meat and a fried egg. The sneaky sauerkraut at the bottom added a nice crunch as well as acting as a great substitute for sauce. The flavours were perfectly balanced, so it’s unsurprising that I managed to inhale this thing like the greedy bugger I am, despite having already eaten breakfast!
Raspberry Cronut – $3.50
Take a donut, take a croissant, let them make sweet love to each other in a raspberry bush and this is what you get.
Definitely a sugar bomb, but a great combo of flavours, plus the thing looked amazing. Bring napkins, as it’s about to get unashamedly messy.
Staff
Every single one of the staff members was enthusiastic, happy and knew their products really well. They advised me on my options when I asked about the different choices and were happy for me to hang around the bar taking photos, even offering to pull sweets out for me to get close-ups.
They laughed and joked with each other, which gave the place a really relaxed atmosphere. In short, they’re awesome.
Venue
It’s long and thin, which at the moment could potentially lead to some bottlenecks, but overall it’s an enjoyable space. These issues should be fixed when they open up the other third of the floor space in the future (it’s currently blocked off with a temporary wall).
There’s a large bar area with a view to the kitchen at the back, with the main seating area having a large communal table and some great seating around the edge.
The windows open up onto the street which can make it a bit noisy but also perfect if you have a dog, because you can tether it within arms distance.
Location
Their There is on the main drag of 4th Avenue in Kitsilano, which means it’s a bloody nightmare to park. I strongly suggest you try the back streets for paid on-street parking, as it’s a crapshoot along 4th. Either way, you’re paying, as it’s hard to find unpaid spots in the area (protip: try 3rd and 2nd).
4th Ave has plenty of bus stops, but there’s no SkyTrain nearby. There is, however, more Mobi stations in the area than you can wave an extremely heavy bike shaped stick at.
Bathrooms
I only saw the men’s loo, but it was clean, large and had everything you need of a bathroom. It gets a little hot in there though, perhaps because of the proximity to the kitchen. You shouldn’t be settling down with a book in there anyway, so hopefully that doesn’t matter.
Conclusion
Despite its confusing name, Their There is an absolutely shining example of how to do a coffee shop right in 2018 Vancouver. From the amazing staff to the absolutely insanely good food, Their There should be high on the list to visit for every self-respecting coffee snob.
Also ones with no self-respect.
