Top 10 Best Brunch In Vancouver 2018
Vancouverites LOVE to brunch. Luckily, we’ve seen a ton of new coffee shops open up this year and almost all of them have featured brunch somehow in their lineup. So, I held a public poll for you to vote on what you wanted to see in the ‘best brunch in Vancouver 2018’ list. You turned out in the thousands to support the coffee shops and cafes that you love. There are lots on the list from last year’s Top 10 as well as a few newbies.
Another thing 2018 created was a new coffee app for Vancouver called Siply. You’ll see that throughout this list I do a cost comparison on two drinks on the menu, to show you how much you save if you use the app. Feel free to ask any questions in the comments below or email me if you want to know more.
Oh, and in case you missed the others, here is the Top 10 Best Coffee Roasters in Vancouver 2018 and the Top 10 Best Coffee Shops in Vancouver 2018.
10. Spade
Latte Price: $4.40
Latte Price with Siply: $3.43
Filter Coffee Price: $2.60
Filter Coffee Price with Siply: $2.03
Spade featured in last years top 10 brunches in Vancouver list too, after only just opening their doors. 2018 has seen them go from strength to strength. They’ve upgraded their menu several times, to include seasonal ingredients. They’ve even pushed boundaries with their evening selection of food, making Spade one of the true morning to evening eat spots. Oh and they serve booze, can’t forget about that!
VancouverCoffeeSnob Recommendation: Their Breakfast Sammy (pictured above) is a particular favourite of Mrs VancouverCoffeeSnob, with it’s perfectly cooked egg, layers of prosciutto and greens, all wrapped in a brioche bun. Their custom light roast pour over coffee from 49th Parallel is a particular favourite of mine.
Click here to read the review of Spade
9. 33 Acres Brewing
How these guys got snubbed in last years awards I’ll never know, because 33 Acres has been in my personal top 3 brunch spots for the last three or four years. Their signature dish is their b33r waffles, made with their own house-brewed beer. Oh yes, that’s right, they’re actually primarily a brewery, but just happen to have an absolutely incredible food and coffee program!
VancouverCoffeeSnob Recommendation: You can never go wrong with their waffles, but the avocado smash is one of the best in the city. They also have one of the best lattes you can find in the area, bringing in new coffee roasters each month or two.
Click here to read the review of 33 Acres
8. Hunnybee Bruncheonette
Relative newcomer to Vancouver, Hunnybee Bruncheonette is the second location from the brainiacs behind the wildly successful Birds and Beets in Gastown. You can expect a chilled (figuratively, not literally, as it’s really hot in the summer) venue, with some very high end, rich and tasty brunch options, with coffee from Bows and Arrows in Victoria.
VancouverCoffeeSnob Recommendation: Their menu is always changing so it’s hard to recommend anything, but I loved the brisket and lamb sandwiches when they were there, so keep an eye out for them. A cortado is usually my go-to drink.
Click here to read the review of Hunnybee Bruncheonette
7. Matchstick
2018 was the year that Matchstick really upped their game, with the opening of their incredibly beautiful Yaletown location. Their brunch options often include bread and pastries, as their in-house baking program excels at both of those. They also have amazing, house-roasted coffee to go with anything you eat.
VancouverCoffeeSnob Recommendation: The pictured Tuna Melt is a salty, rich flavour bomb. If that’s not your thing though, always go with the croissants, they’re to die for!
Click here to read the review of Matchstick Yaletown
6. Kafka’s
Latte Price: $4.75
Latte Price with Siply: $3.71
Filter Coffee Price: $4.25
Filter Coffee Price with Siply: $3.32
Another coffee shop that has opened a new venue this year. This time it’s on Great Northern Way, filling a void that has existed in Vancouver for ages. Kafka’s is a Vancouver staple of the coffee scene, having been around for 8 1/2 years! Their new venue has a full food program with hot and cold dishes, as well as a well-established coffee program offering pour over and espresso drinks.
VancouverCoffeeSnob Recommendation: I don’t do this often, but I’m going to recommend a healthy option! The glory bowl (pictured) is a delightful combo of flavours and it’s one of those dishes that you eat and eat and eat… and the bowl never seems to empty!
Click here to read the review of Kafka’s Great Northern Way
Interlude
At the halfway point of The 10 Best Brunches of 2018, I’d like to stop for 30 seconds to bring you a quick commercial break.
For the last year, I’ve been working on a project called Siply (you might have noticed that throughout this article I reference whether a shop is part of the Siply network or not).
Siply is an app that enables you to find the best coffee shops in the city then get amazing deals on drinks. Simply put – you can’t get better prices on your drinks anywhere else than this app.
If you’re keen to try it out, you can download it by visiting the website here.
5. KAHVE
Latte Price: $4.75
Latte Price with Siply: $3.71
Filter Coffee Price: $3.25
Filter Coffee Price with Siply: $2.54
KAHVE has deservedly been on my brunch lists since I started writing them, and for good reason – their food is beautiful and delicious. They have arguably one of the best smoked salmon avocado dishes I’ve ever tried and their coffee program (from Phil and Sebastian) is always perfect. 2018 saw a few new introductions to their menu, including their seasonal clam chowder, lemon tart and one of the best carrot cake muffin cupcake thingies I’ve ever tried!
VancouverCoffeeSnob Recommendation: I almost always go for the smoked salmon avocado toast, but a great second choice is their ham, egg and pear breakfast sandwich. Always go for the cortado here too, you won’t be disappointed.
Click here to read the review of KAHVE
4. Prado
Prado is one of the most well-known specialty coffee brands in Vancouver, celebrating the opening of their new Gastown shop only a few weeks ago! Their brunch program is simple, focusing more on solid, repeatable options. You’ll also find a solid coffee program with beans from 49th Parallel, edging toward the darker end of the roast spectrum.
VancouverCoffeeSnob Recommendation: Their ‘cookie with no name’ is my go-to for whenever I need a quick brunch/breakfast bite, but I love the quinoa bowl with a poached egg if I’m staying.
Click here to read the review of Prado Surrey
3. Pallet Coffee Roasters
Latte Price: $4.35
Latte Price with Siply: $3.39
Filter Coffee Price: $2.35
Filter Coffee Price with Siply: $1.83
Another coffee shop going from strength to strength, opening their fourth location in 2018 with another planned for 2019! The Pallet brunch program needs no introduction. You can find an assortment of breakfast sandwiches, pastries and sweets, along with some amazing cooked dishes such as the Avo-Toast with poached egg pictured above.
VancouverCoffeeSnob Recommendation: The aforementioned Avo-Toast is going to do you just fine, but be sure to add a pour over coffee into the mix too, preferably the Kayon Mountain if it’s available.
Click here to read the review of Pallet Coffee Roasters Kitsilano
2. Olive and Ruby
Latte Price: $4.75
Latte Price with Siply: $3.71
Americano Price: $2.75
Americano Price with Siply: $2.15
Screaming their way up the list from last year, Olive and Ruby beat out Pallet by only one vote to take the number 2 spot on the Top 10 Best Brunch In Vancouver 2018 list! What a deserved spot this is too, as they’ve really taken their brunch game to the next level with a plethora of new options added, including an all-new house made sourdough. Also, their entire menu is vegetarian and vegan-friendly.
VancouverCoffeeSnob Recommendation: Their Avo-Toast has some sort of magic in it, as the flavour is so intense yet so delicate, but adding some Tempeh into the mix really elevates the whole thing to the next level. Their salted choc chip cookie should be your followup, paired with one of the best cortados in the city.
Click here to read the review of Olive and Ruby
1. Nemesis Coffee
Latte Price: $4.50
Latte Price with Siply: $3.51
Filter Coffee Price: $4.75
Filter Coffee Price with Siply: $3.71
Taking the top spot for the second year in a row, it’s easy to see why they come in as your favourite brunch of 2018 in Vancouver. Their food program is about as close as you’re going to get to Michelin Star quality food in a coffee shop. 2019 is set to see not one but two new Nemesis locations open up, with promises of even crazier attention to detail on their food program.
VancouverCoffeeSnob Recommendation: Anything. Literally, get anything, it’s all incredible. OK if you must be coached on it, their breakfast sandwich with a massive sausage patty and egg in it will blow your taste buds to pieces!
Click here to read the review of Nemesis Coffee
What did you think of the list? Feel like someone has been snubbed? Let me know in the comments below. I won’t change anything, but at least you get to shout at a stranger on the internet! Stay tuned for tomorrow, where the best roasters of 2018 list will be posted.