Cafe Algarve

Café Algarve is not a café is in the sense of a North American coffeehouse nor one of the fabled cafes in the big cities in Portugal, such as the Cafes A Brasileira, Suiza, Nicola, or Majestic. It is, as others have said, a neighborhood grocery store /​café that is unmistakably and authentically Portuguese.
Its name, Café Algarve, refers to the beachy area in the south of Portugal. However, a poster map of Baixa Pombalina, the Baixa district of Lisbon rebuilt after the 1755 earthquake under the direction of the Marques de Pombal, will be looking at you from the cash register.
Locals coming from Portugal definitely frequent this business, close to the intersection of Broadway and Commercial Drive, and many speak in their native language. The owners and the patrons are very friendly. One should stop by to try a pastry and some coffee … or tea. Also, if you’ve ever tried, and liked, Sumol, the Portuguese soft drink which comes in orange, pineapple, and passion fruit, you can buy it here. You can also buy other groceries.
I recommend coming in the morning for the pastry and coffee. The pastries are pasteis de nata, the traditional Portuguese custard tarts «born» in Lisbon’s Belem district, and it’s impossible to eat just one. So, for an inexpensive pastry and coffee, meeting some nice folks from across the Atlantic, and doing something atypical while in Vancity, check this place out.

Ok this place is very charming. I’ll start with the irrelevant stuff that gives it a unique flavor. They have what is essentially a pantry, with like two bags of Bisquick, five bags of sugar, maybe two sleeves of Oreos and then generic crackers. It’s seriously like someone’s well-​stocked pantry, like the house of the family of six who lived down the street or that of a family who would hire a babysitter.
I usually go here, get a coffee and pastry for $ 1.50. I can’t talk to the genuine quality of either, but it’s a nice alternative to the other coffee ventures on the drive. There are several «regulars» there who chat in Portuguese about this and that, so it’s a nice little gem in the area.

This miniature grocery store/​café carries a mix of Portuguese food stuffs, baking supplies and, kind of randomly, household cleaning products.
I admit, I couldn’t sit down and order something from the café side. My reasoning — I chickened out. I think I need someone to come with me! On a Friday afternoon at 3:30, all of the tables were full of older men and women speaking Portuguese and probably wondering what this girl was doing — it didn’t help that I happened to be wearing high heeled boots, a hat and a dress… I stuck out like a sore thumb! But I did get Portuguese cuscus to cook at home.
I sneaked a peak at some homemade desserts that looked interesting (mental note for next time)
So what do you say Unilocalers — anyone want to come with me?