Pane Vero

This place has become my go-​to neighbourhood brunch joint. They have strong JJ Bean coffee and excellent food. The service is — yes — rather understated but I don’t necessarily need chatty conversation while I’m waiting for my americano. I always order the veggie swiss breakfast bun because it’s delicious and the perfect size. Once they asked if it was okay if it took a little longer because they were still baking the bread. Well I for one definitely don’t mind waiting a little longer for fresh baked bread! But they must have felt bad because they gave me a free homemade cookie too. It was great! In fact all the baked goods here are great, especially the fruity muffins. Plus the place is huge and generally uncrowded. It’s a great spot to sit and people watch. Go here. It’s awesome.

This little spot on the north end of Commercial Drive was a perfect stop for an early afternoon refueling before continuing down to explore The Drive. I had a nice medium roast that was brewed and my momma had an attractive but average nonfat latte. She didn’t get a good vibe from the barista, although it wasn’t something that I particularly noticed. Probably the best part about Pane Vero is the big patio out front which is a great place to watch people out and about on The Drive.
STOP 2 on our Culinary Day Out in Vancouver
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Jalapeño cheese buns, Warrior Goddess green tea and free wifi, mere blocks from my mum’s house? I’ll take it. I’ll take it and love it and come back again. Their seriously fresh baking never disappoints with its decadent glory — now I want a jalapeño cheese bun. Sigh.

Had the brunch wild west benny this morning and it was great. Nice soft eggs, excellent salmon. My only criticism is that it was on a bun rather than an English muffin. Pane Vero has a display case filled with delicious looking muffins, parties, and desserts. I look forward to coming back to try more.

A standoff between me, holding my $ 6.50 and Pane Vero’s turkey + swiss panini which sat smugly, the last one left in the display case. Would it really be worth my dough (pardon the pun).
I took it out (well, they did) and toasted it (they did that too) and then WHAM! BANG! FLAVOUR. Who knew melty swiss, cranberry and some sort of mayo-​like spread could be so tasty and filling? Every last crumb of that homemade bread was eaten.
And dang, that’s one strong americano. Kept me percolating all day and night long.

Seems like this place is quite happenin’ for a coffee shop on a Sunday afternoon. I just had a cranberry-​chocolate chip cookie here and it was quite tasty. I would come back to try the other delicious things in their case, like a mango bran muffin? :-D
It seems like a great place to be on a sunny afternoon on the drive.

Getting to be a popular spot on the drive, Pané Vero is roomy and bright. The soup of the day today had a delicious homemade taste, with chunks of veggies and lentils in a light tomato broth. The Panninis look really yummy too.
With an outside patio on The Drive you can park your bike or your K9 buddy within reach.
This is a great little perch to enjoy The Drive.

Following our biweekly Winter Market visit, we slogged through the pouring rain to discover Pane Vero. And I’m so glad we did!
We ordered two kinds of eggs benny (Traditional, with ham — and a vegetarian version with spinach, mushrooms and onions) and coffee. I was a bit skeptical of the benny, which was served on a 9-​grain bun rather than the usual English muffin. But I needn’t have worried! Obviously homemade, the bun was a fantastic complement to the free-​range eggs. Homefries, prepared with red peppers, were an added bonus.
The coffee was just right, the atmosphere was casual but not lazy, and the food arrived promptly (and hot). Next time, I think I’ll try one of their breakfast buns…

Pane Vero has a lot to offer the commercial Drive community. Its a bit of a trek down from the clusters of other coffee shops on the Drive, but it is worth the hike. With a bakery on site and deli case full of fresh made sandwiches and salads, this is more than your average café. The $ 8 soup and sandwich combo will not disappoint. There are always five or six kinds of delicious looking paninis to choose from — my favorite is the grilled veggie and goat cheese — and the soups of the day have always been spot on! The bakery case is filled with over sized breakfast pastries and sweet treats to enjoy with coffee or tea. The tea selection is good here and I’ve heard the coffee rivals most good shops in the area.
The space is roomy and comfortable and the large screen TVs with scrolling art are a nice touch. And the recently added patio is perfect for summertime sitting. This owner operated café is aces in my book.