Cafe Crema

Stopped by on a gorgeous sunny Saturday for a late brunch and was definitely satisfied! I had the Frittata with brussel sprouts, tomatoes, peppers and more served on a thick cut slice of multi grain toast. It was delicious, I am a huge fan of brussel sprouts and these did not disappoint. I couldn’t quite stomach the thick rich bread with the first fat though, and didn’t end up eating much of the toast although it was great and fresh. Fantastic! Will be back.

Busy popular café on the waterfront, so you will find a diverse mix of businessmen and people pre or post exercise getting their coffee fix every morning.
The baked goods selection is decent and made fresh in house, but my comfort food favourite here is the raspberry pecan bran muffin.
Of course the coffee is the star here and is consistently good.
Mornings are a hive of activity and seating is always at a premium, so if you were considering a quiet moment to sip a coffee and read a paper then hopefully you have the luxury of a late start to avoid the morning rush.
Nonetheless still one of my favourite cafés on the Northshore.

Very nice place to grab a coffee, even better spot for a pastry. Absolutely amazing baked goods, Starbucks should take note. I enjoyed the small patio even though it was rainy outside. Will have to go back next time I visit.

Oh my goodness, the view. The comfy chairs. The mocha (melted chocolate chips for the chocolate side of things!). The grain-​free options! The staff! The vibe! The tiny tables! The mondo huge table!
Yep, I love it here. A few things I wasn’t thrilled with, but they’re all minor.
(a) leaky windows = a mess
(b) strawberries in one of the meal-​sized grain-​free options (I’m allergic, they’re pre-​made)
© few plugs for us hipster writers (I’m no hipster, but there were a few here) — I asked the staff where to sit, they were happy to share the best places”.
(d) a bit pricey. 12oz mocha (their small) was $ 5. Pre-​made salad was $ 12.50 with about a quarter of a chicken breast and the rest greens. Mighty Leaf tea was (I think) $ 3.
(e) They close at 6pm. Every day.
Yes, I spent all afternoon here. I’d be there again if they were still open. Just the view and vibe alone are worth it. I’d call this a 4.5 star, mostly due to prices, so I’ll give them the 5. Cuz I’m nice like that. And so was the staff.

Staff was friendly, but my latte wasn’t particularly amazing and it’s not a particularly good place to study.

Highly recommend to those who have been accustomed to quality espresso and hate settling for less!
Stopped in after a morning run to grab a quick drink. Service was courteous and timely. Found the shop via Unilocal,read some reviews and based my order off praise of the crema specialty drink. It was excellent! Didn’t ask a barista but almost positive it was a cortado, which I rarely drink, but glad I took a chance. Smooth, well steamed milk, and the espresso was perfectly pulled without a burnt taste which I loathe. Usually I like to try an espresso above other drinks and wishing I would of to truly appreciate it!

One of the best coffee shops I’ve found in greater Vancouver. Milk was steamed to the perfect temperature, Phil&Sebastian espresso pulled beautifully — my crema cappuccino was absolutely perfect.
Great atmosphere, so close to the waterfront and the perfect spot to stop after a good bike-​ride. They have a full brunch menu and absolutely epic pastries. The almond croissant I had was packed full of delicious almond paste, and still flaky and a bit crisp on the outside.
Prices are reasonable, staff are friendly. Definitely my favourite spot on the north shore for coffee.

Sweet damn. That crema cappuccino is creamy as all hell.
. I am tempted to end my review there, as the Crema cappuccino is my sole reason for naming this my favourite café in the city. I don’t know what they do to the bloody thing but it is some of the smoothest coffee I’ve encountered. It’s like drinking velvet — there is no bitter note here. My friend, who loathes coffee, will drink their cappuccino without sweetener. What do you do to this coffee. What. I don’t understand why this cappuccino is so smooth. So, so smooth.
If i turn my attention away from that sweet, sweet foam, the staff bears mentioning. They’re all genuinely smiley and kind. I generally find myself caught in a smile-​circle with one of the barristas which makes me a bumbling fool tripping all over myself, but i just genuinely enjoy interacting with each of them. It’s not as though I’ve become a regular, I’m a bit of an invisible girl. They’re just equally buoyant with everyone who walks in.
They’re also quick and consistent — no matter who makes my drink, it turns out gorgeously textured.
And they’re all babes. Is that worth noting? It is now. You’re babes. The whole lot of you.
The star removal comes in two parts — food and SOMETIMES atmosphere.
The food is meh. I’ve never been floored by an item on the menu. I’ve been underwhelmed by plain breakfasts, found the sandwiches OKAY but nothing to write home about. Upon giving up on menu items, I’ve found the pastries hit and miss. The carrot cake was great but the cheesecake dry. I tend to order based off how cute they’re plated over any expectations of flavour. They do chocolate things really well, though. I’m just not much of a chocolate person.
So when I want food, I tend to go to Mercato. and then wander the few blocks back to Crema for that cappuccino. Have I mentioned that creamy as all hell cappuccino? Sweet damn.
I will also admit I often avoid Crema for the simple fact it seems as though the worst of stereotypes of West Van tend to congregate there in waves. Soccer moms, ladies who lunch, men who check what sort of shoes I’m wearing with disdain — I often find the crowd off-​putting and stuffy. I feel like I, an admittedly ragamuffin, stick out like a sore thumb some days, so I keep walking.
But that’s on me, not them, and I know that.
So, in synopsis. I’d marry that cappuccino. I’d marry it.

We had gone to Café Crema a few times for their expensive hot chocolate drinks, which we had previously enjoyed. We went again recently only to find that the hot chocolate is now a large cup of diluted brown milk which vaguely smells of chocolate. The counter staff informed us they had been told to change the drinks, presumably to save the owner money.
We will also save our money and go somewhere else!

I came here for a sandwich around 1:00pm today. After a very long wait, I finally received it… the wrong sandwich. They served me Pork (ham) instead of Beef (smoked meat).
I had them grill me the correct one after another wait, but that one had an absurd amount of cheese that I had to scrape off.
The drinks and snacks are ok, but I will never do another sandwich here.

I often stop in here when biking in West Vancouver because of the great bike parking. They have a small patio with bike racks in front of the café. Their coffees are smooth and sandwiches are tasty and well priced. They also have a variety of great looking desserts.
Because they are so busy it always feels messy and sticky inside.

We had a latte and peanut butter cookie here after a crabbing session at Ambleside Park. The latte was excellent. Good espresso. Awesome foam, nice latte art. The cookie was big and moist and yummy. Their free water was mint and lemon infused, which my SO loved.
Love the décor — the vertical framed succulents, the big landscape drawing, etc.
Would give 5 stars if prices were a little lower and the staff bused (take away dirty cups on tables from previous customers, wipe the tables, redistribute chairs, etc) the café area more frequently.

Wow, what a great place in West Van! The boyfriend and I stopped for a coffee before going off to hike in Lighthouse Park. He got a cappuccino that he said was pretty tasty, and grabbed me a blueberry oatmeal muffin. The baked goods are so tempting! The oatmeal was delicious, but I wouldn’t have been opposed to more blueberries.
This place has outdoor seating for those days that are few and far between in Vancouver, and is very close to the water/​seawall, so makes for a great pre– or post-​walk/​run stop!

It was a real treat to start the morning here and have some of there deliciously crafted espresso. The regular coffe that my husband got was ok. They have a variety of sweet treats, pastries, and sandwiches but I didn’t feel like trying any of them. The cheddar & bacon scone looks great though and it was not your typical kind of scone. It’s soft and a little flaky and not as dense and dry as other scones I’ve tried. I love it!
It’s a spacious café with big and small tables and some outdoor seating. So, we didn’t have problem finding a spot for our stroller and our little boy. Location is perfect for walking. There’s an amazing playground for kids at 18^th and Argyle, just a few blocks from here and it’s the perfect place for kids. I was told it was newly remodeled.

What a horrible café. They offer crappy and slow service. Would never come back again.

A friend of mine and I go for a walk along the sea wall in West Vancouver every Sunday. It’s super relaxing and guarantees I get out each week no matter how chaotic work has been.
Crema is in a great location. Right in the middle of West Van shopping area, and a close walk to the sea wall. They have a small patio and lots of space to sit inside. It’s quaint, its cute and the staff are super friendly.
As part of this Sunday tradition, we stop in at Crema to grab a decaf almond milk latte before we head out for our walk. Yes, they have almond milk. A nice change to soy milk all the time and much healthier!
Oh and I must not forget, they put pretty little designs in the foam. Nice little touch.
While we wait for the lattes we always gawk at the desserts and sandwiches. Everything looks so good but, we always go after lunch so we never get a chance to grab a bite.
Hopefully we at some point we can try a slice of the cheese cake that winks at us from the display case, but then again, that would defeat the purpose of the walk right?
If your in West Van and need a java, walk on over to Crema. It’s definitely worth a special trip.

After unsuccessfully attempting to hike cypress due to October-​like-​weather-​in-​middle-​of-​August we decided to head back to town for some brunch.
I had had an early breakfast bagel from Whole Foods so opted for dessert, which was in form of an all bran pumpkin muffin accompanied by their house coffee.
We had a big group so found a cozy and nice table to sit at in the back and enjoy the view.
This coffee shop has an excellent location with an outdoor patio and one of the best views of Lions Gate and downtown Vancouver. The staff was very courteous and attentive unlike some of the other local chains that shall remain unnamed.

This place makes truly beautiful coffees! Chris and I flew in from Ontario (she from Toronto, me from Ottawa) to surprise my sister — «Beandar», aka Roanna — for her upcoming birthday. Roanna’s husband, Rhett, helped to coordinate this event, by inviting friends to meet them there, giving them a good excuse to dawdle over coffee. This also gave us time to arrive, as the Lion’s Gate bridge was closed yesterday. Although this was a long way to go for a coffee, it was worth the trip! My sister was greatly surprised.
The staff at the restaurant was very good about allowing us to use their premises for our boisterous get together. Meanwhile, we feasted on great coffee and sandwiches and beautiful sweet treats. It was enjoyable also watching a professional Barrista pour a gorgeous looking coffee! Kudeos to Café Crema, PS: I also love that neighbourhood. It was a gorgeous day to be out and about with mild temperature and plenty of sunshine. There’s loads to see and do in West Vancouver. Can hardly wait to go back!

* Too long bitterness*
When a very short line at a café takes TOO LONG, it makes me bitter.
When it seems like the staff at a café has been working TOO LONG, it makes them bitter, which in turn makes me bitter.
When a café is full, but customers are camping at tables TOO LONG after they have finished their purchases, it makes everyone bitter.
When an espresso shot is TOO LONG with a light stop, it makes the espresso bitter.
Sadly, all applied. Photo:

People seem to love this place. It’s usually busy. The sandwiches and treats look great, but I’m knocking off one star because all the espresso drinks are 2 shots and they charge more for a large americano, which is just more water. The cashier couldn’t explain that one. The espresso itself is ok, not amazing, but probably one of the better options in this area.
This shop was very busy when I visited on a Saturday morning, which left the milk and sugar counter in a mess. I’d blame some of that on the clients who could simply wipe up after themselves. Overall experience felt a bit like a fast food joint rather than a West Van café.