The inside of Cafe Deux Soleils is big, breezy, and full of energy.

Cafe Deux Soleils on Commercial Drive is a neighborhood hot spot. Morning, noon, and night, this place is packed with a wild assortment of people – all looking for a dark, chill, friendly place to get some good quick grub. The atmosphere is laid back, the food is vegetarian, and the place is loud!

Families with kids, students studying, groups meeting, and lots of first dates keep this place packed and the energy high. There is ample seating here, with big booths, a huge communal table, window benches and lots of additional small sets of tables. Even on the busiest of days, tables turn quickly and you’ll be able to nab a prime spot in no time.

The vibe is dark and creative at Cafe Deux Soleils. The whole place has a very laid back feel and they open the big windows at the front on nice days to keep the breeze blowing through. It’s a bit messy, but that’s all a part of the vibe.

Overall the food at Cafe Deux Soleils is great. They have food inspired from around the world and portion sizes to please every hunger level. They do breakfast and brunch particularly well and serve it up until 3pm 7 days a week. All menu options are vegetarian. They are also fully licensed!

Best Menu Item: The thick, hearty, vegetarian chili with warm, butter drenched toast! Even the tiny “cup” sized portion hits the spot! Burgers are great, and anything from the breakfast menu is greasy and good.

Note: The bathrooms are not good. They kind of feel like the bathrooms of a college dive bar. Avoid if possible.

Hours: Open at 8am every day. They close around midnight. Events start at 9pm (cover is $5).

More Information: http://www.cafedeuxsoleils.com/

Urbanspoon Says:

I have a newly re-formed love affair with Sophie’s Cosmic Cafe in Kitsilano. For years Sophie’s was that staple place I’d take guests from out of town. We’d brave the long weekend waits and fill our bellies with fresh diner coffee and huge plates of bacon and eggs. From the eccentric decor to the sassy servers, this was always a place of conversation.

Lately I’m seeing a whole side of Sophies that I’ve never seen before. I’ve started having early morning work meetings here, before the tourists can cross the bridge and anyone with a hangover has even thought about getting out of bed. This is the magical Sophie’s Cosmic Cafe that I really shouldn’t be telling anyone about.

Sophies opens surprisingly bright and early (8am, 7 days a week). Aside from the coffee shops, this stretch of West 4th remains fairly sleepy until 9 or 10. And on weekday mornings you can usually get a full booth without a wait; something that’s next to impossible later in the day and on weekends.

Before it starts getting busy for lunch, a weekday morning is the perfect time for holing up, having a quick nosh, and getting some serious caffeine and carb fueled work done.

New Menu Favorite: The Ashura Wheat dish. The serving was so hearty it will fill and fuel you all day long. The dish is served cold, along with yogurt and fruit - and is a healthful and energizing breaky. You can't put hot sauce on it, but it still tops my breakfast list.

The Gypsy Rose cafe is located right in the heart of busy West 4th. On weekend mornings this place is hopping with more couples, jogging strollers, and savvy locals than you can shake a stick at. This is the good stuff folks – giant, hearty crepes stuffed to the brim with whatever you can dream up.

There is nothing particularly special about the way this place looks or feels. There are only a few tables inside and out, though a fair amount of their business is takeout so you’ll usually be able to grab a spot. It’s not the place that invites you to linger, but you are here for the food after all.

Top Pick: Order the crepes, of course! They offer an assortment of other breakfast items that are decent, but the crepes are where the magic happens. I’m particularly fond of a good banana and nutella number, and I’m slowly working my way through the menu. Anyone else have any suggestions?

Address:
2017 West 4th
Vancouver, BC V6J1M9
Tel: (604) 738-3844

Crepe Menu: http://vancouvereatsout.com/gypsy-rose-cafe-menu/

Urbanspoon says:

The Aphrodite Organic Café and Pie Shop on West West 4th is one of Kitsilano’s finest brunch spots. If you haven’t made the trek out in that neighborhood yet, now you’ve got a mighty fine reason to visit. Their pies are outstanding, their breakfast menu exceptional (albeit a bit tough on the wallet) and as Kitsilano Coffee suggests below, they have some of the greatest breakfast pairing java on this side of Burrard. Read on:

Aphrodite Organic Café and Pie Shop is one part country café, one part pie shop, all parts amazing. Despite the fact that prices are quite high, and the service is notoriously slow, this remains one of our favorite places for noshing in the city. We chalk it up to some freaking rad ambiance.

This is the kind of place you just want to stay at all day.

The food at Aphrodite’s doesn’t disappoint and they serve up a great range of organic meals. Breakfast/brunch is clearly their raison d’être, but they also have dinner, lunch and takeout options. If you haven’t tasted one of their pies, you really haven’t lived. Our pick is the Strawberry Rhubarb pie – or the bafflingly incredible Chocolate Beet Cake (I’m getting heart palpitations just thinking about it!).

Alright, enough yammering about their food, let’s talk coffee. The coffee at Aphrodite’s is thick, the stuff is rich, and it’s definitely better and stronger than your average diner coffee cup of joe.

Refills can be hard to come by (service is very slow, on a good day) so it’s worth upgrading to the good stuff (be patient, even the drinks take a while to arrive). Their americanos are robust, and the blend they are using really pairs nicely with a big hearty breakfast – or a piece of pie!

Note: They don’t carry fake-o sweeteners like Splenda as they are an organic cafe, but they have honey or agave if you really have a sweet tooth.

Website: http://www.organiccafe.ca/

Urbanspoon Says:

IHOP is like Denny’s melancholy older brother. Both serve up the same greasy breakfast fare, but IHOP feels just a little bit more depressing somehow. I suppose it’s due to the lack of claw toy machines in the lobby.

Located at 5137 Kingsway, just East of Metrotown, IHOP #0311 in Burnaby is much like any of the other IHOP franchises I’ve visited. It’s the kind of place that I find myself when I can’t think of anywhere more exciting to dine. There is absolutely nothing remarkable about the Kingsway IHOP.

Saddled off a big commercial strip on Kingsway, this IHOP is clean, drab, and has ample parking. The wait staff are pleasant, and save time by dropping off a big thermos of coffee on your table rather than coming back to refill it. You have to hand it to IHOP – they know breakfast. The food comes fast, and the syrup is already on your table (yes, all four varieties of it). When you are ready to pay, just pay at the front counter- don’t bother waiting around for your server to coddle you. On weekends, every ounce of efficiency helps, as this place gets packed.

Menu selections at IHOP are far from exciting. While the kids menu does feature a pancake with a large happy face on it – other items simply leave nothing to the imagination, and dinner and lunch specials such as the “Breast of Chicken” or “Tantalizing T–Bone” are best avoided.

Pancake plates don’t come cheap – most cost upwards of $10 with tax and tip, and portions aren’t exceptional. What your meal lacks in pancake quantity, it certainly makes up for in whipped topping. My plate sported a fine hat of whipped white stuff larger than a baseball. I wasn’t quite sure what to do with it.

There’s always some sort of good deal going on at IHOP. Usually if you come early enough there’s a $2 special. You’ll also be able to rub elbows with a lively assortment of aged local characters that hit up the ‘HOP early.

Address:
IHOP (International House of Pancakes)
5137 Kingsway (Royal Oak & Kingsway),
Burnaby BC
(604) 451-5557

www.ihop.com

We used to end up at Joe’s Grill on 4th out of desperation. The lineup at Sophies was halfway down the block and the servers at Hell’s Kitchen weren’t quite awake enough to know that it was opening time. Sheer laziness often prevented us from venturing much further and we’d wander on into Joe’s.

The decor is nothing fancy. In fact, there’s no illusion that they even tried. You seat yourself here, but the tables turn quickly. The service is also fast, and you’ll never have to wait too long, even on busy days.

The food at Joe’s is always decent. In fact, everything about this place is routine. If you are tired or hungover on a Saturday morning this place is actually blissful. There are no flashing lights or loud music, and the clientele is definitely less see-and-be-seen than most places in the neighbourhood. You’re in good company in your sweatpants, even if they aren’t lululemon.

For $4.95 you can get a good heaping plate of eggs, vinegary hasbrowns, and toast. Breakfasts like the Ranchero (eggs, black beans, salsa, and cheese served in a deep fried tortilla bowl) are slightly cheaper than at Sophies or Hells Kitchen and are just as good. The coffee is decent and plentiful.

If it’s character or feng shui you are after, there are numerous cute breakfast spots in Kits, and they are definitely worth the walk. Joe’s Grill seems inspired by the great restaurants in curling rinks or forgotten strip malls, and I’m fine with that. So long as my toast is buttered and my coffee refilled, I’ll keep coming back to Joe’s.

Address:
2061 W 4th Ave
Vancouver, BC
604-736-6588

Urbanspoon Says:

Sophie’s Cosmic Cafe in Kits is one of those places that you can’t help but keep going back to. I don’t live in Kits, but I make the commute from Yaletown routinely in order to taste the sublime diet busting grease.

Sophies, which is located on 4th Avenue (right before Arbutus) is usually packed to the brim. Mid day, mid week, & pouring rain? Expect a line! Fret not, they are open 7 days a week for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and the prices are fairly cheap.

The building sports a cute patio that looks right out onto 4th and is open, weather permitting. The small restaurant manages to pack in 65 seats and the walls, ceiling, shelves are packed to the hilt with knickknacks galore. It’s full to the brim with trinkets and memorabilia and all sorts of wild and wonderful stuff. It’s exactly the kind of eccentric spot you can’t help but love.

And now, for the food. Well, it’s damn good, especially when smothered with their special hot sauce (yes, you can buy a bottle to take home). And the portions are huge. I’m a tough judge on portions, as my eyes are always about a plus size bigger than my stomach, and I can safely assure you that you will NOT be disapointed. The coffee is fresh & free flowin’ and the waitstaff are just as cute and quirky as the restaurant itself.

So, all I can really say is make the trek, whether it be five minutes or fifty. If you are looking for something a little lighter and grease free, they have some good diet friendly options. However, Sophie’s is the kind of place that was made to break your diet. I say, indulge! Just walk it off with a window shoping stroll along 4th Avenue or a wander along the seawall a few blocks away.

Address:

2095 West 4th Avenue
Vancouver, BC

They keep your cup topped up no matter how busy they are. The java is the kind of watery diner blend that Sunday mornings are made of.

We have a tradition of eating a super greasy brunch each day on the weekend. Usually we hit up Denny’s because we are clearly uncreative and like love handles, but my favourite place to go is Melriches in Yaletown.

Anything with the word ‘Yaletown’ in it sort of automatically cancels out the possibility of it being cheap, but with Melriches it’s not the case. While it’s no hole in the wall dive, it’s a simple breakfast haunt with free wifi, good food (including ALL DAY breakfast), simple service, and owners who don’t care if you hang out all day.

Melriches is located at 1043 Mainland Street, right beside Section 3, and is usually packed early. They’ve got lots of spots to sit, from cozy booths to people-watching-window-stools, and it’s all seat yourself. Nothing is overpriced, the portions are big, and you can bring in your laptop and access their free wifi hotspot, though I never see anyone using it.

Another great thing about Melriches is the service, or lack there of. You pay at the cash and have your food brought out to you, but there aren’t any annoying servers hovering over you or trying to get you buy your bazillionth latte in order to just stay put.

There’s another Melriches in Vancouver, on Davie street, and it’s just as good. It attracts a differnt clientele and definitely feels more like a coffee shop than the Yaletown one.

I say, order a coffee (Melrich’s coffee comes from local roaster Bean Around the World), a big omelette, grab the paper, and watch the locals see and be seen. If you are going to eat out, you might as well make it a lazy brunch, the kind of meal that can really last all day.

All in all, Melriches is worth the trip out. It’s best in the morning when it’s jam packed and everyone is hopping on caffiene, but it’s still damn good on a quiet rainy day when you can curl up undisturbed with your laptop and a muffin.

Address:

1043 Mainland (beside Section 3)
Vancouver, BC

One of the most disappointing things about living in Yaletown is the lack of great casual places to grab a bite. Sure there are a select few, but I need selection damnit! While there’s no shortage of ‘fabulous’ hot-spots where you can fill stomach and empty your wallet, most of them feel somewhat the same, and are packed with the same hummer loving set day in and day out.

Recently a new place opened, called Diner, right in the heart of Yaletown (1269 Hamilton). It’s lofty, airy, modern, and homey all at the same time, and is the perfect answer to Yaletown’s glaring lack of casual restaurants.

The first thing to note is the coffee. I enjoy a fine cup of java every now and then, and whatever the heck they serve at Diner is some of the best. They serve it up bodum style, and it’s enough to keep you going from day until night if need be. Why didn’t I discover this stuff during college?

Diner is known for, oddly enough, both their desserts and their meatloaf. While after a heaping portion of their meatloaf I’ll doubt you’ll still have room for anything else, but it’s worth coming back time and time again, because everything on the menu is damn good. I also especially dig their breakfast. Try the big hungry man breakfast and it comes with eggs, sausage, bacon, potatoes, toast, and yes, a waffle too.

Diner’s décor is nothing too special, but you don’t want it to be. And the service is bad, just as it should be. Expect to wait far too long, be ignored far too often, and not have your order exactly how you requested it. This is a ‘diner’ after all .. You’ve got to throw your expectations out the window and expect a little side of moodiness with whatever you order.

There are no apologies here. The menu is written haphazardly on the wall on huge chalkboards and mirrors, and the design is somewhat minimalist. Lots of hardwood and chrome. It’s Yaletown’s tongue and cheek approach to truck stop and I dig it.

Address:

1269 Hamilton
Vancouver, BC
604-444-4855

Note: As of 2007 Diner is now closed. Tear.

The best and the most happening Denny’s in all of Vancouver is the one located at the corner of Burrard and Smithe. You can’t miss it — it’s right across from the Scotiabank Theatre. On most morning’s Denny’s is packed — but the service is fast and you’ll get a table and your food in no time flat. We usually visit on Saturday morning, because we know that Jason will be our server, and he’ll let us order off the kids menu and make a zillion substitutions because we are cheap.

Denny’s is not necessarily a cheap option for breakfast, but if you do it right it can be. First things first, ask for a kids menu. At breakfast our eyes are usually A LOT bigger than our stomachs, and the kids menu offers some similar options, with smaller, portions (although not THAT much smaller), and a heck of a smaller price tag. I usually order the Kids Grand Slam, which comes with bacon, sausage, eggs and three silver dollar pancakes. It’s just over three bucks! You can’t make that kind of food at home for that price .. and if you can it takes way too much effort.

Also, check out the kids lunch and dinner options, they have a great selection — even a Thanksgiving Dinner all year round. Take THAT steamrollers.

Another way to save big is to mix and match side dishes .. don’t get roped into buying that whole elaborate pancake meal when all you really want are some flapjacks and syrup. Those are on the side dish menu, for half the price.

In summary, for a greasy Saturday morning brunch, Denny’s has got you covered. You can go there and know exactly what to expect. Sure they don’t have the kind of atmosphere you might find at a place like Melriches, but they’ve got one of those dollar-claw machines in the lobby, so it more than makes up for it!

Address:

101-888 Burrard (across from the Scotiabank theatre)
Vancouver, BC