15 Must Visit Breakfast and Brunch Spots in Vancouver, BC

I found plenty of delicious spots to get breakfast and brunch in Vancouver after spending a month eating my way around the city, and these are my must-visits! Vancouver is filled with some amazing restaurants, cafes, and coffee shops, so you’ll be hard-pressed to find a bad breakfast or brunch in the city. From sit-down savory breakfasts to super sweet filled donuts and grab-and-go coffee shops, you’ll find a bit of everything on this list.

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1. Maxine’s Cafe & Bar

Maxine’s was my favorite sit-down breakfast in Vancouver by far. The restaurant was cute, the service was great, and the food was even better! I got the bacon rösti, and they were kind enough to give me normal bacon instead of their honey-coated bacon because of my allergy (though I was so sad I couldn’t try it), and it was savory and flavorful and just delicious. The potato pancake and the bacon were both perfectly crisp, the egg was perfectly runny, and the caramelized onion gave the whole dish a rich coziness that I think is pretty hard to beat when you want to indulge in the morning. Paired with a light, bright grapefruit mimosa, it was a damn good meal!

Food & Drink Recs: Maxine’s bacon rösti, Maximosa cocktail

2. Greenhorn Cafe

A popular breakfast and brunch spot in Vancouver for a reason, this cafe is truly a gem in the West End. No reservations and delicious food can definitely make for long wait times, but I luckily was able to snag a spot on their front patio on a cloudy Sunday afternoon. My server was lovely, and the shakshuka was a bit smaller than I had anticipated, but no less delicious. Served with crusty sourdough and a bit of a kick from the harissa, it really hit the spot after a 3 hour walk around the seawall! If you’re going with friends, I’d suggest getting there early for brunch, especially on a weekend.

Food & Drink Recs: Harissa shakshuka

3. Medina Cafe

I still don’t know if it’s called Cafe Medina or Medina Cafe — it’s written both ways in multiple places — but regardless, this is a great spot for brunch! They’re known for their liege waffles and notoriously long wait times, as this is another spot that doesn’t take reservations. They seemed to be very hyped up on social media, and while my food was very good, I didn’t find the restaurant to be quite as stellar as everyone proclaims. They do have incredibly friendly and accommodating staff, though! I got the waffles so I could try their star menu item and they were really yummy — extremely sweet, if you’re familiar with the liege style. I chose the raspberry caramel and the mixed berry compote for my sauces and both were delicious, too! I also got a side of their roasted potatoes, and they gave me a side of hummus instead of the aioli to avoid allergy issues, which was very nice. The potatoes were super crispy on the outside and perfectly fluffy on the inside, and the hummus pairing was actually delicious! My iced latte could have been better, but the food made up for it for sure. If you go solo, be prepared to sit at the bar as that’s likely the only spot they’ll have an opening. If you go with friends, be prepared to wait, even on a weekday morning.

Food & Drink Recs: Leige waffles, roasted potatoes

4. BAM BAM

BAM BAM is one of Vancouver’s newer openings, and it’s absolutely worth all the incredible hype it’s getting. They’re an all-day concept from the owners of Nemesis Coffee (featured below) that specializes in fried chicken and donuts, and the meal I got there was arguably my favorite in Vancouver. BAM BAM has both breakfast sandwiches and multiple fried chicken versions for later in the day, plus a huge amount of unique donut flavors, cream sodas, and amazing beef tallow hash sticks. I went here in the afternoon so I got their classic BAM BAM combo, which came with a fried chicken sandwich, a donut, hash sticks, and a soda (I still don’t actually know how early they start serving the chicken sandwiches because their menu is kind of confusing). The strawberry shiso donut is insanely good, with a tart strawberry filling, hints of minty shiso, and a gorgeous sweet glaze on top. I barely even like soda, but the cherry cola cream soda was delicious, and again, the hash sticks are just amazing. The tarragon chicken sandwich was one of the best fried chicken sandwiches I’ve ever had, too, and that’s saying a lot. 100% recommend a visit here if you’re looking for breakfast or brunch in Vancouver!

Food & Drink Recs: Tarragon fried chicken sandwich, strawberry shiso donut, cherry cola cream soda, hash sticks

5. Nemesis Coffee

Moving into the coffee shops/cafes portion of this post and starting off strong: Nemesis is another spot absolutely worth its hype! I really try not to repeat restaurants during my travels so I can try as many new spots as possible — otherwise I would have gone back to try more of their sandwiches, pastries, and drinks. It was a nice little spot to work remotely in Vancouver, too! Lots of space, and even when it gets busy the crowds filter out pretty quickly so I didn’t feel like I was taking up too much room at all. Loved the croissant as a bun for this sandwich, though I ended up eating it with a fork and knife because it was expectedly pretty messy — but the croissant itself was deliciously flaky, buttery, and crisp around the edges, and it paired so well with the rich mortadella, egg, and cheese. There’s a bit of mustard aioli on there, too!

Food & Drink Recs: Mortadella breakfast sandwich

6. Slo Coffee

Slo Coffee is a great little escape from the chaos of Granville Street in downtown Vancouver. The interior is really cool, with an earthy-toned, minimalist design and a little merch section opposite the food counter. Their hot chocolate is one of my favorites in the city, and their scones are unreal! I love a savory scone paired with a sweet drink, so I went for the cheddar and chive, and it was moist, perfectly crumbly, and seasoned to a T. As someone who prides herself on her scone recipes, this is high praise from me! I’d absolutely say this spot is a good choice for a quick breakfast in Vancouver.

Food & Drink Recs: Hot chocolate, cheddar and chive scone

7. Saunter Coffee

I don’t normally go for matcha, but I got one on a whim from Saunter (their iced strawberry matcha) and it was delicious! The space is really cute — it’s small, but efficiently laid out and bustling with walk-ins and customers working on their laptops. There’s even a little hidden terrace in the back which is perfect if you want to savor your breakfast! I didn’t get any food here, but their pastries looked delicious, so I wouldn’t hesitate to get one if you visit.

Food & Drink Recs: Iced strawberry matcha

8. Rocanini Coffee Roasters

Rocanini was the first spot I worked remotely from in Vancouver, so it has a special place in my heart. It also helps that they serve an incredible raspberry pistachio danish, too! Again, if I was more of a coffee/matcha drinker I’d have gotten something more fun to drink, but I’m sure their options are all delish. I was a bit disappointed that the pressed juice I ordered was just a random brand rather than made in-house, but it was still good. The cafe’s seating is a bit of a unique layout, with a few small tables pushed pretty close together and then a large communal table, but I got there pretty early and didn’t have trouble getting a seat that wasn’t crowded!

Food & Drink Recs: Raspberry pistachio danish

9. Analog Coffee

Analog makes a mean hot chocolate and is another great spot to work for a few hours! Their cafe interior was one of the more cozy ones I visited in Vancouver, with warmer lighting and accents and a more mellow atmosphere. If I had stayed longer I definitely would have tried a pastry or one of their breakfast sandwiches! The hot cocoa was awesome — rich and smooth, but not overly chocolatey (I grew up making my hot cocoa with water instead of milk, so I’m partial to a more subtle flavor). They have good outdoor seating for warmer weather, too!

Food & Drink Recs: Hot chocolate

10. Pallet Coffee Roasters

Pallet is a local cafe chain with tons of locations around Vancouver — I went to their Howe St. location and it was (yet again) another great spot to work remotely! Their hot chocolate was delicious, and might have the cutest art of all the hot cocoas I got in Vancouver. They’re definitely more coffee-forward with a pretty small selection for pastries, but they do have a number of breakfast/lunch sandwiches and a build-your-own option, too! It got a bit crowded but not uncomfortably packed — this could change on weekends, but overall I definitely recommend even just to pop in and get a quick coffee in the morning.

Food & Drink Recs: Hot chocolate

11. Angus T Bakery & Cafe

This bakery was absolutely the star of all the bakeries and cafes I visited in Vancouver — their pastries are unreal, and that’s not an exaggeration. I got the lemon curd danish, pistachio raspberry croissant, and a balsamic onion jam and bacon croissant, and all three of them were stellar! The lemon curd was tart and sweet with a toasted meringue on top, the pistachio and raspberry fillings meshed perfectly together, and the bacon in the savory croissant was THICK. They did not skimp on the bacon at all, and the onion jam was an incredibly rich complement to the salty bacon. It’s rare for me to find multiple pastries at one bakery that completely hit it out of the park, but I have no doubt that anything else at Angus T would be just as delicious!

Food & Drink Recs: Lemon curd danish, pistachio raspberry croissant, balsamic onion jam & bacon croissant

12. Breka Bakery & Cafe

Breka is a staple in Vancouver, offering 24 hour pastries, sandwiches, coffees, and grab & go meals. Their Davie St. location has a decent amount of seating, and while the line can get a bit chaotic mid-morning, it was a pretty quick process to order my items. Their pastry cases are borderline overwhelming just because they have so many baked goods and desserts to choose from! Donuts, mousses, croissants, tarts, cakes, cookies, strudels, muffins… the list truly goes on and on, and that’s not even including their drinks, soups, sandwiches. There’s truly something for everyone here, from light pastries to more filling options, so it’s a great spot to get either breakfast or brunch in Vancouver! I got a little assortment of goodies and everything tasted great, so I definitely recommend stopping in and trying something that catches your eye.

Food & Drink Recs: Raspberry & lychee white chocolate mousse, dulce de leche donut, earl grey cream puff

13. Kafka’s Coffee Roasters

Kafka’s is the first place I ever went to in Vancouver, fresh off the train and waiting for my check-in. It’s a funky little cafe in Yaletown serving breakfast and lunch options plus coffees, teas, pastries, and more. I often go for a refreshing drink without caffeine rather than a coffee or matcha, so their passionfruit refresher was a welcome sight after a long travel morning, and it was lovely to enjoy outside on their patio! I wish I had gone back to try some of their food, but their menus looked super good, so I’m confident that they’re worth a stop for a quick breakfast or brunch in Vancouver.

Food & Drink Recs: Passionfruit refresher

14. A Bread Affair

If you’re on Granville Island, you need to visit A Bread Affair! One of the most popular cafes on the island, they have a huge bakery case filled with cookies, brownies, bars, and pastries, plus fresh loaves of bread and a huge list of gourmet grilled cheeses to choose from! I did a little DIY grilled cheese and just added bacon to mine, and it was delicious paired with their house-made lemonade. It’s the perfect start to your day exploring the island! Grilled cheese is also definitely a breakfast food if you want it to be, so if you’re looking for a quick breakfast or brunch in Vancouver, this is a great spot with a bunch of options.

Food & Drink Recs: Lemonade, grilled cheese with bacon

15. Lee’s Donuts

Don’t let anyone tell you that donuts aren’t for breakfast! For the best ones, you’ve got to go to Lee’s Donuts. They have a few locations around Vancouver, including inside the Granville Island Public Market, and I can confirm their lemon custard donut is the best donut I’ve ever tasted! The dough is impossibly pillowy, the curd is sweet and tart, and the sugar coating the whole thing is the perfect touch. Absolutely a must when you’re in the city — trust me.

Food & Drink Recs: Lemon custard donut