Months ago we heard murmurs of a new breakfast joint, “The Gypsy Room,” which was getting set to open as the next project to be undertaken by Chambar’s Schuermans. The name didn’t stick but Cafe Medina, located crosstown next to Chambar on Beatty Street in Vancouver recently opened their doors to the public.
Café Medina
www.medinacafe.com
556 Beatty St. (at Dunsmuir St.)
604-879-3114
Hours: Monday thru Saturday, 7:30am – 5pm
The new breakfast place, owned by the Schuermans, Nico and Kari, and partner Robbie Kane (originally a server from the aforementioned restaurant) features Liege-style waffles, smoothies, coffee from 49th Parallel and more.
More about what Sweet Spot and Vitamin V had to say about the place after the jump.
Sweet Spot’s review:
JANUARY 18, 2008 – Belgian Belly
Getting through a dark and dreary morning at work can be tough—especially when the wind is howling and the rain is not-so-pitter-pattering. (But we love Vancouver, right?)
Which is why we’re thankful for Café Medina, the new waffle and coffee house brought to us by Robbie Kane and his partners Chef Nico and Karri Schuerman, owners of the amazing Belgian restaurant next door, Chambar. Open only since Monday, we detoured through Crosstown (the area connecting Chinatown, Yaletown and Gastown) to take a seat in the long, cozy room filled with dark wood and vintage accents.
Eagerly awaiting our sweet and syrupy indulgence, we sipped on a cappuccino ($3.20) by local roaster 49th Parallel. And then they came. The warm, fresh Belgian waffles ($3.15 each) were crispy on the outside, light on the inside and drizzled with homemade, mostly-organic sweet toppings ($1.00 each). Eight are available; we swooned when we tasted the dark chocolate and fell instantly in love with the white chocolate pistachio syrup with rose water.
By early summer, our new favourite snack spot will begin serving breakfast and lunch (and private Chambar dinners, too). Now warm weather isn’t the only thing we’re looking forward to.
Café Medina
www.medinacafe.com
556 Beatty St. (at Dunsmuir St.)
604-879-3114
Vitamin V’s review:
JANUARY 18, 2008 – HIPSTER I-HOP
Funky cool Café Medina (Chambar’s new little next-door venture) is freshly squeezed on the breakfast scene with 49th Parallel coffees made by carefully screened baristas, fruit smoothies and real Belgian waffles pressed right in the window.
While the room doubles as a private party area for Chambar at night, mornings you’ll find downtown types breezing through the New Yorker or W magazines (on hand at the bar) and perching on stainless steel French stools while dipping waffles in lavender-chocolate or pistachio sauce.
Now that’s the type of place we like to see “pop up.”
Café Medina, 556 Beatty St., 604-879-3114, www.medinacafe.com
As a final note, I certainly hope to see some savory food on the menu sometime soon. mmmm bacon!
