- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Coffee & Tea |
- All
Acacia Fillo Bar
Categories: Food Specialty Food Ethnic Food Restaurants Breakfast & Brunch Ethnic Food, Breakfast & Brunch [Edit]
1103 Denman StVancouver, BC V6G 2M7
Neighbourhood: West End
(604) 633-3884
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 7 am - 9 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- No
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Breakfast, Brunch
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
Kirk C. said: "Great brunch! A wonderful selection and very nice staff. Fun, low-key vibe." read more »
42 reviews for Acacia Fillo Bar
Review Highlights
-
"I also got a taste of the Banitza - seriously good." In 8 reviews -
"Support this truly unique, family-run bulgarian oasis." In 9 reviews -
"And it comes with out-of-this-world potatoes/yams." In 3 reviews
Loading...
41 reviews in English
-
Review from Luna L.
Toronto, ON
I used to come here once a week while I was working in Downtown Vancouver.
Yes, it is absolutely a 5/5! My regular menu would consist of the mushroom and spinach fillo, but I've also had many of their other ones, equally good - Roasted Vegetables, Brie & Pecans, Turkey & Kashkaval, and all of their banitzas! The fillo also comes with a small portion of salad, and TO DIE FOR grilled yam and potatoes...if I don't come here for anything else, I come for the yam and potatoes...and I'm not usually a big fan of potatoes. It's crispy on the outside, and seasoned with salt and herbs...TO DIE FOR I say!!
Their coffee is also good, and I like to pair my meal with a yorgurt drink.
Their dessert pastries also look delicious - I will never forget the bird's nest pastry that calls out my name each and every time I'm at the register, ready to pay for my meal.
It's such a great little place with comfortable decor, skylights to brighten up the indoors, and a great brunch joint for those beautiful spring summer weekend mornings....
...Vancouver, you have no idea how much I miss this place! -
Review from Michael P.
Burnaby, BC
In Acacia Fillo Bar, fillo eats you.
There's nothing more appetizing than being whisked away to a modest and family-owned restaurant for brunch on an early Saturday morning.
The Acacia Fillo Bar reminds me of the time I was in Europe, and all the other times I've watched old-school European films that showcased the landscapes and local foods of the region. Bulgarian, oven-fresh fillos, banitza - oh the nostalgia!
Their menu offers a variety of meat, fish and vegetarian choices including the fillings of fillos and banitzas. Also offered are baked goods if you desire to settle for something a little lighter for breakfast. Pair either of them with a cup of fresh coffee and your morning is complete!
Everything was freshly made, flavourful and unique in its own way. I do recommend trying the feta & spinach banitza if you're indecisive and proceed to order more from there.
If you fancy a new experience (unless you're well ahead of the game), visit the Acacia Fillo Bar. The staff here was wonderfully courteous and I guarantee you'll want to return. Additionally, I love the glass roof that welcomes natural light into the restaurant - you'll feel right at home.. or in Europe. -
Review from Matthew C.
Vancouver, BC
I really enjoyed the food here. My meal was basically a damn tasty omelette but wrapped in film pastry. Decent sides, good tea and fresh squeezed OJ. And literally fresh squeezed too, i watched the waitress do it.
All that said, either they were short staffed or don't have enough service staff. There was one girl there helping EVERY table, including outside, and she was very clearly swamped. If she;d had even a one other person helping her then the service would have been faster and probably less curt.
THis isn't meant to say anything bad about the server though, I'm sure I would have been pretty curt to people in her situation as well. At any given time there were about 6 people demanding her attention.
So yes, the food is damn tasty. So try it. seriously.Listed in: Brunch Club
-
Review from E C.
Vancouver, BC
Excellent filo with egg and spinach. This place reminds of travel to Bulgaria in 2011. Prices very reasonable.
-
Review from Trish R.
Yay! Once again, a big shout out to Marc D. and his great reviews! I agree this is a fantastic little gem! :)
Glad to have another fantastic spot to go for brunch. Everything was awesome except that you have to get up to get your cream and sugar for your coffee from a table near the front door. Otherwise, a great brunch spot!!!
Food - fantastic selection of brunch and other pastry-wrapped goodies. I had the breakfast meat and eggs filo-wrapped banitza (they call this an omelette) Really, really delicious! Served with tangy sour cream and a light salad. Hearty and a wonderful combination of flavours.
Service - spot on. Friendly and prompt.
Venue - comfortable and appropriate.
If word gets out, however, I can see lineups forming at peak brunch times on weekends.
I'm looking forward to returning some day for a light dinner Banitza!Listed in: Brunch & Lunch Spots (2012)
-
Review from Bea A.
New Westminster, BC
Traditional Bulgarian banitsa.. mm mm good! Really tasty. I go there every time I feel lazy to make my own. LOL It's fantastic. I highly recommend the place.
-
Review from Taylor K.
Vancouver, BC
In the past I only wrote reviews if a place is really disappointing... Acacia deserved my time. I saw previous reviews and thought it would be a nice breakfast/brunch place next to the Stanley Park. Acacia goes whole nine yards in disappointment! Employees (OK only one waitress) have terrible attitude and they have sub-par food! No one can make me go there again.
First, they were out of the banitza type we asked. When we asked for other options, you should see the face of the waitress. She threw the menu in front of us and asked "are you gonna order?" Hey! If you hate the job, just act for the tips lady. (Yeah it's lame that I couldn't say this there) We should leave right then but I guess we were too hungry. We ordered something else against my better judgement. The food was not even decent. I couldn't even finish it. I have no idea why this place got nice reviews.
You misled me this time Yelp! :( I hope I can help others. -
Review from Jason G.
This place is amazing!
If you're just going to skim the first couple lines of the reviews, here are the key points. Super good fillo, incredible yams, good location.
Think baklava but filled with a really good breakfast things...its all the way across town from my hotel, but I keep going there. I'm having a hard time finding a case for trying any other breakfast place. There is parking in the back somewhere, but I always forget about it. It's probably even better in the summer, they have a nice little sun room area in the very front of the restaurant. -
Review from Jessica B.
I dont know anything about fillo dough or Bulgarian food, but I know that this place serves up some darn tasty food! I came here for brunch and got a leek and feta fillo pie thing with yams and potatoes and a coffee. Guess what I was talking about for the rest of the day?! The YAMS, dear lord, the yams. Mmmmm.... and the flaky fillo was to die for. Every morsel was consumed despite my body urgently requesting I stop 3/4 the way through.
Lovely staff were very helpful in both helping us decide what to order and where to spend the rest of the day in Vancouver- they even gave us directions!Listed in: Vancouver, BC- I love you
-
Review from Sean N.
Vancouver, BC
Hidden away in Denman Street between Delaney's Coffee Shop and Fatburger is Acacia Fillo Bar. I've walked by here a million times not knowing the hidden gem that was right beneath my eyes.
Opened in 2005 by Vera and Ziggy, Vera is bringing traditional Bulgarian baking and comes from a family in the restaurant business and she a owned a successful restaurant and catering company in her home country before coming to Canada.
The service here is warm and friendly, the staff are ready to answer any questions you might have, it's a comfortable, relaxing place to enjoy breakfast and read the paper with your coffee and a lot of the locals seem to believe that we well-it was constantly busy on both of my visits and pretty much everyone I saw eat the compliment the chef of how good everything was and I totally agree with them!
The signature dish here is the Banitza, it's like a layered phyllo pie but the layers are end to end instead of on top of each other~it's totally delicious and a must try for your 1st visit, all of the banitza's have eggs in them but you state the other fillings more than the egg, the feta used here is from Bulgaria and all the phyllo here is made from scratch, what really got me was this~from a photographers point of view, the individual compartments of flavor and layers of phyllo and how they translate in a picture~OK now back to the food!, I loved this dish!, it was served with a small spinach salad with balsamic dressing and a side of plain yogurt with pepper~both the salad dressing and yoghurt help cut the richness of the banitza, for $8.50 it was a great meal and a solid value.
Next up is the leek, feta and egg banitza, just like the spinach but leek this time, the flavor on this one was more savory because of the leek and the feta stood out more on this one as well~again another delicious dish and the same price as the spinach and feta banitza.
Lastly I tried something else on the menu~a filled Phyllo, this one was mushrooms and spinach, this was made fresh because they were out at the time, the filling was simple~just spinach and sautéed mushrooms, it was ok but I enjoyed the other items I had more, there were also 2 different sides with this main, a simple salad like with my other meals and roasted potatoes and yams, these I really liked, the yams were nicely seasoned and so were the potatoes. This meal was a bit more than what I had before-$16 and change including a can of pop.
At the end of the day I enjoyed my visits here and am definitely going to make it a regular breakfast spot, if you find yourself in the area and want to try something a little different check Acacia Fillo Bar out, they are also open for dinner and have a selection desserts made in-house as well as catering services available. -
Review from Morgan B.
Halifax, NS
Wow!
Delicious food. Like really, really good stuff. Fresh, quality, just delicious.
Not quite 5 stars : average service, limited selection. Grab your own water and coffee seems a bit off for such a small place.
A hidden gem, pretty busy for a rainy late Tuesday morning, I think the word is out on this place. -
Review from Lolia S.
Lots of delicious things involving or not involving fillo have come out of the ovens at Acacia Filo House, the Bulgarian bistro across the street from Qoola. The case held muffins, cakes, biscotti, strudel and their savory coiled fillo pies. They just discontinued the breakfast menu. Lunch options include salad, filled fillo (filled pockets) and banitza (baked fillo pie).
* Feta & leek banitza: a generous slice of pie, the fillo is paper thin and golden on the outside, soft on the inside, they use a sheep milk feta that isn't as salty as the usual feta and it's fantastic with leeks and eggs, such a tasty pie. The yogurt on the side was plain (but that's the way it's traditionally served).
* Roasted potato and yam: tender, sweet cubes, seasoned just right with thyme, really good
Banitza can be eaten for breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert. They even have yogurt drinks (Bulgarians love yogurt) but no fro-yo.Listed in: Non-Asian European Bakeries, Canada, I love you
-
Review from Kenneth E.
Vancouver, BC
As the name suggests, it's more of a coffee/snack place, it's not a place for dinner to fill one's stomach--at least not for me, lol.
But the lemon pretzel was pretty good. Next time i'll try their fillo bars if that's their signature dish...after sushi and butter lamb, I barely had room...worth going back. Clean. -
Review from Will H.
Vancouver, BC
Service was great but I didnt like the food much. I heard great reviews and netiher me or my girlfriend liked it much. That said I'm noto much of a pastry man so perhaps that doesnt help. These are esentially big pizza pops made of pastry, not my thing.
-
Review from Christopher S.
Vancouver, BC
What else is there to say- myself or My "yoga gang" [post yoga] we/I treat myself/ourselves either every Friday [after yoga] Or on a Sat/Sunday for Brunch - or just whenever I happen to be down in the Est End of Vancouver.... it's like my 2nd home! Luv ya Ziggy + Vera! thank you for bringing a 'lil bit of Balkan/Bulgarian delights to our City!
-
Review from Chelsey H.
Yaletown, Vancouver, BC
I love this place. I work like 3 doors over from this place and I order from here a few times a month. Their potatoes are AWESOME, their banitzas are devine. I recommend the leak and spinach. The food is so full of flavour. Even better than a home cooked meal! The staff is super friendly too!
-
Review from lucinda k.
Vancouver, BC
Very very very good with good options for everyone: seafood, veggie, vegan... I had the roasted veggie filo which came with amazing roasted potatoes and yams and a salade. It was literally heavenly. The only thing that could have made it absolutely more amazing is if the filo was not sopping oil on the bottom. Otherwise amazing!
-
Review from Julia C.
Vancouver, BC
This place is amazing!
My friend and I went in not really knowing too much about bulgarian food, but decided to try it out because the atmosphere looked cute and quiet.
The service was excellent! We're both vegetarian and decided to share our plates just to try. We had the Brie and Pecan filo with yam/potatoes on the side with a fresh salad and a Spinach and Feta banitza. Both were incredible. The food tasted very fresh and the yam cooked to perfection.The Brie and Pecan was creamy and rich and the Spinach and Feta banitza was mouth-watering with the yogurt. Our server even had the cook divide our portions evenly on two separate plates ( which makes sharing a lot less messy) and the portions were still huge! Everything tasted very authentic and homemade and the food came out quickly. Highly recommend it! The desserts looked so delicately crafted, we had to try.
For the portions the price was not bad at all. Well worth it if you can find it. It's tucked between fat burger and delaney's. -
Review from Lori C.
Vancouver, BC
This is a cute little place. Good for lunch. We did go for dinner, and it was not very crowded at that time.
I had the Veggie Fillo and it was fantastic. I remember because I ate the whole thing and was full all night! It was very rich and the potato and yam side was a tasty treat too!
I will definitely be back! -
Review from Lisa O.
Vancouver, BC
Best breakfast in the city. Period.
-
Review from Kas D.
Vancouver, BC
In one word: Scrumdiliumcious.
Yum+yum+yum+yum!
I love this place, and have tried several things on the menu. My personal favourite is the poached eggs on the english muffins smothered in delectable *drool* garlic yoghurt sauce. And it comes with out-of-this-world potatoes/yams. The price is reasonable (though not cheap). I would most definitely highly recommend this place! -
Review from Irena L.
This is a great brunch place. I live in the neighbourhoud, but I usually stop by when I am on my way to Stanley Park or 2nd Beach. Love their seat by the window, it feels so special:)
Salmon eggs benedict is awesome! I also like their mix of potatoes and yams that comes with it. The sauce is a bit garlicy so have a gum handy!
Their vanilla squares are just like my grandma used to make - sweetlicious heaven!
I also love love their cherry chocolate filled pastry. I always order it to go and then heat a piece every day, and savour it fully! I am lying, I usually just eat it as soon as I get home....oh well, I try not to...
Service is very nice every time. Space is limited, but if you are not in the mood to wait, just pick something for to go and eat it on the beach:DListed in: Great finds!
-
Review from eve c.
Vancouver, BC
Acacia caters to some of our work events, and every time I'm impressed with their service and food. I finally got the chance to visit one autumn afternoon at their restaurant. Great little gem hidden away on denman, their fillo was flaky and delicious! I catch myself with a craving from time to time and trek all the way across the city to get my fix. Good place to hit up for sunday breakfast!
-
Review from Dorothea S.
My Banitza was great! My hubbie had poached egg n sausage. He liked it ok. The music selection was soothing! We paid $21 in total. That included our two breakfast meals, 1 coffee and tip. Therefore, I am rating Fillo with one $ instead of $$.
-
Review from Marc D.
Vancouver, BC
* Lovely little Bulgarian cafe with freshly baked banitsa, burek, and fillos *
This little "fillo bar" run by a couple originally from Bulgaria is something I used to always pass by and just never wandered in. I'm an idiot! I should have explored it earlier!
The banitsa had a lovely mixture of whisked eggs, spinach and sirene (a white brine cheese from Bulgaria similar to feta) between filo pastry that is baked until crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. This is prepared in the shape of a stuffed pizza and then you are served a single slice - which was HUGE. It came with a small side salad that was pleasantly dressed and a little cup of balkan yogurt which provided a nice temperature and texture contrast.
Didn't find any lucky charms inside the banitsa - but I guess that would be more for the homemade ones normally and might provide quite the shock to someone not expecting to find a little lucky gift inside!
The duck fillo was also huge and arrived freshly baked from the oven as well. I'm not sure how they managed to do this so perfectly, but the duck was perfectly cooked inside (just slightly rare) and paired with fresh orange slices that added a nice citrus flavour to each slice of duck. There was also a generous amount of sauteed spinach lining the bottom of the fillo that provided nice filling out of the flavours. It was served with a small salad that was well dressed, and crispy potato and yams. The yams were incredible. I think they must be oven baked, but were dipped into seasoning and came with a crispy outside and incredibly moist and smooth inside.
I really regret not stopping into this place before, and will definitely be back to work my way through all of the varieties of fillo and bantisa they offer. There were some enticing options to come back for!
Yes, I'm an idiot. But at least I've righted my wrongs!Listed in: Vancouver European Food, Rewards Network Joy, Quack!
-
Review from Alejandro E.
Vancouver, BC
Very easy to miss, but glad I found this place thanks for a friend who recommended meeting there for breakfast.
Easter European - Bulgarian. The people working there were very friendly and genuine. Loved their accents!
All the pastries were fresh and the flavours in the food were beautifully balanced (spinach, feta, yam fries, potatoes, yogurt sauce).
Will come back often. Solid 5 stars in the West End for unassuming, original breakfast. -
Review from Live W.
Vancouver, BC
Acacia is a diamond in the rough. The food is delicious, inexpensive, and has the taste of good home cooking. The small cafe has a lovely atmosphere aided by the large skylights. If it's crowded, or the nice weather beckons, you can always take the food to go and head down to English Bay.
Standouts for me are the poached eggs in yogurt sauce, the morning glory muffins, the spinach banitza, the burek, and the pumpkin banitza for dessert.
Support this truly unique, family-run bulgarian oasis. -
Review from Namit M.
Kudos to Acacia for keeping that small independent cafe vibe alive. Kudos.
Ordered the poached eggs (the classic version) with ham and bacon and man were they good. The "hollandaise" is made from yogurt so not only does it taste great its less filling. The service was spot on and the coffee great.
I also got a taste of the Banitza - seriously good. Its a quiche in a filo pastry - yummmmy.
I think the owner works behind the counter and this a must return. Yay!Listed in: Best Breakfast Options
-
Review from Rachael T.
Toronto, ON
Bennys done - BULGARIAN STYLE (I'm trusting Marc D's Bulgarian comment)!
Their weekend breakfast special consists of poached eggs, with yogurt sauce (not hollandaise), with bacon, the means and yams. I don't like hollandaise, it reminds me of MSG, but this yogurt was rich, made with cilantro and/or basil.. the super aromatic herbs and it was very tasty. Their cappucino was rich and frothy and we also ordered a fresh fruit parfait - with the rich yogurt they have, almonds, and fresh fruit - melons, pineapples, kiwi, grapes, strawberries... super craving and I had no idea they had something like this there (I was actually thinking of Phyllo as I walked in) although I was craving it prior to walking in.
There are quite a few places on Denman renovating right now so if you have a plan in mind but there is a CLOSED sign on its doors, Acacia is a good alternative. Better yet - it should be your first choice! FYI it only seats 20 people so good luck getting a seat.
Desserts look yummy!Listed in: "I'll Substitute for Yam Fries…
1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
6/6/2009
A Banitza : a pastry that consists of layering a mixture of wisked eggs in between layers of philo… Read more »
-
6/6/2009
-
Review from Brittany G.
Vancouver, BC
We came here for brunch and ordered the Fillo, which came with roast spuds and sweet potatoes. Delicious! I'm in the edgy routine of trying new breakfast places every weekend and this was one of the rare occasions where I was blown away with a new (to me) dish. (The fresh squeezed orange juice also does not disappoint.) The place itself is quite small inside, with a handful of tables outside, so I wouldn't suggest bringing a group. This Bulgarian deli is perfect for a pairs brunch or lunch before a walk along the sea wall.
-
Review from Alice A.
What a quaint little Bulgarian cafe with great atmosphere and good food - love the sky roof! I've lived on the West End for almost three months and only now have I noticed this lovely eatery. The banitza is in my opinion better than the fillo, served with roasted spuds/sweet potatoes and yoghurt - yummy. If anything, definitely stop by for a leisurely cup of coffee and watch the world go by...
-
Review from Lee E.
Scarborough, ON
I was at Acacia 2 years ago on my last trip to Vancouver and was looking forward to a return visit. My friend and I visited twice, I had the spinach and mushroom meal the first time while he had steak, and the second time he had chicken pesto and I had roasted veggie. We were very happy with our meals which included their delicious potatoes and yams and a salad. Fabulous food!
-
Review from Lisa N.
Vancouver, BC
Showed up at this place a couple of weeks ago with a friend. As soon as I went in, I thought maybe I was in the wrong place? The inside is properly lighted, and by night they put on the candles. They have a self serve water station and the walls have painted trees and fences, really loved it.
I had the spinach and mushroom fillo and my friend had the philly steak one. She liked hers, as did I, but I had a problem with the actual fillo part. It was EXTREMELY salty for some odd reason, and I had to drink like 2 cups of water. I dunno if it was just that day or maybe they're suppose to taste like that? The philly steak one also tasted incredibly salty, the flaky part. That's why I gave it only a 3. But the ingredients were definitely fresh. The salad was a nice touch, and the best part of my plate were the roasted potatoes and yams. They were PERFECT, like they were meant to be at the highest class restaurant. YUMM. I was too full to have any dessert, but they looked really good.
Each of our dishes were about 10 something, totally worth it. I wouldn't so much as come back for the fillo, seeing how salty it is, but those roasted veggies are oh so good. And might go back to try the desserts. -
Review from Janet Y.
Vancouver, BC
Thisi s an awesome cafe! Great food and great cappucino! Seatings are limited, but its food is worth going back again and again. They have a good selection of desserts too (also made with fillo), and the selection changes so you won't be bored eating the same thing. Bad thing about this cafe is the difficulty in finding parking!
-
Review from food f.
Came up from San Francisco and had to try this place out. Never had Bulgarian food until I came here. The food was awesome. My girlfriend had a spinach and feta banitza, I had the Turkey and kashkaval fillo with a beer. I will definitely be back!
-
Review from n Y.
Vancouver, BC
I love the brunch here as well as the regular lunch/dinners. The service is excellent. The price is reasonable, about $12/person (brunch, americano, tax and tip). My only gripe is the coffee is not good, americano taste like a sour drip coffee. The place is small, so during the weekend brunch time you can find yourself waiting a bit for a table. The first time I found this place, I really needed some appetizers for a x-mas party and they were the only ones in the area open on x-mas day, so I tried them. Ordered a party platter of 2 variety of banitzas with their special dipping sauces. The box was the size of a large pizza, so about 18", beautifully cut and arranged, $50, pricey but it was very nice and looked like they were worth it and the owners threw in some extra samples. Banitzas were a hit at the party and I was hooked ever since. I've been going back as a regular.
-
Review from Adam G.
Edmonton, AB
For me, Fillo is that place that you walk by everyday but never actually try, whether it's because you always end up choosing the place next door (Delaney's) or because you had misconceptions about it. Now that we have been here and had their amazing dessert, I regret not coming earlier, but we'll definitely be coming back.
-
Review from Sara M.
Vancouver, BC
Another unique gem on Denman. This place feels like a special discovery because it's easy to miss with the traffic into Delaney's next door. Unexpected high ceilings give an exotic Mediterranean feeling to the space. Delicious fresh food with much to discover on the menu. Definitely worth a visit for tea & snacks or a proper meal. The spinach & sirene banitza is a special kind of heaven :-)`
-
Review from Samantha G.
My friend and I stumbled upon this place in search of good breakfast food. When I saw on the menu that they had poached eggs and drip coffee for $10, we both walked in. Best deal ever really, the meal comes with 2 poached eggs on top of ham and english muffins while dressed in hollandaise sauce. On the side were cubes of baked seasoned sweet potatoes, a sausage link, a piece of bacon and a salad. This meal was very filling and it was a lot more than what I expected.
-
Review from Victoria R.
BC
This Eastern European deli is a taste of heaven. The Bulgarian couple is so nice and really loves what they do. The best part? They sell wine and beer and are open for dinner! The tiny room is cozy and serves breakfast as well. Some of my favourites are banitzas which is a phyl-pie layered dish with meat and cheese. It is served with a salad and a yogurt dip that tastes like tzatziki sauce but better. The wife also make homemade pastreis with chocolates and cream. There is this rolled cherry and chocolate dessert that is warm and served with whip creme. Oh-yeh! I like the cheap prices and organic, real homemade flavours.
