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Casa del Caffé
Category: Food Coffee & Tea Coffee & Tea [Edit]
116 E 14th StNorth Vancouver, BC V7L 2N3
Neighbourhood: Central Lonsdale
(604) 983-2223
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- Free
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
6 reviews for Casa del Caffé
6 reviews in English
-
Review from Amanda F.
6/13/2011 1 Check-in Here
As far as the Lonsdale area of North Vancouver is concerned, there aren't many places to grab a cuppa that arent one of the big chains. That being said, I hate that in this neck of the woods, the standard for judging any cafe is "well, compared to Staaaarbucks...".
Casa Del Caffe is certainly a great little spot in its own right, without having to compare it to any of the giants. It's got lush high ceilings, fast and friendly service, the standard free wifi, delicious food choices and great coffee, and even a great little patio. It even hosts events in support of local arts and culture, and has the art of north shore artists for sale on its walls. The cafe only sells its own local brand of coffee, all fair-trade and organic.
So why not 5 stars? Because the food is slightly pricey and there is unexplainably a big TV screen (which is constantly muted) which throws off the vibe of the cafe ever so slightly. Other than that, I love the place and visit frequently, and will continue to do so as long as I live in the 'hood. -
Review from fred e.
West Vancouver, BC
4/24/2011
Most of the reviews at this cafe focus on Casa Del Caffe being better than Starbuck, Blends, Waves and all the chains. First off, I don't believe they are better but shouldn't they be better based solely on being able to focus entirely on one store compared to an empire?
If you like extremely dark tasting and bitter coffee you will like their coffee. I do not like coffee that gives you a bitter aftertaste for hours. The coffee I had there still lingered with me for hours and was offensive.
The service I received was off putting and bitter like the coffee.
Cafe is nice in a tacky way but there is a lot better in the area.
Save your money and either go to Braza or Contemporary Arts for much better coffee and service in North Vancouver. -
Review from Greg S.
Fonthill, ON
1/14/2010 2 photos
Okay, I should probably say right up front that I'm not a coffee drinker, so I'm not at all fond of this whole concept of high-priced hot drinks, a very short menu of food, most of which is just too über-trendy to bear, and bitty little tables.
This place probably isn't really worse than Starbucks, Blenz, or any of the rest of them, but on this day, I was dragged in, semi-against my will, by a caffeine-addicted friend, and it was way past my usual supper time. The prices horrified me, what they gave me wasn't actually what I asked for (and no, I didn't do one of those three paragraph coffee orders: I asked for a filled ciabatta, and got a panini instead), and, to top it off, the panini was, well, kind of nasty.
Aside from that, I suppose it's okay, if you're into that sort of thing. -
Review from Angus M.
Vancouver, BC
10/17/2010
If you love good espresso, great food, and light-filled spaces with high ceilings like I do, then you'd probably like clean, beautiful Casa on the Lonsdale strip, half a block from the North Van City Library.
The owners have been roasting their delicious and potent organic coffee for years in East Van, and it shows. The espresso is superb -- sweet and strong without being bitter; rich and velvety with a smooth edge, not to mention a nice caffeine kick. They even ask you whether you want your espresso mild (paradoxically more caffeine) or medium roast. That amazing Casa espresso of course means that the cappuccinos and lattes are excellent too: hot , rich and delicious, with lots of properly foamed milk, or soy if you want. Very satisfying.
I'm not a big fan of the chains like Waves, and I find the coffee at Brazza bitter and harsh, while Bean Around the World is inconsistent depending on who is running the machines. Sadly, Artigiano's espresso quality crashed soon after it became a franchise, and the one in West Van is particularly bad (and even worse, jammed with aging matrons nattering about pressing topics like their latest botox treatment).
Just as notable at Casa is the food and baked goods. Casa's freshly-baked croissants, biscotti, smoked salmon bagels, sandwiches and cakes are are made FRESH everyday on site. Their stuff is just in a different league from the generic cookies and squares you get in the chains.
The only thing that I could do without at Casa is the flat screen TV, which for inexplicable reasons, is turned up on some days on off on others. Not fun to compete with if you came for an intimate conversation or for some quiet writing and surfing on their lovely wireless. I wish they'd get some decent music. Luckily they have a patio. And I often have my own music. But did I mention the espresso at Casa? Well I'll mention it again. Damn good.
Just to put my opinion on coffee into perspective - I'm not a big fan of the chains, but I can tolerate Starbucks, can't stand Waves or Blenz, and I find the coffee at places like JJBeans and Brazza bitter and harsh. Bean Around the World can be good, but is inconsistent depending on who is running the machines and, sadly, Artigiano's espresso quality crashed soon after it became a franchise. I find the North Shore-West Van Artigianos particularly bad (and even worse, jammed with aging matrons nattering about pressing topics like their latest botox treatment).
So -- despite the TV weirdness, I'm giving Casa 5 stars - cuz this place serves the best coffee on the North Shore hands down and i'd venture to say that it is one of the best in the West north of the 49th. So come try the coffee. -
Review from David U.
Vancouver, BC
4/1/2011
They make a mean latte here!!
This is by far some of the best coffee I have had. It blows starbucks out of the water. The muffins they have are pretty damn good too. I would def come here on the reg if I drank more coffee and lived closer.
Prices are on par with Starbucks. -
Review from Esfandiar B.
5/3/2010
I love Casa! Their coffee definitely rivals the best. Their London Fog and Banana Bread is simply superb. I am from California, so I had never heard of London Fog :-)
This place is much better, CLEANER, friendlier, more spacious and yet quieter than the alternative coffee shops on Lonsdale.
The service and people are great. They show sports, if you are into it, and they provide various Canadian news papers.
I also tried the pasta salad here -- it was simply awesome and much fresher than I expected, but you have to like olive oil for dressing and also zucchini.
It is on a side street, but I have had luck with finding a parking, and they also have a small PATIO -- for when and if it gets sunny, I guess ;-)
