Where to Eat in Vancouver: Platform 7 Brew Bar

Wondering where to eat in Vancouver for interesting cookies and amazing coffee? Erin McGann checks out Platform 7.

Once I decided it would do my novel writing endless good if I set up my laptop in Paddington Station. I lived around the corner, so this seemed like a good idea. Train stations over in London are drafty, cold and inhabited by pigeons that would give the Granville Island seagulls a run for their money. The seats are hard and uncomfortable. The coffee is terrible. The people watching is actually quite boring, as it’s mostly commuters looking grumpy and sweaty, dashing from the Tube to the train.

So it was with trepidation I headed for Platform 7, a train station-inspired coffee bar in Hastings Sunrise. But thankfully it is only in form that it resembles a station. The coffee – oh, the coffee – is much, much better.

Where to Eat in Vancouver for the Coffee Nerd Set

Platform 7 serves Portland’s Stumptown Coffee, in many coffee nerd options: cold brew, pour over, siphon, french press, as well as the usual espresso suspects. There were many interesting cookie options and grilled sandwiches, as well as some less-inspired looking doughnuts.

The atmosphere is where Platform 7 really shines. The beautiful ceiling arches overhead, the chalkboards are gorgeous, the seats along the wall are benches but somehow very comfortable. Lacey Edison bulbs hang above each booth and the coffee bar is fronted with distressed wooden panels. Strangely, the front seating section features 70s wooden kitchen chairs and blonde wood tables, and the theme looses a bit of cohesion. Then again, I’ve seen some very random things in train stations.

Open Space, Free Wifi, and Folk Singers

They haven’t tried to cram in a massive number of tables into the space, so it feels quite open and airy. It would be easy to draw a stroller up to one of the booths without blocking the coffee queue, which is nearly impossible in most coffee shops. They have free wifi, and the booth tables are a perfect size for working. That being said, even in the middle of the afternoon on a Wednesday there was quite a rush. There are even folk singer-songwriters playing some evenings, in true coffee shop style.

Best Kid Play Cafes in Metro Vancouver

If you have a train obsessed small person, they may be disappointed in that there are no actual trains or pictures of trains, but with a bit of explaining and a treat, I’m sure they’d come round. It will be interesting to see how this already loved local spot develops. If you’re looking for a new coffee shop to add to your list of where to eat in Vancouver, give Platform 7 a try.