April's Cafe - Gene Coffee Bar (Vancouver)

In one of the pioneering youtube essayist the Nerdwriter's video on Edward Hopper's

Nighthawks, he interprets the pointed bar in the painting as a ship, crusading out into an unknown American night. Perhaps that's how we should feel about Cafe Gene, which juts out triangularly into the convergence of Main and Kingsway, in one of my favorite Vancouver Neighborhoods: Mt. Pleasant.

Mt. Pleasant is my "little Portland," with it's abundance of great vintage and thrift stores (Mintage and Rewind), its cafes (Gene, Bean around the World, and many others), and micro-breweries (Electric Bicycle and Main Street Brewing). There's the classic Pulp Fiction books, and Pinky's if you want a darker, thumpier bar, as well as a couple all-night bodegas, one of the few excellent burritos in town (Budgie's), and plenty of beautful murals to gaze at as you stroll about.

For coffee on a sunny day, there is no better place than Genes. The glass-walls on both 2/3 sides of the triangle shape, capture the (often rare) rays of light, as well as the snowcapped peaks of the mountains to the north. It's truly a unique spot.

What works: Obviously the location—which I've already gone on about. I also love the unrefined, industrial look of the interior. There are community tables as well as solo spot and counter space, plenty of outlets and strong wifi, so great for working. They also have a large, clean bathroom.

What works less well: In the past I've been let down by their pastries, and their service has been a bit stand-offish. I didn't try a pastry today (not hungry) but I'll give it another shot in the future. They also once charged my dad for a side of butter, which he has never forgotten.

Overall: This is a great cafe. The music was decent (they played some Greg Allen) and not too loud. My cortado was more than satisfactory, but I'm starting to think that espresso is just too bitter for most days. I'll have to update this after I come back for drip. Sail out into the void of Vancouver in this pointy paradise, in the heart of Mt. Pleasant.

4.3 / 5