Nemesis Coffee (Gastown)

Coffee Nerds Who Also Cook

3.5 of 5

A lot of coffee shops add food so you will stay long enough to buy a second latte. Nemesis works the other way round. The Gastown room at 302 West Hastings is a serious coffee bar run by people who treat extraction the way some people treat scripture, and it also puts out a brunch that would hold up without the coffee. Doors open at eight every day and close at four.

The plate people talk about is the mortadella sandwich built on a flaky croissant, which is the correct way to treat both. Eggs Benedict is on for the traditionalists and gets the regulars' approval. Bircher muesli comes topped with strawberry compote, for anyone pretending to be virtuous before noon. On the drinks side the espresso is the point, but the mochas and the matcha get the same care, not the shrug many coffee bars give the guest who does not drink coffee.

Nemesis has grown into several locations, but Gastown is where it started. It is counter service and a café first, so expect a room that rewards curiosity more than a big appetite. Get there before noon on a weekday, order the mortadella croissant and whatever the barista suggests for a pour, and listen when they explain it. They know more than you do about this. That is the deal, and it is a fair one.

Order this: Mortadella croissant sandwich, Eggs Benedict, Bircher muesli, A filter coffee the barista recommends
The damage: $$
Go: A weekday morning, daily 8 to 4
Find it: 302 W Hastings St, Vancouver, BC