Brunch is one of my favourite things. After a long sleep in, and waking up slowly with a magazine and coffee in bed, you slip into something comfortable and chic and head out for a relaxed eat partway between breakfast and lunch. Water Street Cafe in historic Gastown was recently looking for bloggers to try out their brunch menu, so I didn’t have to think twice about jumping at the chance. 

I opted for the French Toast, which is insanely good. Made with brioche, it’s stuffed with marscapone cheese and topped with berries, local maple syrup and pistachios. A few delicate mint leaves give it a lightness, and the whole thing is divine. Unlike a lot of French Toast, it’s not drowned in sweetness, but feels more light in flavours, though it’s also just robust enough.

While Water Street Cafe has an excellent wine list, I paired mine with a simple latte. Delicious.

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My boyfriend ordered the frittatta (he asked for no mushrooms), which is a great menu option if you aren’t into something sweet. Again, it’s light enough to feel like breakfast, but with the potatoes, it feels a bit like lunch too. The savory scones pictured are so soft and delicious, I’m a little bit obsessed with these!

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The cafe itself is beautiful. It used to be a hotel in the late 1800’s and when the fire came through that took out almost all of Vancouver, it managed to survive by having wet horse hair blankets hung on it by guests and staff. That means that it’s one of the oldest buildings in Vancouver. The famous Gastown Steamclock is right across the road and you can watch it chime from inside while you eat. Inside, the atmosphere is calm and bright, a little oasis from the tourists outside. Beautiful modern art juxtapose with the older architecture.

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The Water Street Cafe serves brunch on weekends and holidays, they also open up the patio area from April, so you can eat outside too. Pictured above are two of the really beautiful private dining rooms. Whilst the menu is diverse, I think I will be spending a lot of time here with Summer nibbling on French Toast.

More details at:
http://www.waterstreetcafe.ca/