Mercato Di Luigi Italian Cafe

With several locations around the city, neighborhood grocer and cafe, Mercato di Luigi, is a great place to stop for a coffee, snack or even lunch!

You can pickup cheese or slices of meat. The daily specials change so check with the staff.

You can order at the front then sit down and they'll bring your order to your table.

The Italian restaurant/cafe has a nice atmosphere with beautiful decor and friendly staff.

We enjoyed the little touches like a heart cookie served with the Cappuccino!

The dessert - like the Maritozzo was filled with cream to order. The same with the cornetto which was filled with Nutella!

Visit Mercato Di Luigi for some delicious Italian food and dessert! Their Italian coffee is perfect for a coffee break.

Don't forget your snacks!

Mercato Di Luigi

213 E Georgia St, Vancouver, BC V6A 0E5

Check out their website for more info.

FIKA Cafe Toronto

 

We enjoyed our visit to the Swedish inspired cafe, FIKA Cafe! Located in the neighborhood of Kensington in Toronto, Canada, FIKA means slowing down to enjoy a coffee break that may or may not include something sweet.

Living in Sweden, we learned to appreciate the Swedish tradition of Fika and were excited to check out a cafe with the name, FIKA! The cafe features outdoor areas and indoor seating, so you can sit in the sunshine or stay cozy inside.

As for the cafe's sweet offerings, one can find Swedish-style Cinnamon buns, that is made with cardamom like the traditional version and  cookies like their Matcha cookie.

There is a beautifully decorated wall of books inside. It's great spot for a photo backdrop. 

Inside there is also frozen items for sale like swedish cinnamon buns and merchandise for sale.

The service was friendly and buns were pretty good. 

If you're a local or just visiting Toronto and looking for nice spot for a fika or coffee break, check out FIKA Cafe!

Don't forget your snacks!

FIKA Cafe

28 Kensington Ave, Toronto, ON M5T 2J9

Check out their website for more info

Krispy Kreme Doughnuts New Vancouver Location

Donut fans can rejoice because a new Krispy Kreme Doughnuts location is coming to Vancouver! There has been a Krispy Kreme location in Delta, BC for years and many fundraising groups had to pickup donuts all the way there.

Now it looks like a new doughnut location will be opening in Vancouver in the busy area of Broadway and Cambie. Signs for the soon to open location can be seen displayed on the future store windows. 

Krispy Kreme Doughnuts are a more airy, soft doughnut. Their original glazed donut is the most popular flavor but they also feature different holiday flavors!

Exciting news for donut fans and anyone who enjoys a good snack. This is a great location, as it's near buses and the city's Skytrain line. They won't have a shortage of hungry customers. Looking forward to having Krispy Kreme Doughnuts in the city! 

Don't forget your snacks!

Krispy Kreme Donuts

519 W. Broadway, Vancouver, BC

Check out their website for more info

Hello Kitty Cafe Robson Street

If you're a fan of Japanese brand Sanrio especially Hello Kitty, this is a cool cafe to visit!

Located on the popular shopping street, Robson Street in Vancouver, the Hello Kitty Cafe is super cute and offers some sweet treats. The cafe's interior features Hello Kitty and a lot of pink. There are a few placess to sit for photos including this sofa by the entrance.

Of course, there are t-shirts, keychains, even umbrellas available for purchase at the cafe. Take home a souvenir or two.

Cute desserts and coffee/tea drinks (both hot and cold) are available.

There's a small seating area upstairs, but the cafe can get busy.

Whether you're a local or just visiting the city of Vancouver, this cute cafe is a must-see for Sanrio fans! 

Don't forget your snacks!

Hello Kitty Cafe

1274 Robson St, Vancouver, BC V6E 3Z6

Check out their website for more info

Catoro Cat Cafe

 

If you enjoy the company of cats but can't have a pet at home, a Cat Cafe is the perfect place to visit. Catoro Cafe in Vancouver has been around for about 6 years and provides a cozy place for the cats. 

The staff work hard to get the rescue cats ready to find their future families. They are knowledgeable about all the kitties, telling us about the cats preferences and personalities. 

You can book your 50min visit to the Cat Cafe on their website up to a month before your planned visit. Anything later and you can contact the cafe for help to book.

When you arrive, you can take shoes off and borrow one of the cafe's slippers. The staff will explain the rules and will show you around and give you a nice introduction.

The cats are usually adopted out after a few weeks, which means the cats you see during your visit will likely be gone if you visit the next month. 

The cafe, unfortunately, doesn't have snacks but they do have Bubble Tea, which you can order when you arrive! They will bring it to you inside the cat area. Just be careful to watch your drink. The cats can be curious!

There are cat toys to play with and some of the cats really enjoyed the attention. A few were sleepy and the staff will let you know which ones prefer to be petted only on their head or left alone entirely. 

Kids 5 and up are allowed in the Cat Cafe but they need to visit with an adult. 

The cafe also has some souvenirs at the front and hosts different events like movie nights!

If you're in need of some cat therapy, looking to adopt a new furry friend or just want to spend some time with the cats, visit Catoro Cat Cafe! We had a good experience and enjoyed our time with the cats!

Don't forget your snacks!

Catoro Cafe

666 E Broadway, Vancouver, BC V5T 1X6

Check out their website for more info.

Tanabata Japanese Market Festival

Free outdoor festivals with shopping, food, even kids activities, this is what Summer is about! The Tanabata or "Japanese Star Festival" Market took place in Burnaby recently and we enjoyed our experience. 

The Family-friendly Japanese Market was located over the lawn and inside the Nikkei Museum and Cultural Centre. 

We enjoyed checking out the various vendors. The Craft market and Flea market area indoors had everything from second hand items, soap, candles, traditional Japanese formal wear and jewelry.

The market featured a number of Food vendors too. Most of them were Japanese small local businesses offering delicious Japanese food and desserts, like Secret Ice Cream, Wa-Bagel, Rice Bowl Association and eF & Be Bakery. We enjoyed discovering new local and indie places!

It wasn't possible to try just one thing! We appreciated that there was an indoor eating area for older people or kids. Festival goers could sit inside to take a break from the heat at the tables and chairs. 

The Kids Corner offered some Origami crafts like making ninja stars. The staff at the kids tent were very patient with the kids! 

There were also some performances at the stage indoors!

We enjoyed our visit to the Tanabata Market which celebrated its 25th year this year! We are looking forward to the next one.

Don't forget your snacks!

Tanabata Market 

Check out their website for more info.

Noah's Cafe Japanese Tapas Bar

Open at 5pm daily, Noah's Cafe on Denman Street in Vancouver offers Japanese style tapas and has a nice cocktail list for the perfect Happy Hour or dinner 🍻 

We enjoyed a few different dishes and the staff was friendly and recommended various items. 

Our favorites were the Negitoro Foccaccia and Tuna Tataki!

Portion sizes vary so it's nice to get a few items to share.

We definitely recommend getting a dessert to share. The Chestnut cheesecake with Amaretto foam and Earl grey ice cream was soo delish.

We also enjoyed the Japanese cocktails! 

There is window seating and a few tables. Be sure to make a reservation as it can busy. No outdoor seating available and it did get warm in the restaurant. 

Drinks, food and dessert, there is a lot to try at Japanese Tapas Bar Noah's Cafe. We really enjoyed our visit!

Don't forget your snacks!

Noah's Cafe

1096 Denman St, Vancouver, BC V6G 2M8

Check out their website for more info