A Quiet Downtown Cafe

Latte, ham and cheese scroll, and chausson aux pommes

Bakery cafes seem to be the new hangout in Metro Vancouver, as fewer people are willing or able to shell out to dine in restaurants. Instead they turn to cafes to meet up with friends over a coffee and a croissant, cookie or slice of cake.

Or so I thought.

The other day I tried the Japanese-style egg salad sandwich at 7-Eleven downtown, but it left me unsatisfied (and still hungry).

Across the street was Beaucoup Bakery in the St Regis Hotel on Dunsmuir and Seymour. I walked in just before noon and there was just one other customer in there who couldn't make up her mind.

I ordered a latte, a savoury ham and cheese scroll, and a chausson aux pommes for dessert for just under $20.

For about 20 minutes I sat in the small dining space and had my pastries with a bitter latte, but no one else came in even though it was lunchtime on Wednesday.

The ham and cheese scroll was impossible to cut with a wooden fork and spoon, and I had to eat it like a sandwich; it would also have tasted better heated up.

The leaf-shaped chausson aux pommes had a vibrant burgundy filling of apple puree mixed with cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. 

As I sat there, the staff chatted amongst themselves; seems they are used to business being really slow.

It was pretty sad to see this cafe pretty dead -- meanwhile two bakery cafes in my neighbourhood have a steady stream of customers.

Is this a sign that office workers still aren't coming back to the office full time? If that's the case, downtown Vancouver is going to hollow out even further...