Bean Around the World Coffees

Great locals spot. Nice patio, quiet and friendly non-​Corporate feel.
Good for working/​studying. Food and coffee are classic, nothing blows you away, but definitely enjoyable.

This place is a cozy neighbourhood hangout with comfy chairs and good music. So perfect if you need a break from the more industrial Starbucks around the corner.
Desserts are decent and they have one or two vegan and gluten free options. Great loose leaf tea selection too for the non coffee drinker.
I found service to be just fine.
It’s lovely to sit outside and enjoy the sun in their outside section too! This place has been full everytime I’ve been.

Friendly staff, cute & cozy café with outdoor seating, and they have almond milk!
Convenient opening hours (open early even on the weekend).
The drip coffee itself is very bland — not much kick to it, hence my star rating. This is after all a coffee shop and the coffee isn’t great by any means. I feel like I’m drinking water with a hint of coffee flavouring. And I’m not a heavy coffee drinker.
I haven’t tried the pastries, but I’m not a big pastry person.

I ordered an iced caramel latte. It was pretty bland and milky. I also got an oatmeal fudge bar that was pretty good, but nothing special. Not sure why this place has good reviews. I won’t come back.

The very definition of a great local hangout.
The coffee is very good, they have single origins aplenty and there’s a solid assortment of tasty treats on display. While there’s not a ton of seats, the two leather armchairs in the front are so comfortable you could fall asleep people-​watching.
There were a few laptops, but in general there’s not enough space for co-​working, unless you’re lucky enough to nab a front barstool or one of the small tables hugging the walls.

I have been frequenting this particular café on Cornwall for years. The coffee, pastries and music are perfect. The atmosphere is laidback in the heart of Kitsilano. However this time I was totally turned off by Mary, the barrista. The café was not busy but she was not friendly and treated every customer in a perfunctory way. I felt like chopped liver. This is not New York city. This is quiet casual Kitsilano. I suggest she either changes her attitude or find her a job in the back end baking muffins. She should never work at the front end. If you want to see how to greet your customers, take a lesson from Max, the original owner of the Bean Around the World Cafes in Vancouver. There is a café on every block in Vancouver. Why go to one where you feel like dirt.

This is my group hangout in the morning. Everyone at Bean Around the World is fantastic. Great vibe here in the neighbourhood of Kits.

Best iced mocha I’ve ever had!
Awesome atmosphere and super friendly staff…
Love it here!

I love this place, they have best muffins in the city! I always have to grab the banana chocolate chip one on my way to work :)

Solid little shop to get your caffeine fix, have a chat, and do some of that homework you have been putting off.
They are open at 730 on a Sunday, which is pretty rad for this nerd.
The service was great! Friendly and helpful. They have soy AND almond milk for those of us avoiding dairy. Hooray! Dog treats for the furry friends, which was pretty adorable. Oooh and they have a lovely little patio.
No vegan eats though. What up Bean Around the World? Hook a sister up.

Some BATWs are better than others but this is always a good bet. Bean Around the World is the best coffee in town, hands down.
My favourite is Marine Blend. When I lived in UK I had people bring over pounds of Marine Blend when they visited. I think that pretty much sums it up.

Yessss! I ordered a large tea and the lady put STEAMED MILK in my cup. That kind of quality service nevah happens at the big SBucks up the corner!
Bean is truly fantastic and their baked goods are heavenly… Gotta love them.

I thought today was going to be the day. I could feel it happening. Gravity pulling my limbs apart, shock waves blasting through my brain, and the piercing white light above me. I thought today was going to be the day that I die. Thank god for Bean Around the World. They provided me with coffee that had caffeine in it, which apparently was all I needed to alleviate the fear of my untimely death. You see I ran out of coffee at home so I did not have any for the morning. There are only a couple of options for it on Cornwall, the other main one being that large corporation that has terrible coffee, so I feel fortunate to have these guys so close. The muffins are some of the better ones that you’ll find at a coffee joint, and I quite enjoy the vegetarian breakfast sandwich and wrap. Lots of ample seating to enjoy a quiet lunch break, and they usually have a good stack of newspapers to read from. You’d be surprised how much that affects my enjoyment of a place, but BATW comes through. Oh yeah and they have pretty decent coffee. I need that.

When I lived in this area 5 years ago, this was the place I went all the time to get some writing done. I used to edit a magazine and write freelance and there was something about this particular location that just fit the bill. Now that I live in the area again, I’m here all the time. Sometimes reading, sometimes working, always enjoying.
What is it that makes this place so great? I’ll tell you.
1. Friendly, funny staff.
2. Dog treats for dogs who make a regular appearance outside.
3. Really great Nanaimo bars that are like $ 2.50.
4. Great lattes with lots of shots.
5. Customer loyalty card, buy 9 whatevers, get the next one free. Essentially, lattes are 10% cheaper than posted.
6. Great outdoor seating — if you like the shade when reading on a hot sunny day, which I do.
7. I appreciate that tipping is an option here, but not required in the passive-​aggressive style of most places where a credit card payment immediately gives you the three options of 10% or 15% or Other. You feel like a total ass when presented with this option and you wonder why you should pay 10 or 15% more when the only thing you’re getting is a cup of black coffee to go. Tip if you want, or don’t, or give a big tip only occasionally. That’s how it should be.
Anyway, I love this place. In my mind, it gets everything right.

Friendly staff and strong coffee makes this a nice place to catch up with a friend over a cuppa or spend a quiet morning with the paper.
In warmer weather, they have a nice little side-​street patio area that is great for al fresco sipping. They have a selection of baking to accompany your roast.
All their coffee is certified organic and fair trade, so you can feel good about drinking their brew. And they’re based on the North Shore and it always feels good to support local business over mega-​American chains.