Buro Coffee

This is a new gem in Gastown. It raises the bar for better designed coffee houses in Vancouver. Buro has my favourite espresso machine Spirit, truly a masterpiece with a bar put together to profile it. I’ve been a few times and my cortados always crafted on point.

The décor and interior was very simple but clean. I’m not too picky about coffee so the caffe mocha was pretty good to me. It’s a convenient location near the train station, a good place to study or talk, and I would come here again.

Nice clean café located in Gastown. Really nice interior and perfect place for people watching.
This café grabbed our attention on a rainy afternoon so besty and I decided to go here. You can sit by the walls to read (saw a small lamp next to it) or do some people watching through the window. Coffee menu is similar to Caffe Artigiano and 49^th Pararell, however Buro Café also sells Iced Coffee Float and Affogato ($ 7 range). Forgot to include that Cortado (Espresso Macchiato according to what barista said) and Matcha latte are included in the coffee menu.
My besty got Cappuccino ($ 3.50) and I ordered Spanish Latte ($ 4.25) which is my favourite and they were just okay. Besty said her coffee was too sour and I found my drink too sweet. Perhaps I should have asked for half sweet for my drink. I’ve seen few people ordering Iced Coffee Float and that seemed way too expensive for what you pay.
Buro Café seems okay to me.

Hip little wedge of a coffee shop, literally! Located on the «point» of the flat-​iron-​esque building in Gastown, Buro serves great caffeinated drinks in the heart of Gastown. Delicious croissants sell fast and are usually fresh out of the oven if you get there by 8:30am in the morning. Grab your java and have a nice stroll in a beautiful part of the city, or stay awhile, and enjoy people watching in the modern environment with unique chairs, industrial lightening and white marble table tops.

Yuck — just wanna be «coffee chic» yuck
Bitter coffee and awkward space.
A refined Blenz meets Waves comes to mind.
Oh my freaking gawd I am such a coffee snob.
tsk tsk tsk
g

Bright & airy. @buro_coffee has gluten free treats from Eightfold Eats. They’ve really made good use of the space, offering both communal and bistro seating.
I liked it and I’m sure I’ll be back.

The Spanish Latte was so good! And I’m kind of a coffee snob. Didn’t try anything else here, but can guarantee you the Spanish Latte won’t disappoint.

WORST CUSTOMER SERVICE EVER with Doris, The Manager.
I’ve visited Buro a few times before since their opening in September and I’ve always enjoyed my stay. The space is bright, spacious, and the coffee isn’t too bad either. Until today, their customer service has always been fine but the service and attitude I received will ensure that I never again visit Buro Coffee, Coffeebar, or any other affiliated cafes again. It’s definitely a story I will relay to anyone looking for a lesson in «what not to do» when it comes to working on the front line and regularly serving customers.
So today (Dec 25^th at approximately 3pm), I visited Buro for a cup of coffee with a friend after lunch. I walked in and I asked the guy behind of the counter if they served pour-​overs. He looked confused so I changed my mind and ordered a standard Cortado ($ 3.30 + tax). The female barista, Doris (Chinese, long black hair), was making the coffees and she made my order. I took my drink and sat down. After taking a sip, I realized that the beans tasted burnt and was leaving a very unpleasant after taste in my mouth. I asked my friend to taste my drink and he agreed that the beans also tasted burnt.
So at this point, I decided to take my drink and bring it up to the counter to ask for it to be remade. I first spoke to the guy behind the counter but he told me to wait for Doris and speak with her after she was finished with her current customer. The café had plenty of customers seated but none in the lineup when we were speaking. So after Doris became available, I simply asked her to remake my drink because, my reason and in my opinion, the coffee tasted burnt. She told me that it was impossible for the beans to have been burnt because their computerized machines will not allow for that as the temperatures were calibrated. I replied that even if that is the case, as a paying customer I didn’t feel that my coffee was made correctly and to the standard that I was used to having visited Coffeebar and Buro Coffee on multiple previous occasions. She continued to insist that she had checked the temperature and it was up to 205degree C and it was impossible for the drink to be made incorrectly. Feeling frustrated at the direction of this conversation, I simply asked whether or not she would be willing to remake my drink. She flat out refused and claimed that there is nothing wrong with my drink.
At this point in the conversation, it was painfully obvious that I would not get a satisfactory response from Doris who apparently was also the Manager on site for this day. I asked her if there was another person available that I would be able to speak to about this issue and she told me to send an email to Buro Coffee and walked away. I asked the guy behind the counter who the email would reach and he said it would come to the attention of a guy named Naj, but neither employee could tell me what position he held in the company. So will my email even be noticed and taken seriously? Will the owners even hear of what service their MANAGERS were giving to customers?
The issue I have with Doris and Buro Coffee is not that the coffee tasted unpleasant, it is the extremely poor customer service I received. The café had plenty of customers seated but none in the lineup when we were speaking and our entire conversation lasted a minute or two minutes tops. She was defensive and flat out refused to acknowledge the idea that the coffee could have potentially been burnt and was insistent that it was perfect. You can argue that I may not have the necessary pallet or training for coffee tasting but I definitely know when I’ve been given extremely poor customer service. I was not looking for a refund, additional compensation, or even an upgrade in the drink. All I wanted out of this situation was my Cortado, worth less than $ 4, to be remade. Any restaurant, café, or food establishment would have responded to my request and remade my drink. I do not feel that my request was unreasonable or out of line but was definitely made to feel that way.
And most importantly, on Christmas Day too. That’s the Christmas spirit, Scrooge.

Water Street’s latest café addition to the historic Vancouver neighbourhood, Buro Coffee, is already bustling with customers thanks to its central location. Located on such a busy corner and unique intersection, Buro feels like a fancier, more upscale Gastown version of Gene Café.
Most of the menu offers the standard fare, but I had to order the iced coffee float (with cold coffee and caramel pecan ice cream) after it caught my eye for its rich, decadent sounding taste. It was a sweet treat and sugar rush packed with coffee, caramel, and chocolate flavours. It’s probably not something you’d want to drink too often.
Brewing 49^th Parallel coffee, Buro offers the familiar blend of espresso drinks. Their Americano was serviceable and of the usual 49^th quality. As for the sweets, I enjoyed the thick but not too chocolatey brownie in brick form. Their chocolate croissant was also adequately satisfying.
Buro fits right in its Gastown location as the café both reflects and complements the makeup of the neighbourhood as it offers a nice caffeinated setting for coffee drinkers and passersby alike.

Nice Café, lots of windows so great visibility of the action outside. Nice and trendy. 49^th beans so tasted great. Only reason missing a star is store and washroom needed a clean and customer service was a bit lacking. Staff not too friendly and woman was hesitant to let me use the washroom before ordering. As she put it «there are a couple of people lined up for the washroom anyways». First of all there wasn’t anyone lined up, she didn’t even look. Second, why would I want a cappuccino to sit there waiting, the milk texture would be awful by the time I’d get to it. Looking forward to a better experience next time.

I saw this reviewed on the front page of Unilocal on November 9^th and book marked it for future reference. This is a great addition to the Gastown coffee scene. Really really amazing people here who are friendly. Because it is in the triangle junction I love the people watching from a whole 360 perspective. Came here to work on a few articles for my zine. there is enough seating it’s just oddly placed given the shape.

You never forget what you wore the one and only time someone falsely calls you pregnant.
Me, in a form fitted, double breasted sweater and jeans, had just arrived at a coffee shop and was waiting to use the washroom before meeting my friend for tea. Two women stood in front of me, also in line.
A male staff member emerges from the «Employees Only» door to inform us that the washroom is reserved for paying customers only. If we want to use the washroom, you’ll have to buy something first.
The women ahead of me leave. (I’m not sure, maybe they obeyed orders and went to buy something). I say to him, «I’m meeting a friend here for coffee and just want to use the washroom first. Is that okay?»
He responds, «Some people butt the line, and don’t buy anything. But I guess you can, since you’re pregnant.»
I had no words. Just the hot face flush that accompanies pure embarrassment. I am not pregnant. I feel like I’ve just been fat shamed, at a time when I’ve never been more fit in my life. To add insult to injury, it happened in tandem with being treated like a second class citizen, like some kind of criminal «stealing» bathroom time.
All I could utter was «Wow.» Did he just say that?
Not knowing what to do, I walked outside and texted my friend. She was already sitting inside, so I had to walk back in. Telling her what had just happened, she looked just as stunned. I said that we needed to leave. There’s no way I could stay, nor would I ever support a place that treated it’s customers, paid or not, with such arrogance, rudeness and crass.
The employee had the nerve to wave as we left. A condescending, queen like wave that made my blood boil.
I am beyond furious.
I suggested this as the meeting because I had been here previously. The lighting was excellent, the mugs and tea cups enveloped in gold, nice touch. All in, a conducive setting for a work meeting. Sure, you were crusty and unpleasant, and borderline rude the first time I came here a couple of Sunday’s ago, but it wasn’t personal. This experience, on the other hand, not only guaranteed that I will never set foot into your coffee shop again, but that I will share my story, with everyone I can. Shame on you.

One of the newer cafes in Gastown, Buro replaced Shine nightclub. One of its main draws is the natural light provided by the café’s large windows. There seems to be some work space available and window seating to people watch. They have a large menu selection of espresso drinks and pastries. Prices do not seem that different than chain stores. I enjoyed an iced almond milk mocha. I will return to try a pastry and another espresso drink. The simple, clean décor is a nice way to kick back with a coffee.

Another great addition to the already bustling gastown coffee scene.
It’s situated at the tip of the triangle at the intersection of Water St and Cordova.
The place has one long communal table and smaller tables against the windows.
Natural lighting is plentiful.
All coffee/​espresso drinks are served using 49^th Parallel beans.
So you can expect the same taste/​quality as Prado/​49^th Parallel/​the coffee bar.
I must say their to-​go cups are pretty cool — black and gold with a 3d wavy texture. It comes with a matching wavy lid to boot.

I’ve been waiting for the space that is now Buro Espresso Bar to become a functional place of gathering. They’ve done a great job of playing with the odd shape of the space, while decorating with beautiful wood tables and modern furniture. I especially love the nook tables in the windows.
If you are a lover of people watching this is an excellent choice. When carefully selected there are a few places that give you a complete view around the urban fjord that splits Powell St. And Water St. People are buzzing around here!
The coffee is locally sourced from our infamous 49^th Parallel Coffee Roasters. There’s is a good selection of sweets and savory, for all snack types.
I think my favourite part about the place is the atmosphere: inviting, open, bright but also wholly subject to the outside weather. And for you coffee afficiandos there is a small range of high caliber coffee tools for purchase (if you don’t already own everything you need to make coffee at home).
Definitely coming back here for socializing, a moment alone, or to change up my work space.

All sizzle, No steak.
Here’s an insight, Buro. Like coffee, there’s a proper way to make tea. Water temperature and steep time matter.
So as you don’t invite customers to pull their own espresso shots, I expect that when you’re charging 3 bucks for a bag of leaves and hot water, that you’d at least take the time to steep the tea as it should be steeped instead of handing me a cup of hot water with a tea bag in it.
I even tried to head this situation off at the pass by asking them to steep it for me. Perhaps it was the language barrier, but the cashier looked at me blankly and had no idea what I was talking about. And I ended up with a cup of hot water with a tea bag in it.
And so I shall return to the places where the most consumed beverage in the world — that’s tea, people — is treated as a first class citizen instead of an afterthought for those who want an alternative to hand harvested single origin beans grown on the sunny, gentle southern slopes of a Colombian coffee plantation.
The places where Tea is served as it’s meant to be: the right temperature, the right taste, without asking.
The places where I can tell myself the story that my 3 bucks is worth it, because someone else is doing the work of making me a great cup of tea.
Those places, in case you’re curious? Revolver, Small Victory, and Matchstick.
One star for the interior, though.

This place has amazing coffee in a fantastic space. However, their staff are a little stiff and unfriendly. Some of this maybe cultural. They robotically repeating my order when I make one and the women announces, «non-​fat latte for here!» when I’m standing in front of her and I’m the only one waiting. No idol chit-​chat or «How is your day going?» Smile and relax!

Very nice coffee shop… good presentation concerning the coffee… great location just for people watching or doing some writing… lots of windows make for a bright interior… serving staff not into «chitchat»…time will tell if that changes…
Would go back again… would give it 5 stars if the staff were more social.