Cito Espresso

Alas, Yaletown’s Cito Espresso is permanently closed (has been for a couple of months). May the official period of mourning begin…

I have been craving their scone for two days and I finally got there. Basically my review today is about their scone! They make these themselves and they’re a meal. Loaded with nuts, raisins, cranberries and sesame seeds this is my favourite afternoon treat. (even though it contains no chocolate). I have had their coffees many times and they’ve always been perfect and strong. We have our own fancy machine now at the office though. The staff are very friendly and they seem to take pride in their products. The décor is clean and modern and there often seem to be Yaletown-​type meetings going on. I believe their wireless is free. I prefer to support smaller business over big chains and this place will get my vote for a coffee break anytime.

Just as friendly as before — I think these guys really do mean it when they ask you how you’re doing and smile while making your coffee. Or in my case today, grabbing me an Odwalla juice. Too many coffees makes me jittery :-)
I had said before, that I didn’t fancy this a sit down place, but I stand corrected! On weekdays it looks like it’s lots of people typing away on laptops and sucking back caffeine — but in a much more modern and friendly environment than I first imagined. Yes! I do say, yes! I could see myself hanging out here on a lone weekday afternoon!

Goodness in a cup!
seriously. one of the BEST coffee houses in the neighborhood! not only is the coffee amazing, but the staff is phenomenal as well!
It was a scorching hot day (so within the last week), and I sipped on my iced small vanilla latte outside under the trees as the cool breeze from the water swept up davie. It was the most perfect afternoon.
the end.

Dog walking in the park nearby, I noted our proximity to Cito. We stopped in for a bite and a Capp. With a couple of chairs and tables outside this is a sweet little spot to sit and watch the people and dogs passing.
The big guy had a Ham and Egg sammie, which they heated on their grill, it looked nice. He thought they could do a little better though. My Soy Capp was yummy.
The proprietor is serious about offering good quality and service, and I have found him to be friendly.
The counter service helpers have also been polite and patient.
This is a good break spot to have a sip and a read after picking up a few things across the street at Urban Fare.

Seriously excellent espresso.
Their beans are good and the employees know how to pull a shot. The lattes, macchiatos, and most importantly, straight espresso are all very good. After living next door to Artigiano for a few years, I was concerned about moving to Yaletown with no Artigiano within a few minutes walk. There is J.J. Bean, which is good, but I prefer Cito.
Free wireless is a bonus and they seem to know everyone’s name and coffee order before they even get to the bar so you know they have an addicted following.
I haven’t tried much of the food as Sciue is around the corner. The Cito cake keeps tempting me (like a slightly-​sweet veg cake with zucchini, etc) but it is a fairly meager selection. It is OK that Sciue can’t make a decent coffee because Cito is right here. You won’t miss a thing if you’re used to shots from the other big names in town; Cito is worth checking out if you’re in the area and need a fix.

Well, after reading the reviews I went off to try their coffee.
It definintely is better than Starbucks. Strong, deep and nutty I would agree with but I would not say it was the best coffee in town.
I love the coffee at JJ Bean and Caffe Artigiano. Both of these coffee powerhouses juggle for the best cup. Caffe Artigiano tends to have a more, how can I say this, snootier following. Sometimes I’m not sure if it’s because they actually know it’s good coffee or because it’s more expensive.
I say, if you can find Intelligentsia coffee carried anywhere, you got a good cup of coffee going your way.
I also decided to try one of their sandwiches. The pastry selection left little to be desired but I was hungry. It wasn’t very good. My rather, unhelpful barista/​counter dude, grilled it but everything except the crust was cold. Whatever you do, stray away from their sandwiches… it’s too pricey for what you get. Grab a cookie!

First
review! I am a barista in Seattle and wanted to find a killer cup in Vancouver during a recent visit. Cito goooood…(slurp… slurp…)
Clean, open look and best of all, beautiful crema, deep, full mouthfeel, nutty and slightly chocolatey flavor. I had a few others, none of them touched Cito.
As I sit here in grey Seattle, I wistfully imagine myself there on a sunny day sipping on a great espresso.

Absolutely the best coffee in Vancouver. Blows Starbucks away.