Coffee Geek lauds Prado Cafe's espresso but not its service

Submitted by Roland on Mon, 05/23/2005 - 23:31

I'm willing to risk snobby service to get great espresso! I guess you have to be famous in coffee circles like Mark Prince (senior editor of coffee geek) to get permission to post photos since neither Arieanna nor I could get permission to post pictures. What's up with that? Perhaps its due to the post 911 photojournalist backlash that Garret blogged about?

From CoffeeGeek - Members: Cafe and Bean Reviews, Review: Prado Cafe, Vancouver BC..:

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Menu focused on the basics, but all larger sizes. Smallest size listed is, I believe, 12oz. I'd love to see that as the largest size. The place is stark. No outdoor seating - essential on the Drive. They close too early: 7:30pm. Service can be a bit snobbish for some visitors' tastes, especially being a place on the Drive, where people are very friendly in most shops.

Room for Improvement

If my secret shoppers' reports are true, the slightly cool reception customers get is not helped by the stark interior. I'd like to see some art, some interest on the walls. Outdoor seating is a must for the cafe's success. I'd like to see the summer hours expanded. While I personally don't have an issue with arrogance behind the bar (as long as it's backed up), it was an issue with some. And, it'd be cool if York could get a liquor license to sell some wines and cold beers, but I don't see that happening anytime soon. I wonder if she'll let me slip her a bottle of Grappa for a morning "espresso correcto" for some special customers LOL! ;)

Oh and while the sign board says beans for sale, it's not very evident - you can't even tell what coffee they use. I'd like to see some bags up on display, and I think doing so would increase their whole bean sales.

Overall, this is one of the best places in Vancouver to get a quality espresso. I have also been told by some that, if you go in and know your stuff (ie, espresso) but don't come off all preachy or weird, the staff behind the bar turn it up to 11 (from 10) to pull as many god shots as they can. Nice stuff. ;)

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