Vacation Avocation

Revolver Coffee – Gastown, Vancouver

Written by Ross Vance.

Revolver is a speciality coffee shop in Gastown that feels like an escape from its surroundings. At 8am the streets were still, but inside Revolver it was already alive with chatter. Every table was taken by what looked like devoted coffee nerds, probably dissecting beans and brews.

The café has two sides: the front room where you order, lined with pastries and humming with activity, and the quieter next room with a very long table and window seating. Even with both spaces, it was hard to get a seat.

Coffee

I ordered a flat white. The texture was incredible — silky, seamlessly blended milk that gave it perfect balance. The latte art was crisp and elegant, and the flavour had just the right touch of funk: interesting, complex, but not so much that it became distracting. It stayed engaging all the way down.

It came in a double-walled glass, which felt like a small luxury. Normally these glass cups burn your hand, but this one didn’t — it was pleasant to hold throughout. That detail added to the experience.

It was, without exaggeration, the best coffee I had in Vancouver, and arguably one of the best flat whites I’ve ever had.

Extras We Missed

The pastries looked excellent, but I was so focused on the coffee that I didn’t order one. In hindsight, that was a mistake. Revolver also serves coffee flights — presented on paddles, like beer tasting boards, with espresso, filter, and cortado-style options. I noticed them after I’d ordered and regretted not trying one. Next time, I’d go straight for that.

Verdict

Revolver sets the standard for speciality coffee in Vancouver. Between the buzz of the space, the attention to detail, and the quality of the coffee, it’s unmissable.

Rating: 4.7/5

Would recommend: Yes