The Capilano Tea House - Vancouver, British Columbia

Tried the tea service there; very good quality tea and food. The atmosphere is also quite nice with exposed brick walls and large windows. They serve an afternoon tea menu which is very different than other places, utilizing local ingredients and incorporating aboriginal recipes such as bannock and candied salmon. We ... had great service there and when I asked for extra candied salmon, expecting to have a surcharge, I got it free of charge. Read more

My new favourite lunch spot in Gastown! Eclectic tea list includes local (or at least regional?) flavours like juniper berry for a fresh twist on all the major tea varieties (black/green/chai/rooibos/herbal). The flavours in their botanical sodas are fun, but a little sweet, and I've been disappointed that there's only ... one or two options available each day - the ones they don't have on always seem to be the ones I wanted most to try! Hopefully as things pick up, they'll offer more options - it's been pretty quiet when I've gone in so far, which is great for chatting with a friend, but probably hard on their business. Compostable to-go or eat-in options available, and they do have a small but creative menu. I've tried the fresh bannock (like a supersize, fluffy scone) with rhubarb butter and some kind of jelly (I forget...), served warm, the bison bites (served on greens with a bit of sauce, and wrapped up like little wantons or dumplings - very savory, tasty), and the lavender chocolate cake - pudding-y, served hot, almost too much too eat, and vegan, if I remember correctly. There were at least two other desserts and a handful of other lunch/snack items on the menu as well, so I'll be back to try those some time. Brick and exposed wood dominate the decor, with long bench seating as well as a few stools, and a little boutique section along the side wall with all manner of tempting hipster bait - you can buy their tea (loose-leaf), a wide selection of soaps, candles, skin care... emphasis on local, alternative, eco and vegan. Apparently this is a First Nations-owned and run business with the grandmother, mother and granddaughter involved, which really feeds into the whole virtuous shop-local, support small business vibe that is dominating the city now. Beautiful place to browse, pick up a drink for some Gastown sight-seeing, or settle in for a treat and a chat. Pro-tip for your day out on the border of Gastown and Chinatown: pick up your tea to go and wander over a couple blocks to the Dr. Sun Yat Sen Chinese Garden - there are often Groupons for the tourist-bait side (includes indoor exhibits), but there's also a huge section that you can wander right into for free, and it's absolutely beautiful year round and in any weather. Read more

Beautiful indigenous hipster decor. Small, Zen space with retail space selling edited selection of candles, soaps, teas. Friendly knowledgeable staff. GF and vegan dessert menu.... Lovely chai chia pudding. Spicy Aslan Chai was very good. Love that it's different from any other tea place in the city.

Love the tea and the decor. The service is wonderful, would go back for more :)