Medina Cafe

Look, all I'm saying is if you're technically having breakfast with Owen Wilson (because he's sitting 2 tables away) then you've clearly chosen the right place to have breakfast.

My wife and I visited Medina on the morning of our last day visiting Vancouver. It was around the corner from our hotel and the menu looked promising. We cursed ourselves for not doing the "reservation by donation" option when we showed up early enough on a Saturday morning when we discovered a crowd and an up to 45 minutes wait. (The only way they take reservations is if you make a donation to a charity via their website.) No matter, we had time and got ourselves on the list. The wait wasn't too long and the host was very attentive to the waiting area so we didn't feel lost or ignored in the crowd.

She also, after being seated and noticing our server had some delaying complications at another table, came over without being prompted and stepped in to take our order. We felt really well taken care of.

Everything we had was fantastic. The Tea Sparrow English Breakfast tea service was spot on for my wife. The coffee was on point...excellent even. (Sadly, never a guarantee at breakfast restaurants...they got it right here...as strong as it needed to be.)

We both ordered single "liege waffles"...Belgian style waffles just don't get better than what we were brought...they're inexpensive too...though they can go up quite about with the available add ons which are plentiful...I opted for maple syrup (when in Canada...) and butter (when having waffles...) I really loved it and could see myself gorging myself into a waffle stuper eating liege waffle after leige waffle. Thankfully I had a cruise ship to get on so we avoided that crisis over over-waffleization. (But I could easily fly back for more!)

We also loved the Roasted Potatoes, Smoked Cheddar with Lemon Aioli. The potatoes couldn't have been more perfectly cooked and were an indulgent delight with the smoked cheddar they were mixed with. (The aioli came on the side which is good as I'm not a big fan of mayonnaise of any kind.)

Considering the volume of available and delicious looking vegetarian options on the menu, it's a miracle we got out after only waffles and potatoes...but, Harissa Burger (vegetarian option available), Paella, egg dishes and couscous...plus the fantastic coffee and thoughtful drinks of every kind...plus the really well done design and atmosphere of this place...it's no wonder it's Owen Wilson's choice for brunch...it definitely would be ours over and over if we lived in Vancouver.

Ok...so I'm gonna keep this short and sweet.

Yes, the food is as good as they say it is.
Yes, their famous Lavender Latte does taste like a trip to the spa.
Yes, their service is worth the wait.

I love the fact that...these guys give you a time estimate, take your number and text you 10 min ahead of time and you can just get there.
Saves you from waiting in line, as in that neighbourhood, there are lots of places you can chill until you get in.

Medina Cafe is like someone who is a 10 and stunning, and you wanna take them out on a date. You can. You will. You spend $$$. And you'll do it all over again. Gladly.
That's Medina.

My fav brunch place in Vancouver rather all of Canada. Every trip I definitely stop by this place. Love thier savory dishes and no trip is complete without their belgian waffles with their sauces - dark chocolate, raspberry & white chocolate pistachio rose water. This time we tried their eggs with oyster mushrooms and harissa burger and boy they were delicious. Love their house latte and have ordered spiked coffee as well several times. Service is amazing. Food takes a while but its made fresh and is well worth the wait. They have ample indoor seating and some outdoor seating as well. You can make reservations online by donating $10 per person or stop by and be prepared to wait.

Highly recommend and its been almost 8yrs and this place never disappoints!

SOOO SOOO GOOD!! Definitely shouldn't miss. The brunch, ambiance, everything was phenomenal.

We went on a thursday and surprisingly there were quite a bit of people waiting. We were told an approximate 45 minute wait, but it turned into 10 min since many prior to us had left.

Champignon (mushroom dish), waffle with the pistachio/white chocolate dip, salmon toast, and the beef short rib sandwich were on our order that day.
I would say beef short rib sandwich is an absolute must if you come after 11. If you come prior they still have a similar one with 2 sunny side up eggs.
The champignon dish was great too- very special, although I do wish it came with another focaccia since one wasn't truly enough to dip. Waffles and salmon toast, both fantastic as well.

It's a definite must if you're in the area. I would probably just drive to vancouver just to eat here!

My favorite brunch place in town with unique food and presentation.
Superb service and ambience. I love how they serve on cast iron.
Value 4/5
Atmosphere 5/5
Service 5/5
Quality 5/5
19/20

Medina Cafe is a Michelin recommended brunch spot in the heart of downtown Vancouver. They have mediterranean brunch cuisines which are so good! They don't take reservations, you have to physically go there to put your name on the waitlist. We went there on Sunday morning with a group of 7 and the wait was around 1.5hrs (totally worth it). For drinks, I tried their lavender latte which was huge and very milky with a slight taste of lavender. My friends really liked it but I thought it could've used more lavender in there. Their salted caramel latte was also pretty nice. For food, my favourite was their Les Boulettes which came with 2 Poached Eggs, Spicy Moroccan Lamb Meatballs, Roasted Peppers, Black Olive & Tomato Stew, Raita, Grilled Focaccia. I loved it so much!!! The meatballs were so flavourful and the tomoto stew really added to it.

I should mention that they don't have a lot of vegetarian options, they do make some things from their menu vegetarian like their harissa burger. My friend who is vegetarian got this but was very impressed by it, it was mostly raw veggies with not a lot of flavour.

Last but not the least, their waffles!! You can order individual waffles with seperate dipping sauces. We got their milk chocolate lavendar, white chocolate, and salted caramel dipping sauces. All three of the sauces were delicious and their soft fresh waffles went really went well with them. If you are a sucker for lavender like me, I would highly recommend their milk chocolate lavender dipping sauce.
can't wait to go back

Licked my plate clean!

The tagine is so good it has me reconsidering all my life choices -- why don't I eat delightfully spiced beans, tomatoes and onion with merguez sausage and beautifully poached eggs for breakfast more often, for starters? Truly exquisite and balanced and not too heavy given how hearty ingredients are either -- the grilled focaccia helps make sure you don't miss a drop of the deliciousness and you can still walk out without being a in a food coma haze afterward, even if you finish the whole dang plate :) The side of raita it comes with is lovely too, I wish I'd tried it sooner and mixed it into my breakfast.

The espresso in the iced Americano was life-giving and so good I ordered a second one -- was nice to have one to go while we waited for seat, which didn't take that long (15-20 mins) all things considered for a Sunday morning at peak breakfast hours (9:30-10). Saw it's absolutely packed for breakfast and even more for brunch so go early if you can.

Can't wait to go back when we're in Vancouver next!

The reviews I read had me excited to try this place out! And it was a good call, everything was fantastic. The salad I had with the eggs and salon were perfectly seasoned and cooked. It was the first time my poached egg was just how I like it. As you walk in they have a case of waffles and they smell delicious but they were not sweet like I expected them to be. There was a bit of a wait when we got there so we walked down to a coffee shop while we waited. It was quick once we got in. Our server was helpful when we asked questions and service was quick.

Randomly decided to try this place (no reservations), but luckily, I got a seat at the bar right away. Busy with that brunch crowd - if you're rolling in a party plan ahead. Vibes are amazing. Service is top notch. Food is excellent. Locals are amazing also. Good Eats for sure!

Top notch food and service, really enjoyed my meal here!

Cocktails (Casablanca Sour and Five Miles to Tangier) were absolutely amazing and must try!!!

Food:
Waffle with dark chocolate - crispy on the outside and soft with mochi like texture on the inside. Really good and I can see why it's high recommended, especially paired with dark chocolate.

Short ribs - comes with well marinated meat, potatoes, two sunny side up eggs in (I think) tomato sauce. Incredibly good and definitely a must order item.

Staff - excellent service and very personable. I appreciate our waiter came by frequently to check up on us.

Though the restaurant has an open layout, it wasn't loud at all and I was able to enjoy a nice meal with my family'!

Definitely coming back here again!