Willow Café Bakery - Vancouver

This is a small cafe/bakery located in a quiet stretch of 16th avenue in between Oak and Cambie. They have a good selection of casual breakfast/lunch items, including fresh baked goods. I've had a Chocolate Tart and a Carrot Cake, as well as an Almond Croissant for my mom. The food was quite tasty, and the prices are very reasonable. The staff were also quite friendly. All in all, this is a great local place for a quick bite or some treats.<br/ <br/ Chocolate Tart $3):<br/ 4.5/5<br/ The chocolate ganache filling was smooth and not at all waxy, and had a nice bittersweet flavour. It was mixed with some raspberry, which provided a fragrance as well as a bit of tang. The crust was perfectly baked with a nice cripness, as well as a sweet caramelized flavour. This is definitely one of the better chocolate tarts that I've had.<br/ <br/ Carrot Cake $4):<br/ 4/5<br/ This consisted of three layers of carrot cake sandwiching cream cheese frosting. The cake was dense and relatively moist, and filled with shredded carrots. The cream cheese frosting was smooth and sweet, with a nice bit of tang. Being a massive lover of cream cheese, I personally could have done with a bit more of it present. This is a straightforward dessert, but definitely delicious.<br/ <br/ Almond Croissant $3.50):<br/ I gave this to my mom. She quite enjoyed it.

Willow Cafe Bakery has a wonderfully sunny, relaxed, and easygoing atmosphere. It has a great vibe, making it a perfect spot to hang out. There’s both table and bar seating, along with a cozy small couch that worked perfectly for a meetup group I hosted there called Reflection Cafe. Luke was incredibly helpful and kind, allowing our group to take over the entire space! I will definitely be back!

The atmosphere is fantastic. I really enjoy the food, and the customer service is excellent.

Willow Coffee's cappuccino was decent—somewhat watery but not bitter from over-extraction, which is a common issue I’ve encountered with coffee here. I truly wish them success, but I don't often buy coffee out since I have a high-end Italian espresso machine at home. This allows me to save money over time rather than spending $3 or more on caffeine from coffee shops.

I had the worst experience of my life at this restaurant. The cashier, seller, and barista were incredibly rude. I ordered American mixes, green jasmine tea, oatmeal, and bread with butter, which they charged me €3.50 for! They only filled my cup with hot water to a quarter full for the tea, and when I asked for more, the staff said they would give me more later. The whole experience was disgusting—everything felt old and uninviting. It was truly the most unpleasant dining experience I've ever had. The staff seemed to take no pride in their work, and the overall service was terrible. The food lacked flavor, and the dishes were dirty. Everything about this place was disappointing. I will never return.