Elysian Room: doesn't necessarily mean exceedingly delightful

The Elysian Room can be found right around the corner from the 5th Avenue Cinemas right on 5th avenue off of Burrard. Many movie goers frequent the little cafe before or after their movies. Whenever I have gone there off show time hours, I have noticed that this little cafe attracts a more mature and quieter crowd that is there more for a little afternoon tea than anything else. Even the decor kind of screams out to a certain crowd: large cloths draped from the ceiling that look like they were bought from a street vendor in a foreign country; a colour palette that seems like it was made to match terra cotta; lighting that might have once been very cool around 1995; and furniture that kind of forces you to sit properly and not linger too long. I am not slamming this place by any means. It serves some tasty coffees (fair trade and organic), it has a nice variety of loose teas (although inconsistent in leaf shred and includes some small twigs and branches), and even serves clover coffee and a couple of other coffee preparation alternatives. The baked goods are tasty even though the prices seem to be set to a bit more of an upscale market.

This is not a place that I would frequent often, but I would go there if I was waiting for someone to see a movie. I don't know if this place would be very kid friendly. It's kind of like going to that aunt's house who is more mature and who likes to have everything the way she likes it, and there is certainly a particular way of doing things when visiting her place - if you know what I mean.

Out of 5 Movie Review Stars

Scene: 2 I would rate this higher if I had guests coming into town and didn't want to scare them with to many hip folk. There really seems like there is a " no lingering" feel to the place.

Grub: 3 It is the taste of the goods that saves it here. I just don't know if the taste matches the value. It really is more of a cafe. Light pre-portioned meals available.

Coffee: 4 It is good coffee, and the fact that you can get your coffee prepared in more ways other than an espresso machine is also something to look forward to if you want to experiment. I am still a little bit leery of having them add too much water to my americano, but as long as you say so, it is good to go.

New Spring for Saltspring?

I don't know if I actually like Saltspring anymore than I did from when I first started the blog, but what I did notice is that it really is more suitable for parents who bring their small children for a cuppa coffee. The inside is still tough to maneuver a stroller in there, but there almost always seems to be room to sit down. So where would the little kiddies go? Because Saltspring is located on a corner, with a large east facing window with tables and chairs outside, parents sip lattes while their strollers are parked on the sidewalk the same way testosterone drenched young men park their crotch rockets outside their favourite watering hole. Aside from the crazy - and perhaps unintentional - expression of stroller status, the cafe does lend itself to be a decent meeting place for parents with infants. For this reason Saltspring Island Coffee Company Cafe has moved a little bit up the ladder for me.

Having said all of this, the coffee remains to be acceptable and the service indifferent. The baked goods, although limited (despite all of the different labels displayed) are good. They also have clover coffee available. Unfortunately, it appears as though they pre-portion the beans, leaving the bean dry and stale and the clover bland and tasteless.