This is a list of coffee shops we have found in the lower mainland that seem conducive to studying or working for a chunk of time in the lower mainland, but outside of Vancouver proper. We’ve included places where they seem welcome to the idea of you hunkering down for a while. We have also noted things like how easy it is to find seating and how comfy that seating is for long periods.
This list is a work in progress as we discover new places to work and get outside of the house! We’ve included a map at the end to help with locations. If you’re specifically looking for our gluten free options, check out our Gluten Free in the Lower Mainland post!
Keep in mind that there is some etiquette involved if you plan on setting up to study or work:
- Don’t only buy one coffee and then sit there all day long. A general rule is no more than 2 hours with a single drink.
- Don’t take over a giant table when there is only one of you; stick to solo seats or a table for two if that’s all there is.
- You should keep your music to yourself (they’re called headphones).
- If you’ve been there a while and it gets busy, consider this your cue that it is probably time to go.
To skip to the city or area you’re interested in, click on the city name: New Westminster, Tri-Cities, Burnaby, Vancouver, and the Fraser Valley.
New Westminster & Area
Coasters
Coasters has a cool west coast vibe, with unique touches that make it a calm place to grab your daily caffeine fix. We went to work for the afternoon and sat in their only two big comfy chairs. Many tables were occupied by people doing the same thing – working or studying for a while with their computers set up. They have bar-style seating along the window looking outside, and about 8 tables that fit 2 people each. The bench style seating on one side of most of the tables doesn’t look like it would be too comfortable to sit on for long periods.
Coasters is located on 6th street near downtown and is open until 5pm every day. You can find free 2-hour parking east down Carnarvon Street, or paid parking down 6th and if you head west on Carnarvon. Also, easily accessible from Columbia Street SkyTrain station.
Flavour Balance
One of my go-to’s in New West is Flavour Balance. The owners are so lovely and remember you if you go regularly. Their mocha is one of the best in New West! They have a wide selection of goodies to choose from as well (including a couple gluten free options). This is a popular spot for people to hunker down with their computers and a coffee, though the wooden chairs are not the most comfortable to sit on for long periods.
Open until 10:00pm Wednesday – Saturday, until 6:30 Monday and Tuesday, but closed Sundays. Free street parking is about a block away, or there is paid street parking right out front until the evening.
Caffé Mira
Tucked away in the Victoria Hill neighbourhood, Café Mira is a treat! Their mocha is divine, one of the best I’ve had. They have a couple gluten free options which they purchase through a third party and come individually wrapped (usually a brownie and a cookie). For the non-gluten free eaters, their croissants are enormous and apparently quite delicious. The staff is so friendly here! They don’t have a ton of indoor seating to set up at, and it doesn’t seem like many people do. Many people seem to take their coffee to go, you’re likely to find a seat available to snag for a bit to work/study.
Open until 6:00pm (though at the end of the day, pastry selection will be limited, as you can see below). Free street parking out front!
Waves
Waves has two locations in New Westminster, one uptown and one downtown. Both have plenty of seating and welcome people sitting to chat or work for a while. They have a wide selection of drinks to choose from, and there is a points plan if you download their app or have a Waves card. They do have a couple gluten free options, but not many.
The downtown location is open until 8:00 or 9:00pm depending on the day, and the uptown location is open until 6:00 or 8:00pm. The 6th street (uptown) location has free street parking around the corner and down the street, or paid street parking right out front. The downtown location is paid street parking.
Delicia Cafe
Located on Columbia St. in New Westminster, Delicia is a newer addition to New West. People seemed to be frequenting Delicia for all purposes (to go, to work/study, to socialize). Their seating area is fairly spread out, and they have tons of outlets available if you need to plug your computer in. They have a wide variety of food options, including some great gluten free options (such as various brownie-based cakes).
Open until 6:00PM, except Friday and Saturday when they are open until 7:00pm. There is paid street parking available.
Tri-Cities Coffee
Café Delitzi (Coquitlam)
This is a true gem located near Coquitlam Centre mall. They have a wide selection of specialty coffee drinks and food, including some gluten free options. It is usually easy to find a spot to sit if you don’t come during peak hours, and there are often at least a couple of people set up with their workstations for a couple hours.
They are open until 8:00pm Monday to Saturday, and 7:00pm on Sundays. Free street parking just around the corner or paid street parking right out front.
Creekside Coffee Factory – Westwood (Coquitlam)
Creekside is in a convenient location, just off Lougheed beside the big Superstore. This location has tons of seating. Lots of two person tables as well as a big “family style” table. There were lots of people studying or working in the middle of the day mid-week. Lots of drink options, sandwich options, gelato, and a couple vegan options it looked like. No gluten free options that I could see. There is tons of parking. They also have a second location on Barnet Highway that we have not been to.
Open 8:30pm – 9:30pm daily, except open until 6:30pm on Sundays.
Pappa Roti (Coquitlam)
Located in Coquitlam at Pinetree Way and Glen Drive, you will find Pappa Roti. The name is deceiving because this is definitely a coffee shop and not a roti shop. They have many food options, such as different types of stuffed buns, sandwiches, soup, and pastries (including gluten free options). They have a huge seating area, but they do have a 2-hour maximum (so you can’t sit here and work for the whole day). We went fairly late in the evening and there were lots of people set up with laptops.
They are open until 10:00pm, and there is paid street parking out front (free on Sundays and after 8:00pm).
Coffee + Vanilla (Coquitlam)
Coffee + Vanilla is a cute café on Austin Avenue in Coquitlam. They have a ton of seating, good coffee, and an extensive food selection. They have a few vegan and gluten friendly options. Some of the gluten friendly options do say not recommended if you have celiac disease, but they do have safe macarons. Their pastry case is quite extensive, and they have lunch options as well. Mid-day during the week you are likely to find many people set up with a laptop at one of the many 2 person tables. Parking can be a bit of an issue as there is limited parking out front and it is 1 hour only, so you may have to park a couple blocks away. Open Monday to Saturday from 8:00am – 5:30pm. Closed Sundays.
C Market Coffee (Port Coquitlam)
The largest café in the Tri-Cities, C Market is a huge space with room to gather. Many locals here working with laptops, gathering with friends, or enjoying a quiet cup of coffee. There are lunch options as well as pastries available. The seating isn’t the most comfortable for long periods (cement benches and plastic stools). They have another smaller location in Coquitlam as well, near-ish to Ikea.
Open 8:00am to 9:00pm daily.
Burnaby & Area
Hiel Café
Hiel Café is a hidden gem located on the border of New Westminster and Burnaby. It has a ton of seating inside. There were many people sitting with their laptops when I visited. It seems people don’t stay too long. I was there for an hour and there was quite a bit of turnover (could be because I visited at the tail end of the lunch rush?). They are well known for their souffle pancakes, which look light and fluffy (though not gluten free, so I didn’t try them). It didn’t appear that they had any gluten free options, or other dietary accommodations.
Open 9:00am – 5:00pm Monday to Friday, 9:00am – 3:00pm Saturdays, and closed on Sundays.
Other Burnaby Options:
We haven’t used these to study in a while, but they are popular spots with good seating and charging options:
- JJ Bean (just outside Metrotown in Station Square)
- Waves (Edmonds)
- Coffizen Coffee Roasters (we haven’t personally been here, but reviews for studying/working are good)
- Cafe Artigiano (Burnaby Heights, easy to bus from SFU, lots of seating)
Vancouver
Analog Coffee
A recent addition to the Vancouver coffee scene, Analog Coffee is on Helmcken Street in Yaletown. If you’re originally from Calgary, you’ll recognize this place because there are many Analogs in Calgary! The Yaletown Analog has lots of cozy seating and a community vibe. We went midweek during the middle of the day, and it was packed. There were lots of people sitting solo on their laptops getting some work done. They have a packed pastry case that includes a couple vegan and gluten free items as well. Open 7:00am – 8:00pm Monday to Friday, and 8:00am – 8:00pm on Saturday and Sunday.
Matchstick
Matchstick used to have multiple locations, but they are shutting down operations and are down to one (Davie Street). We went to their original location on Fraser & Kingsway, now closed. They have such a tranquil vibe, and the space is very inviting. There is plenty of seating, and Matchstick seems to be a popular place for friends to gather. If you go mid-day on a weekday, you will see many people working remotely with their laptops. They have quite the selection of croissants. They also carry Cartem’s donuts, including a few gluten free and vegan flavours. Each location is open 7:00am – 5:00pm daily.
Other Vancouver Options:
We haven’t been to these in the context of study/work, just for coffee, but they are popular options:
- 49th Parallel Cafe & Luck’y Donuts (2 good locations, one on Main Street and one on West 4th)
- Nemesis Coffee (also 2 good locations, one in Gastown and one on Great Northern Way)
- Honolulu Coffee (Kerrisdale and False Creek – we haven’t been, popular, may be busy)
- Cafe Mira (Mount Pleasant – we like New West)
- Waves (Howe, Broadway, Hastings, & Robson – we’ve used New West for studying and it’s been good)
Fraser Valley Coffee
The Polly Fox
Friends, this one is YUM! The Polly Fox is an entirely gluten free bakery and café in downtown Abbotsford. Their food menu includes sandwiches that can be made with waffles instead of bread, as well as the typical coffee shop treats like muffins, cookies, brownies, and more. The café wasn’t too busy midday, mid-week, and there were a few people set up with laptops to work/study.
Free 2-hour street parking is available, though may be hard to find on a weekend. The Polly Fox is open until 4:00pm, but the kitchen closes at 3 (closed Sundays and Mondays).
Looking for a general guide to visiting Vancouver? Check out our Vancouver travel guide here!
MAP of STUDY & WORK COFFEE SHOPS in the Lower Mainland, BC
HOW TO USE THE MAP: Click on the Wanderlog logo in the bottom right corner to open the full-size map up in a new tab. There, you can choose to just look at one city at a time or see all the cities on the map at once (click the 3 squares in the top right to choose). You can also export the map to Google Maps, share the map with others, or save the map.
