I have a new favourite place: Revolver Coffee. Its brand new to 325 Cambie, just up from Cordova in Gastown (WE broke the news of its coming last week in the Fresh Sheet). It took me all of two minutes to fall in love with it, though it had little to do at first with the coffee they poured.
The long, narrow 25-seater is owned by Tarry Giannakos and his wife Kristine, the pair behind West Vancouvers very popular Crema cafe. The day-to-day operations at the new digs are the province of Tarry and Kristines four young sons George, John, Chris and Matt. The foursome are omnipresent, and take their brews more seriously than I ever expect to.
Coffee isnt the main reason I love Revolver. Its the design, which I consider to be lovely (almost) beyond words. The aesthete behind it, Craig Stanghetta, has been a busy man of late. Local lookers Bao Bei, Meat & Bread, Stackhouse and Pizzeria Farina have all seen his trademark, which is modern and cozy but with an authentic-looking aged patina. Revolver, I think, is his finest work to date. The bench/booth seats look to be suspended from the high ceilings under a wall that has been meticulously decorated with different coloured nails to make up three looming maps of the world (copper nails for coffee-producing countries). Old lamp fixtures jut out from the wall to light each table. The rest is all old hardwood and brick softened with greenery and not a few orchids. A kickass record collection that includes plenty of The Beatles (Revolver, natch), Bob Dylan and old Stevie Ray Vaughn rounds out a great vibe.
The brothers coffee zealotry puts my generally blas茅 attitude toward the drink in bold relief.
Dont get me wrong. Ive enjoyed coffees from some of the worlds best roasters, sipped cups made with beans that have been shat out by Indonesian civets and pulled literally thousands shots of espresso in my day. But while my palate might appreciate its subtle plays and flavour differentials, coffee has never been a facet of my consumptive life that Ive volunteered to complicate. If someone switched my morning Stumptown brew with McDonalds coffee Id notice the difference, but I wouldnt dare spit it out. I use it to wake up and stay alert. Thats all. If ever there was a place that stood to change all of that, its Revolver.
Here, theyre addicts of a completely different breed, blind tasting new roasts every week and selecting for themselves only the ones that fit their diverse fancies. Every coffee is ground and brewed to order, and the options for the customer boggle. Want steel filter? Thats their default. Want the clever method (filtercone with stopper)? No problem. Dig aeropress? They have that. What about the siphon way with its cool, controlled flame? They have that as well (though itll set you back an extra $4 per cup). And of course they do French press, which is how I do it at home.
The Giannakos boys can slake your morning coffee needs in pretty much any fashion you like, allowing you to select from Guatemalan, Panamanian, Kenyan, Nicaraguan and Honduran beans at your discretion. Thankfully, they arent insufferable coffee evangelists. What if Im just some noob off the street who wants something quick, strong and easy? I asked Chris, not alluding to the fact that Im the noob in this scenario. No trouble, he said. Well just make him an Americano. They have a lovely Mirage machine imported from The Netherlands, and all hands on deck know how to use it well (as evidenced by the perfect three ounce espresso machiatto that came in a squat tumbler with a foamy tree on top).
The prices are high but competitive with Vancouvers top coffee houses. The costs at their brew bar range from $3.50 to $5.25 a cup (and can climb higher depending on the desired brew method). From the machine, a single shot is $2.75, a cappuccino is $3.50 and a latt茅 is $4. They also do flights, which allow for three different coffees done in a single brewing method or one done in three ($9). They take tea just as seriously, with all steeps being temperature controlled and carefully measured. And if youre feeling peckish, they do a mean raspberry coffee cake and bring over other baked goods from Crema every day.
In short, Revolver goes beyond being just charming and freakishly good-looking. It delivers a product that can sway coffee ho-hummers like me into wannabe wonks. I wont be changing how I brew at home, but its nice knowing theres a place out there that will allow me to play around whenever my fancy (addiction) strikes.
Revolver Coffee | 325 Cambie | 604-558-4444 |
