Gigi Blin

You know, I had high hopes for this place. It looks beautiful from the outside and the large communal table is really nice. But I just can’t get over how they use soy from the dollar store, they resteam their milks, and the soy chai latte they made me tasted like watered down soy, no flavour whatsoever. I hope it was just my drink but I couldn’t take more than two Sips before throwing it away. I even checked to make sure there was a tea bag in there, there was. Extremely disappointed, I won’t be back :(

off-​the beaten path café/​market at corner of 70^th and Cartier. I would be in there often if I lived in the neighbourhood. What a great place for a business, catering to the low-​rise apartment residents of Marpole. Comfy and inviting. Coffee was 8 out of 10 and I though I’m not a fan of Umbria coffee… Mark (owner) prepared it just the way I like. I had the almond/​chocolate croissant — it was behemoth. Opened in June of 2015, I’m guessing this café/​market is still under the radar as it is catering mostly to the neighbourhood which is fantastic! Marpoliians… if you haven’t check this out, I encourage you to do so. You wan’t be disappointed!

I’ve had a soy latte here a few times and it’s always been consistently good. I can’t say anything about the food items because I haven’t had any but they look good on display. They also sell some unique items (olive oils, balsamic vinegar, pasta things, snacks, jams — I bought a fig jam that I have yet to try).
This coffee shop is definitely a hidden gem. Literally. If it weren’t for Unilocal I wouldn’t have known about this place. I hope they stick around because it doesn’t seem like they would get a lot of foot traffic (unless there’s a bus stop nearby).
If you’re in the area or driving through, it’s worth pulling over and grabbing a coffee to go from Gigi Blin.

This is such a cute little coffee shop in Vancouver. The interior is bright and filled with light. I ordered an iced coffee and a chocolate almond croissant. The coffee was strong and the croissant was so so delicious! There’s a communal table that I’m sure would be great for studying! Would definitely come back on my next visit. :)

I love the place, the coffee and even the classical music in the background, but if only the woman at the front desk could CRACK A LITTLE SMILE, look at me when I order and not make me feel like I’m strongly bothering her in her empty coffee place. This is so annoying that it makes me wanna leave right away.

Pre Gigi Blin:
I want elderflower soda. Or maybe a bottle of Boylans or Fentimen’s.
Marpole’s response: Safeway sells them by the case.
I want one with my meal.
Marpole’s response: Get yer butt over to Gastown ya hipster doofus.
I want a pistachio & chocolate pain au chocolat.
Marpole’s response: Safeway has extra chewy ones. Good and pasty. Go melt a Hershey bar on it. C’est magnifique!
I want ham, swiss & fresh basil on a fresh buttery croissant.
Marpole’s response: Try Starbucks. They have stale ones wrapped in saran wrap. Also no swiss. Also everyone from 63^rd Avenue onward is laughing at your request for fresh basil.
I want Stumptown Coldbrew.
Marpole’s response: WTF is a Stumptown? Come to think of it, what’s a cold brew? Like beer?
I want drip coffee.
Marpole’s response: We have lots of coffee. There’s Wick’s, Starbucks and McDonalds.
I want FRESH coffee.
Marpole’s response: Oooh look who’s a fancy schmancy. Go buy a coffee maker.
I want to sit in a clean well lit place while I sip my coffee.
Marpole’s response: CP Rail just cleared the blackberries off the railway tracks.
Post Gigi Blin:
Check, check and check. Gigi also has a nice selection of imported dry goods like pastas and crackers as well as ice creams and hand made confections.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m not high maintenance. Marpole has it’s charm. Parks, bike paths, even a beach, a good liquor store, grocers, restaurants, and some decent bars. But I occasionally work from home and I have been in desperate need of a good breakfast /​lunch spot. Because there are only so many stale cinnamon buns, Chinese egg tarts and coconut buns a man can take.

Gigi Blin is such a sight to behold in the stale and dull world of Marpole! I stopped by here on a whim on my way to work and was delighted with the décor, the selection of imported goodies (Italian Nutella!), the delicious pastries, and the fun menu.
I almost ordered a latte but I noticed that the special of the day was the espresso tonic. It’s exactly what it sounds like: espresso poured over tonic water served on ice. HOLY HELL. I can’t begin to tell you how pleasantly surprised I was. It was sweet, tart, bitter, cold, and smooth all at once. I never would have figured tonic water would compliment espresso, but they are like long lost siblings. I also tried a almond croissant and it was lovely.
The owner was very friendly and answered all my excited questions about the store, the menu and the products. It was 6:55 in the morning, so I give him extra credit for tolerating my other worldly morning energy. I can’t wait to make Gigi Blin a staple of my morning routine!

This place is too good to be in Marpole. The coffee here is outstanding and the folks who run this place are so friendly. The space is beautiful-​minimalistic, clean and again – too good for marpole! Wish this place was closer to me on Main Street! I see from another reviewer on here some negatives — clearly they don’t appreciate or understand art and has no taste. I love the fact they have almond milk too!

Great place to relax and have some fantastic coffee, sandwiches and baking. Marpole is blessed to have Gigi Blin and it truly is a great addition to the neighbourhood. The owners Mark and Ivana are very friendly and they always make you feel welcome. A great place for sure.

I was there with my husband because he always likes supporting local businesses, and we live in Marpole
He got an ice coffee that was super strong. High quality though, but they coffee they have is very strong.
I think the owner and the lady who works there (that I suspect is a friend or maybe related to the owner) are not particularly friendly or welcoming. Rude? Not, they are not. But they simply don’t look excited of happy to see costumers at all.
I’m sure at some point during the fall I may stop by for a london fog, but that’s it.

Great panini and a wonderful ice coffee right in the cool hood of Marpole… Will definitely go back for more

Stumbled upon this little gem in Marpole. I had an Americano and thought it was really nice; they use Umbria beans from Seattle. Décor and ambiance was great– ¹⁰⁄₁₀; great color scheme and reclaimed wood tables. You can tell that a lot of detail went in to this area. It had a neighborhood café feel. Very unique café.

Stopped by for an iced Americano and tuna melt. Both were great! Cozy, friendly spot with clean European-​style décor. A great addition to Marpole!

The guy tries hard but the lady who works with him is a B with a capital Itch. Sorry to say. Also the space is cold. White walls and wood floors — seriously get some warm colors.
And there is no «coffee». Where is the big sign that says «best coffee in town»? Or even «coffee» for $ 2. I’m saying the menu id overburdened with americano, latte, espresso etc. BUT NO FRICKEN COFFEE!
An oversight or just inexperience but a downer. And only cream but no milk or skim to add to drinks? Why only full fat cream. To cover the taste of the coffee?
If this place survives it’ll be because the owner (a nice guy) changes the staff and makes the place more warm. Otherwise only a forgettable experience.

Gigi Blin is the new coffee shop in the Marpole area on the corner of 70^th and Cartier. They are a fairly brand new café/​market that has recently opened up so it still is kind of a secret in Vancouver.
I love my coffee and I have a tendency to go quite out of my way for coffee… not the Starbucks or Tim Hortons stuff which i compare to the experience of drinking battery acid (or what I would think the experience would be like). So yeah, I love my coffee and I tend to drink it black as I find with good quality beans, there is enough of a flavour profile in the beans that there is no need for additional sweetness to it. This café uses Umbria coffee beans… not really my favorite. I find Umbria to be a little to «burnt» and something that loses a lot of flavour other beans such as Matchstick, 49^th Parallel or Pallet would have naturally. So usually when i go here, I get either a cappuccino or a latte. The baristas make decent lattes here and the milk (4% whole milk) adds a nice creaminess to the coffee.
Their desserts come from Swiss Bakery in Vancouver. They are good, not the best, but better then Tim Hortons. So if you like a healthy portion of butter in your desserts (it’s not a dessert if it doesn’t have butter) then you will do well here. I have had the almond croissant and the chocolate almond croissant. It’s got a nice crunch and is generous in portion size.
Overall, this is a welcome addition to the very lacking Marpole area and I am excited to see where this little market place will go.

I finally got around to coming here as part of my 100 coffee shops in 52 weeks challenge. Here is the issue I have with this place is their hours of operation which makes it tough to come out during the regular business week. It’s a shame ’cause I would come more often since all I have to do is take the 100 bus from my house to hear and walk up a few blocks. I understand since it’s not surrounded by a lot of foot traffic, however, even staying open until 6 would be helpful.
There is lots of space inside, nice and sleek. Very hipster looking in décor.
Barista was friendly.
I got an almond milk latte.
They have some grocery as well.
Super friendly customer service.

Food was absolutely amazing! Hope they put a few more tables in soon, but I get the feeling this place just opened. Definitely recommend the Chipotle Chicken Panini!

This poor little dilapidated storefront at 70^th & Cartier was begging to be used. And, as a Gastown refugee (Cheap rent! Bigger apartments! More trees!) I rejoice as the hipsterfication of Marpole begins with the addition of Gigi Blin.
The décor is simple but lovely: lots of reclaimed wood, crisp white surfaces and red accents. There is tons of light flooding in and a long table along with some more intimate seating make this a great place to sit and read, or simply sip coffee.
The coffee so far has been great. They’re using a Victoria Arduino machine, Umbria espresso, and Island Farms milk. I’d recommend the Cortado, served in a short glass, with one of the chewy ginger snaps.
The small market selection includes a kind of weird array of stuff: Italian pastas, European pickles, Haribo gummies, Hardbite chips. I’d love to see some more local items.
All in all, a welcome addition to the neighbourhood and I wish them a lot of success!

This storefront has been empty waaay too long. The big windows, clean white paint, and warm wood floors make Gigi Blin very inviting.
There is a full drink menu, although some of the items are not yet available. I will definitely be coming back when they have ice cream to make Affogato. Because espresso over ice cream has to happen. They serve Umbria coffee, which is okay but a bit bitter to my taste. They serve Two Leaves & A Bud tea, which is good quality.
The market portion has a variety of groceries, such as dried pasta, pickled beets, cookies and crackers. Some of the brands are familiar (such as Anna’s cookies) or local (Hard Bite chips), while others are imports or harder-​to-​find (like Haribo gummies).
The gentleman who served me was pleasant, friendly but not overly chatty. He let me look around the shelves, over the food and then took my order. Both to-​go and for-​here cups available. I’ve been to a lot of smaller cafes where they aren’t quite stocked, but he definitely had the essentials at hand. The baked goods included croissants, cake pops, and scones. They also serve sandwiches/​paninis and had three options available. I’d definitely go back to try a panini.
The prices are a bit higher than other cafes ($ 3.15 for an iced americano compared to $ 2.95 at chains/​franchises such as Blenz) but I’m happy to support a local business.