Anna B.
Yelp
I've pass ed by this cozy coffee shop a number of times over the years while en route elsewhere, and have always thought "I want to try this place", so when my mum proposed grabbing coffee here before our lunch date, it was a no brainer!
The café is housed in a quaint green heritage building; think rustic-chic farmhouse, distressed wood and eclectic touches within (like the huge disco ball atop their pastry display!). There are a few seats outside the coffee shop which are perfect for a dry day, and about 3 window-front stools available. If you want to enjoy your treats there, you'll want to plan accordingly since it's a favourite amongst locals and the go-to in this residential neighbourhood.
Once you come in to Le Marché, you'll see a large chalkboard drinks menu above the cashier and a small display of their assorted pastries - multiple types of croissants (butter, ham and cheese, chocolate, almond), pain aux raisins, cinnamon buns (which seem oddly out of place, but tremendously popular), canelé, and so on. You'll also see a procured selection of local goods for sale, artisanal baking goods, cookbooks, kitchenware, coffees and syrups, teas, Jams and honeys, as well as a refrigerated and frozen section including cold beverages, soups, and pre-made meals for folks on the go. While I wasn't tempted by anything, I love looking around.
I ordered a chai tea latte with skim milk, my mum ordered a coffee, and somehow we ended up sharing a pain aux raisin (pre-gaming for lunch). We were lucky to score the window seating while we sipped and savoured. The chai latte was disappointing as about half of the small mug was foam (!!!) and the drink should have been hotter. With that said, the flavour of the little latte I had was tasty - I just wish there had been more of it. Oh well. My mum enjoyed her coffee, which was a rich medium roast.
The pastry we shared, however, was EXCELLENT! It was so buttery, rich, moist, and simultaneously fluffy with cinnamon raisin goodness. It was exceptional, and had we not already made reservations for lunch, we would have shared another of their pastries. My mum is an incredible baker, and so I've been spoiled with the best homemade treats - we were both wowed by how good this was. It was a pleasant spot to kill about a half hour, and you can tell it's well-loved by local residents who come by with their kids, strollers, pups, laptops, and seem to be on a first-name basis with the staff. It's nice to see.
Final verdict - I would recommend this spot for their baked goods and a coffee if you're in the neighbourhood. As I live out at UBC, it's out of the way for me and it wouldn't be a destination (for me), but would definitely be happy to stop here to grab a treat on the way.