Hidden Gem: Sophie’s Cosmic Café, Vancouver

Canadians do brunch. Not as I know it – the leisurely mid-morning preserve of Sundays with the family – here it’s serious.

Dedicated brunch menus are a feature of every restaurant, and one of the best places to get yours in Vancouver is Sophie’s Cosmic Café, located on West 4th, just a short bus ride from the University of British Columbia  and with the best array of independent stores and eateries I’ve ever come across, including this strange little diner.

Sophie’s is the epitome of kitsch: shiny pink booths, waitresses bustling between tables pouring coffee, and bright red walls cluttered with vintage food signs, Elvis portraits and, bizarrely, endless pictures of the Queen.

Freshly-prepared food is heaped onto plates the size of tea trays and is delicious. We chose three different varieties of “eggs benny”, including a spicy “Santa Fe” version served with salsa and cornbread or, my favourite, British Columbian smoked salmon.

The French toast, probably equivalent to half a loaf, is wonderfully decadent and arrives glistening with syrup and icing sugar; my friend took half of hers home in a box.

Comfort food at its best, brunch at Sophie’s is an eccentric and fun way to spend a lazy morning, and at great prices for fresh food, you can’t afford not to!