It sometimes seems like there’s a cafe on every corner in Vancouver - or, on the corner of Robson and Thurlow, the exact same cafe on two corners. Starbucks, Seattle’s Best and Blenz seem to be the top contenders, with 7-Eleven and Tim Hortons outlets offering a steadily increasing array of coffee beverage options.

It’s a little tougher these days to find a cafe that isn’t a franchise or part of a giant chain. In Gastown, I like the Luna Cafe, right across from Storyeum. It’s cozy, the staff are friendly and the sign outside is a really cool piece of artwork.

In the interest of full disclosure, I am not associated with the cafe in any way, but I have gotten a free mug of coffee twice when I’ve brought my entire ESL class in while on a local history tour of the neighborhood. I’m not sure if that’s company policy or if they were just being nice in the hopes of repeat business, but there you go.