Cafés
A bike-friendly stop at London Landing on the dyke route that rotates its beans through different BC roasters every few months. Cyclists and runners coming off the trail fill the seats, and the baked goods come from small local producers.
Cyclists and runners come through London Landing constantly, because the foot of No. 2 Road is a natural waypoint on the river route. The old pier is there, a bit of green, and a view across to the mills and log booms on the far bank of the south arm. Most visitors to Steveston never reach this corner at all.
Sanctuary Cafe works that trail traffic deliberately. It is bike-friendly, it rotates its beans through different BC roasters every few months rather than settling on one, and the baked goods come from small local producers. The rotating-roaster habit is the interesting part, because the espresso changes character through the year, so what landed in the cup in March is not what will land in September. Ask what is on before ordering and the result improves.
Cycling in Richmond has one honest selling point, which is that the flat uninterrupted trail is the entire appeal. There are no hills to speak of. Wind off the water is the only real resistance, and coffee stops are the punctuation on a long ride. Anyone coming down from the village or around from the west side will find this end of No. 2 Road an easy detour. Weather moves fast on the river, the trail surface stays soft for a while after heavy rain, and a stop with a roof over it is worth considerably more in February than the same stop in July.
In the Steveston neighbourhood of Richmond.
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Other cafés and nearby businesses in the Richmond directory.
French-leaning cafe set just off No. 1 Road at the quiet edge of Steveston Village, doing savoury and sweet crepes, sandwiches and proper coffee. A calmer option when the Moncton Street cafes fill up with weekend visitors.
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The most serious coffee bar in Steveston, pulling espresso, siphon and cold brew from beans the company roasts itself. Bright and busy a short walk from the boardwalk, with pastries and sandwiches for people who cycled or walked in.
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Steveston bookshop and cafe in one room, stocking mostly secondhand titles with some new releases. You can trade in your own books for store credit, and the espresso bar means people settle in rather than browse and leave. Separate kids' and adult sections.
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A tiny family-run shop on Chatham Street making proper Liege waffles with pearl sugar, real butter and honey in about a dozen flavours, from vanilla through matcha and yuzu. They also take custom cake, pie and creme brulee orders for pickup.
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All-day cafe on Moncton Street doing brunch, fusion paellas, eggs benedict and handmade Shanghai dumplings. Fans of Once Upon a Time will recognize the frontage as Granny's Diner. Family-friendly with a kids' menu and a private room for groups.
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A Steveston Village fixture since the late 1990s that roasts organic single-origin beans on site and sells them by the bag alongside the espresso. Locals drop in for a white chocolate mocha, a breakfast muffin sandwich and a bench out front.
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From the blog
Longer reads from the editor, with the places worth a detour linked inside them.
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The West Dyke Trail is about five and a half kilometres of flat gravel between Terra Nova Rural Park and Garry Point, and I ride it most mornings. Here is what is actually at the north end, which way to walk so the wind is on your side, and why winter is the better season for it.
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