A Hidden Gem — Angela St. Cyr

Sep 7

Sep 7 A Hidden Gem

Le Marche St. George is a neighbourhood grocery store and cafe tucked away on a quiet little street in the popular Mt. Pleasant area of Vancouver. It's unique location in a residential neighbourhood, makes it a natural community hub. On any given day, you'll see bikes and strollers parked outside, and little groups of locals chit-chatting after having bumped into each other on their way to grab something delicious from inside. This isn't the kind of place that relies on the foot traffic you might notice in a typical commercial setting. The people sitting inside don't usually get there by chance. If you're here, its probably because you sought this place out, you were told about it, or you're a local. Although it's location makes this place a little less well known, I wouldn't be surprised to see it continue gaining the attention of those foodies' wanting a more exclusive and unique experience. Who knows... perhaps while you're nibbling on a croissant or sipping a coffee, you just might notice someone famous seated next to you!

A zoning issue almost forced the closure of La Marche St. George in 2015, but the community rallied in it's support and kept the doors open. The city eventually agreed to amend the existing bylaw allowing it to continue operating. A real victory for a grassroots movement and a testament to the power of civic engagement. Now, with the troubles behind them, this quaint little community hub continues to buzz. The coffee is unbelievable as are the croissants. They also have a small curated selection of groceries to satisfy the foodie in you. The cooler is filled with local fare; dairy, artisan cheeses, ice cream (Ernest!!!) even homemade macaroons. I highly recommend trying the East Van Jam. It's locally produced and made the old fashioned way with a 4:1 fruit to sugar ratio, using real fruit, not fruit from concentrate...it's a bit pricier than grocery store jam but it's worth every penny I promise!