Medina Cafe: A Middle Eastern Brunch Oasis in Vancouver

We came for brunch and was scared originally by the long queue outside but we were lucky to be arranged with two bar seats immediately! Food was great and Americano tasted really strong and smooth indeed! I love their waffle and bacon and green salad very much! Overall the vibes are great and the hygiene standard is up to my picky standard including the WC area!

Good experience for breakfast. Amazing coffee; this place does it right with coffee! Server was friendly and checked in on us after we had eaten over half of our meal. It was quite packed but we had a seat right away. The tables are very close to each other. The decor is gorgeous. I appreciated the low level lighting. The food was good. We ordered cassoulets and found them to be very heavy on sodium and tangy. It was a good dish but needed some sweetness to balance it out. If it came with a side of honey or maple syrup, it would’ve been amazing. We paid about $80 for two plate of food and two cups of coffee, with a 18% tip.

Café Medina has lived up to its reputation as one of Vancouver’s best brunch spots! Known for its vibrant Mediterranean inspired menu and standout offerings like fricassée, Harissa burger, and Liege style waffles, it’s no surprise locals and visitors love this place. Reviews consistently praise the flavorful dishes and cozy, lively atmosphere, even if it means a short wait for a table.  We tried a great selection Les Boulettes, Harissa Burger, Fricassée Champignon, Liege style waffle with dark chocolate and lavender, hot chocolate (dark chocolate), and a lavender latte. The waffles and hot chocolate were delicious, with deep flavour and great texture, and the lavender latte was pleasant, though just okay for our taste. Food wise, the Harissa Burger was the highlight of our meal beautifully spiced and memorable and the other savoury dishes were very good as well. Overall, a wonderful brunch experience with a menu worth exploring. Highly recommend for anyone visiting Vancouver!

This place is busy all the time! It doesn’t matter whether you have a reservation or not — you still need to wait at least 10–15 minutes. Without a booking, the wait is around 45 minutes. The food was really delicious. The paella was a bit spicy for me, but maybe that’s just my personal taste. The white wine was excellent! We were also surprised that this café has 3 Michelin stars. I really liked the service — they kept apologizing for the wait, which was very kind of them. However, we paid $20 for our reservation.

Visiting Café Medina was a very pleasant and comforting experience. From the moment I walked in, the atmosphere felt cozy, welcoming, and relaxed, making it an ideal spot to enjoy a calm breakfast or brunch. The space has a warm charm that invites you to sit back, slow down, and truly enjoy the moment. The service was excellent throughout my visit. The staff was friendly, attentive, and efficient without ever feeling rushed. You can tell they genuinely care about creating a positive experience for their guests, which adds a lot to the overall comfort of the place. Even though I wasn’t very hungry, the food around me looked incredibly appetizing. Almost every dish coming out of the kitchen caught my attention—beautifully presented and clearly prepared with care. I ended up ordering the Avocado on Toast, and it was delicious. Simple, fresh, and well-balanced, it was exactly what I wanted at the time. The flavors were clean and satisfying, proving that even their lighter options are done right. While I only tried one dish, Café Medina left a strong impression on me. Seeing the other plates made it clear that their menu is thoughtfully crafted and full of tempting options. I’ll definitely be coming back with a bigger appetite, because this is the kind of place where everything looks worth trying.

I had 2-3 bites in and started wondering if this place was Michelin certified - and they were. No surprises there. We picked the Cassoulet and Les Boulettes for brunch - both were fantastic. The amount of focaccia was not quite enough to mop up every last bit of tomato sauce in the skillet, but I guess I was too hungry & the food was really good. Take off 1 star for Service since we were promised a 1.5hr wait, and we did not receive any text at the 2hr mark just to return to the restaurant and found that several folks after us in queue got seated first. The host was kind enough to offer us a free coffee/matcha.

Café Medina is always a great choice. The food is consistently delicious, especially their famous waffles crispy, flavorful, and perfectly paired with the sauces. The brunch menu is creative and well executed, and the coffee is excellent. The atmosphere is warm and lively, and the staff are friendly and attentive even when the place is busy. A must-visit spot in Vancouver for brunch lovers.

Cafe Medina is such a cozy and lively spot. We came for lunch as a group of four and waited about 30 minutes, which gave us confidence the food would be good. The dim lighting on a rainy day made the space feel extra inviting and everything looked very clean. We ordered the Belgian waffle with milk chocolate lavender, fricassée, Tagine, Paella, and a Lavender Latte and Chai Latte. Every dish was delicious. The fricassée was the highlight and the waffle had the strongest lavender flavor I have ever tasted. They make their sauces in house and you can really tell. The sunny side up eggs were perfect and showed real skill. Portions were just right and everything tasted fresh. Service was great and the staff checked on us often. It can get loud and space is tight so strollers might be tricky, but overall this is one of the best breakfast and lunch spots I have visited. I would happily return every time I am in Vancouver.