Vancouver may be the land of hot chocolates, especially during its annual Hot Chocolate Festival which takes places every year across the city, but it is also home to “people who set up their remote offices in cafes and then take up table space for hours without ordering anything”. We experienced this first hand at almost every stop we made on our trek around the city in search of the ultimate hot chocolate. Table after table taken up by laptops.
At Nelson the Seagull, the fighting wasn’t between the seagulls and the hot chips (maybe that’s an Australian thing), it was between the laptops and the hungry bellies; those of us interested in a hot lunch and some fancy hot chocolate. We played the same game all the hungry bellies were playing: given the people sitting with their laptops with no food or drink evil, disapproving looks. Then stand as close to them as you can, trying to be obvious that you have already ordered your food to eat in but have no table. Canadians are nice right, they will get it. Well, Canadians are too nice to tell them to “bugger off” as the Aussies would put it.
We got a table, thanks to the kids who, tired of waiting, just sat themselves down at a table for 6 that one person was using alone. That worked a charm (and no, I didn’t put them up to it). Laptop 0 Hungry Bellies 1. Even better, our food arrived while we were still taking off our jackets (yes, this all took quite some time).
I would love Nelson the seagull to consider visiting Australia and opening up shop here. Maybe even come by, meet a nice Aussie seagull and set up shop here. We loved everything about Nelsons. It was busy, very, very busy, but welcoming and warm and felt like we were a visitor at someone’s home, eating breads freshly baked from the oven and pumpkin soup the way that I imagine mine would taste if I truly took the time to make it properly. I’ll admit that we started with dessert (if you can call hot chocolate dessert). Hot chocolates 15 and 16 out of 21. The first was called Cherry-ish You and was a cherry infused dark chocolate served with a cherry and nut nougat treat. The second, called Funfetti, was a birthday cake flavoured white hot chocolate served with a mini birthday cake treat. Way too sweet for me, but I created mini me with a serious sweet touch and she devoured it. Both were awesome drinks.
Nelson, just let me know when you visit and I’ll tell you where the nice seagulls are so you can make some friends:)
Nelson the Seagull: 315 Carrall St, Vancouver, BC V6B 2J4, Canada Open daily 8am-4pm nelsontheseagull.com
