Thomas Haas Fine Chocolates & Patisserie — Attraction in Vancouver

Not a big space, but there is a pretty varied selection of desserts and pastries as well as soup and sandwiches and a full coffee/tea menu on offer. Tables are placed very close together so there isn't much sense of intimacy, but even so I like the layout of the cafe. The tables are all placed near the windows so they get natural light, and there's this one corner that looked really cozy. There's a fenced-off patio area that's also a little cramped but still has those nice fresh-air vibes. Given that they're usually busy, I much prefer the tight seating situation over a scarcity of tables. The appropriately chocolatey tones of the interior are very aesthetically appealing. I ordered: Tomato & bocconcini sandwich: Also included avocado, which added a nice texture and didn't steal the show from the other ingredients, and roasted red peppers, which added little bursts of flavour. Very tasty, a little messy - could have perhaps used a little less aioli to make things from slide around less, but it's not like there was WAY too much as it was. Champagne truffle cake: Delicious! The very dark chocolate ganache coating was heavenly and all in all there was a very nice play of flavours going on here. The inherent sweetness of the cake was balanced out by the bittersweetness of the dark chocolate and the booziness of champagne. Iced London fog: Very memorable! Usually I mostly pay attention primarily to the quality of the tea and not so much the vanilla syrup, but here, in addition to using a very fragrant earl grey, I couldn't help but notice the strong vanilla bean flavour, which was achieved even without using a ton syrup to sweeten it. I'm very impressed because some places struggle to make the iced version of London fog properly unless they use tea powder, but this tasted like steeped tea and was perfect. In addition to the very good food, the staff here were all very pleasant to interact with, and it was a good sign to see many people behind the counter with clear roles to keep organized and on top of...

Had the worst experience at Broadway location today.

For the past few months, I have been going to the Broadway location one afternoon per week; staying about 4 hours and getting some work done. I work from home, so this has been my treat to myself, keeping one afternoon meeting-free, so that I can get some focused work done from a nice place outside home. I often order a sandwich and a coffee when I arrive; then order a tea and a chocolate 2 hours later, and finally get some pastries/macarons when leaving for home. Overall, I often spend around $40-$50 for the 4 hours I spend there, which I consider a fair sum taking into account that they are a small local shop and depend on customer circulation.

Today I arrived at 1:00 pm and ordered my usual sandwich and coffee. The coffee shop was almost empty. Around 3 pm, just when I wanted to go for my tea/chocolate order, it suddenly got quite busy, so I decided to wait a bit till the line up clears. Right then, Mr. Haas came over to my table with a dish containing 2 chocolates and a note asking me to leave. He explained that he doesn’t want anyone sitting around “daydreaming” or things like that. I was speechless. As I started gathering my stuff, he said there is no rush and that maybe on quiet days it’s OK to sit around, but on busy days, he doesn’t want anyone sitting around with a laptop in front of them; since this is not Starbucks.

To the young lady sitting next to me who said that this is the worst customer service she has ever witnessed, and that she hopes my day improves from here, thank you for your support. My husband and I used to shop at this location frequently, getting pastries for our parties almost weekly. Needless to say we will...

I am a regular customer at Thomas Haas for many years. Despite an unfortunate recent event, I still give 5 stars for the staff, particularly Santiago’s, incredible help resolving the issue. Early in the morning and only few hours before I was scheduled to pick up my pre-ordered milk chocolate passion fruit cake (most amazing cake that will not disappoint you), I received a disappointing phone call from Thomas Haas Vancouver informing me that another staff had accidentally taken my order the day before, which could not be fulfilled for pick-up that day due to ingredient shortage. As I was planning a surprise birthday for a friend, needless to say, I was initially very upset and disappointed. However, Santiago was sincerely apologetic and more importantly, acted professionally by seeking every possible alternative and the best option to resolve this issue. I was immediately impressed by his willingness to seek what would satisfy me the most out of the possible options that day and he even contacted Thomas Haas North Vancouver to seek further options for me. In the end, I was very happy with the solution and I was very grateful for Santiago’s kind help and his sincere apologies. I can say, without a doubt, that Thomas Haas not only provides the top quality baked goods, cakes and chocolates but also the most thoughtful and caring staffs. Thank you for making even, what could’ve been a terrible experience,...