Hello Kitty Cafe Vancouver — Restaurant in Vancouver

The store itself is adorable, lots of cute merch. I didn't get a chance to try the food though as I can't eat gluten anyways but wouldn't mind trying the bubble tea one of these days. Anyways I was there for their grand opening. They opened the store at 12pm I got there about 8am and there was already a line before I arrived. It was a whole lot of waiting. I didn't get in the store until pretty much 2pm and I was fairly close to the front of the line. Like the other reviewer said, it was definitely poorly organized. We were handed out some sheets to fill out to order merchandise and honestly they should have took our orders while people were in line so that the wait time wasn't so ridiculously long to get in and to make it more roomy in there. It was so crowded inside and you couldn't tell where the front of the line for ordering merchandise was or the end of it, you basically had to figure it out yourself. The staff were friendly to me but I had the unfortunate incident of interacting with some young rude Asian girl who told me in a super rude tone "The back of the line is over there," when I was definitely not trying to budge in front and I just asked her politely if the line was for purchasing the merchandise and she was super dismissive of my question, just a super rude customer. I'll probably go back when it's died down a bit so I don't have to deal with people like that which always puts a damper on anyone's day. Anyways it was just so disorganized, no staff telling you where the beginning of the line for purchasing merchandise was or the end of the line was. They definitely should have planned this a lot better because the wait was just way too long and it was overly crowded in there and there just wasn't much communication between the staff and the customers as to how the day was going to go etc. Super cute store and merchandise but definitely not worth waiting 6 hours. I think they could have been more considerate of people's time and did something better to have it run faster and...

Universally known and loved by everyone, it was just a matter of time before this cute cat aka Hello Kitty got her own Café on Robson Street.  For months now, there has been a steady stream of eager and curious people making their way to the flamboyant pink store for photo ops, souvenirs and food items.  There is lots to take in, and it’s a virtual kaleidoscope of every pink on the spectrum.  Why even call it a Café, as this place is clearly a tourist attraction gift shop, complete with lineups, expensive food, and even more overpriced paraphernalia.

I went to the store with neutral shades on, so objectively speaking, I will say that it is a novelty worth seeing once, but if you don’t, it’s not the end of the world.  I did not purchase any merchandise, but they have the usual hats, bags, t~shirts and keychains.

Starbucks and the other surrounding Bbt Joints need not panic, as the jury is decidedly out on their drinks.  Family and friends have more or less unanimously cited a lackluster “it’s ok”, which translates to “I should have gotten a Pumpkin Spice Frappuccino at Starbucks/Lychee Green Tea with Pearls at Anywhere Else”.

I have purchased quite a few of their cakes, all gifted to others.  They all had that same look of delight when they received it because they knew that they were receiving something “special”.  And they all confirm the cakes are delicious, so you’ll have to ask yourself if $15 a cake is asking too much to satisfy your sweet tooth.

Admittedly, it is steep.  However, I can attest that they are actual miniature cakes, decently sized, not the usual bewilderingly small cakes or tartlets offered by the other nearby bakeries for practically the same price.

Two of them are topped with either Ms. Kitty’s hairbow or her actual face, while the other two are, shall we say, aesthetically pleasing.  Just remember, you are paying for the name, not the cake.

Barbie’s got competition, and Hello...

Finally made it back when all the cakes were available. Definitely go on a weekday and during early open hours as some cakes sell out quickly (like strawberry and the present one, mango is usually around longer though).

Cafe itself is cute in the theme but with products always sold out the shelves look bare. The seating is upstairs and limited, and not wheelchair/stroller friendly. Great for a few photos but with people all vying for the Instagram worthy pictures either you have to deal with the constant requests to have you move for a photo or help take a photo can be a lot depending on the day and time you go.

Food-wise, I wish it wasn't all sweet options. The soft serve isn't bad, but both flavors aren't very strong in flavour and sort of meld into a general sweet soft serve taste. The "cone" if you get it, is quite nice and adds another texture.

I did get the strawberry cake but wasn't terribly impressed other than byb it's cute outward appearance. The cream/icing on the outside is very hard and bland, almost waxy. I ended up breaking it (it came off in big chunks) and pulling off the outside layer to eat the sponge and soft whipped cream and strawberries inside. The sponge was on the dry side and I'm not sure they used any simple syrup after baking to keep it moist. The filling is mildly sweet which is my preference but it's not very strawberry forward. I can see a small amount of strawberry chunks in it, but the majority of the berry is the full strawberry on top. The pink chocolate Hello Kitty pieces are pretty good though once you pick them off the outside.

I'll need to try the other cakes (my friend said the mango one was much better) but other than if you love Kitty-Chan and the cute vibes, I'd give this place a pass as there are much tastier options along Robson St. You can pop in to buy merch which I think restocks once a month, but the more affordable and popular items sell out...