Soma Cafe
151 8th Avenue East, Vancouver, BC, V5T 1R8
604-630-7502 | Website
A stylish wine and espresso bistro just off Main Street that has become a neighbourhood favourite…again.
Category:
Restaurants
What:
| Ambiance | | Bistro, Meet For Drink |
| Amenities | | Great Wine List, Tasting Menus, Wheelchair Accessible |
| Pricing | | |
| Payment | | Interac, MasterCard, American Express, Visa |
Where:
| Neighbourhood | | Vancouver City Centre |
| Getting There | | Buses 003, 008, 019 |
| Cross Street | | Main Street |
When:
| Mon-Sun: 11AM-late |
Profile Last Updated: January 07, 2009
Soma, So Nice
Soma is a chic little joint in the Main Street area. The hidden Mount Pleasant treasure is located on the first floor of what’s known by locals as the “green house” on East 8th. The ceilings are low and the lighting dim, making it a cozy place for a generous glass of wine and good, long conversation. The room exudes cool with an extra-long bar and mod furnishings. There’s little décor, save the wall-sized chalkboard where daily specials are written up. Its small size gives in that bustling bistro feel and between the cool grooves on the stereo, the lively chitter-chatter and the celebratory clinking of glasses, it can get pretty noisy.
Trading Spaces
Back in 2007, the uber-popular Soma coffeehouse moved from its home on Main Street and reinvented itself as more than just a place for cappuccinos. The new hybrid wine and espresso bar moved into one of the oldest houses in the neighbourhood, which has been expertly refurbished. The new joint kept the same name, which is a reference to its south Main neighbourhood nickname. But Soma also evokes the “holiday”-inducing drug of the same name from Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World. The funky bistro truly is an escape and while wining and dining you may just think you are on holiday, perhaps in New York or London as Soma would seem at home in either of those hip cities.
From Espresso to Vino
The fare at Soma is simple, yet sophisticated, and offers excellent value. If you are in the mood for an evening of wine tasting, there are some delicious sharing options to refresh the palate, including the tasting trio of hazelnut fig tapenade, marinated olives and feta white bean hummus. You can also create a plate of charcuterie that comes with complimentary condiments. The rest of the menu features classy comfort food such as stuffed chicken breast, market-fresh fish, lamb shank, smoked bacon and pork terrine and duck confit that all come with inventive and invigorating accompaniments. The wine list is extensive and features a wide variety of choices from the old and new worlds with a strong nod to B.C. bottles. There’s also a great list of inventive and classic cocktails sure to tempt you for one more round, and the beer list would impress even the most spoiled punters in Dublin with choices like Innis Gunn, a Scottish beer aged 72 days in a whisky cask.
Soma is a chic little joint in the Main Street area. The hidden Mount Pleasant treasure is located on the first floor of what’s known by locals as the “green house” on East 8th. The ceilings are low and the lighting dim, making it a cozy place for a generous glass of wine and good, long conversation. The room exudes cool with an extra-long bar and mod furnishings. There’s little décor, save the wall-sized chalkboard where daily specials are written up. Its small size gives in that bustling bistro feel and between the cool grooves on the stereo, the lively chitter-chatter and the celebratory clinking of glasses, it can get pretty noisy.
Trading Spaces
Back in 2007, the uber-popular Soma coffeehouse moved from its home on Main Street and reinvented itself as more than just a place for cappuccinos. The new hybrid wine and espresso bar moved into one of the oldest houses in the neighbourhood, which has been expertly refurbished. The new joint kept the same name, which is a reference to its south Main neighbourhood nickname. But Soma also evokes the “holiday”-inducing drug of the same name from Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World. The funky bistro truly is an escape and while wining and dining you may just think you are on holiday, perhaps in New York or London as Soma would seem at home in either of those hip cities.
From Espresso to Vino
The fare at Soma is simple, yet sophisticated, and offers excellent value. If you are in the mood for an evening of wine tasting, there are some delicious sharing options to refresh the palate, including the tasting trio of hazelnut fig tapenade, marinated olives and feta white bean hummus. You can also create a plate of charcuterie that comes with complimentary condiments. The rest of the menu features classy comfort food such as stuffed chicken breast, market-fresh fish, lamb shank, smoked bacon and pork terrine and duck confit that all come with inventive and invigorating accompaniments. The wine list is extensive and features a wide variety of choices from the old and new worlds with a strong nod to B.C. bottles. There’s also a great list of inventive and classic cocktails sure to tempt you for one more round, and the beer list would impress even the most spoiled punters in Dublin with choices like Innis Gunn, a Scottish beer aged 72 days in a whisky cask.
