Incognito Coffee - Vancouver

Super hidden gem, it's easy to miss so look for their banner outside on the sidewalk. They're right in the lobby of the VSO School Of Music. Love their coffee, I've been a handful of times already just for a good ol' regular brew coffee or Americano. This time, I tried their seasonal Salted Caramel Latte (half sweet) $9ish for a Large. Their coffee tastes good, service is fast, staff (shoutout to Robert) are super friendly and efficient. They also serve food such as sandwiches and pastries, but I haven't tried it yet. Lattes always come out with a beautiful dense frothy foam. One of my go-to coffee places in downtown. Plenty of seating room too. Cute and cozy, great place for a chat over a nice cup of coffee. I also really appreciate the complimentary milk substitutions for up to a 12oz cup.

We had high expectations from Yelp (I can count the number of 5 star places with more than 20 reviews on one hand) and we were unfortunately disappointed. First impression, the name is cute since the place is hidden away inside the lobby of the VSO musical school. 2nd impression they either need to turn up the AC here or really look into ventilation. On a day that's very comfortable outside, it was so stuffy in here that I honestly would not have waited on line if there was more than one person in front of me. We ended up getting a large (16oz) ice mocha latte. But pretty sure the size we got is only 12oz. So we ended up paying $9 (after tip) but $7.50 before tip for a small mocha latte (see photo). The mocha latte is fine... not overly sweet (which I appreciate as an Asian) but nothing that stands out either.

Good coffee but like its namesake, the shop is a little hard to find since it's tucked into another building. Wish they had more pastries and food offerings! Walked in around 10am on a weekday morning and waited in line for a little bit. I ordered a latte with almond milk a slice of their red velvet and my boyfriend ordered a mocha breakfast sandwich. The coffee was good, not exceptional, but did the job and wasn't acidic at all. I love that they offer free milk substitutes up to 12oz but you do have to pay another 0.25 extra for iced drinks. The red velvet loaf was moist and tasty. My boyfriend enjoyed his breakfast sandwich, which was egg, sausage, cheese, and tomato on an english muffin. I was a little disappointed at their lack of food options and would love love love for them to offer more baked goods to choose from.

If you're going to call yourself the best coffee in Vancouver, you better bring receipts. My tasting companion is a coffee snob one of those guys who's been known to drive 30 mins for a particular roast. We both like light to medium roasts which have higher acidity and more complex flavors. Incognito is medium to dark roast which gave it a robust flavor but it was too bitter for me. It was most obvious with the americano but I noticed it with the latte as well. A good cup of coffee but not the best.. at least in my opinion. I tried the almond croissant and it was a little stale. To be fair, it was 11am so I'm guessing it had already been in the case for a few hours. I liked incognito I just didn't love it

Found at the entrance of the VSO, building, Incognito is typical of a cafe adjacent to an educational institution. Light snacks, coffee and beverages are on offer from the small counter tucked away in the far back corner. While being warmly greeted by service staff, very clean premises and good overall appearance due to the mostly concrete walls, large staircase and open seating to the building entrance, you never really feel like this is a defined space and more than a convenience. I will say very good hospitality and the condiment station was fully loaded. If you're attending VSO it's great but all the pastries and snacks look like they are probably made offsite so it feels like a coffee break spot.