Lot185 Café + Wine Bar: 5 Reasons to Go

Lot185 is a new spot downtown with plenty of promise. If you look back a while, there wasn’t a whole lot happening around what’s now Jack Poole Plaza. Then along came Cactus Club, followed by Tap & Barrel. And now, perhaps not surprisingly, Vancouver Trade & Convention Centre has thrown its hat into the ring.

This smart little, two-tier café is a boon. It fills what’s been a void on the new convention centre’s west side. The folks behind 185—not a few savvy VTCC minds—figured there was a way to reconfigure what was a dead spot. And it looks like they’ve done it right.

Yes, there was a small coffee counter here before. But this new space takes it, literally, to the next level. What’s also intriguing is that they did it with existing resources. State of the art equipment includes Turbo Chef Fire pizza ovens and a self-filtering stove top.

That avoids the need for expensive ducting and extractors. Not to mention ugly hoods and the like. Seats range from around the bar to tables and comfy, plushly upholstered booths. The result is a smart and streamlined little Euro Café, exactly as planned.

Here’s why it’s worth checking out…

1. You need a good coffee before #winefest

How many times have you been rushing down to VTCC with just enough time for a coffee before your event? But found few options—aside from lining up at the one Starbucks in town that always has a lineup. 

Wickedly good …

Lot185 is actually a bit of a hybrid. On the lower level, it starts out the day with its coffee / café persona. Then gradually morphs into its wine bar role, as the second level fills up. As for the coffee, there’s a real draw here, in the form of Moja Coffee. It’s wickedly good. (Which is also why Thomas Haas serves it at his North Van place!)

2. Lot 185: a nod to the past

The Three Greenhorns (Wikipedia)

The name will be a mystery to some. In the mid-19th. century, surveyors divvied up what would become Vancouver. They sliced up a big chunk of today’s downtown peninsular as Lot 185. That parcel (then forested) enjoys a colourful history. 

It was purchased by Messrs. Brighouse, Hailstone, and Morton. They paid over a dollar an acre for the 550-acre parcel. And were nicknamed ‘The Three (English) Greenhorns’ for their perceived naiveté at the time. Oh, what did they get? Everything from Burrard St. west to what’s now Stanley Park, bordered by the water north and south. It’s now the West End. 

Too bad, only one of them really saw any real return.

3. Fare with flair

If you’ve attended conventions elsewhere, you’ll know Vancouver Trade & Convention Centre punches well above its weight. Especially when it comes to the food side of things. 

Based on the media preview I attended, there’s plenty to like on the plate at Lot158.

Well conceived small dishes make up most of Executive Chef Mark Massicotte’s eclectic, locally sourced menu.

Top tastes from my sampling? A zippy Albacore tuna poke.

Dungeness crab sunomono with cucumber yuzu juice, superb.

Definitely addictive Parmesan ‘lollipops,’ and an excellent funghi bianci / wild mushroom pizza. 

Right now there’s a good range of BC and international wines by glass and bottle, as well as local beers. But I’m putting my money on a revolving BC only list, with wine and beer on tap. It just makes sense, given what visitors want. Plus taps would fit well with VTCC’s acclaimed LEED status.

Oh—and if you’re wondering what’s on my Christmas list, one of those fancy pizza ovens will do just fine! They make pretty good crust in three or four minutes flat …

Macarons and more

Also impressive over the years, the calibre of convention centre desserts. They’re the domain of VTCC Executive Pastry Chef Maurizio Persichino. He oversees Lot185’s on the spot, in-house bakery.

You can find a wealth of his elevated sweet treats at the lower level coffee bar throughout the day as well as upstairs. Persichino’s polish and eye for detail are apparent.

Conventional wisdom

Those of us who’ve always appreciated VTTC’s cuisine can thank (now kind of retired) Blair Rasmussen. He’s been a big part of the Lot185 vision, with his former team mates contributing plenty. Blair’s still there, consulting in the background with Centerplate. (VTCC’s official F & B partner.)

There’s another neat twist to this ingenious haunt. Tucked away, almost out of sight, is a semi private space with a handy ‘chef’s table’ for eight or ten. It sports its own plaza and harbour views. And is the perfect place to host prospective convention clients for a taste of what’s on offer. I also like the idea that Lot185 gives locals a chance to share the convention visitor’s experience.

LOT185 Café + Wine Bar operates independently from the Convention Centre—but with a big assist. Dedicated entrance off of Jack Poole Plaza as well as access from inside the facility.

Hours of operation are Monday to Friday from 7:00 am – 9:00 pm, Saturday from 8:00 am – 9:00 pm, closed Sundays.