An Energizing Macchiato for a Midday Energy Boost

This is a very specific experience. Liberty Bakery, a Main Street original, reopened in April 2015 under new ownership, with a completely fresh style. This Nordic-themed café and bakery is truly one of a kind. If on Commercial Drive, this wonderful hidden gem in Vancouver could’ve easily fallen into the hands of the hipsters, making it a trendy, inaccessible place to be seen. However, as the owners had intended, Liberty is an elegant and welcoming environment that’s unique to the Main Street community.

A sharp and clean espresso macchiato was my drink of choice. I didn’t want to overcomplicate my already existing coffee high with an intricate beverage, so a macchiato only seemed fitting. Made with only coffee and steamed milk, the espresso macchiato at Liberty Bakery comes in a small, rustic pottery cup. The simplistic theme of the space highlights this.

Liberty Bakery gets their coffee beans from Elysian, which, in my opinion, are the best in the city. The beans themselves are polished, and there isn’t a particular flavour that corrupts or distracts from the intensity of the coffee. The coffee art on the espresso macchiato is clean and stately, with the right amount of crema.

I recommend drinking it slowly, as I was feeling the jitters after only a few sips. The caffeine level is extremely high.

It’s true, I could’ve selected one of Liberty’s Nordic pastries to accompany my macchiato. But instead, I sampled their dulce de leche brownie. Yeah, so this is easily the gooiest brownie I’ve ever eaten. I had to scrape the fudge from the plate. I’m pretty sure I could’ve flipped it upside down and it still wouldn’t meet the floor. However, please don’t try that. You’d regret it. The sweet, sticky caramel laced through every bite of fudge like a chocolate tiger. The chocolate had a sort of nutty, smoky flavour, but I didn’t detect a trace of nuts. This is absolutely not for the faint of heart. It’s insanely rich, heavy, and dense. But as a pairing for a straight-to-the-point drink like the espresso macchiato, it’s a smart choice.

The quality of Liberty’s baking, as well as their breakfast and lunch menu, is superior and seems to be made with a lot of pride. This is obvious not only because the taste is so luscious, but also because of the way they exhibit each item. Just behind the display counter, you can watch the bakers at work, and they do seem like they’re having a blast.

Creaky wooden grandma chairs surround each table. Modest Persian rugs barely cover the red tiled floor below. Portraits of faces from another time hang from the white wooden walls, making you feel like you’re sitting in an old café secluded somewhere in the Nordic countryside. However, just outside the café’s large windows, cars zip by along bustling Main Street.

As trendy as this café could be, it actually feels like a true neighbourhood haunt. Families walk down the street with their kids to come and taste one of Liberty’s delectable treats. Young couples hold hands in the corner over a coffee. Workers pour in for an energy boost before their next shift. Liberty Bakery makes you feel at home, and that you are.