When you hear the gasps, you know that someone has just walked into Purebread for their first time. Immediately, phones are whipped out in an effort to capture the visual splendor of mountains of pastries piled on a long counter.

This family-run bakery chain started in Whistler, before expanding to Vancouver. The sheer number of pastries available at any one time is astonishing. I counted at least 80 different items – an amazing achievement considering there are only four bakers per shift.

The bakery counter is arranged with the breakfast pastries first, savory, then sweet, and then moving onto tea breads, bars, cookies and breads. It’s completely overwhelming, and if you’re like me, you’ll need to check out the line at least twice before making a decision.

Our first visit was for breakfast, so at least I was able to narrow my selections based on meal. The pecan sticky bun was a glorious work of art. The dough was fluffy, with cinnamon sugar in its folds, crowned with a pecan brown sugar topping. It was perfect.

Their spinach and feta muffin came studded with big chunks of feta and scallions – another winner.

Their ham and cheese croissant was not quite as flaky as some French bakeries, but it made a hearty, satisfying brekky for my daughter.

Completely besotted with Purebread, we returned for breakfast the next morning. Imagine my surprise when I saw that there were different pastries available. That Nutella-filled bun that I had my eye on? Not available, but there were plenty of other options.

The apple tart was quite lovely, with flaky layers and apples that only had the smallest trace of sugar so you could enjoy their natural goodness.

The raspberry brioche was nice and light, with bits of raspberry trapped in its swirls.

I particularly loved their take on a blueberry scone, with a pool of blueberries oozing down the side.

Their bakers enjoy baking, and their pride shines through in their food. With a bakery like Purebread, it’s no wonder Vancouver is considered one of the best cities to live in North America. After my first visit, I fell in love with Vancouver, too.

Location – 159 W Hastings Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada. Additional locations here.
Website – https://www.purebread.ca
Kid-Friendly – Yes
Kid’s Menu – No
Vegetarian Friendly – Yes
Vegan/Gluten-Free Friendly – I was so focused on trying to figure out what I wanted, that I forgot to check. According to other reviews, there are items that are either vegan or gluten-free.