Walking back from the Robson Street shops to our hotel on English Bay, we passed by Capers. On the street side they have a long wooden deck where customers can take out food from their gourmet deli and bakery. All I know is that with the food from Capers looking as good as it does, having an outdoor deck visible to innocent passersby is something of a genius idea.

It was 4pm and the giant brunch from Locus had held us over well but we were feeling a bit peckish. After about 30 seconds deliberation, we decided to turn back up Robson and see what Capers had to offer. We came out with a bowl of spicy carrot soup, a Brie, roast apple and turkey sandwich, a box of Green and Blacks organic butter biscuits, and a resolve to return the following morning to sample one of their giant muffins for breakfast.

Capers is one of those lovely supermarkets that makes you feel like you’re saving the world just by shopping there. I know I’m not, but you can’t help but feel fit, healthy and eco-friendly just by being there, even if it is for coffee, cookies and muffins! We got a latte, a drip coffee and two muffins, one cranberry-orange and the other one was full of berries. The tops resembled flying saucers and they looked almost too good to eat. My drip coffee and muffin came as part of a combo deal, making it a lot cheaper than the latte and muffin. We sat outside at their bar where we were kept very warm by outdoor heat lamps (I know, probably not the most environmentally friendly way of keeping out the cold!). Even though Capers is on a busy road, you feel enclosed and it’s a nice coffee or lunch stop with family, friends, or alone with a newspaper. It’s also a great place to get away from the hustle of Robson Street and to really feel like part of the local community.

Capers has four store locations: West Vancouver, Kitsilano, Robson and Cambie, and they’re open from 8am to 9/10pm. www.capersmarkets.com