Greenhorn Cafe

In a conversation with Walter Le Daca, owner of the immensely popular West End café Greenhorn Espresso Bar, you’re bound to be interrupted at least a few times. Sitting on the hewed log out front facing Nicola Street, this Argentine transplant knows and waves to every second person that enters and leaves this beautiful, bustling place. It’s no surprise: this was exactly the culture Walter had hoped to foster when he opened the doors to Greenhorn in January 2014, after months of negotiations with the City for the space, a major overhaul of the interior, and securing some of the best coffee, food and staff he could find.

“I romanticized this place for years,” says Walter. “I wanted a French-style café. The six months it took to build the place, I was meeting the neighbours, they were testing the food, the coffee. When we opened January 3rd, it was full. It was a hit from Day One.”

It was what the neighbourhood was craving — off the beaten path of busy Robson and Davie Streets, Greenhorn attracts locals in this densely populated area of the city — young families, long-time West End residents, work-at-home creatives, and a revolving population of international students. “This neighbourhood!” Walter explains of the support he’s received since he opened. “If there is a melting pot in this city, it’s here. It was the first place I lived as a new immigrant. I have a soft spot for it.”