Nero Belgian Waffle Bar

Nero Belgian Waffle Bar

When the mid-afternoon low blood sugar level hit as we strolled around Downtown Vancouver, my best friend's mom suggested we find something sweet for a snack. Walking along the streets until the afternoon sun made us crave ice cream so we headed towards Bella Gelateria. But from two blocks away, we saw the line up curving around the corner and went for plan B, waffles. Since Cafe Medina just closed at 4pm, I recommended we try Nero Belgian Waffle Bar as it has been on my wish list for a while now.

Those four blocks we walked felt like the largest four blocks that existed in downtown. Located at 1703 Robson Street, Nero Belgian Waffle Bar is a small restaurant that could easily be missed if one wasn't paying attention. The three tables outside were all full with customers enjoying their sugary treat. With a bit of tree shade and a light breeze, it is an impeccable environment to relax and chat with a friend over a plate of waffles. Being a dessertatarian, my eyes sparkled with excitement. My fancy waffle experience was about to begin!

Nero Belgian Waffle Bar's Summer Specials Menu

On entering the restaurant, we thought it was like counter service where you order your food and find an open table. But the employees told us that all the tables were currently full and asked us to wait outside for a few minutes. So this place is "please wait to be seated" rather than "please seat yourself", unless you're doing take out. Once a spot for three people opened up at the 'communal table' (aka large table), we placed our orders. Since my best friend and I have rather opposite preferences, we agreed to order both summer specials. Might as well take advantage of their limited time only items. However we were told that the white chocolate mousse for the Berry White waffle was sold out and would be replaced with a dark chocolate mousse. I have no problem with that because both my friend's mom and I prefer dark chocolate over any other type.

Liege waffles in the making

If I were to choose a waffle for myself, I would've wanted to try the Grapefruit Delight on their regular menu (which I believe still changes every now and then). After paying for our order we asked if we could have some water. Walking down the length of Robson street makes us thirsty! I really appreciate how they provide cups and water for customers free of charge. 

The Biscuit

We didn't have to wait that long before our two waffles were brought to the table. The first to arrive was The Biscuit; a 'light and crispy' waffle topped with one large scoop of vanilla ice cream, two mountains of whipped cream, Oreo crumbs, and chocolate drizzle. It was everything my best friend loves. She prefers this Brussels waffle and loves anything with Oreo. For me, the best part was having the ice cream. Would've been even better if the waffle was hotter so the ice cream could melt. The waffle had this odd salty taste after chewing a few times. It helps contrast the sugary-ness of toppings but it wasn't too pleasant. The Biscuit is not my favourite but was still tasty.

Berry White

Since the white chocolate mousse got switched to a dark chocolate mousse, the name should be Berry Brown or Berry Black... Right now is the best time to get this waffle because all the berries on this plate are in season. The blackberries were massive and we got so many of them! Even though we paid $9 for this waffle, the amount of blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries make it a good value. Again, I am so thankful we got the dark chocolate mousse, it was one of the highlights of this waffle. Super smooth and airy with a deep chocolate flavour; I could eat this a whole bowl of this. I personally prefer the liege waffle because of it's chewiness. 'Soft, sweet, and chewy' is how Nero Belgian Waffle Bar describes it and their description is spot on. Every single element of this waffle was amazing, a great choice!

Indoor seating

Seating is very limited here so expect line ups in the afternoons during tea time. People tend to go out when the sun is shining but Nero Belgian Waffle Bar looks like a great place to spend a rainy day chatting with friends. The interior is very 'hipster' yet warm and inviting. The bookshelf in the corner is stacked with a few cookbooks and decorative balls of twigs, so cute~

Service here is minimal; they take your order at the cash register and bring you your waffles and cutlery. That's about it. I don't think they need to do much more than that though. For such a small restaurant (or cafe really), service just needs to be friendly and polite when you speak with them, which they were.

Nero Belgian Waffle Bar Menu

It's a relatively expensive afternoon snack but I think occasionally indulging in something special is totally acceptable. Besides, walking down Robson street to get here and walking back will burn some of the calories ;) I will be back for more delicious waffles, maybe with my fellow sweet-toothed Crumpets too!



Love from Coconut Crumpet's Corner ♡