What’s red and white and wood all over? The new Commune Cafe at the corner of Seymour and Nelson.

The spot serves up three square meals a day and the space, designed by Evoke, is as cool as they come with cork pendant lights, red lacquered chairs around a long wooden common table and grey felt booths along the windows. Outside another 25 people-watching seats are up for grabs on a heated patio. You could take a wild Oregon shrimp and tarragon mayo brioche hoagie ($9) to go, but we suggest staying in with a glass of Blasted Church’s Hatfield’s Fuse ($7) or Pop Shoppe cream soda ($2.75) if you’ve still got work to do.

Offering free-range, organic and sustainable goods and using eco-friendly cleaning supplies, the place is a part hippie and we’re happy for it.

Commune Cafe, 1002 Seymour St., Vancouver, 604-681-2551, www.communecafe.ca

Located in the not-so-hallowed halls of high schools and hospitals, cafeterias don’t have the best associations. But put the concept in the capable hands of Pied-à-Terre’s proprietors and it’s made très cool.

The only reminder that you’re eating at a cafeteria is the name (Cafeteria, naturally) and a menu that changes every day. You won't find wet trays or soggy fries here, just a range of filling, flavourful mains like Rex Sole bathed in tomato, basil and olive oil ($18) alongside a good selection of wine by the glass. And the 30-seat space, with its silver table tops and a backsplash of bottles adorning the walls, is sexier than any communal dining hall of yore we dreaded eating in.

Food fight!

Cafeteria, 2702 Main St., Vancouver, 778-317-3783.

You probably won’t eat all your meals at the Everything Cafe, but you could.

Sean Heather’s latest spot, a cool and quaint coffee shop-cum-diner in Chinatown, serves up breakfast, lunch and dinner in a setting of shiny bar stools, red leather banquets and bleached wood. We came in famished to late lunch with the ladies. We left positively stuffed from a yummy Reuben ($8) made with local corned beef, and a potato salad ($3.50) tossed with frisée, Dijon and a tangy dressing.

Located next to the new Rennie offices, you’re bound to get a side of real estate too.

Everything Cafe, 75 E. Pender St., Vancouver, 604-681-3115.

L is for Love, Lebanese and Lunch.

And at the newest Café Nuba it’s manger à trois. While smaller than the restaurant’s West Hastings street spot, the latest location is no less romantic. Decked in marble and muted hues, it takes its design cues from a 1970s roadside café you might have found in Morocco. Meet your Main Street man there for falafel ($7) and a fresh smoothie ($5) from the juice bar then take some pistacho baklava ($2.75) to go.

Café Nuba on Third, 146 E. Third Ave., Vancouver, 604-568-6727, www.nuba.ca

Named for his son Sebastien, chef Francois Godbout opened Seb’s Market Café after nearly a decade in the catering biz.

Delish Eggs Benny (choose your own sauce) on homemade biscuits, phenomenal French toast and killer coffee are served to loyal crowds seven days a week.

We love the friendly service, the bustling atmosphere and the quirky décor while the front-of-house market tempted us with fresh bread, organic oils and vinegars, kitchen gadgets and mouth-watering homemade pies.

If you encounter a queue, just order a coffee at the bar and people-watch until your table is ready.

To be fair, we hear the lunch and dinner menus are equally to die for but at Vitamin V, breakfast just happens to be the most important meal of the day.

Just don’t expect us to be there when it opens at 6:30.

Seb’s Market Café, 592 E. Broadway, 604-298-4403, www.hotstuffcatering.com

Funky cool Café Medina (Chambar’s new little next-door venture) is freshly squeezed on the breakfast scene with 49th Parallel coffees made by carefully screened baristas, fruit smoothies and real Belgian waffles pressed right in the window.

While the room doubles as a private party area for Chambar at night, mornings you’ll find downtown types breezing through the New Yorker or W magazines (on hand at the bar) and perching on stainless steel French stools while dipping waffles in lavender-chocolate or pistachio sauce.

Now that’s the type of place we like to see “pop up.”

Café Medina, 556 Beatty St., 604-879-3114, www.medinacafe.com

Fuel up for your next West Fourth shopping spree (Gravity Pope Tailored Goods anyone?) with a girlfriend rendez-vous at the new 49th Parallel coffee shop where modern décor (big, backlit walls) meets deco-chic (chandeliers and wallpaper).

Robins’ egg blue coffee cups pop against the espresso-coloured décor and you can be sure the coffee’s as good as the design—the owners founded the famous Caffe Artigiano chainlet.

And if you’re two for tea? We suggest the pretty flower teas served in clear glass teapots that literally bloom before your eyes.

2152 W. Fourth Ave. (at Yew), 604-420-4901, www.49thparallelroasters.com