Éclairs Richmond — Chocolate & Coffee at Vogue Cafe

The pastry case at Vogue Cafe holds two éclairs, both made in-house: Éclair au Chocolat and Coffee Éclair. Each is $10. You can order them any time the doors are open — 10:30 am to 8:30 pm, seven days a week — at 12251 No 1 Rd #130 in Steveston Village.

What an éclair actually is

Choux paste — water, butter, flour, eggs — piped long, baked until the steam inflates a hollow shell, then dried out so the walls stay crisp. A classic éclair au chocolat is filled with chocolate pastry cream and glazed with a thin layer of fondant or ganache. The coffee version swaps the cream flavour and often the glaze. At a neighbourhood bistro, the pastry chef (or the cook who drew the pastry shift) makes a tray or two each morning. When they're gone, they're gone.

The two on offer

Éclair au Chocolat — dark chocolate pastry cream inside, chocolate glaze on top. The shell should shatter slightly under a fork, then yield to cool, dense cream.

Coffee Éclair — coffee-flavoured pastry cream, usually a coffee glaze or a dusting of powdered sugar. Same shell, different perfume.

Both sit in the refrigerated case beside the caramel chocolate tart, strawberry tart, and lemon tart ($10 each). If you want something lighter, the sweet crêpes run $14 — Nutella & banana, chocolate strawberry, sugar & lemon, apple & house-made caramel, sugar butter cinnamon, or Suzette with orange sauce and Grand Marnier.

Pair it with the espresso bar

A double espresso ($4) cuts the richness. A latte ($6) stretches it into a proper afternoon sit-down. Iced versions exist for the rare Steveston heat wave. Tea is $5 (black, green, herbal). San Pellegrino or Evian, 750 ml, $7.

Where to eat it

Inside, the dining room has deep-red walls, wood tables, and a small bar. The printed menu is taped to the heritage-style storefront window. Outside, bar-height tables line the front windows; a covered side patio has greenery walls and red-checkered tablecloths. A dog bowl sits by the door. The space is fully licensed — wine by the glass (6 oz $11, 9 oz $15), Kronenbourg 1664 on tap, cocktails at $13 — so an éclair can be the punctuation mark on a late dinner, not just a midday snack.

Practicalities

• Price: $10 per éclair, tax extra.
• Hours: Daily 10:30 am – 8:30 pm (brunch until 3 pm).
• Reservations: Online form or call (604) 370-4444. Confirmed within two hours. Parties of 7–10 can book the private dining area; 10+ is an event enquiry.
• Dietary questions: Call and ask — the kitchen knows what's in each tray that day.
• Parking: Dedicated lot in front of the heritage-style storefront.
• Licence note: Liquor licence runs until midnight; private late-evening bookings by arrangement.

What people ask

Are the éclairs made fresh daily?

Yes — the dessert section of the printed menu reads "made in-house," and the case is restocked from the kitchen each morning.

Can I get them to go?

The menu doesn't list takeout packaging, but the case is at the counter. Call (604) 370-4444 if you want a box held.

Do you offer other choux pastries?

Not on the current menu. The sweet side is the two éclairs, four tarts, and six sweet crêpes. For plain choux, the croissants and pain au chocolat come out of the same oven each morning.

Is the patio heated?

The covered side patio has greenery walls and red-checkered cloths; the front tables are open to the street. No heaters are mentioned in the venue facts.

Walk in, point at the case, grab a fork. Or reserve a table if you're staying for the bourguignon after. Either way, the éclair waits in the same spot every day at 12251 No 1 Rd #130.