FYI... Elysian Room is not the only owner of a Synesso in Vancouver. Bump and Grind on Commercial and Venables has one too. The owner (wish I could remember his name... he's great, doesn't look like a cafe owner, and will talk about his synesso at length) has pulled every shot I've ever got from the place. They're up there with the best in Van, in my books.
Regarding finding green beans in Van, there's always JJ Bean on Powell too. They have 18 or 20 varieties ranging from $9/kg to $90/kg (for Jamaican blue mtn.)... most are $12-14. Don't bother buying less than a Kg of a variety at a time... you then pay per 100g and the cost is outrageous.
I have had the best results getting green beans from the green coffee coop (
www.greencoffee.coop)... you have to become a member (but you get the coffee at cost), there are rarely coffees in stock (keep checking back), and shipping from the US is expensive but, all in all, still better quality for your dollar than ordering from Sweet Marias, IMHO.
Btw, Anyone want to start a green coffee coop in Vancouver?