Vancouver: A Local s Guide Written by: Domenic De Los Santos Design + Photo by: Nathalie De Los Santos
Coal Harbour Gastown Coal Harbour connects the waterfront district to Stanley Park. Consisting of mainly apartments and condominiums, this area is popular for dog enthusiasts and those who love a nice view of the North Shore. Chinatown Phnom Penh (244 E Georgia) for their Vietnamese and Cambodian dishes such as butter beef, wings, etc New Town Bakery (148 E Pender) for Filipino Chinese baked goods like steam buns, apple tarts and egg tarts Calabash Bistro (428 Carrall) for Caribbean dishes and the largest rum collection in the city. Must-sees: Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden, Vancouver Chinatown Gate, West Han Dynasty Bell, Sam Kee Building (The World s Narrowest Building), Catfe (a cat cafe, 88 W Pender) Gastown L Abbattoir (217 Carrall) for fabulous cocktails and food Guu Otokomae (375 Water) for authentic Japanese pub food Purebread (159 W Hastings) for one of the best bakeries in town Revolver (325 Cambie) for the best place in the city to grab a cup of coffee. Must-sees: FlyOver Canada, Steam Clock, Waterfront Station, Woodward s Building Historic. Modern. Stylish. Bella Gelateria (1001 W Cordova) for the best, award winning artisan gelato Tableau Bar Bistro (181 Melville) for French bistro classics and fabulous brunches Chewies Oyster Bar (1055 W Hastings) for New Orleans inspired cuisine with Happy Hour Buck-a-Shuck oysters Mink Chocolates (863 W Hastings) for local artisan chocolates. You can walk along the Waterfront/Seawall promenade to get to Stanley Park. Or check out the Vancouver Aquarium. Get active at Harbour Green Park & Cardero Park. Take a selfie at Marina Square & Lost Lagoon. Chinatown
Yaletown City Centre Vancouver s bustling city core plays host to the Pacific Centre/Nordstorm and Robson street if you re a big shopper, but also to our music and art scene with the Vancouver Art Gallery (by donation on Tuesdays) and the Orpheum & Vogue within a 5 minute walk away. Love churches? Visit Holy Rosary or Christ Church. Yaletown Blue Water Cafe (1095 Hamilton) Luxurious and top quality West Coast Seafood ($$$) DD Mau (1239 Pacific Blvd) for upscale Vietnamese sandwiches (banh mis) and coffee Black Rice Izakaya (782 Cambie) for hako (also known as oishi) sushi & tapas. Small Victory Bakery (1088 Homer) for a good place to grab a matcha latte and some baked goods PARKS! David Lam Park, George Wainborn Park, Coopers Park COMMUNITY! Vancouver Public Library, Roundhouse Community Centre, Aquabus ART! VanCity Theatre West End West End Nero Belgian Waffle Bar (1703 Robson) for delicious and beautiful waffles Stepho s (1124 Davie) for cheap and big portioned Greek food Marutama Ramen (780 Bidwell) for delicious handpulled ramen Dinesty (1719 Robson) for one of Vancouver s best spot to get Shanghai dumplings - Xiao Long Baos AND MANY OTHERS! Joe Fortes, Thierry Chocolaterie Patisserie Cafe, Forage, Chatime BEACHES! Sunset Beach, English Bay Beach CULTURE! Inukshuk sculptures, Laughing Men statue Food Chambar (568 Beatty) serving creative Belgian cuisine and one of the best places in the city for cocktails Japadog (530 Robson) the international sensation Japadog, your classic hot dog with a Japanese twist Finch s (353 W Pender) a small but busy cafe that serves up beautifully arranged sandwiches and salads Faubourg (769 Hornby) is a Parisian cafe that serves a multitude of French pastries and desserts
EAST VAN COU Main St Art & Indie. Music & Food. Boutiques. VER STRATHCONA MT. PLEASANT CLARK KINGSWAY COMMERCIAL DRIVE SUNSET SOUTH VANCOUVER Main Street Au Petit Cafe (4851 Main) regarded as Vancouver s best place to have a Vietnamese sandwiches Hawker s Delight (4127 Main) cheap and greasy Malaysian food East is East (4433 Main) a fantastic Middle Eastern experience complete with belly dancing on Thursday evenings Le Marche St. George (4393 Main) is a friendly neighbourhood cafe and corner store that not many know about, great place to grab a coffee and pastry Solly s (4071 Main) Vancouver s most popular Jewish bakery that serves up chocolate babkas. MUSIC: The Biltmore, Fox Cabaret, Red Cat Records CRAFTS: Urban Source, Collage Collage. Go antiquing and consigment shopping here! Front & Co, Main & 30 to 18th have many, many antique shops The Drive Kishimoto (2054 Commercial) If you don t mind the wait, this is one of the best Japanese food experiences! Viva Tevere (1190 Victoria Dr) Excellent Neapolitan pizza Belgian Fries (1885 Commercial) Authentic Canadian poutine Havana (1212 Commercial) Neuvo Latino Cuisine and Cocktails The Drive Walk up the street! Since it s Little Italy, lots of character is in this neighborhood. Storm Crow Tavern is a board game pub. The Rio is an indie movie-house.
Strathcona E Hastings always scares off tourists, but further past this troubled area is a vibrant residential area that s often overlooked. Beta5 Chocolates uses unique ingredients and is a local chocolate-maker. Yolk s is well known for it s chicken and waffles. La Casa Gelato has over 200 flavors of gelato. For a breakfast spot, Red Wagon is recommended! There is also the Rocky Mountaineer Station, Playland Amusement Park and plenty of street art. The Astoria & Waldorf Hotel are cheap clubs with an more eccentric crowd. South Vancouver Two words: Duffin s Donuts. If you want a good slice of Vancouver street life, the occasional crazy person, good donuts and greasy fried chicken, this is the spot. (Knight & 41st) Clark & Powell Sunset Truly an underappreciated area. This area hosts the Powell Street Festival. There is the prestigious ARC Collective for Artists. Kessel & March is a lovely restaurant that sits next to the Odd Society Spirits where you can get local distilled spirits. Further along the street is the Volunteer Orphan Kitten Rescue Association which always takes donations. Sunset is known as Little India with many spice shops, fabrics and dining establishments owned and operated by East Indians. Dosa s Corner has massive Indian doasa. Breka serves Eastern European pastries. There are pockets of Chinese and Filipino restaurants as well. If you re looking for a giant bowl of soup you can customize down to noodles and filling for under $10, then Deer Garden is the spot. Angel Cafe is a Hong Kong style cafe. There is also the Sunset Skating Rink!
WEST Kits VANCOUVER W. POINT GREY ARBUTUS DUNBAR KERRISDALE KITSILANO OLYMPIC VILLAGE BROADWAY UBC Kitsilano 05 Rare Tea Bar (2208 W 4th Ave) carries specialty teas that are handpicked by the owner in the mountains of China, they also serve kombucha Fable (1944 W 4th Ave) home to Top Chef Trevor Bird, the menu offers farm to table cuisine Sophie s Cosmic Cafe (2095 W 4th Ave) kitschy breakfast and brunch diner Museum of Vancouver, Planetarium, Vanier Park, Kitsilano Beach, Vancouver Maritime Museum Kerrisdale Ajisai (2081 W 42 Ave) A very popular sushi bar in Kerrisdale serving up fresh rolls and sashimi Faubourg (2156 W 41st) the original Faubourg cafe from Paris; they have desserts and pastries Secret Garden Tea Company (5559 West Blvd) offers a large list of specialty teas and high tea options The Bootery (a family shoe store), Bean Brothers Cafe (for people watching), Hills (for shopping) Wellness. Style. Heritage. Kerrisdale
Arbutus + Dunbar Neverland Tea Salon offers an affordable but boutique experience of high tea. Jethros Fine Grub was featured in Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives for its hub cap sized bacon infused pancakes. The Musqueam Cultural Centre lies in the heart of Dunbar. Olympic Village Olympic Village Terra Breads (1605 Manitoba St) a bakery with an assortment of breads and pastries Flying Pig (127 W 2nd Ave) a nouveau Canadian bistro Legacy Liquor Store (2095 W 4th Ave) rare liquors and new spirits are sold here! If you love liquor, it s like being in a candy store. Science World, Bird Sculpture, Creekside Park Broadway Cafe de Salade de Fruits Delicious French brunch Beaucoup Bakery a bakery started by a local legend Suika a small and quaint Japanese tapas and bistro. Bump and Grind a grab and go cafe and coffee place Take a walk from Main to Macdonald - Broadway will have lots of little shops and locals walking around. W. Point Grey + UBC Visit the university! It is its own small town. There are plenty of family activities too: Jericho Beach, Spanish Banks, Museum of Anthropology, TRIUMF labs, Pacific Spirit Regional Park, Wreck Beach, Foreshore Trail and the Apple Festival during the fall. Broadway
Oakridge OAKRIDGE MARPOLE LANGARA SHAUGHNESSY Family. Melting pot. Old & New. Oakridge Sushi Miura Cheap sushi and a wonderful sit down experience Mimibulovesme Japanese parfaits and crepes Anna s Cake House a popular Asian bakery. Samurai Sushi large rolls that are ridiculously cheap. And we mean massive! Van Dusen Botanical Park, Queen Elizabeth Park, Bloedel Conservatory, Rose Garden at QE Park Granville Memphis Blues BBQ and smokehouse - what else can we say? Granville Island Market Assorted cheeses, meats and fresh seafood! Cafe Crepe a sit down crepe restaurant with Western food GO TO GRANVILLE ISLAND: They have lots of food, marine lifestyle and boutiques and arts/culture and a duck pond! Granville ( SHAUGHNESSY )
History Marpole Gastown was once an industrial area and has emerged as one of Vancouver s hot spots for cocktails and dining. With it s cobbled pavements and the iconic Steam Clock, Gastown is old meets new. Chinatown is gritty but filled with heritage buildings from the early 1900s. Once a bustling Chinese community, Chinatown is slowly starting to become more densified as more artists and young professionals move into the area. There are still many sights to behold here. Marpole Dublin Crossing a classy Irish pub experience Pink Elephant Thai a quick Thai food restaurant T&T Supermarket Cheap Asian groceries & hot food to go Gigli Bin Market An Italian Market Cineplex Theatres, Marpole Pavillion, Fraser River Park Langara All You Can Eat India Buffer a little sketchy but an iconic Vancouver curry place Church s Chicken for a late night fix Langara College s Foodcourt The only attraction is people watching the red-eyed students Langara Park is a good run/hike, there s a pop up art gallery on Ontario & 57th. Coal Harbour connects the waterfront district to Stanley Park. Consisting of mainly apartments and condominiums, this area is popular for dog enthusiasts and those who love a nice view of the North Shore. Once filled with warehouses, Yaletown has evolved into a hip and upscale area that the party scenesters go to be seen. Yaletown is known for it s love of dogs, including several parks dedicated for them. The West End is known for its beaches, good eats and friendly neighbourhood. Davie Street plays host to one of the largest Pride Parades in North America and welcomes the diversity with beautiful and vibrant rainbow sidewalks. Vancouver s bustling city core plays host to the Pacific Centre mall and Robson street if you re a big shopper, but also to our music and art scene with the Vancouver Art Gallery (by donation on Tuesdays) and the Orpheum and Vogue within a 5 minute walk away. Independent coffee shops, furniture shops, antiques and a rainbow of different cuisines can be found here on Main street. With a casual, unpretentious atmosphere, Main street is approachable for everyone. Known as Little Italy, you ll find many Italian establishments down Commercial Drive, but also many other great restaurants ranging from Indian to Japanese cuisine. Commercial Drive is known for it s large artist population and it s sometimes eccentric and eclectic neighbourhood. Langara Strathcona is an up and coming neighbourhood that is known mostly for it s Industrial areas. But with more and more businesses opening up in the area has attracted more Vancouverites into this area.
Sunset is known as Little India with many spice shops, fabrics and dining establishments owned and operated by East Indians. There are pockets of Chinese and Filipino restaurants as well. Kitsilano is the embodiment of the Vancouverite - living close to the water, healthy living. You ll often see healthy and active Vancouverites walking their dogs and sipping on their freshly pressed juices wearing yoga pants in this neighbourhood. Kitsilano has it s own micro community here that is a diverse mix of sports stores, healthy eateries, Italian, Thai and West Coast restaurants. A pocket community of the middle-upper class. Kerrisdale has it s carefully curated fashion shop Hills, boutiques and plenty of coffee shops and specialty tea shops. The area is filled with mostly teenagers who go to the local school and wealthier families. One of Vancouver s busiest transit hubs, the Broadway/Fairview area reflects this. Many places to grab and go for food, Whole Foods, banks, the hospital and medical buildings nearby. There are a couple of restaurants and cafes here opened 24 hours or late. Enjoy. A quieter, older community, Oakridge is centralized by it s mall and adjacent parks for the entire neighbourhood to enjoy. Considered one of the oldest neighbourhoods in Vancouver, Marpole has been on a quiet incline recently with the area being upgraded with new eateries and healthy supermarkets. Ask Josh & Nathalie & Dee for their life stories and more places to visit! Notes
Want to explore more? NORTH VANCOUVER & WEST VANCOUVER are known for their scenic hikes & boating and luxury lifestyle. Mount Seymour is only an hour away from the city. RICHMOND is internationally known for its delicious Chinese cuisine & lifestyle. Everything here will not break the bank. SilverCity and Olympic Oval are wonderful family-friendly spots. BURNABY has one of the largest shopping malls (Metropolis at Metrotown). There are also shidden gems for dining. TRICITIES has underappreciated gourmet cuisine of all types, shopping centres and upcoming distilleries. NEW WESTMINSTER has beautiful heritage architecture and is often filmed in. It has many boutiques and a river market.