Eating and Drinking in Vancouver

Monday 7 August 2017

“One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well.” 
― Virginia Woolf, A Room of One's Own

One of my all-time favourite posts to compile was last year's Eating and Drinking in St. John's post, so I couldn't help but do the same following a solo trip I took to Vancouver back in the spring. I wandered mostly without an itinerary, stopping at coffee shops and restaurants along the way. Here are a few of my favourites.  

Purebread (159 W Hastings St. — Gastown Neighbourhood)


purebread is a Whistler-based family bakery with a location in Vancouver's Gastown neighbourhood. It boasts its simple mission as "to bake delicious bread, savouries, cakes and treats that bring a smile to people's faces." It was my first culinary stop in Vancouver, and it set the bar high!

49th Parallel (2198 West 4th Avenue — Kitsilano neighbourhood)


Located in Vancouver's Kitsilano neighbourhood, 49th Parallel Coffee Roasters' West 4th café has an enclosed patio perfect for rainy Vancouver days, and most importantly, it makes Lucky's Doughnuts on site. This peanut butter and jelly donut was absolutely one of the best things I've ever eaten — and I don't even have much of a sweet tooth.

Granville Island: Tony's Fish and Oyster Café (1511 Anderson St.)


Tony's Fish & Oyster Cafe, a dine-in café specializing in fresh seafood, has been located on Granville Island since 2002. I couldn't help but trying their amazing house-made clam chowder.

Granville Island Public Market (1669 Johnston St.)


Longliner Seafoods (Granville Island Public Market)


Longliner Seafoods carries only hand-selected seafood ranging from wild fresh or smoked BC salmon to local halibut. I stocked up on candied salmon and smoked salmon for my hotel fridge, which helped me get through much-needed midnight snack breaks.

Sprig (Granville Island Public Market)


Sprig is in the heart of Granville Island's Public Market where it serves up amazing contemporary Greek food, including this falafel pita.

Granville Island Brewing Company (1441 Cartwright Street)






















I can't visit a new city without doing a brewery tour, so while on Granville Island I did the Granville Island Brewing Company's brewery tour, and stayed to try a few different beers. The brewery opened on Granville Island in 1984 as Canada’s first microbrewery.

Vancouver Art Gallery (750 Hornby St.)


As everyone suggested it might, it rained A LOT in Vancouver, meaning museums and galleries were something of a refuge. The Vancouver Art Gallery was only minutes from the YWCA Hotel where I stayed and is "recognized as one of North America’s most respected and innovative visual arts institutions." It's also home to the Gallery Café, which is the perfect place to stop for a soup and sandwich on a drizzly Vancouver day.

Brassneck Brewery (2148 Main St.)


I'm no stranger to drinking alone when I'm travelling solo, so I stopped at Brassneck Brewery's tasting room to sample a few beers. In comparison the Granville Island Brewing, Brassneck is quite new, but it hasn't wasted any time. In the three and a half years since its opened, it has already brewed around 120 different beers. 

Poké Time (1258 Robson St.)


I've eaten my fair share of poké thanks to pokeh at the Hamilton Farmer's Market, but until visiting Vancouver I had never had a poké burrito. That changed thanks to Poké Time, which boasts multiple locations across Vancouver.

Bel Café (801 W Georgia St.)


My trip wasn't all play, no work. After a morning of meetings, I stopped by Bel Café for a much-needed coffee and was tempted by this incredible little Earl Grey macaroon.

Cartems Donuterie (2190 Main St.)


This post is clearly disproving my statement that I don't have a sweet tooth. After stopping at Brassneck Brewery, I stopped at cartems Donuterie, also located on Main Street, for this amazing Earl Grey donut.

Kishimoto Japanese Restaurant (2054 Commercial Dr.)


It's only a minor exageration to say that EVERYONE told me that I needed to try Vancouver sushi, so I met up with some friends at Kishimoto on Commercial Drive, and, hands down, had the best sushi of my life. I was warned there might be a line-up, and there was, but it was worth it. (And don't let me be the only judge of that — The Globe and Mail said the same thing.)

Rodney's Oyster House (52 Powell St.)


Rodney's has two locations in Vancouver — one in Yaletown and one in Gastown. On the evening before flying home, I stopped at the Gastown location, where I sat at the bar alongside a number of other solo travellers, mostly all from Southern Ontario. Freshly shucked oysters and west-coast wine isn't a bad way to end a vacation.

Beer Stores (Various)


This photo speaks for itself. There are so many amazing Vancouver craft beers to try from a variety of breweries, but sadly, I didn't have enough time (or drinking partners) to sample them all. Until next time, Vancouver!
 
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