Social

List of restaurants and bars

  • Rogue Kitchen & Wetbar 601 West Cordova Street (604) 678-8000; west-coast themed beer bar and food.

  • Steamworks Brewpub 375 Water Street (604) 689-2739; great brew pub.

  • Pourhouse 162 Water Street (604) 568-7022; great lunch special: $14 includes a sandwich (5 options), a side (soup, fries or salad) with a beer. They also have a full lunch menu.

  • Silvestre Deli & Bistro 317 Water Street (604) 558-2825; Peruvian food, with amazing ceviche.

  • Meat & Bread Two locations: 370 Cambie Street, 1033 West Pender Street (604) 566-9003; awesome meaty sandwiches. Meatball and porchetta are delicious!

  • La Casita 101 West Cordova Street (604) 646-2444; Tex-Mex in the heart of Vancouver.

  • The Old Spaghetti Factory 53 Water Street (604) 684-1288; what can we say? SPAGHETTI!

  • Alibi Room 157 Alexander Street (604) 623-3383; Best beer selection in Vancouver, locally sourced food, located in a heritage building, 10 min walk from Harbour Centre 

  • Revel Room 238 Abbott Street (604) 687-4088; “Southern dining, cocktails, & live music in the heart of Gastown,” live music four nights a week, ‘Sour Hour’ (happy hour) 4pm-6pm, opens at 4pm, but closed Mondays; accepts large reservations (email eat@revelroom.ca).

  • Guilt & Company 1 Alexander Street info@guiltandcompany.com; food, drinks, live music; open 7pm until late, first come, first serve.

Taco joints, sandwich hangouts, sushi, etc.…

Vancouver Food Trucks

Coffee We Love

Places Serving Beer We Drink

Other things to do in Vancouver

Getting Around

Vancouver is a very walkable city and the downtown hotels and conference sites are in close proximity to the beach, restaurants, pubs, art galleries, and shopping. Celebrity sightings are not uncommon, and high fiving is encouraged. Affordable bike rentals can be found at Simon’s Bike Shop downtown.

Getting around Vancouver is made easy by the vast network of buses, trolleys, seabus and SkyTrain stations that provide transport to and from downtown Vancouver and popular tourist destinations throughout Metro Vancouver. Scheduling and fare information is provided by Translink.

 

Restaurants & Pubs

Vancouver has an outstanding selection of restaurants to suit all tastes and cravings. Sushi is the fast-food of choice in this city, serving the freshest fish available. There’s also a wide variety of Chinese, Thai, South Asian, French, Italian, Greek, and West Coast cuisine. Vancouver’s Restaurant Awards 2010 selects the best restaurants by type of cuisine, formal or casual, small or big plates, and bar/lounge establishments.

There is no shortage of fresh, on-tap beers in Vancouver. In Gastown alone, you can find 25-tap selection of the best beers BC microbreweries have to offer at the Alibi Room. Fresh microbrews galore at Steamworks and Yaletown Brewpubs. BC wines, cheeses, and charcuterie at the Salt Tasting Room in historic Gastown. Also Irish Heather Long Table: 50 people, 40 ft. communal table, dinner and a beer for $15.

Granville Island Market

Underneath the Granville Street Bridge, Granville Island features an open market with fresh produce, baked goods, meats, and seafood. The rest of the island features local artisan shops such as ceramics, jewellery, clothing, fine woodwork, and more. Other major tenants of the island include Emily Carr University  of Art + Design, Arts Club Theatre, and many restaurants and coffee shops.

Waterfront Seawall

Walking, jogging, cycling and inline skating along the 22km seawall that lines Vancouver’s waterfront from Coal Harbour, around Stanley Park and False Creek, past Granville Island and ending at Kitsilano Beach Park is the most popular recreational activity in Vancouver. It easily accessed from downtown by foot or transit.

Shopping on Robson Street

Robson Street is a major shopping centre in the heart of downtown Vancouver. This is the place to go for clothing and shoe stores for men and women! Includes well-known retailers such as BCBG Maxazria, Banana Republic, Roots, A/X Armani Exchange, American Outfitters, Guess, and the Gap. The Vancouver Art Gallery, which has a large collection of both historical and contemporary art, is on this shopping strip.

Outside the Vancouver Art Gallery

Image by StevesC

Chinatown

Equally historic is Vancouver’s large Chinatown, featuring dim sum, won ton noodle restaurants, BBQ houses, gift shops, and the Dr. Sun Yat Sen Classical Chinese Garden.

Detail of roof tiles at Sun Yat Sen garden

Image by backpackphotography

Yaletown

Yaletown is Vancouver’s upscale renovated warehouse district. It is an easy walk from the centre of downtown Vancouver. It features top fashion and design shops, as well as well as some of Vancouver’s most highly rated restaurants including Blue Water Cafe + Raw Bar and Cioppino’s Mediterranean Grill & Enoteca.

Flight of beer at Yaletown Pub

Image by Skye Chilton



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