Going to Vancouver.... what to see/do?

[Galakanokis]

Originally Posted by stampsx2

Can anyone else recommend a good place for tasty fish and chips on the dock or harbour? Preferably fresh caught bc fish.

I don't know of any place downtown but Steveston has some good places. PaJo's is good and right on the docks but Dave's might be the best around. Great place for fish n chips.

There's a PaJo's in Port Moody, you can pop down there and hit up Yellow Dog for their smoked Porter with nitro, heavenly. Pretty sure they let you take the food into the brewery.

[millhouse11]

We went to Miku last week for lunch. Was delicious. Would recommend. For supper we went to Chambar. It was pretty good as well. If you like mussels and belgian beer it's awesome.

[flylock shox]

Forgot about Chambar. Another really cool spot - one of many in the DTES/Gastown area.

This thread's making me appreciate Vancouver a bit more. It really does have a lot of great stuff now - lots of which it didn't have even 6-7 years ago.

[The Reverend]

Originally Posted by stampsx2

Can anyone else recommend a good place for tasty fish and chips on the dock or harbour? Preferably fresh caught bc fish.

Go the the Fish Counter on Main Street. Not a dock or harbour but far superior to any other fish market in town. This is where locals go.

http://www.thefishcounter.com/

[Flash Walken]

Originally Posted by The Reverend

Go the the Fish Counter on Main Street. Not a dock or harbour but far superior to any other fish market in town. This is where locals go.

http://www.thefishcounter.com/

I go to the fish counter.

Great fish and chips, great po boys.

[Cuz]

If you're out in Surrey, a great place for fish and chips is Al & Jan's. On Monday and Tuesday, they have all you can eat for 14.95 or something like that. The place is usually packed.

[2Stonedbirds]

I hear the riots are nice this time of year.

[Winsor_Pilates]

Originally Posted by stampsx2

Can anyone else recommend a good place for tasty fish and chips on the dock or harbour? Preferably fresh caught bc fish.

There's a place called Go Fish at the docks by Granville Island. Just a little takeaway trailer serving fresh catches.
Can get quite busy but shouldn't be too bad this time of year.

[sharkov]

Whale watching is a good activity

[OldDutch]

I am sorry but I have to say I found Tojo and Miku he two most disappointing meals I have had. It embodied everything Vancouver seems to be these days, being douchy and superficial yet acting like you're super "real". Sorry that sounds like a hipster dink thing to say, I love Vancouver but just cause it's expensive don't make it good. I'll lump West in there too.

I thought the food at all those places were ok, just the atmosphere at those places screams pretentious. It's frankly uncomfortable and unwarranted.

Honestly my wife and I went to Forage a few weeks back and we really liked it. They had some off menu items that had come in fresh like scallops that day. For a wow factor place it wasn't. Just a nice casual place to eat good food, we find that is more romantic than a reso at Le Croc. Miku has a good view and all, but I wouldn't go back. I would rather eat very good sushi in a solid place like Sushi Mart than spend $400 for some creative but non substantial food.

I really struggle with Vancouver. It used to be a great food city, but Calgary has come a long way. I am just not wow' anymore. They have good spots but it seems like they get drowned out but the sizzle places. Coast is an excellent example. The first place in Yaletown was amazing, then they had to relocate near Robson and put on a smoke show. They food was awful second time.

Anyways, depends what you are into, but I would research some very strong food places first, worry on atmosphere second. Just my two cents.

[darklord700]

Vancouver excels in casual dinning (around $100 for two). When you pay a few hundie for a meal, it gets to be pretentious everywhere. For sushi, Kisinmoto is a good choice which you can easily get by with $100 for two. And the quality is unmatched in Calgary.

[blankall]

Originally Posted by darklord700

Vancouver excels in casual dinning (around $100 for two). When you pay a few hundie for a meal, it gets to be pretentious everywhere. For sushi, Kisinmoto is a good choice which you can easily get by with $100 for two. And the quality is unmatched in Calgary.

Kishimoto is near the quality of Tojo's but about half the cost. I think you'd struggle to get by at $100 for two. That being said, it's also on commercial drove. There are a ton of great bars for after dinner drinks there: Biercraft, Havana's, the Charlatan, St. Augustine's, etc..

There's even a gaming themed bar, the Stormcrow.

[HelloHockeyFans]

Originally Posted by Nyah

Bump.

Going to Vancouver in a couple weeks for our anniversary and to visit some friends. Can anyone recommend a really nice restaurant with decent views (English Bay, city, whatever) and great food? We're doing the whole trip pretty cheap, so for our anniversary dinner we don't mind spending a bit of cash.

I'd agree with the post about Boathouse not being good.

If it's your anniversary and you're saying price doesn't matter, I'd recommend:

1. Hawksworth (downtown) - Pacific Northwest Seafood
2. L'Abattoir (gastown) - French
3. Chambar (gastown) - French

Kishimoto sushi is good, but not exactly anniversary meal type of atmosphere. I prefer Minami over Miku for sushi, and Minami has a nice ambiance (as does Miku).

None of the 3 I recommended really have views though, but the food is much better.

Also, try checking out the lounge on the main floor of the Fairmont Pacific Rim Hotel. They play live music in the evenings and you can sit down, enjoy the music and have a few cocktails. Weekends are kind of a gong show though so try and go on a weeknight if you can.

L'Abattoir also has excellent brunch, so if you don't go there for dinner, you can save that for brunch.

[sharkov]

If you want something thats not overpriced and pretentious, perhaps you should look beyond downtown Vancouver, Robson Street, Cambie and Davie Street. I would suggest East Hastings street

[darklord700]

I am surprised no one have brought up Richmond for Asian food. You haven't tried real Asian food if you haven't tried the ones in Richmond. All these Silverdragon, Ginger Beef variants in Calgary don't compare.

[fulham]

For a Special Occasion there is a 5 star Restaurant on top of Grouse mountain which offers stunning panoramic views of all of Vancouver
https://grousemountain.com/the-observatory-restaurant

Only worth it if you can get a window spot, they are reservation only

[jar_e]

Another vote for Hawksworth. No views available but arguably the best pacific northwest cuisine in the city.

[blankall]

Not a fan of Hawksworth personally. I've had a couple of substandard meals there. Overall, I find the atmosphere very old fashioned and stuffy. I just don't find it's good value.

For the same quality of food with a better atmosphere and lower prices, I prefer places like L'Abattoir or the Cork and Fin. Plus both are located in Gas Town. That means you can go to excellent whiskey bars and cocktail lounges located on the same block. The Irish Heather is more casual. The Pour House has great drinks. The Charles Bar turns into a nightclub and is louder and more social. The Portside Pub similarly becomes a dance club, but starts off casual. Chill Winston is a great cocktail bar with a club underneath.

I'm assuming that since you are going with your wife you are at least in your late twenties or older. All the places I've mentioned cater to that crowd. The Portside pub is more early 30s, but the rest definitely have a wide age range from mid to late twenties into early 50s.

If you do want the best of the best, and are willing to pay a little more, I recommend the "Blue Water Cafe". By far the best seafood restaurant in town. That's located in Yaletown. If you're in Yaletown, I'd recommend the Distillery. They make their own Gin and Vodka, which are both great...it's not just a clever name.

If you can get a hold of a bike, I'd recommend a brewery tour of the eastside breweries: Parrallel 49, Bomber, Strange Fellows, etc...You can also do more of a walking tour of the Main Street breweries. There are also organized tours that will take you around on a bus. That could be easier and more fun if you want to socialize a bit.

Oh...and I'm sure there are things to do in Vancouver that don't involve drinking.

[Blaster86]

Originally Posted by blankall

Oh...and I'm sure there are things to do in Vancouver that don't involve drinking.

Nope.

If you want contact with a couple brewery tour companies, send me a PM.

[combustiblefuel]

Originally Posted by DoubleF

Vancouver has changed quite a bit. Even those who left a few years back were commenting about how shocked they were at the amount of change.

+1 for Granville Island. It's a nice little area with farmers markets and drinks and stuff.
I heard aquarium was kind of lame but didn't go in myself. Spent more time in Stanley Park. If you want to ride bikes, you have to rent them in the downtown area and ride to Stanley park.
Canada place was ok. The place where the olympic torch is and an orca statue.
Olympic village was ok. Scenery stuffs.
UBC was interesting, but not for everyone. A few museums and views on campus.
I really enjoyed the beaches. Wrecked beach is a good choice. I spent my time at Kits beach.
Deep sea fishing and boat tours are nice. If you're into that sort of thing.


Vancouver is a good place to enjoy nature and eat food.

- Cheap sushi
- Japadog
- Beard papas

List goes on.

Depends what you want, really.

Denmans Bike shop on Denman.


I counter with Dougie Dog.