Vancouver eat, drink, hangout recommendations?

[Blane]

Off to Vancouver for about 10 days on Saturday. Will be staying most of the time at UBC so if anyone has some suggestions on places to hit up in the area I'd be much obliged!

Thanks

[SolarGarlic]

Wreck Beach!

[dimafleck: the living legend.]

the downtown eastside has some amazing places to visit. especailly after the sun sets...

Edited May 27, 2008 by Guest

[SolarGarlic]

On a serious note, you really should check out wreck beach since you're so close....many people say it's the most beautiful beach around. You may also dig the vibe....

There are also plenty of places to rent kayaks and would recommend a day on the water if you have the time.

There is a shit load of food options down 4th. The Naam is open 24 hours a day, has a cool vibe, decent food, and some good beers on tap. If you haven't been or heard of it, it is sort of a local hot spot.

If you're looking for a REALLY good meal and want to spend a little check out Vij's. It isn't too far from UBC by bus or car or bike. Just get there by about 4:45 and line up at the door. FABULOUS meal guaranteed.

[CyberHippie]

Burrito Bros. in Kitslano

http://maps.google.ca/maps?ie=UTF-8&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-a&q=burrito+bros&near=Vancouver,+BC&fb=1&view=text&latlng=3129254935082139554&dtab=3&ei=4Jg7SNOSEI24jgHl5ZTwAg&oi=md_references&sa=X

Thursdays, $2 tacos and $3.50 Sol's.

[jaybone]

Sushi!!! Vancouver has tons of great spots. My favorite back when I was on a budget was called Akira Sushi on Denman (real close to the park- I'ld get take-out and eat along the sea-wall).

I used to work at a great Bistro called Elixer. It is located in Yaletown in the Opus Hotel. It's a little pricey but it is amazing. The chef used to finish his frites in duck fat- best fries ever.

[Big Wooly Mammoth]

For great veggie food check out Naam. It's one of my favourite restaurants. Planning to go myself next week when I'm in Vancouver. It's even open 24 hours.

If you want to spend lots of money on great Japanese food there is Tojos. One of Vancouver's best restaurants. Tojo invented the California Roll. Unfortunately, it's not in the budget for myself this time around.

Edited May 27, 2008 by Guest
It's Naam, not Naan. I always get the bread and the restaurant name confused.

[StoneMtn]

The one place you have to eat is called "Baru". It's Peruvian food, and located in Dunbar. (Dunbar is not far from UBC.)

The restaurant referred to above is actually called The Naam (which means The Meeting Place, from back in the days that 4th Avenue was called Rainbow Road, and was full of hippies. It has good food, but plan to be there for hours before you're served, and don't be surprised if your meal is accidentally dumped in your lap when they first try to serve you. It's all part of the charm.)

Baru is really the "must-eat" place, though. Hidden gem; for sure.

[bagochips]

Blane, Continental Coffee on Commercial Drive. Also, despite the erratic service and potentially long wait, House of Dosa (1391 Kingsway) makes killer south Indian food.

http://www.straight.com/article-76633/the-quest-for-real-south-indian-food

http://vancouvereatsout.com/continental-coffee/

[Hux]

My favourite sushi place is Kadoya Sushi, 1063 Davie...tiny restaurant, super cheap and KILLER GOOD!!

[DevO]

Sushi Yama and Tokyo John are two sushi places that I recall having enormous chunks of sashimi.

The Naam is tasty, kinda trendy, but good.

[Big Wooly Mammoth]

The one place you have to eat is called "Baru". It's Peruvian food, and located in Dunbar. (Dunbar is not far from UBC.)

The restaurant referred to above is actually called The Naam (which means The Meeting Place, from back in the days that 4th Avenue was called Rainbow Road, and was full of hippies. It has good food, but plan to be there for hours before you're served, and don't be surprised if your meal is accidentally dumped in your lap when they first try to serve you. It's all part of the charm.)

Baru is really the "must-eat" place, though. Hidden gem; for sure.

I've only eaten there a handful of times and the service has always been fast and good. I guess that I've been lucky.

I'll try to check out Baru this time around. I'm attending a conference at UBC.

[Tenenbaum]

if u like Bubble tea and are overwhelmed by all the options and for some reason you're asking yourself, "why the fuck am I on trendy Robson st", seek out Bubble World! The milky pomegranate tea with pearls is a playground in your mouth!

Also, if you're searching to meet new and interesting peeps, the corner of Main and Hastings is a trip!

[StoneMtn]

In fairness, my meal or drinks have only been dropped on my lap a couple of times (out of hundreds of times eating there).

The service, though, generally sucks. You were lucky, Mammoth.

[Davey Boy 2.0]

mmmm duck fat

[Blane]

The one place you have to eat is called "Baru". It's Peruvian food' date=' and located in Dunbar. (Dunbar is not far from UBC.)

The restaurant referred to above is actually called The Naam (which means The Meeting Place, from back in the days that 4th Avenue was called Rainbow Road, and was full of hippies. It has good food, but plan to be there for hours before you're served, and don't be surprised if your meal is accidentally dumped in your lap when they first try to serve you. It's all part of the charm.)

Baru is really the "must-eat" place, though. Hidden gem; for sure.[/quote']

I've only eaten there a handful of times and the service has always been fast and good. I guess that I've been lucky.

I'll try to check out Baru this time around. I'm attending a conference at UBC.

Hey me too! Which part of the congress are you attending? I'll be at CSSE (Education) and CASID (International Development).

Thanks for all the advice folks! I know Vancouver fairly well, but always end up picking randomly when it comes to food and drink outings.

[AD]

i like Samurai Sushi

1108 Davie Street

Vancouver, BC V6E 1N1

(604) 609-0078

[Big Wooly Mammoth]

The one place you have to eat is called "Baru". It's Peruvian food' date=' and located in Dunbar. (Dunbar is not far from UBC.)

The restaurant referred to above is actually called The Naam (which means The Meeting Place, from back in the days that 4th Avenue was called Rainbow Road, and was full of hippies. It has good food, but plan to be there for hours before you're served, and don't be surprised if your meal is accidentally dumped in your lap when they first try to serve you. It's all part of the charm.)

Baru is really the "must-eat" place, though. Hidden gem; for sure.[/quote']

I've only eaten there a handful of times and the service has always been fast and good. I guess that I've been lucky.

I'll try to check out Baru this time around. I'm attending a conference at UBC.

Hey me too! Which part of the congress are you attending? I'll be at CSSE (Education) and CASID (International Development).

Thanks for all the advice folks! I know Vancouver fairly well, but always end up picking randomly when it comes to food and drink outings.

I'm attending the Canadian Economc Association (CEA) meeting which runs June 6-8. Probably arriving on the 4th, and leaving on the 9th. I'll be staying downtown. Let me know if you want to get together. Maybe we can check out one of those restaurants.

[cosmic]

It's not near UBC, but Belgian Fries on Commerical Drive makes a delicious vegetarian poutine (the gravy is veg). CBC Montreal calls it the best poutine west of Montreal!

I love it!

[SaggyBalls]

Alright...If you're down at UBC you won't have much opportunity to see vancouver. It's a bit removed, but if you do plan to venture in I'd have to say that the West End is good for affordable meals.

Samurai Sushi is great for huge $1 nigiri sushi and is pretty good all around. Almost across the street is Kadoya which is renowned for its large rolls. No it's not a party but you'll wish it was.

If it's past 9:30 PM I emplor you to go nowhere else than Kisha Poppo and do the all you can eat. it's $12 but you have a decent menu to draw from. I am a huge fan of Salmon Kama and it's on the menu...great place to sit down.

Robson street has a sushi joint called Asahi Ya (I think that's what it's called...right beside an indian joint) and the place always impressed me. Across the street from there (pretty much) is Tsunami Sushi which has the sushi bar with little boats...pay by plate.

For Indian food, you could of course go to little India around Main and 49th, but if you're downtown then just go to Swagat (again on Davie but near Denman) and do the buffet...veg or not. Beers for $2.50 and the food's as good or better than india sweet. I really like the chai and although they have a buffet they have a menu. They're really nice there.

English Bay beach is a great hangout as it's right beside sunset beach and inbetween False Creek and Stanley Park but it's not as great as Wreck, and across the water is Kitsilano which is another great hangout.

Queen Elizabeth park (ontario between 33rd and 36th over to Cambie) has Disc Golf and pitch and Putt and you'd be within walking distance from Legendary Noodle house on Main Street (at king edward/25th) the park is really quite beautiful and is worth spending some time.

If you're not into noodles then my favourite malaysian/singaporean restaurant in Vancouver is right there too. Hawker's Delight has loads of plates with or without meat. $6 will fill you with a meaty dish. $5 or less for veg. Everything is good but if in doubt get the Nasi Goreng. I'm a fan of the Lontong but the Mee Pok and Bee Hoon are good...Don't ask me what it is. there'llbe explanations on the wall.

There are carribean, african and french hangouts all along Main street between King Edward and 33rd. South of 25th are loads of great hangouts and restaurants.

A huge hit is Budgie's Burritos on Kingsway, on the block that it meets up with main Street. People rave about vancouver sushi and won ton but these things are the bomb. You'll spend about $7 but you'll have fallen in love. Far more addictive than the cheap potent crack at main and hastings.

The buddhist garden can be researched at http://www.vancouverchinesegarden.com/

it's beautiful and a great escape from the graphic chinatown neighbourhood. If you do go to Chinatown, it's not really open at night time. Make sure to go during the day.

You probably won't want to wear sandals down there.

Gorilla Foods is a little hole in the wall on Richards Street downtown and has the best vegan take away in the city. It's south of hastings on the East side of the street.

Speaking of which, it's pretty eye opening to see skid row. the entire area around Main and hastings is a sight to see. It's right near Chinatown. The

If you want to do some shopping for outdoor geat, try Broadway street between Main and Cambie. Sure there's MEC but there's a whole lot of other places with awesome deals.

The North Shore has loads of eco tourism. If you can make it up there get hiking. If you can make it to Squamish then hike the chief. I'm tubby and made it up there. It's pretty awesome to climb a mountain in an afternoon and make it back to the city to catch a show or hang out in a pub.

Vancouver's not entirely friendly so don't expect people to make friends with you at a bar. Meet people but don't expect much.

The Railway club is a great downtown hangout. Live music and flowing beer make a great combination.

The Fairview Pub on Broadway is the one place I have been to the most. It's a good place for music.

The Yale Hotel on Granville @ Drake is a super room. Sounds great and is the place to see blues legends.

If you're going to Granville Island at night then the Backstage Lounge has a great vibe and is pretty much at the water. I quite like it.

UBC has some great hangouts and you might not want to leave. Maybe something'll be happening at the Chan Centre or the Pit Pub...

Commercial Drive has a great vibe and some even better pizza and cafes. Trout lake Park is a great place to relax for a few hours.

There are so many parks and nice places to be in Metro Vancouver. Get a 10 pack of transit tickets. You'll save a few bucks. If you are travelling all day it might be worth a day pass...Sunday day pass riders can bring a guest for free.

The system is of buses, the skytrain, and Seabus. Seabus ferries take 2 zone tickets before 6:30 during the week. You can upgrade at the terminal or chance it...but it's a hefty fine. North and West Vancouver are really nice. I suggest Lighthouse Park in West Vancouver for some beautiful old Growth.

Try to print out a tide schedule so you can time a better exploration of the park...and to not get caught in the water.

Stanley Park is always a favourite. I suggest you check out the swingset at Second Beach.

Bike rentals on Denman around Georgia...tandem bikes in stanley park?

Loads of great things to do.

Farmers' Markets at Trout lake and Nelson Park (downtown) on Saturdays, and at Nat Bailey Stadium on Wednesday evenings.

If you're looking for disc golf close to UBC then hit up Quilchena Park and the Jericho course on 4th near the beach. You might want to go to the Upstream Discussion Board at www.upstreamentertainment.com and see if anyone wants to play...also a great place to look into local jammy shows.

Kitsilano is the closest shopping district to UBC that I can think of. Nice place to check out.

Seigel's Bagels is amazing. Get the rugoleh. Thank me later.

If you want to go to a mall then either go to Metrotown on kingsway (on the skytrain) or go to Robson Street...it's essentially got all the stores in a mall but they are all seperate buildings. very touristy.

Granville street is Vancouver's 'entertainment district' Bars, Clubs, and the Commodore Ballroom. the Pacific Centre Mall is on Granville street and has Skytrain access

gastown is another popular locale...the Old Spaghetti Factory is a great place for run of the mill pasta dinners. $15 for the whole spread. I like the spaghetti a la homer...it's got browned butter sauce with some fancy salty cheese. awesome.

the waterfront has Canada Place. Good place to see an IMAX movie and look through binoculars.

Bon's off Broadway is a great place for greasy $3 all day breakfast...it's close to trout lake and sorta close to the drive. It's on Nanaimo at 9th (broadway)

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You'll probably have the best time if you spend your days on the beach though...If you're looking for things to do then do them but if you're looking to maximize your time then just bum it on the beach...it takes awhile to get around town.

[SaggyBalls]

A good walk would be from Main street, down the alley between 7th and 8th to the park/community garden, down false creek and past Granville Island to Kitsilano Beach.

then get back to UBC/Wreck.

Also, a Sunset/English Bay beach through and around Stanley Park to Gastown.

[Blane]

thanks for all this info! will print and bring on my flight.

[Blane]

just wanted to bump this to thank everyone for their recs. Got to hit some of the sushi stops on Davie that people mentioned (loved the sashimi at Samurai); did a nice "fancy" dinner at Baru to watch the triple OT Wings/Pens game, hit the Naam for a great veg dinner, saw a bit of the Triathlon, etc.

So all in all the list served me super well! Ling printed the whole thing, then itemized the entire list onto a map, far more than I'd ever have gotten done, so it was like our vancouver "lonely planet" while we cruised around.

yay jb.ca!

[phorbesie]

does ling get to go along on all your trips? or was this a vacation, not work?

glad you enjoyed the most beautiful city in canada!

[Blane]

does ling get to go along on all your trips? or was this a vacation, not work?

glad you enjoyed the most beautiful city in canada!

Nah, ling's got relatives in Vancouver & there was a 1/2 price sale at WestJet so that's why she came along. It was a mix of work & fun.

And yeah it sure is nice to be back in the most beautiful city in Canada. I was starting to miss Montreal already!

All kidding aside, Van is indeed a beautiful city. Not sure it's somewhere I'd settle into at this point, but I'd definitely be open to spending some time there later down the road.