All blog posts related to Vancouver

I spent many years on and off in Vancouver. It is one of the many places I call ‘home’. Take a look at the places I enjoy!

History

Named after its British discoverer, Captain George Vancouver, who, in 1792, realised it had already been discovered by the Spaniards from 1592-1774. (Does it explain why there are Spanish & British names for our streets & sites?) Originally a town established in 1867, it eventually became a city in 1886 and was renamed “Vancouver”. Read more about Vancouver’s history here and here.

Calendar of Events

Activities

• Spring/summer –
  • Do the Grouse Grind and see how long it takes you to get up! 😉
  • Visit Playland (April-Sept)
  • Canoeing, kayaking – Horseshoe Bay, False Creek
  • Cycling – Stanley Park, Granville Island, etc.
• Winter activities –
  • Ice skating – community centres, Robson Square
  • Skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing, tubing, sledging – Grouse, Cypress, Seymour
    • Explore places where ABC’s Once Upon a Time was filmed around Vancouver

These ratings are based on tea/food quality and service.

Places I have yet to visit:

• Adonia (Kerrisdale) – $17-27 for afternoon tea
• Adorabelle (Steveston) – Host your party there and there’s a box of hats and tiaras available for dress-up. 😉 $25 (W-Su).
• Butter Baked Goods (Dunbar) – $14-28 for afternoon tea (W-Su).
• Xi Shi Lounge at Shangri-La Hotel – Similarly priced as Urban Tea Merchant, which is a block away.

Dining

Fine Dining

These ratings are based on my experiences.

1. Le Crocodile – Best service for French restaurant with no strict clothing code (but still formal).
2. Market at Shangri-La – Excellent service, best lavatories
3. Diva at the Met – Excellent service
4. Joe Fortes – Best creme brûlée in Vancouver! Food is delicious, service goes down if no alcohol ordered.
5. Hawksworth at Hotel Georgia – Generally busy, 2nd best lavatories
6. Griffins Restaurant at Hotel Vancouver – Food not particularly exceptional, very nice lavatories (public access)
7. The Boathouse – Beach-view dining

• The Blarney Stone (Gastown) – Best shepherd’s pie in town! It’s one of my favourite pub/restaurants in Vancouver. I enjoyed their Celtic music nights but I’m not sure if they still have it.
• Wings – Highly recommend Canadian Maple Bourbon wings.
• Old Spaghetti Factory (Gastown) – Family-fun restaurant with historical artefacts around the restaurant. Affordable lunch and dinner menus.
• Milestone’s – Mondays are girls’ night out: 4 drinks, 4 appies for $40 (before taxes and tips).
• Alpen Club – Best German food in town, also hosts Oktoberfest in October and many other activities & events throughout the year. THE venue to cheer on German teams during World Cup and European Championship (Euros) and other German football (soccer) matches.
• Earl’s – similar to Milestone’s
• Elephant & Castle pub (Marine Building) – 2nd best shepherd’s pie in town with charming Art Deco interior
• Red Robin’s – Family dining. Freckled strawberry lemonade comes with free refills!
• Cactus Club – similar to Earl’s and Milestone’s
• Joey’s – similar as above
• Johnnie Fox’s Irish Snug – small charming Irish pub (but no longer has the cute exterior) with Celtic music
• Irish Heather – Irish pub near Blarney’s with mixed Guinness drinks!
• Doolin’s (Granville) – cute interiors and the male servers are nicer.

Cafes

• Caffe Artigiano – The best Chai Tea Latte in town.
• Caffe Cittadella – A heritage house in a quiet neighbourhood, perfect place for having coffee/tea and homemade treats!
• Blenz Coffee – The best hot chocolate made from real Belgian chocolate!
• Tim Hortons – This is where I go for Timbits, cookies, and cheaper breakfast and lunch/dinner.

Volunteer

• Beauty Night Society – Volunteer your time to make someone feel beautiful and dignified in a society that looks down on them.
• Canadian Cancer Society – Why not donate hair to Cuts for Cancer?
• With a huge gap between rich and poor, why not help out the homeless? You may find that your views will be quite changed!