Vancouver Cafés, Pubs, and Restaurants

Cafés, Restos, and Pubs:

Bellaggio Cafe – Cozy café filled with books (773 Hornby St. across from the Vancouver Art Gallery) – Breakfast and brunch daily 7am-2pm, great selection of traditional breakfast dishes. Large portions. They also serve lunch and dinners, pasta and pizza, and have a patio facing the Gallery. $12-25.

Cardero Bottega – Gourmet Deli (1016 Cardero St.) – Best sandwiches in Vancouver! Italian imports pasta, olive oil and coffee are also for sale, along with home-made brownies. They also do catering! Closed on Mondays. All the sandwiches are to die for, but my favorite was “Jimmy the Greek.” $8-10.

Cloud 9 – Rotating restaurant and lounge atop the Empire Landmark Hotel (1400 Robson Street) – Breakfast daily 6:30-10am, drinks and dinner 5:30-11:30pm. The view is truly magnificent, day or night time. The rotation takes an hour and a half and you can see all of downtown, the mountains, the ocean and Stanley Park. Breakfast buffet is $19, but not very impressive. Great selection of cocktails $8-10. Check for dinner specials on their website.

Cookies by George – Cookie heaven (1055 West Georgia St., Royal Centre) - Freshly baked cookies for all occasions and cravings. Always beautifully wrapped in differently themed boxes or standard red classic, so perfect for gifts! Unfortunately the store on Denman St. closed, so you have to go to Georgia St. but it’s worth the trip! Try George’s Chunky Shortbread with Pecans! $5-25.

 

De Dutch – Pancake House (1 – 1725 Robson St.) – I usually do not list franchises, and try to find unique places, but this is a rare exception. It is my best friend Charlie’s favorite  breakfast place, and when I’m in Vancouver we go there all the time because it is really that good. The choices are endless, but definitely try the Hash Pannekoeken (#4) – a baked dish of hash-browns, ham or bacon, green peppers, mushrooms and cheese, served over a large Dutch pancake. They specialize in breakfast food, open 8am-3pm at the Robson location, but also have burgers, sandwiches and salads for lunch. $10-15.

Delany’s Coffee House – Good coffee and pastries (1105 Denman St.) – This is the original location of this Vancouver coffee shop; they now branched out to North Van and the suburbs. But it has become a regular coffee / tea stop for me on the way to English Bay. They also serve breakfast and have a very small sidewalk patio. $5-15.

Granville Island Brewery – Taproom, Pub, and Store (1441 Cartwright St. Granville Island) – One of BC’s most famous The tasting specials are great. Seasonal specials like Chocolate Stout and Winter Ale are very popular and delicious. They also serve some snacks. Tours are given 3 times daily and can be booked in the retail store. Tour $10 and includes 3 tasters. Open daily 12-8pm. $5-10.

Joe Fortes Seafood and Chop House – (777 Thurlow St. corner Robson) - In 1885, Joe landed upon Vancouver’s shores and settled into a cabin in English Bay. He quickly became one of Vancouver’s most popular citizens, first as a bartender and later as Vancouver’s first official lifeguard. Today, he is remembered by a monument near the site of his home. Ethel Wilson mentioned Joe in her short story “Down at English Bay” (1949) in The Vancouver Stories anthology. In the summer there is a large roof-top terrace overlooking Robson and Thurlow. Open for brunch, lunch and dinner. $15-45.

Sandbar Seafood Restaurant – Best patio and view of the Granville Bridge and False Creek (1535 Johnston St. Granville Island). Brunch Saturdays and Sundays 11:30am-3pm. But their selection is not very big. They are better for dinner, tapas, desert and drinks, especially on the patio in the summer. $14-40.

Steamworks Brewing Co. – Great beer, great food (375 Water St. next to the old train station in Gastown) – This is one of the nicest pubs in Vancouver. It has multiple levels and rooms, cozy armchairs, window tables overlooking the water, pool tables, a large patio, and a beer store. Check out the cool chalkboard art by Rob Bowen. Try their sweet potato fries with balsamic vinegar reduction and the Lions Gate Lager. $10-20.

Tsunami Sushi – Floating sushi (238-1025 Robson St.) – If you sit around the sushi bar, floating boats with various freshly made sushi dishes will float by you and you can pick your favourites or whatever catches your eye. $15-30.

Vancouver Art Gallery Café – Cafeteria style great food (750 Hornby St.) – Great food and atmosphere, and an amazing patio in the summer right downtown across from Robson Square. They specialize in soups, salads, and sandwiches, and also do catered lunches and catering. $5-12.

WE Coffee – (1696 Robson St.) – New West End coffee, tea, and desert place. They specialize in waffles and serve Parisian-imported Mariage Fréres teas. 11am-11pm. Wi-Fi. $6-12.

 

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