On our trip to the Pacific Northwest, we started in Vancouver for two days and despite a few hiccups, we had a wonderful time. We can’t wait to go back. Below is a full guide of what to eat, drink and do.
For my favorite spots in Seattle, check out this post.
drink
(coffee)
revolver
elysian coffee roasters
timbertrain coffee roasters
(the good stuff)
alibi room
juniper
33 acres brewing company
eat
granville island public market
medina
meat & bread
the fish counter
local
the flying pig
do
bike around stanley park
sea to sky gondola in squamish
shopping in gastown
drink
Revolver
Vancouver is full of incredible coffee shops, especially in the Gastown area. After walking along the water front our first morning in Vancouver, we made our way to Revolver for the “Espresso Flight,” which featured two different espressos, each served milk and straight.
Because we had arrived in Vancouver at 3 am, our body time, we were exhausted, so I opted for an additional iced soy latte (which was so good) and we shared a bacon cheddar scone which was perfectly crisp on the outside, soft on the outside and perfectly cheesy.
Timbertrain
Timbertrain was another favorite, but we opted for grab and go lattes on our way to Squamish.
Elysian Coffee Roasters
We also managed to hit Elysian Coffee Roasters, to regroup after an hour spent at urgent care (story on that later in the post…) They have multiple locations and also sell juices from The Juice Truck; “The Turmeric” was delicious (pineapple, orange, carrot, turmeric, ginger and lemon).
As I mentioned, Vancouver is full of great coffee shops. I loved this article highlighting a few favorites of 2018.
Because I was on antibiotics for appendicitis during this trip (yes, I was a hot mess this whole vacation), we weren’t able to hit any of the drink spots I was desperate to try, but these three were highly recommended and on our original itinerary.
Alibi Room
Touted as a modern tavern, Alibi serves over 50 micro brews on tap and has a long adventurous cocktail list. Their food menu is also tempting and I wish we had hit this spot for dinner as well.
Juniper
A great spot for hand-crafted cocktails. And judging by their Instagram, it looks like the perfect spot to sit at the bar and ask the bartender to whip you up a custom drink.
33 Acres Brewing Company
I’d love to say I put this on our list to appease Kevin, but one look at their website and Instagram and I was sold. Their aesthetic is unique for a brewing company, and I was so intrigued. But, not surprising, as every spot in Vancouver has style.
eat
Granville Island Public Market
Possibly one of my favorite spots in Vancouver, we stopped off at Granville Island before heading to Seattle one morning. With so many vendors and delicacies, I could have stayed here for hours sampling all of the treats, but we opted for coffee, donuts and a breakfast sandwich, which we enjoyed on the water while watching boats come in and out of the harbor.
We drove to the market, which had easy parking, but you can also take the ferry over from downtown Vancouver.
Medina
Medina was a must do on my list while we were in Vancouver, but by the time we drove past the restaurant (right when it opened) it already had a line around the block and we wanted to hit the road to Seattle, so we opted for breakfast at the market. I’m glad we did, because otherwise we wouldn’t have gone. If you’re wanting to hit Medina, get there before they open.
Meat & Bread
After reading tons of reviews on the sandwich shop with rotating menus, we grabbed two sandwiches to go and brought them on a bike ride around Stanley Park. We tried the buffalo chicken (a classic on the menu) and the special, which was a braised beef in Thai peanut sauce, with slaw and spicy mayo)
Local
Our first night in Vancouver, we made our way to Gastown for dinner reservations at a fancy seafood restaurant. Upon arrival, we noticed the seafood spot’s outdoor seating was completely empty while the surrounding restaurants were overflowing with people grabbing dinner along the main street. We canceled our reservations and headed to Local, which is located on a main intersection with tons of restaurants with outdoor seating and great vibes. Local’s menu was inventive and delicious; don’t miss out on the fried chicken ramen!
Peckinpah, a southern BBQ restaurant across the street looked incredible as well.
The Flying Pig
The Flying Pig in Yaletown was another spot on our must do list, but we didn’t manage to make it there during our trip. They have a few locations around Vancouver and are known for their farm (and sea) to table food.
do
Bike Around Stanley Park
After grabbing coffee at Revolver and supplies at Meat & Bread, we walked to Stanley Park and grabbed bikes at Spoke Bicycle Rentals. There are plenty of bike rental spots around the entrance of Stanley Park if you’re unsure of where to rent.
The route around Stanley Park is great because it’s one-way, meaning you’re not worried about bikes coming the opposite direction. The downside is there are so many beautiful views and stops at the Seawall, Lions Gate Bridge and Third Beach that lots of bikers stop in the middle of the road without warning. Because of this, I was super aware that if I wanted to stop, I needed to get off the main road carefully and quickly… which led to me hopping off my bike and landing on the ball of my foot at a horrible angle. (The doctor at urgent care was convinced it was fractured, which explains the beautiful boot I’m wearing in the following photos.)
Sea to Sky Gondola in Squamish (or Hike to Garibaldi Lake)
Our original itinerary included a 12-mile hike to Garibaldi Lake, which we were looking forward to more than anything else on the trip. Unfortunately, the sprained foot hindered us from doing the hike, so we settled for the Sea to Sky Gondola in Squamish and loved it. Snag breakfast at the Fuel + Forest Café in Squamish if you plan on going. Avis has a car rental space in downtown Vancouver if you’re looking for an easy one-day rental or pick-up away from the airport, which is not close to downtown.
If you’re between doing the Sea to Sky Gondola in Squamish and the Peak 2 Peak Gondola in Whistler, I highly recommend doing the Squamish as it’s cheaper and the views with the water were better than the peaks in Whistler in the summertime.
Shopping in Gastown
Gastown was our favorite neighborhood in Vancouver as it’s full of bars, restaurants, coffee shops, boutiques and lots of charm. A couple favorites were Litchfield and Old Faithful Shop.