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Looking for some answers to my questions on Vancouver

Going on a family trip in July to Vancouver and I have a few questions. Does anyone have any comments on the Four Season Hotel? Also I am looking for a car service from the airport to the hotel, any suggestions? Looking for a great inexpensive Chinese restaurant to eat in, preferably close to the hotel. Any other suggestions about Vancouver would be great. Anyone every eaten in the Water Street cafe or Kirin? Thank you so much mara

We like Hon's on Robson Street, and I think there's another one somewhere (West Van? The west end? Not sure). It's a huge Chinese restaurant with all kinds of yummy vegetarian stuff as well as the usual range. The only other suggestion I'd make is that you check out Granville Island - it's a great place for a family to spend a day.

Is Robson Street newar the Four Seasons?

The Four Seasons is one of the top 3 or 4 hotels in the city and you certainly can't go wrong quality wise staying there. It's located pretty near to the centre of downtown on top of a very large shopping mall and is about four short blocks to the chic Robson Street shopping area. So if you're looking for a great area for shopping the Four Seasons is well located. The views from the rooms are iffy because it's in the midst of a lot of tall buildings so ask for a north facing high up room. I don't know what you mean by 'car service'. Are you looking to rent a car? If so it's like any airport with the full range of car rental companiues. Are you looking for a limo or taxi? Again - no problem. But why would you expect one? There are two Kirin restaurants. The one closest to the 4 seasons specializes in Mandarin and like it's seafood counterpart is one of the most expensive Chinese restaurants in town - running upwards of $50Can/person. But the quality is excellant. The quality of Chinese restaurants in Vancouver though is as good or better than anywhere in the world and that includes Hong Kong. There is almost as many different types of 'Chinese' cuisine as European and the most familiar to North Americans is Cantonese. But there's about three varieties of Cantonese plus Mandarin, Szechuan, Hunan, Shanghainese, Mongolian, etc., etc. and you'll be amazed at how cheaply you can eat in Vancouver because the competition is very stiff. The Water Street Cafe is in Gastown and is basically Italian/continental. It's fairly good and will run you around $20Can/person but if you've only got a few days in Vancouver I'ld try some Asian and West Coast restaurants for dinner and maybe just have lunch at the Water Street Cafe.

Thank you for the advice, I am looking for a car service, limo to get to the hotel. Taxis wouls be a little too expensive considering how many people we are. What Chinese Rest. would you suggest going to, one that is not too expensive. What west coast rest would you suggest that is close to the hotel. We are not gourmets but we enjoy eating good meals. Any suggestions would be great. Thank you

There are always a few limos outside both terminals, (International & Domestic), for hire with the flat rates to Downtown posted so you won't have any problems there. I think the flat rates are $30-$40. All dolar prices I give are in canadian and a word to the wise, it's a good idea to talk only Can$ in Canada. If anyone does quote you a pric in US$ they are probably going to take advantage of you. We take offence at people asking 'how much is that in $US'. There are ATM's and currency exchanges right outside of customs so get your money first thing. ATMs will give you a fair rate. The best and most reasonable Chinese restaurants in Vancouver are not downtown. Vancouver has a huge Chinese population and they tend to be the main customers of these restaurants and the biggest concentration of Chinese is in the Southern and Eastern parts of Vancouver and the suburb of Richmond, (where the airport is). One of the best Cantonese Seafood Restaurants in the world is Sun Sui Wah on Main Street about a $15 Cab ride from the Hotel. Beijing Restaurant, (Mandarin), is about 6 blocks directly south of the Four Seasons and has good Beggers Chicken and Peking Duck. Szechuan Chongqing Seafood Restaurant on Broadway, (about a $10 cab ride), is near my office and I regularly see tour groups from China going there for lunch so that's got to be a good reccomendation. My favorite West Coast Restaurant is Raincity Grill on Denman which is a little pricey, (about $30/per), but the food is excellant. You might also ask your concierge for reccomendations. As I said - dining in Vancouver is one of the great bargains of all time. I consider myself a world traveller and I'm always amazed at how reasonable our restaurants are.

Hon's is like a factory... it's quite amazing. Definitely not gourmet, but it has something going for it, whatever it is. ;) I've gone there several times as my boyfriend lives in an apartment behind it. Just pop your head in, even if you don't plan on eating there - there are 2 kitchens and there are probably more kitchen staff than patrons eating there, even though there seems to be 100+ tables, and they're always full. As I said, it's like a factory... it's always on the go! The Four Seasons is possibly the most central part of Vancouver. It's just off Robson Street (Vancouver's "Rodeo Drive"). I'd go as far to say it's in the shopping district as they have an entrance that leads to the popular underground "Pacific Centre Mall". Downtown Vancouver is geographically so small that it really doesn't take that long to walk a few blocks. One good website to look at for Vancouver restaurants is the Vancouver Magazine Mini Restaurants Review site at http://www.vanmag.com/diningout/westcoast.html Here's their page on some of the city's Chinese restaurants: http://www.vanmag.com/diningout/chinese.html About Water Street Cafe - while I've never eaten there, I'd personally suggest a lunch/dinner at Cardero's instead. It represents Vancouver cuisine as well as Vancouver scenery. You really can't beat their location. Here's their website: http://www.sequoiarestaurants.com/carderos_main.html Hope this helps!

I would second the recommendation for Raincity Grill. I went there for the first time a few years ago with a friend who is a restaurant critic; he and his wife go there a lot, not to write it up but just to enjoy it. I love it there.