lovesadventure

Husband and I are celebrating our anniversary this coming weekend. Staying at the Westin Bayshore. We like to eat (foodies!!) and thus far have only really planned meals. Please comment and offer suggestions, we can still change reservations and have some undecideds! Activity-wise, we've been through Vancouver a few times before, never for more than a night. We've done Robson Street and really aren't there to shop. More to "experience" the City. Any additional recs appreciated!

Friday travel up to Vancouver from Seattle. Any idea how long to allow for? We're leaving early afternoon and hoping to make it in 4-4.5 hours. Is this reasonable on a holiday weekend (I realize at best, we're guessing)?
Dinner: Tojo's for omakase

Saturday am: Granville Island for breakfast
Spend day checking out South Granville, Kitslano and Yale Town.
Sunday evening: Dinner at West

Sunday morning: Brunch at Rain City Grill?
Rent bikes (weather allowing) and ride around Stanley Park
Alternative: take the bus tour around town or the sky train
Sunday dinner: looking for recommendations

Monday morning: check out, final sight seeing
Lunch: to Richmond for dim sum
Start driving back to Seattle

Thanks for any input!

lovesadventure

Oh, and for the additional meals, I wouldn't mind recommendations for more casual (less $$) restaurants to compliment what we've already planned.

weasel

Hi, The drive up will take 3- 31/2 hrs plus boarder crossing time which lately has been ~ 15 min. I would probably go to Sophies cosmic cafe or the Elbow room for breakfast and then visit Granville Island. The market is O.K. if you just want to pick up food to go, but not great for breakfast.

PamSF

Congratulations! We just stayed at the Westin Bayshore in early April. It's a lovely spot and the waterfront walk is quite nice. If you are into massages, I recommend one with Marnie at the Spa. She was fabulous and I have gotten a million massages over the years.

Yaletown is a quickie for certain. There is also a great place for breakfast right across the street from the Coastal Peoples Gallery. I think it's called Milt's(or something with an M) but I am not certain. You should definitely take in the Gallery as it has some of the best Native art of the PNW I've seen anywhere except at the Royal Museum in Victoria.

I can't say enough about Vij's for dinner. This is a great ( and upon return getting greater) place for imaginative East Indian food. You cannot make reservations but they do pass appetizers while you wait and have a very affordable wine list. They are only open for dinner. The place next door Rangoli is open for lunch (Kitslano).

I would also recommend you check out Aurora Bistro. It's a tiny venue with good, affordable PNW food. The chef/owner formerly worked at Bishop's.It's a cab ride(maybe $10 Canadien) from the Westin but you will be in an entirely new section of Vancouver(somewhat dicey but interesting). Aurora has a website. Check it out.

There is also Bin 941 on Davie which does not take reservations but has some fabulous BC small plates and a BC wine list. Last time we were there I was among the oldest folk there(I'm 55.."look marvelous" but still 55)The seared ahi tuna plate with the Balinese rice cake was to die for.

Personally, Granville is ok but not worth much time. I do like the print galleries and always head to the SandBar for a drink overlooking the water. I really don't think there's much good food on Granville.

I love Vancouver. Have a great time!
Those Westin heavenly beds are the best.

PamSF

I just checked on the place in Yaletown..it's Mel's. (less a scene than Rain City Grill and very good food.

The neighborhood in which Aurora Bistro is located is SOMA.

PamSF

I'm a "foodie" also FWIW.

laurelee

Pam-
I'm interested in hearing more about your stay at the Westin Bayshore. I am booked for there in July. What type of room did you have? Did you ever eat at the restaurants there? Was it a lovely spot with lots of flowers, etc.?
Does any public tranportation stop around there to get you to other places. I love to walk, but am coming with my 80 yr. old mom. I just hope I'm picking the right place and not better off downtown at the Sutton or somewhere. Can you fill me in? Thanks.

littlemountain

For your Sunday dinner, I'm going to recommend some of the excellent neighbourhood restaurants within walking distance of the Bayshore Hotel. Their food transcends ordinary "neighbourhood" quality yet their ambience is unmistakably West End. None of them is as expensive as the deservedly applauded Tojo's and West.

Closest to the hotel at Denman (N/S) and Alberni (E/W) is a genuine French bistro - Cafe de Paris: http://www.cafedeparisbistro.com. The chef for the last two years, Scott Kidd, was formerly at Raincity Grill. Without tipping the scales too far in the nouveau direction, has given Jon Michael Preece's local and visiting patrons an expanded range of options from cassoulet to smoked ahi tuna to halibut with portobello mushrooms to (my favourite comfort food) the roasted chicken breast in peppercorn sauce -- perfect for dunking the complimentary pommes frites in.

Two blocks further on at Gilford (N/S) and Haro (E/W) is a West Coast cuisine casual/funky little room: Parkside Restaurant: http://www.parksiderestaurant.ca. It houses another distinguished Vancouver chef, Andrey Durbach. Rich food, reasonably priced.

There is a similar feel at Delilah's, at Denman (N/S) and Comox (E/W): http://www.delilahs.ca. It has especially good seafood and largish martinis (which are priced below the wine by the glass!). A flamboyant fixture in the West End for over 20 years (although it was originally located in the Parkside space).

You know about Raincity Grill. And yes, I do like their brunch.

Now for the warnings. The places adjacent to your hotel have views, and foodies know what that means.

Elsewhere, yes, Vij's is great, if you don't mind waiting or getting there early. I like Aurora Bistro, too, but think you can get much the same neigbourhood food and feel at, say, Parkside.

As for activities, if the weather is nice, you can rent a small speedboat from a dock to the East of the Bayshore -- the concierge should be able to identify. You can circle around Stanley Park into False Creek or head up Vancouver Harbour and go up Indian Arm.

Have a great weekend.

PamSF

Laurelee~We were initially in a room with a terrace overlooking the water. It had 2 queen beds. We subsequently moved to an "internet" room which had a king but was much less styled than what we had during the first part of our stay(which was paid for by the hospital and under conference rates).

I had just begun to figure out public transportation by the end of our stay. That being said there is a sky train stop maybe 3 blocks away (across from the Fairmont.) We cabbed it most of the time.

I wish I could answer your question regarding the Westin vs The Sutton but cannot.

Regarding the restaurants: we only had drinks @ the Westin which were ok(pricey but ok). We did hop over to Cardero's which is owned by the same folks who own the Sandbar on Granville. It is within easy walking distance from the Westin and on the water. We had a fine lunch there.

PamSF

sorry but one more bit of info:my 80 plus in-laws stayed at the Westin before we did and loved it. They had recommended Cardero's which they loved.

lovesadventure

Great! Thanks for the input! The restaurants sound wonderful (how will I pack it all in)? I'm afraid of Vij because I currently can't eat curry without leaving with a day-glow mouth (braces) and am not one for self-restraint. But perhaps at the very end of our trip?

I'll check out the websites for the other restaurants mentioned. Do we need reservations on a Sunday evening?

littlemountain

At this time of year, a Sunday reservation wouldn't usually be necessary for Cafe de Paris, Parkside or Delilah's.

By the way, not sure how active you are, but the Vancouver way to get from the West End to Granville Island would be to walk to the Vancouver Aquatic Centre and take a mini-ferry ($2 fare) to Granville Island. Simple directions from the Bayshore: right on West Georgia Street, left on Denman Street, left on Beach Avenue, you're there. It's a 20-25 minute walk.

lovesadventure

Perfect, Littlemountain! I had read about the ferry/water taxi, but didn't know how to get to it.

Now if we can just keep the rain away...

curiousgeo

littlemountain, if I may ask how is Cafe de Paris these days? It used to be our favorite restaurant in Vancouver, but when we went back about 4 years ago, ownership had changed and it really went downhill. Has Scott Kidd elevated the food back to the level it used to be?

lovesadventure, for something quite different, Gyoza King on Robson St. is a place we enjoy. It caters to lots of Japanese hungering for a taste of home. Kind of like an izakaya (pub like), lots of different food choices, very reasonable and authentic. A plus is that it stays open quite late.

littlemountain

Like Les Deux Maggots, Cafe de Paris is one of those bistros which enduringly weathers changes of ownership. Since your last visit, there was another one, for the better, I'm pleased to say. Some of Scott Kidd's creations are a bit "out there" for me, but by looking at the descriptions on the menu, you can pretty much tell what you're getting.

The other French restaurant I really like and which still excels is Le Crocodile.

laurelee

Thanks, Pam...was your first room in the tower? Do you remember which floor?
Thanks.