Surprising Places to Eat in Vancouver

Loving to eat, and loving to cook, means that you are always on the lookout for great places to be surprised by the food. On our visits into Vancouver we have some favourites and then there are some new places which we add to our list. We love to find unique little places with something that takes us by surprise. Being surprised by food is always a delicious moment in a day!

We were heading up to our favourite book store and while we waited for the owner to come cycling up and open the store, we wandered along McDonald and ‘just happened’ to pass by The Patty Shop. The smell of the freshly-baked and still very warm Jamaican Patties lured my husband in and he came out shortly thereafter with a box of a dozen still warm goodies. There was an assortment of beef, chicken and vegetable patties, and, while we meant to take them all home with us, a few of them were consumed as we travelled around the city doing various errands! What a tasty snack or lunch they are and well worth a stop at this little shop. This little row of shops around McDonald and 23rd is a treat to meander through.

Copenhagen and coffee anyone? One bite of these deliciously decadent pastry treats will cause you to say you must have another and then you are hooked! The pastry is so flaky, the filling so creamy and these are the best Copenhagen’s I have ever tasted. Elite Bakery on Rumble in Burnaby have been making superb Danish pastries for years, and my husband says they have been making these Copenhagen’s at least since he was a young man in university in the early 70's. Take some home, put on a good strong pot of coffee and enjoy a beautiful mid morning treat.

There is an excellent bakery on West 10th ,The Mix, that we traditionally go to when we are in the Vancouver in November doing our Christmas shopping. But of course, we stop there often when we are out shopping for their excellent hot apple cider and one of their Panini’s, the bocadillo or their savoury gallette. Their fresh baked breads are excellent and our favourite is their orange and cranberry bread - it is superb!! It is very small unpretentious little spot and usually very busy but their food is like comfort food with extra and unique ingredients added.

When you stay in downtown Vancouver and just walk to wherever your feet take you, you can find all sorts of places to eat. We were in town for a theatre production and wanted something simple but tasty to eat, along with a glass of wine, before heading to the Queen Elizabeth Theatre. The Vancouver Art Gallery has a cafeteria-style restaurant on the second floor and in the summer it opens up onto a very large patio. They offer some unique salads and I chose a French Rivera Salad which was roasted vegetables (including yams) and lentils over crisp lettuce. It was such a delightful combination. Sitting out on this second story patio overlooking Robson Square, in the warm July sunshine, sipping a cool beverage and being serenaded by a jazz trio made me think I was somewhere in Europe. It was such a splendid surprise to find this lovely café!

There are so many eateries and while many of them are full of clients, I find they often have nothing special to offer. Wherever we travel we love to find places off the beaten track that are eclectic and have something that grabs our attention and invites us in to give it a try. I am sure there will be more establishments to add to our list! There is always the need to eat, and the longing to find that something special on the menu.