Vancouver in wonderland /2

see part one

Vancouver is not only Gastown. On the opposite part of town there’s the green and flourishing Stanley Park, a green space in a town that is full of green anyway, and surrounded by woods and forests. This is where tourists and residents go to enjoy the landscape, be it on bicycle, rollerblade, on foot or, if you’re really tired, by car. What with the scenic views and the things to admire (including the colourful Totem Park), a visit should last at least a couple of hours. And there are restaurants too: among these, the historic and a little touristy The Fish House and The Tea House.

Leaving Stanley Park but without moving too far from the centre of Vancouver, you can take another picturesque walk on Granville Street. This is the long road that cuts the town from North to South. It is full of peculiar and a little unsettling shops (you can even buy arms!), Art Deco theatres with nice luminous signs and food places. From the modern and finely furnished Fish Shack (look out for the walls, covered in industrial pallets) to the authentic The Mexican up to the small and reserved Twisted Fork bistro, there are many alternatives for a break. And if you really have time, you can get to the centre, where there’s Granville Market, a highly touristic destination with a decent organic market (the honey from nearby Chilliwack is delicious), lots of souvenir shops and a nice view of the city.

If you’re looking for breakfast, instead, apparently the best places are in the residential area, also a few steps from Granville St, in Yaletown. Here there’s Elbow Room, a point of reference popular among Hollywood stars. Just round the corner, we discovered one of the many dog boutiques in town: Barking Babies offers a nice selection of toys, dresses and collars but also a wide range of pastry products, strictly for dogs. The classic shopping area, however, is mostly concentrated on Robson street, where you can find the main high-street shops and various hotels.

Here you can also find the most sustainable restaurant in town, namely Forage, as part of hotel Listel. Their philosophy is ‘nothing should be thrown away’. In fact, they produce everything themselves, from vegetables to honey, and the fish and the meat are caught by them too. Chef Chris Whittaker offers an intriguing menu and a choice of snacks, platters to be shared and whole portions. The Ocean Wise logo is on the menu, indicating that the fish is caught in a sustainable way and there are many local artisanal beers in the list.

Meat is the focus of another trendy restaurant, the Wildebeest: in the menu, much attention is paid to ‘forgotten’ cuts such as marrow and entrails, re-interpreted in a modern and creative way. Too bad, however, I didn’t try Vancouver’s famous sushi. But then again, it’s a good reason to return as soon as possible.

2. the end