Livestock

Rated this place:

116 Spadina Ave, Toronto, ON, M5R 1A1

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• sneaker store

John's Jukes Ltd

Rated this place:

2343 Main St, Vancouver, BC, V5T3C9

retro party place: got a couple grand to burn? want to throw an aunthentic old school dance party? from the minute you walk through the door, John's Jukes smells of days passed. so if you wanna party like it's 1954, this is the place. they've got pinball machines and old video games, too.

Grouse Mountain

Rated this place:

6400 Nancy Greene Way, Vancouver, BC, V7R 4K9

View of the city:

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• view of the city

Mintage

Rated this place:

1714 Commercial Drive, Vancouver, BC, V5N4A3

Vintage:

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• vintage

SoHo Billiards

Rated this place:

1283 Hamilton Street, Vancouver, BC, V6B 2X5

Pool hall:

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• Pool Hall

JewellerBau

Rated this place:

2408 Main Street, Vancouver, BC

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• co-op jeweller

Soma Café & Lounge

Rated this place:

151 East 8th Avenue, Vancouver, BC, V5T1R8

Sidewalk patio private brunch: In the start of the SoMa neighborhood is where you'll find this eponymous boite. they've a great little menu but with a streetside table like this, all you need is a small group of your dearest and sunny afternoon.

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• Sidewalk patio private brunch

Vera's Burger Shack

Rated this place:

1925 Cornwall Avenue, Vancouver, V6J 1C8

Burger joint: Wear something you ain't afraid to get dirty. and if you've got heart problems, consider yourself warned.

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• Burger Joint

The Railway Club

Rated this place:

579 Dunsmuir Street, Vancouver, V6B 1Y4

Live music: Great for discovering local talent. there's something going on here 7 days a week. use it as a starting destination or a fallback plan. either way, you'll be covered if live music is what your heart's after.

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• Live Music

Foundation

Rated this place:

2301 Main Street, Vancouver, BC, V5T3C9

Funky veg resto: With its funky vibe and chilled atmosphere, you'll barely even notice that they don't serve meat. eating veg has never been easier.

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• Funky Veg Resto

Urban Source

Rated this place:

3126 Main Street, Vancouver, BC, V5T 3G7

Craft shop:

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• Craft Shop

Chill Winston

Rated this place:

3 Alexander St, Vancouver, BC, V6A 1B2

People watching place: Tis one of the best people watching and meeting places in Gastown. you'll find all kinds here, from the pretty to the pretty bizarre.

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• People watching place

Antisocial

Rated this place:

2337 Main Street, Vancouver, BC, V5T 3C9

Skate shop:

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• Skate shop

Motherland Clothing Co

Rated this place:

2539 Main Street, Vancouver, BC, V5T 3E5

Canadian-made clothing store:

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• Canadian-Made Clothing Store

The Eatery

Rated this place:

3431 West Broadway, Vancouver, BC, V6R2B4

Fun japanese: Young, outgoing servers on the floor. traditional, knowledgable cooks in the kitchen. so the food is good, but the vibe of this place is definitely not traditional. one peek at the website and you'll know what I mean. Miso hungry indeed.

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• fun Japanese

Capers Community Markets

Rated this place:

1675 Robson Street, Vancouver, BC, V6G1C8

Organic supermarket: Loads of storemade goodies to takeaway, organic products and great green initiatives. it'll feel like you've died and gone to hippie foodie heaven.

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• Organic Supermarket

Kintaro

Rated this place:

788 Denman Street, Vancouver, V6G 2L5

Ramen: Firm, perfectly cooked Ramen noodles tucked underneath a thick slice of fatty pork surrounded by rich broth. go early as lineups are the norm here.

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• Ramen

Stella's Tap and Tapas Bar

Rated this place:

1191 Commercial Drive, Vancouver

Import beer bar: Superb imported Belgian beer (I can't think of anywhere else in this city you can get a bottle of Rochefort 8) and tasty, yet affordable tapas.

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• import beer bar

Wild Rice

Rated this place:

117 West Pender, Vancouver, V6B 1S4

New chinese: Modern Chinese food without falling into the ever-expanding bowl of Asian Fusion eateries. take a glance at the menu at you'll see what I mean. food aside, Wild Rice also practices sustainability incorporating causes like Oceanwise and Green Table. that's right: Chinese food with a conscience.

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• New Chinese

Chongqing

Rated this place:

2808 Commercial Drive, Vancouver, ON, V5N 4C6

Szechuan: There just aren't many good Szechuan places in this city but this one of them. the Dan Dan noodles are a must-try. firm, wheat noodles, almost entirely exclusive to this dish, swim in a spicy peanut soup. so good that I'd offer a money-back guarantee. no joke.

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• Szechuan

The Blarney Stone

Rated this place:

216 Carrall Street, Vancouver, BC, V6B 2J1

Irish bar/club: A lively Irish bar on the edge of Gastown, they've got live music throughout most of the week and good craic all year round.

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• Irish bar/club

Waazubee Cafe

Rated this place:

1622 Commercial Drive, Vancouver, BC

Old school commercial drive joint: A venerable veteran of the Drive, Waaz has been a hippie-hipster meeting place since days of yore. and its age hasn't affected its charm one bit. also check out shinier little sister Subeez Cafe downtown.

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• old school Commercial Drive joint

Steamworks

Rated this place:

375 Water Street, Vancouver, V6B 5C6

Brewpub restaurant: With plenty of nooks and larger rooms for parties of all sizes, it's good for an afterwork drink, or full-on eating affair. though my preference would be a table for two a la oyster bar and sparkling wine.

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• Brewpub restaurant

The Cannery

Rated this place:

2205 Commissioner, Vancouver, V5L 1A4

Old school seafood restaurant: Nautical themes. old wood trimmings. North Shore view. one of my family's faves and one of Vancouver's oldest seafood stalwarts. just looking at their menus gets my belly going ahoy, ahoy!

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• old school Seafood restaurant

Happy Valley Seafood Restaurant

Rated this place:

3432 Broadway , Vancouver, BC

New dim sum: New, contemporary dim sum creations (along with some of the old) replace Chinese ladies pushing carts, barking out dishes in broken English. you might think charm lost, but trust me, it's a fair trade off.

• favourite thing(s) at this place:
• New dim sum