Vancouver Guest Guide: Gastown’s Essential Stops

Gastown is one of downtown Vancouver’s trendiest neighbourhoods, with various restaurants, shops, and coffee spots by the waterfront. This guide will help you discover some of this neighbourhood’s best places to visit while you’re staying in the area.

Gastown’s Sights to See

Steam clock
305 Water Street

Built in 1977, Gastown’s Steam Clock is one of the world’s only functioning steam-powered clocks, making it a worthy attraction no matter where you’re visiting from. After protests against former Mayor Tom Campbell’s plans to run a freeway through Gastown, Chinatown, and Strathcona, the city instead decided to invest money into revitalising Gastown and its historic buildings. Local store owners and private donors raised $58,000 to pay for the clock which still operates today, whistling and spraying steam at the top of every hour.  

Waterfront Pier at Canada Place
999 Canada Place

The Waterfront Pier at Canada Place is one of the must-visit locations if you’re anywhere in Vancouver, let alone staying in Gastown. Walk along the Canadian Trail for a stunning view by the water, with sections dedicated to each one of Canada’s provinces and territories. As long as the weather is nice, you’ll have an incredible view of the Port of Vancouver, Stanley Park, and the North Shore mountains. Located right by Canada’s largest and busiest port, if you’ve got some extra time visit the Port Discovery Centre for information about Vancouver Port’s history, activities, and current operations.

Gastown’s Bars and Restaurants

Water Street Café
300 Water Street

Founded in 1988, the Water Street Cafe is one of the city’s iconic restaurants, with a variety of fresh seafood and other dishes available for brunch, lunch, and dinner. The restaurant features wide and spacious windows for a clear view of Water street, along with live music Monday to Friday on the second floor, and happy hour every evening seven days a week. The Water Street Cafe is one of Vancouver’s premiere places to sit down for a coffee or a bite of food, with a perfect view of Gastown’s famous steam clock. 

Malone’s Social Lounge & Taphouse
608 West Pender Street

Malone’s Social Lounge and Taphouse is one of Gastown’s friendliest places to grab a drink and some food. Established in 1998, Malone’s has been serving downtown Vancouver with a fine selection of 38 rotating taps of local craft beers along with in-house created syrups for signature cocktail blends. Their menu is completely diet friendly, meaning that it accommodates vegetarian, vegan, paleo, and gluten-free diets, along with keto and fodmap diets with various alternatives and modifications to their dishes. Whether you just want to enjoy a couple of drinks and watch a sports game or are looking for a diet-friendly and accommodating locale, you’ll find Malone’s in the heart of Gastown.

Gastown’s Grocery Stores

Nesters Market
333 Abbott Street

A Canadian and BC-based business, Nesters Food Market provides full-service food stores with high quality goods at fair prices. With various locations in Vancouver and the rest of British Columbia, Nesters Food Market in Gastown is located in the historic Woodward’s building between West Hastings and West Cordova. With a wide selection of foods with an emphasis on providing healthy choices, the store’s bakery and deli serve up a variety of freshly made goods and dishes for those in a rush and looking for a hot meal to bring home. 

Meinhardt Fine Foods
609 Granville Street

Located towards Vancouver’s downtown centre Meinhardt Fine Foods is one of Vancouver’s top gourmet grocery stores from quality of food to their helpfulness in service. Established in the South Granville community by Linda Meinhardt in 1996, Meinhardt quickly earned a renowned reputation for being one of the city’s first gourmet grocery stores. With food selections from the finest suppliers around, Meinhardt also features a well-stocked deli with all kinds of fresh food choices from curries and salads to yogurt and in-house made sandwiches. 

Coffee and Baked Goods in Gastown

Waves Coffee
492 West Hastings Street

This Waves Coffee shop on the corner of Richards street and West Hastings is a lovely place to stop by and enjoy a coffee in the heart of one of downtown Vancouver’s busiest street corners. Waves uses 100% specialty grade beans that are purchased directly from small lot farmers. When they’re blended with real Belgian chocolate you get Waves’ uniquely flavourful mocha. With a selection of other drinks along with breakfast and lunch options, this founding Waves Coffee location is worth visiting for a brew. 

Milano Espresso Lounge 
36 Powell Street

Milano Espresso Lounge is where you can find one of Gastown’s cutest coffee shops with some of the finest Italian coffee around. Their proprietary blend combines more than ten premium 100% Arabica coffee bean varieties from around the world in order to achieve a perfect harmony of flavour and aroma. With all their coffee sourced, hand-roasted and blended, Milano serves coffee that can only be found there, while supporting small farm estates, fair trade, and certified organic coffees. Milano Espresso Lounge is also deeply connected with its various local communities, supporting the BC Cancer Society, Vancouver International Jazz Festival, and Our Lady of Sorrows Church.  

Late Night Snacks in Gastown

Gringo
27 Blood Alley Square

If you’ve ever had a craving for late night tacos and other Mexican bites, then Gringo is the place for you. Known for having some of the best tacos and burritos in the city, don’t be scared by the fact that it’s located in an alley named Bloody Alley! With friendly service, great food, and cheap drinks, it’s hard not to swing by Gringos for a late night snack. Open from midday until 1am from Sunday to Thursday and until 2am on Fridays and Saturdays, be aware that Gringos doesn’t take reservations and tends to fill up pretty quickly as the night goes on, so try and get there early or be willing to wait!

7-Eleven 
556 Abbott Street

Abbott Street’s 7-Eleven store is one of the few stores in Gastown’s neighbourhood where you’ll find hot snacks, cold beverages, and friendly service at any time of the day or night. Open 24/7, this 7-Eleven shop has a great selection of food items, along with any essential household and electronic products you might need in a pinch. With an ATM always available along with hot wings, pizza, and hot dogs, this 7-Eleven is a great place to stop by if you need to pick something up at any time.