Monique_in_Canada

I am taking an Alaskan cruise in a few weeks, out of Vancouver, but staying a few days in Vancouver before we sail, we will hire a car, wot should we go see?? where is a good place to eat?? are there any decent Indian restaurants that anyone could recommend etc.....thanks

Former Lancastrian

Are we talking East Indian or Native American, First Nation or Aboriginal who are commonly known as Indians as there is a huge difference.

orly

I'll wager a few cents on it being the "curry and naan" kind of Indian restaurant.

Former Lancastrian

Blend both cultures together a curry with bannock bread.

Oink

Stanley Park (take some food to feed the animals), Capilano suspension bridge (wear good footwear), the aquarium (take ear plugs), gastown (watch your purse and wallet), BCTF head office (take some food to feed the animals).

To eat; Kobe Japanese Steak House, Indian Bistro or Vera's Burger Shack. But if you actually enjoy food then the Blue Water Cafe is not bad.

Where the naff is East India?

Former Lancastrian

East India
East India is a region of India consisting of the Indian states of West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha and also the union territory Andaman and Nicobar Islands. West Bengal's capital Kolkata is the largest city of this region. Wikipedia

Of course there is West India, South India and North India which are all just regions of India itself but for whatever reason a few restaurants and businesses use the East India name whereas very few use North South or West India as a name.

caretaker

Green Lettuce restaurant for Desi style, (Indian style Chinese).

Oink

Bollocks. It's a racist and lazy term fashioned to distinguish different brown people.

Former Lancastrian

Sort of like North Dakota and South Dakota

JonboyE

Lots of threads on this topic already. Here is one with some of my recommendations.

http://britishexpats.com/forum/showt...ncouver&page=1

CanadaJimmy

The Naam restaurant in Vancouver is very good and has been rated a few times as one of the best in the city - they also do some pretty decent currys. No too pricey either.

Definitely Stanley Park as others have said, and Gastown (some good touristy shops there too if you're into that). If the weather is nice, take a bus to Spanish banks beach too, it's a nice beach with some good scenery of the mountains and downtown. The Kitsilano area is nearby to that and is where the Naam restaurant is, in addition to a very cheap and good Sushi joint called Kitstaya sushi. In my opinion this area is one of the nicest parts of Vancouver. Also definitely check out Granville Island, there is a really amazing indoor market there which is basically a foodie's dream come true.

I would say don't bother with the Capilano suspension bridge, way overpriced for what it is, and making the effort to get up there during the short time you are here will suck up a lot of your available time. There is actually a shorter free bridge at Lynn Valley park instead if you really want to do something like that, but that is also in North Vancouver.

If the weather is bad, go to Queen Elizabeth park and check out the biodome, it's an indoor botanical garden with parrots and animals, very cool.

Londonuck

Monique... if you're only here for while I would wait til you go home for an curry.

And when I say curry I dont mean West Indian, Sudanese, Ethiopian, Goan, Kenyan, Thai, Malaysian or Chinese.

Caruthers

I really enjoyed the museum of anthropology full of indigenous native American carvings..totems etc. I think its out by the university, no problem with a car. Its an unique collection

..guessing by its location near the Uni, I expect you could score Indian (to eat)..but maybe dim sum would be more appropriate in China Town?

Rest of Vancouver was surprisingly unremarkable and made me wonder why it gets best city to live in consistently. Enjoy!

Lychee

I would not seek out the Naam. It is dirty, service is awful, and hasn't changed since it opened in the 1960s. It's a restaurant where people go to at 3am to ward off the hangover. Yes, it's rated as one of the best *vegetarian* restaurants, likely because it's often the only vegetarian restaurant people can name off the top of their head. The Acorn on Main Street is a far superior vegetarian restaurant, if that's what you're seeking: http://www.theacornrestaurant.ca/ With limited time in Vancouver, avoid the Naam. There are so many better restaurants in Vancouver.

Vij's is considered one of Vancouver's best restaurants, and it also offers Indian cuisine.

http://www.vijsrestaurant.ca/

Note that Vancouver's Indian population is primarily Punjabi. The Indian food in Vancouver is not the same as the Indian food you are used to in England.

Another restaurant worth considering is Palki's:

http://www.palkirestaurant.com/

Edit: I agree with others who say wait until you go home before ordering a curry. Vancouver is not known for its Indian food (aside from, perhaps Vij's lamb "popsicles" in fenugreek curry - ha!). If you're seeking out the best that Vancouver has to offer, go with Japanese food. Kishimoto, Minami, Toshi's, Octopus' Garden are all excellent options for sushi. For izakaya (Japanese tapas), Hapa Izakaya, Kingyo, and Kitanoya Guu are other excellent places, especially if you're hesitant about ordering raw fish.

Bon appetit!

Lychee

Chinatown has (surprisingly) bad Chinese restaurants, and it's not somewhere I'd recommend visiting with limited time. It is dreadful and depressing. The best Chinese restaurants for dim sum are in Richmond, a short ride south of Vancouver. Richmond is where all the Hong Kong immigrants have flocked to. Lots of $$$ exists there, and there's big demand for Hong Kong style restaurants. There are literally hundreds of restaurant choices there. Food is authentic, mind you.

The Museum of Anthropology is beautiful and worth a visit. If you have a car, drive to nearby Jericho Beach or Spanish Banks - great picnic location and photo ops.

Lynn Canyon in North Vancouver for a free suspension bridge in the rainforest.

Stanley Park is a must. Beaches, rainforests, gardens - what's not to love? You can easily spend the whole day there.

Granville Island can be fun if you enjoy farmers markets and artist studios. Fairly whimsical place worth a few hours.

If you enjoy gardens, VanDusen Botanical Garden is beautiful and worthy of a visit for serious botanists, and Queen Elizabeth Park is lovely.

Commercial Drive by evening (on a nice day) for bohemian/cafe culture, a taste of a Vancouver community.

The seawall by evening, especially somewhere like English Bay or Kitsilano Beach is a spectacular end to the day. The sunsets are sublime.

Edit: Vancouver is not about the infrastructure; it is about the natural setting/environment/climate.