Public Market

The market is a great place to visit. Whether you are picking up fresh produce, getting caffeinated, looking to satisfy your sweet tooth, getting a souvenir or gift, or having a bite to eat. For us, when we say we’re going to Granville Island, we mean going to the Public Market and general browsing in the Loft.

As locals, we’ve developed a circuit, hitting up our favourite shops. I also love walking freely to visit the artisan stalls spread around Public Market. Maybe grab a sample or try something new. Taking your time, even if some locals do seem to be in a hurry, is a wonderful way to catch the scents and sights.

Shopping at Public Market

Pastas

We love coming here with mom to pick up freshly-made pastas, sauces, and cheese. Duso’s Italian Foods (#120) always has a line, for good reason. Take your time to browse from an array of pastas, cheeses, and sauces. I love their tortellini and gnocci. After founder Mauro Duso immigrated to Canada, he found his home in Vancouver in the late 1960s. With him, he brought authentic recipes and traditional pasta-making. Duso’s been at Granville Island from day one, in 1979, and now his pastas and sauces are sold in hundreds of locations. Still, going to Granville Island is a such a treat.

Meats

Public Market has several businesses to visit for getting high-quality meat. We aren’t big meat eaters though from time to time, my mom would get a rack of lamb.

Try these places. Oyama Sausage Co. is a family business founded by John, a 5th generation charcuterie craftsman, and Christine van der Lieck over three decades ago in Oyama, BC and moved to Granville Island in 2001. They pride themselves in sources the highest qualities and using ethically-raised meats.

If you are looking for spices, head over to Granville Island Spice Co.

Seafood

For seafood, there are a couple of options – Longliner Seafoods, famous for their smoke-glazed salmon (which can be packed for air travel) and Seafood City. Both are family businesses. The Moorhead family runs Longliner Seafoods. A fisherman for twenty-five years, Jimmy was known for going after halibut in tough conditions off Alaska’s frozen coast. With the opening of Granville Island, Jimmy, a charter member, went from fisherman to running full-time a successful family business. His wife, Pat, worked as a clerk and their sons, Dave and Scott, were also part of the operations. Six days a week, in the early hours, they began a 2-hour routine before the start of business day.

It was a good time to shift gears as changes in regulations in the fishing industries such as the 200-mile law saw Canadian fishing boats needing to fish the richer, though rapidly depleting fishing grounds of the Bering Sea. For a long time, the Canadian waters were crowded and overfished. If you want to see the original news story from West Coast circa 1987, here’s the link to Scott Moorhead’s Facebook Page. Stay until the end of the video to see Scott holding a giant steelhead, which he said in a comment “has gone the way of the dinosaur. Those special fish from the Thompson River are sadly almost extinct.”

Also an original Public Market tenant, Seafood City was started by Tak, an immigrant from Japan, and his Meg Hamatake. For twenty years now, their son, Brian has been at the helm. Now in his 80s, Tak is semi-retired.

This is where my mom got fish head for soup, before ancestral and traditional came back into vogue. Before Seafood City, it was Hamaso, which had a strong clientele of Japanese-Canadians and Canadians of other Asian heritage. Moving to Granville Island, it found new customers.

Flowers & Plants

Another business that’s been there at the opening of the Public Market, first as a day-vendor, is V&J Plant Shop. They have beautiful flowers there and an assortment of plants. My dad loved plants and we’d browse just outside the doors to the Public Market. V&J stands for owners Valentine (1929-1999) and Julia (nee Steigelmar) (1930-2023) Rindje. Both came from German communities in what was Yugoslavia and became refugees before immigrating to Canada in the 1950s. Vancouver is where they met. Before Y&J Plant found its permanent home at Granville Island, they had greenhouses before expanding into the floral industry. This family business started in farmers’ markets.

Sweets

If you’re looking for the delicious Mont Blanc – I have a love affair with it – there’s La Bise Bakery. Located at kiosk 150, this French bakery is relatively new to Public Market, opening in 2020. Vancouver-native, the founder, Nicole Scriabin, saw the gap in European sweet offerings when she returned home, after living overseas for 25 years.

Another one that joined Granville Island in 2020, moving from their Kitsilano location, is Bon Macaron Patisserie. Opened by two native Frenchmen, Yann Fougere and David Boetti, Bon Macaron also offers baking workshops.

There’s a lot of sweetness on offer – donuts, fudge, chocolate, honey, and all the candy from Snack City.

If you’re looking for a gift, there’s Maple Syrup from Maple Syrup Shack. You can’t miss them – they’re right by the main entrance. Still going strong, since 1999.

Eating at the Public Market

There are 50+ food vendors though over the years, we have our own favourites.

For my mom, it’s always Celine’s Fish and Chips and usually a sampler plate. For fish and chips, you can get cod or salmon. It’s been years since I’ve been so I’m not sure if Celine’s still great. The last couple of times my mom ate there, she didn’t feel so great. They are at #109, down towards the end, where Blue Parrot Coffee is. This coffee shop, always busy, is also at Hillcrest Community Centre, near Queen Elizabeth Park.

For me, it depends. Sometimes I get a savoury crepe from Muffin Granny. They’ve been around since the late 1970s and have been serving both savoury and sweet crepes now for more than twenty years. Sometimes, I got fresh watermelon juice.

Granville Island also has many restaurants and eateries.

Chau’s Veggie Express

Over the years there’ve been many changes. Chau’s Veggie Express, where I got vegan meals and Vietnamese coffee, closed late 2024. This included their restaurant. Vegan meals inspired by Vietnamese cuisine. Sometimes, things need to end, before beginning afresh. It’s now re-opened as Chau Café in Granville Island and in East Vancouver, at 5052 Victoria Drive. Download their Granville Island menu.

The story of food and restaurants runs deep in our family, and in the Vietnamese community in Vancouver. Our family has been in this business since the ’80s,” she says. “In the beginning, when our family lived in RayCam low-income housing in Strathcona, my mom was cooking every day and the focus was on Phở and Bánh mì. My mother was the first in Vancouver to make traditional beef balls for our Phở, which led to Vietnamese cold cuts, pâté, and head cheese—things we also supplied to restaurants and small grocery stores around town.

Maria Huynh, owner (Interview with Scout Magazine)

net Loft

I love the Net Loft, with so many shops to browse. The stationery shop, Paper-Ya, is especially busy. Opened in 1986 by two artists, Denise Carson Wilde and Sharyn Yuen, Paper-Ya may originally be known for handmade paper; this store has expanded over the years and is now owned by mother and daughter, Chris and Austin Szentveri. I enjoyed the smaller selection, especially Japanese products. Have you tried notebooks with cotton paper?

The Postcard Place may be small; it’s certainly has a lot of inventory, some of which is still in my collection.

Maiwa, which started as a retail store in 1986, is now also a Foundation and the Maiwa School of Textiles and School of Textiles. Their Foundation work is aimed to reduce poverty by teaching and working with artisans to gain self-sufficiency.

The Market Kitchen Store is always fun. It’s the first store at the entrance across from Vancouver’s first organic bakery, Bread Affair. You can sit outside in Triangle Square on the sturdy wooden benches to enjoy your sandwich or pastry and music from buskers. How do Fried Egg on Brioche and double-baked pistachio croissant sound?

Artisan District

The Artisan District is where you find arts, artisans, and supplies, including Liberty Distillery which uses organic BC grain and Opus Art Supplies at 1360 Johnston Street.

Founded in 1925 as Vancouver School of Decorative and Applied Arts, it later became Emily Carr University of Art and Design in 1978. Granville Island was its home up until 2017. Opus was the stomping ground of many art students, hobbyists, and professionals. I have spent many hours at Opus.

Granville Island Broom Company is founded by sisters Mary and Sarah Schwieger, broom makers from the Kootenay region of British Columbia. Their work is beautiful and I have a small broom from them.

If you love arts and want to visit artisans, this part of Granville Island is a must.

Kids’ Market

Housed in a historic 100-year building that began as a factory, Kids’ Market is a great space in Granville Island. Some of its original businesses are still there. First started in 1984, Kids’ Market has twenty-five shops and is also in a train caboose plus two additional buildings.

When you enter Granville Island on Anderson, you’ll take a right onto Cartright. Kids’ Market is located at the corner. The two-floor building has a lot for kids. If you like crystals, check out The Crystal Ark. If you’re in Vancouver on the weekend, come for the free craft workshops. Depending on when you’re in town, one of its 75 annual events may be happening.

More to Do at granville Island

Granville Island has so many restaurants to try.

For libations, there’s Liberty Distillery, Artisan Sake Maker, and Granville Island Brewery. This is Vancouver’s first microbrewery, going back to 1984. On past trips home, I’ve done flights for tasting. Summer is quite special in Vancouver and sitting outside in Granville Island is like a vacation, even for locals.

The Sandbar

Probably the restaurant we most go to is The Sandbar. This is where I spent Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners, my first year back. Known for seafood, Sandbar also has its own sushi bar.

The Sandbar is part of the Sequoia Company, which also owns Cardero’s (Coal Habour), Seasons in the Park, and Teahouse in Stanley Park. All of these are great dining choices. Seasons in the Park is an old favourite for locals celebrating birthdays, graduations, anniversaries, and other events.

Located in the Creekhouse, at 1535 Johnston Street, The Sandbar has a great view on its upper level.

The Sandbar is known for its seafood, and the view from the upper floor.

Blue Hat

Another place we like to go to is Blue Hat Bakery-Café. Near to Granville Island, The Blue Hat Bakery-Café and Blue Hat Bistro are part of the Pacific Culinary Institute. The menu is French-inspired West Coast. The pastries at Blue Hat are amazing. You can also have a sandwich for lunch or grab some fresh bread.

Note: their parking lot is tiny.

Granville Island has about a dozen restaurants, mostly serving seafood. Granville Island, after dark, is a beautiful place to be, more quiet with a view of the city lit up.

The Improv Centre

If you love comedy, check out The Improv Centre. It’s improv and so unscripted. Great memories of a lot of laugh. Highly recommended. We can all use a laugh, right?

Getting to Granville Island

Granville Island is easily accessible. There are many ways to get to Granville Island. Give yourself at least half a day, depending on what you want to do.

Granville Island Map