Last Updated on December 18, 2023 by Pamela MacNaughtan
One of my favourite places in Vancouver, and has been for the last 8 years or so. In fact, it is my go-to spot as soon as I arrive. Sure, the island attracts tourists, but that is not why I go. I go because there are shops and merchants on the island that I love and over the years I’ve developed a kind of odd routine which involves my going to Granville within an hour of arriving in Vancouver – it’s similar to how I can be found eating shawarma in Bangkok within hours of arriving.
While there are shops galore on Granville Island, I do have my favourite shops. Shops I’ve been visiting for the last 8 years because, well, they are awesome. Awesomeness should always be rewarded. Always!
paper-ya
Located in a small building across from the Public Market, Paper-Ya has been in business on Granville Island for 27 years, and as a paper and notebook geek, it is one of my favourite places to go. I love wandering through this shop looking at the fun and funky notebooks, little buttons, papers, tapes, stamps, and expensive leather handbags. I also buy a new notebook every time I go. Yes. Every. Single. Time. Thankfully their notebooks are reasonably priced, otherwise, I’d be too broke to eat!
terra breads
My obsession with Terra Breads is similar to that of a crackhead looking for his/her next hit. No, really, I am 100% serious. The pizza bianca is pretty much the only bread I buy – aside from the occasional blueberry bread. I LOVE this bread as it’s light, moist, and still tastes amazing the next day. I always buy two loaves. One I will devour within minutes of buying it, the other I save until late at night, or for the next morning.
Terra Breads makes a wide variety of bread, as well as orgasmically delicious tarts. They have shop locations on W 4th Ave, Granville Island, W 5th Ave, and The Village on False Creek.
the stock market
If I actually lived in Vancouver I’d be at The Stock Market almost every week. This is the best place in the public market for buying homemade soups, stocks, sauces, and butter. The latter is my ultimate weakness. Particularly the garlic butter. This isn’t just any garlic butter, this is very strong garlic butter. As in I’ll-have-to-soak-my-mouth-in-Scope-for-an-hour-to-get-rid-of-the-smell garlic butter. It is the perfect mate for my pizza bianca.
Truth be told I’m dipping chunks of pizza bianca in ‘Serious Garlic Butter’ right now. This means that in an hour I’ll be soaking my mouth in Scope. I don’t care though. It tastes amazing!!
floating houses
I’m not 100% sure why, but I am absolutely attracted to the houses floating on False Creek at Granville Island. They are cute, trendy, and in some small way, I kind of wish I owned one – and a sailboat to park outside as well! I love walking by the houses, taking photos, and becoming that crazy stalker chick for a while. I mean, it’s not like they have anything to worry about, I only come and covet those houses every couple of years or so!
oyama sausage co.
This is hands down my favourite vendor for sausage and cured meats at Granville Island Public Market. Oyama is a family-run business and the owner, John, is a 5th generation charcuterie producer. Whenever I’m in town I stop by Oyama to pick up some cured meats, which I’ll enjoy with the pizza bianca from Terra Breads! They also have a small cheese case that features international cheeses, but some local cheese from Salt Spring Island as well. Yumgasm!!
Their website has some yummy recipes that you should totally check out.
maiwa
Maiwa is my guilty pleasure shop. Established in 1997, Maiwa features products made by artisans from small villages. It’s similar to the Ten Thousand Villages concept, but a little more upscale. Maiwa sells everything from furniture, to textiles, to jewellery, to clothing. OMG, I love this store. I have to make sure I’m already broke when I go through, otherwise, I’ll spend way too much money on things that I don’t actually need!!
website • women-owned
Other Things to See & Do in Granville Island
Granville Island is full of shops and restaurants, and I have spent I don’t even know how many hours there. It is truly one of my favourite places in the city, and every time I go, there is something new to check out. The above list is small, but that is because those are the places I ALWAYS visit whenever I’m on the island. There are other spots worth checking out as well:
Granville Island Walking Tour: One of the best introductions to Granville Island is the walking tour offered by Vancouver Foodie Tours.
Arts Club Lounge: A great place for a drink and light meal before or after a performance. Or if you’re in the area and want to check it out.
Emily Carr University: If you’re a huge fan of Emily Carr’s work, pop by and see if you can get into the library. Tons of books and references for art geeks.
Liberty Wines: This small wine store is the best place in the market if you’re looking to purchase wines made in the Okanagan, Mission Hill is one of the more popular brands.
Granville Island Brewery: The only microbrewery on the island. If you’re a beer lover stop by for a tour and tasting. There are several varieties to choose from.
