Gastown food guide: where to eat and drink in Vancouver's oldest neighbourhood

Gastown is where Vancouver began. Its cobblestone streets, old brick warehouses and the famous steam clock on Water Street draw crowds of visitors every day, and in the last two decades it has also become one of the city's main places to go out for dinner and drinks. Many of Vancouver's most respected cocktail bars and chef-driven restaurants are here, often in narrow rooms with exposed brick.

It sits just east of downtown, a short walk from Waterfront station, which connects SkyTrain, the SeaBus and the West Coast Express.

Why is it called Gastown?

Gastown is named after John Deighton, a talkative saloon keeper known as Gassy Jack, who opened a saloon here in 1867 to serve the workers at a nearby sawmill. A settlement grew around it, and it became the core of the city that was incorporated as Vancouver in 1886. A statue of Gassy Jack stands in Maple Tree Square.

The neighbourhood declined for much of the twentieth century and was saved from a planned freeway in the late 1960s and early 1970s, when residents and preservationists pushed back. Its warehouses were restored, and in 2009 Gastown was designated a National Historic Site. The famous steam clock, which surprises many visitors, is not Victorian at all: it was built in 1977. Many of the best restaurants now occupy the old brick warehouses, which is why so many dining rooms here are long, narrow and lined with exposed brick.

Where to eat in Gastown

Gastown is compact, and the eating is concentrated in a few spots:

• Water Street, the main cobblestone street, has the steam clock, the souvenir shops and a mix of restaurants, some aimed squarely at visitors.
• Maple Tree Square, where Water Street meets Carrall Street, is the historic heart of the neighbourhood, surrounded by bars and restaurants with patios.
• Blood Alley Square, a small cobbled square just off Carrall, has some of the area's best-known dinner rooms and wine bars.
• Cordova and Powell streets have more casual spots, sandwich shops and cafés.

Is Gastown a tourist trap?

Parts of Water Street are aimed at people passing through, and the menus show it. But Gastown as a whole is not a trap. Vancouverites come here for date nights, after-work drinks and special dinners, and many of the city's most serious kitchens are within a few blocks of the steam clock. The trick is to look past the first restaurant you see with a large laminated menu and a host on the sidewalk. Step onto the side streets and squares, and the food gets better.

A good rule in Gastown: if the menu is in five languages and has photos of every dish, keep walking.

Is Gastown good for cocktails?

It is probably the best neighbourhood in Vancouver for them. Gastown has a dense run of cocktail bars, many in historic buildings, ranging from busy rooms with long bars to quiet spots with candlelight and a short list. Many also serve food, so a bar can easily become dinner. In BC, happy hour pricing has been allowed since 2014, so some bars run earlier-evening specials, though the province sets minimum drink prices.

Where to have a special dinner in Gastown

For an occasion, Gastown is a strong choice. It has small, ambitious restaurants with tasting menus, modern French and West Coast cooking, and wine lists built around BC producers. These places book up on Friday and Saturday nights, so reserve ahead, and mention a birthday or anniversary when you book. Many have only a few larger tables, so groups should call well in advance.

Can you eat cheaply in Gastown?

Yes, if you know where to look. Between the cocktail bars and dinner rooms there are sandwich counters, pizza places, noodle shops and cafés where lunch costs much less. Lunch is generally the best-value time to eat here. In the evening, a few bar snacks and a drink can be a cheaper night out than a full dinner.

Is Gastown safe at night?

Gastown is busy in the evening, with plenty of people heading to restaurants and bars, and most visitors have no problems. It does border the Downtown Eastside, an area with visible poverty, addiction and homelessness, and you will see that a few blocks east. Use ordinary city sense: keep your belongings close, stay on busier streets late at night, and take transit or a taxi home if you are unsure.

What else is near Gastown?

Chinatown is just to the south and east, a short walk away, with its own long history of restaurants and bakeries. Waterfront station is a few minutes from the steam clock, so you can reach Gastown easily from downtown hotels, cruise terminals or the North Shore by SeaBus. Canada Place and the Coal Harbour seawall are a short walk west.

How much does dinner in Gastown cost?

At the top end, Gastown is among the more expensive neighbourhoods in Vancouver, especially for tasting menus and cocktails. As across BC, prices on menus are before tax: food carries 5 percent GST, and alcohol also carries 10 percent PST. Tip 15 to 20 percent of the pre-tax subtotal for table service.

Gastown's best places are often small and easy to walk past. On Mosey, you can rate the places you ate at and the dishes you ordered, add photos, and save the ones you want to come back to on a list. When you are planning a night out, you can see where people actually ate, not just who paid for the biggest sign.

More guides to read next:

• Holiday dining in Vancouver: the Christmas Market, festive menus and booking tips
• Group dinners in Vancouver: how to book a table for 8, 12 or 20
• Halal food in Vancouver: where to look and how to check

More in the Canadian food guides and the ranked lists of places.