Kerrisdale food guide: bakeries, cafés and Asian restaurants on West 41st Avenue

Kerrisdale is a residential neighbourhood on Vancouver's west side, and its village centre has a calmer pace than most of the city's food areas. The main strip is West 41st Avenue between Larch and Maple Streets, with West Boulevard running alongside it. It is the sort of place where people still queue at the bakery on Saturday morning, and where the bakery crowd and the lunch crowd share the same few blocks.

It is also easy to reach: the 41st Avenue bus runs along the strip, and it is a short drive from the University of British Columbia and from Granville Street.

What is Kerrisdale known for?

Not trendiness. Kerrisdale is known for long-lasting independent shops, a mature neighbourhood feel and food that suits it: good bread and pastries, coffee and tea, and a handful of reliable family restaurants. The local business association publishes a guide to the village, which is a handy way to see the shops and cafés along the strip.

Where do you get pastries and bread in Kerrisdale?

Bakeries are the neighbourhood's strongest card. Family-run bakeries along the main shopping street sell bread, pastries and cakes, and a morning walk is the easiest way to find them, along with the cafés on the same strip. If you are unsure what to order at a bakery, try:

• a butter croissant, to judge the baking
• a pain au chocolat or almond croissant
• a savoury item such as a quiche or a filled baguette for lunch
• something to take home for breakfast the next day

Go before ten on a weekend if you want the full display.

Where can you sit down for a coffee or a light lunch in Kerrisdale?

The strip has independent cafés where you can sit with a coffee or tea and something baked. It is a calm, old-fashioned way to spend an hour, and it works for a catch-up with a friend. Ask about dietary needs when you order, since many baked goods are mostly wheat and dairy, and check opening hours before you go, because they vary.

Where do you find dim sum and Asian food in Kerrisdale?

The strip has a few Cantonese and Vietnamese places. Ask which ones serve dim sum and when, since many restaurants offer it at weekends. Vietnamese pho shops and Japanese sushi bars fill out the rest. Compare this with Richmond, where the range of dim sum is far larger: Kerrisdale is the convenient choice if you live on the west side and want a weekend lunch without crossing a bridge.

What about a pub or a classic restaurant?

Kerrisdale has a mix of neighbourhood restaurants, from grills to Italian and Korean places. The mix means a family can find something for everyone on one street. Some of the rooms are small, so book for a group of five or more.

Is Kerrisdale expensive?

It sits in the middle. Bakery lunches and noodle soup are reasonably priced, while a restaurant dinner with wine costs about what it would in other west-side neighbourhoods. Remember that tax is added at the till: GST on food, with PST on alcohol. Tip 15 to 20 percent of the pre-tax subtotal at a table with service.

Is Kerrisdale good for children and older relatives?

Both. The pavements are wide and flat, many places have step-free entrances, and the pace is slow enough that a stroller or a walker is not a problem. Bakeries and cafés are comfortable for grandparents, while a bowl of noodles or a pizza suits younger children. The neighbourhood's parks, including Kerrisdale Park nearby, give children somewhere to run before or after a meal. If you are planning a family lunch for a birthday, book a few days ahead and say how many high chairs you need.

How do you spend a morning in Kerrisdale?

1. Arrive early for a coffee and a pastry from a local bakery.
2. Walk the length of West 41st to see the independent shops.
3. Have dim sum or a bowl of pho for lunch.
4. If you have time, finish with a coffee or a walk along West Boulevard.

Check opening hours before you set out, since some shops close on Sundays or Mondays.

How do you remember the best bakery on the strip?

Bakery mornings blur together by the third croissant. In the Mosey app you can rate a butter croissant, a pain au chocolat and a quiche as three separate dishes, so a bakery that does the bread brilliantly and the pastry less well is easy to remember honestly. Keep a list of the cafés and bakeries you want to try on West 41st, share it with the friend you are meeting for coffee, and follow the people whose taste matches yours to see what they rated nearby. After your morning in Kerrisdale, open the app and rate one thing you ate.

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