If you’re like us, you live for the weekend. It doesn’t get much better than spending a sunny afternoon in the city nibbling on gourmet treats, hitting up local boutiques, picking up new trinkets for the home, finding new hidden gems, and grazing lazily on a brand new patio.
Last weekend, we were invited to take the Yaletown BIA’s gorgeous red Raleigh cruiser out for a spin, and so we did exactly that, weaving together six stops, just minutes from the seawall, that made for the ultimate Yaletown bike tour. Grab your wheels and follow along!
XOXOLAT
This bright and airy destination chocolate shop is an ode to the cocoa bean. From sculptural statement chocolates to the country’s largest selection of single-origin chocolate bars (made in-house, of course) there’s a melt-in-your-mouth sample for the connoisseur in everyone. Don’t leave without tasting owner Hodie Rondeau’s best-selling Cardamom Crème Brulée bar; you’ll never look at white chocolate the same way again. 1271 Homer Street • xoxolat.com
SUQUET INTERIORS
Family business meets sleek décor emporium at Suquet Interiors, now helping design-loving Vancouverites envision a more inspiring abode from its new location in Yaletown. From the classic-yet-textural coffee tables and lounges, to the massive stone fireplaces – replicas of the types you’d see in the grand buildings of Mexico City (and can now find in Shaughnessy mansions and shops like Boboli) – to a hands-on design team, pop in to see how nice small (and big) space living can feel. 101 - 1014 Homer Street • suquetinteriors.com
KARAMELLER CANDY
Swedes are among the biggest consumers of candy in the world. The country is so crazy for bulk candy, says Karameller owner Louise Schönberg, that even the lowly gas stations make sure to have dozens of bins of tasty sweets stocked for the expectant traveller. You experience a small slice of the Swedish good life when you step into her tiny Yaletown shop – a haven for sugar-deprived Swedish students, local lunchbreakers and tourists, alike. Karameller specializes in 100 varieties of non-GMO, trans fat-free, no-high-fructose-corn-syrup Scandinavian delights, and you can truly taste the difference in quality. Ask Schönberg to guide you through her favourite Swedish sours and licorices, or put together a mixed bag of your own to go.
30 - 1020 Mainland Street •
karameller.com
REVOLUCION
Step into Revolucion, tucked away in a shaded spot on the upper level of Mainland Street, and the first thing that hits you is the scent: pure, unadulterated masculine indulgence. The source is a Lampe Berger, a patented French burner system that releases scent to purify and perfume the air. In Revolucion’s case, the beautiful glass Lampes go hand-in hand with the shop’s massive selection of Habana cigars and pipes – offering an elegant solution to the classic cigar smoke conundrum. Elsewhere in the man cave, curated gifts and accoutrements like Jack Black grooming supplies, globes, and La Colline skincare abound. 1063 Mainland Street •
revolucionstyle.com
WOO TO SEE YOU
Woo to See You might have just opened a new location on Main Street, but the boutique’s Yaletown home base has been ahead of the curve for a long time. The wee boutique is packed with the latest minimalist fashion staples, with a focus on quality textiles and comfort-forward pieces. Owner Hans Woo prides her shop on stocking a unique selection of Korean designs alongside local mainstays and labels from Montreal, New York, London and further afield. Given its size, it’s surprising to learn that the store actually grew into this location from its former Yaletown Shops hideaway. A hidden gem for the street styler in all of us. 1062 Mainland Street • wootoseeyou.com
FAYUCA
Blending flavours from the North Pacific of Mexico and the Pacific Northwest of BC, Nuba restaurateur Ernesto Gomez’s new endeavour tastes like a salt- and sun-kissed version of home. The word ‘Fayuca’ means contraband, the type of small things – clothes, DVDs, food, booze – one sneakily brings across the border; and, here, it translates to allowing the flow of ideas between the two cultures to appear on the plate. From the raw albacore crudo with crispy parsnips to the voluptuous mountain of guacamole, to the pisco-forward Panamericana cocktail, dinner on the patio was the ideal place to refuel after a day on the bike. 1009 Hamilton Street • fayuca.ca
Once you start, though, you realize there are endless small businesses to visit and owners to chat with in the Yaletown ‘hood. Next on our list? Suit shopping at Indochino, bedding buys at Pisolino, gift gleaning at Fine Finds, and handicraft hunting at Kaarigar! yaletowninfo.com
