daytripping: new westminster
Filed Under Places | July 12, 2011
We’ve tripped it before, so we’re tripping it again! While the thought of jetting to Mexico is appealing, especially with this spate of inclement weather, the reality of jetting with little ones makes us feel a bit nauseous. So we keep our trips close to home, which is why we wheeled our way to the centre of the Lower Mainland region and checked out our very own Royal City, New Westminster, for a bit of tea and tzatziki.
Drink: We thought if we were heading to the Royal City, we should drink like the royals…tea that is. Nestled between a myriad of wedding dress shops on Columbia Street is Sherlock’s. Amidst a plethora of football memorabilia (the European kind, not the Lion’s variety), Royal Family dishware, and tea towels galore, Sherlock’s offers one of the Lower Mainland’s largest selection of British sweets, treats, and tipples. We stocked up on our Tunnock’s Tea Cakes and Branston’s Pickle while enjoying a homemade pasty and a cup-a. We didn’t stay around for high tea, which is served daily by appointment, but it’s certainly on our to do list.
Eat: After sipping our Orange Pekoe, we wandered further down Columbia Street for some great Greek grub at Stefano’s. The restaurant is located at the very end of the merchant district of Columbia and is deceptively large. With high ceilings, floor to ceiling windows, and foliage galore, it’s not hard to imagine you are dining in the midst of the Mediterranean. The prices are very reasonable and the portions are huge, so we shared our plate with our toddler after noshing on an appy or two. The tzatziki might be the best we have ever eaten, so make sure you order extra for dipping. We think this would be a great location for a family party as the wait staff were tickled pink with our troupe, and made every effort to ensure we were happy and well fed.
Shop: After filling our bellies, we decided to get our shop on in the newly remodeled River Market at Westminster Quay. Our kids got their play on at Pedagogy Toys while we checked out Bloom Art studio next store and marveled at the Vancouver Circus School, wondering if we’d ever be brave enough to take classes. We stocked up on delicious groceries at Donald’s Market, picked up some exotic teas at Great Wall Tea, and loved the handmade t-shirts, aprons and more at Tiny Finery. We even topped up our already full bellies with a delicious crêpe from Crêpe Des Amies (the Québec crêpe is to die for). We can’t wait to head back to the market to check out the new vendors that are coming in the summer, including The Crab Shop. Yum.
New Westminster has two distinct shopping districts in Uptown and Downtown. We spent most of our day in the historic Downtown area, but Uptown also has its fair share of markets, restaurants, and fabulous finds. We are also huge fans of the Royal City Farmers Market, which is open every Thursday night during the summer season, and we’ll certainly be coming back soon for the Hyack Fraser Festival. With all this fun close to home, we may never get on a plane again!
Sherlock’s: www.britmarket.com
659 Columbia Street, New Westminster, BC
604.529.1999
Stefano’s: www.stefanos.ca
315 Columbia St, New Westminster
604.520.9911
River Market: www.rivermarket.ca
810 Quayside Drive
604.520.3881
New Westminster: www.tourismnewwestminster.com
Yo, mama! Are you a New West local with family hot spots to share? We’d love it if you’d use the handy comment functionality on this article online to let us know where (else) to go when we’re in your ‘hood!
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Let us know what you think or share your great finds with us so we can share them with other Vancouver mothers!
New West has the largest all-vegan store in metro Vancouver, “Karmavore Vegan Shop”. I wish they are in the city of Vancouver too. Check out the amazing list of products http://www.karmavore.ca, http://www.facebook.com/karmavore. Their deli and desserts are amazing too!