Granville Island Public Market, Vancouver

I went to Granville Island Public Market once the last time I lived in the Vancouver area. I am not fond of cramped place with elbow-to-elbow shoppers but I remember being overwhelmed not by the people but by all the foodie wonders.

The market is located on Granville Island by the harbour. If you decide to visit I suggest you walk and bring your own bags unless you are brave and patient enough to wait forever for a parking space.

Now of course we went to all sorts of cool and amazing places where we got to play and have fun but then we went to… the market!

Hello chocolatiers!!!

Is there anything more patriotic than a chocolate bear?!

You can see the fiery oven in the background behind the rugolach.

Check out these fancy-pants chocolates! One made with grapefruit and vodka. Another hazelnut praline? OK, that one has my name on it!

And of course you must have fish heads to be a REAL market.

The place was packed and the building winds around and goes on endlessly. Which is wonderful.

I think the hardest part is figuring out what you want to get!

You will find Asian foods…

… Mexican dishes…

And can even eat fresh oysters right out of the shell!

Pick up your veggies for the week.

Or a bottled treasure like our favourite, Bottle Green Sparkling Elderflower Pressé. Any place that carries our favourite drink of all time gets big thumbs up from us.

If you want candy, they have candy!

How about a tart? A mini cheesecake? Oh wait, a mini carrot cake! They got it.

When I am stumped about where to get a special ingredient for a cool recipe, I am going back! Or I must just go back and get that hazelnut praline truffle.

I think there will always be cool surprises at Granville Island Public Market any time of the year.

Any excuse to go to Granville Island is just fine with me. Pick up art supplies, wild foodie ingredients, puppets, magic trick books, go see a play… You can do it all in this one spot. But the market is my personal favourite shopping place!