53 Vancouver date ideas: one for every Skytrain stop

VanCity is full of amazing things to do: top restaurants, cozy cafes, craft beer bars. gorgeous parks. Finding a great date idea in Vancouver should be easy then – yet, sometimes being surrounded by so many options can leave you a little overwhelmed. And that’s where EliteSingles can help.

To help narrow down the sea of Vancouver date ideas to those near you, we’ve created a SkyTrain date map: 53 date ideas, chosen for quality and for their nearness to the SkyTrain. Now, if you’re near the train, you’ll never be more than 15 mins from romantic adventure.

Please note, this list is up to date as of October 2018

Romantic things to do in Vancouver (near to the SkyTrain)

Our map was made according to a particular set of rules. Firstly, all date ideas must be an easy-enough walk from each SkyTrain stop. Ideally, the closer the better. As such we’ve tried to make sure that each recommendation is a maximum of 5-15 minute walk from each station – even those on the recently opened Evergreen extention.

Secondly, all dates must genuinely good, enjoyable suggestions. To help settle on what makes a date enjoyable, we went with sheer popularity. At the time of publication, every local date idea mentioned scored an average of 4 stars or higher when its rankings on Yelp, TripAdvisor and Google Maps were averaged. (Although we had to settle for a 3.8/3.9 in some parts of Richmond and Surrey!).

Thirdly, we strived for diversity. Vancouver date ideas are so many that it would be doing the city a disservice to just mention date-worthy Vancouver cafes or romantic Vancouver restaurants. We wanted both, plus activities and entertainment! So, we created a map that has date ideas for all tastes and budgets, (colour- coded for ease of use!). Click the map below to find great date ideas for your Metro Vancouver.

We’ve updated our street map that pinpoints each idea – click here to find it!

Vancouver date ideas: what’s each stop good for?

Expo Line

• Waterfront: Miku* (4.5). Good for: Gourmet sushi, waterfront views
• Burrad: Thierry Chocolaterie Café (4.3). Good for: Espresso, handmade chocolates
• Granville: Finch’s Teahouse (4.4). Good for: Cozy ambience, rainy-day dates
• Stadium-Chinatown: Revel Room (4.3). Good for: Craft cocktails, live music
• Main Street-Science World: Science World After Dark* (4). Good for: Interactive dates
• Commercial-Broadway: Rio Theatre (4.2). Good for: Indie cinema, classic films
• Nanaimo: The Tipper Restaurant (4.1). Good for: Casual dining, live music
• 29^th Avenue Station: Ragazzi Pizza Co (4). Good for: Relaxed Italian, stone-baked pizza
• Joyce-Collingwood: Milk & Sugar Cafe (4.6). Good for: Bubble tea, smoothies
• Patterson: Swanguard Stadium (4.2). Good for: Live sports, park walks
• Metrotown: Fondway cafe (4.1). Good for: Creative drinks, beautiful food
• Royal Oak: Camellia Tea & Coffee (4.4). Good for: Elegant cakes, extensive tea menu
• Edmonds: Byrne Creek Ravine Park (4.5). Good for: Nature walks, outdoor dates
• 22^nd Street Station: Iwona Pierogies (4.3). Good for: Polish cooking, home-style charm
• New Westminster: The Hide Out Cafe (4). Good for: Homemade wraps, great coffee
• Columbia: Taverna Greka Restaurant* (4). Good for: Greek cuisine, river views
• Sapperton: Take Five Cafe (4.4). Good for: Reliable coffee, sweet treats
• Braid: Ikoi Sushi (4.5). Good for: Sushi and sashimi, Japanese authenticity
• Lougheed Town Centre: Coffee Monster (4.4). Good for: Cold brew, peanut butter lattes
• Production Way-University: Dageraad Brewing (4.9). Good for: Belgian beer, craft tasting
• Scott Road: Central City Brewers* (4.2). Good for: Craft beer, brewery tours
• Gateway: Taqueria Jalisco (4.1). Good for: Cosy vibes, tasty chorizo tacos,
• Surrey Central: Vlassis Souvlaki & Greek Taverna (4). Good for: Warm Greek atmosphere
• King George: Holland Park (3.8). Good for: Live gigs, outdoor dates

Millennium Line

• VCC-Clark: Rooster’s Ice Cream Bar (4.4). Good for: Creative flavours, ice cream donuts
• Commercial-Broadway: Rio Theatre (4.2). Good for: Indie cinema, classic films
• Renfrew: La Piazza Dario (3.8). Good for: Classic Italian, long wine list
• Rupert: Rupert Park (4). Good for: Relaxed picnics, Pitch ‘n’ putt
• Gilmore: Cactus Club Cafe (4). Good for: Patio dining, casual romance
• Brentwood Town Centre: The Keg (4). Good for: Steak dinners, candlelit ambience
• Holdom Station: Sushimoto (4.5). Good for: Quirky décor, tasty sushi
• Sperling-Burnaby Lake: Burnaby Lake Park (4.2). Good for: Wildlife walks, lake kayaking
• Lake-City Way: El Comal (4.5). Good for: Mexican cuisine, lunch dates
• Production Way-University: Dageraad Brewing (4.9). Good for: Belgian beer, craft tasting
• Lougheed Town Centre: Coffee Monster (4.4). Good for: Cold brew, peanut butter lattes

Millennium Line/Evergreen Extension

• Burquitlam: Burnaby Mountain Hiking Trails (4.2). Good for: Incredible views, wildlife
• Moody Centre: Yellow Dog Brewing Company (4.6). Good for: Patio drinks, friendly dogs
• Inlet Centre: Caffe Divano Port Moody (4.1): Good for: Chocolate brownies, great coffee
• Coquitlam Central: Lazzez’s Grill (4.6) Good for: Tasty Indian curries, lunch buffets
• Lincoln: Awesome Place Coffee & Dessert (4.4). Good For: Handcrafted pastries, delicious macarons
• Lafarge Lake Douglas: Evergreen Cultural Centre (4.4). Good for: Theatre, retro movies

Canada Line

• Waterfront: Miku* (4.5). Good for: Gourmet sushi, waterfront views
• Vancouver City Centre: Café Medina* (4.3). Good for: Brunch (especially waffles), cocktails
• Yaletown-Roundhouse: Blue Water Cafe* (4.5). Good for: Elegant seafood, fresh oysters
• Olympic Village: The Wicklow Pub (4.1). Good for: Waterfront views, brunch
• Broadway-City Hall: Caffe Cittadella (4.4). Good for: Heritage charm, 49^th Parallel coffee
• King Edward: Queen Elizabeth Park (4.6). Good for: Garden walks, public sculpture
• Oakridge-41st Avenue: Mimibuloveme (4). Good for: Green tea ice cream, dessert dates
• Langara-49th Avenue: Sunset Arena (3.8). Good for: Active dates, skating
• Marine Drive: Cravings Restaurant* (4.1). Good for: Brunch, sports-night dates
• Bridgeport: Tramonto at River Rock* (4). Good for: Elegant Italian, romantic views
• Aberdeen: SURA Korean BBQ Restaurant (4.1). Good for: Korean dishes, casual dates
• Lansdowne: CAVU Kitchen Bar* (3.9). Good for: Relaxed romance, gourmet burgers
• Richmond-Brighouse: Kirin Richmond* (4). Good for: Ritzy ambience, Hong-Kong cuisine
• Templeton: Pier 73* (3.9). Good for: Waterside patio, cocktails
• Sea Island Centre – see YVR-Airport
• YVR-Airport Station: Globe@YVR (4). Good for: Panoramic views, Okanagan wine

The Vancouver date map: the Evergreen update

On the 2nd of December 2016, the Evergreen extension line was officially opened. In light of this change, the SkyTrain network extended 53 stops, not 47 – which means that we needed to add six extra date ideas the original SkyTrain Date Map, this time in Burnaby, Port Moody and Coquitlam. Please enjoy the Vancouver Date Map – Evergreen Edition!

Please note, Vancouver date ideas marked with a * are venues where booking in advance is strongly recommended. The numbers refer to the average ranking across Yelp, TripAdvisor and Google Maps for each date.

If you have questions about these date ideas or suggestion of your own, please comment below or write to us at [email protected]

About the author: Sophie Watson

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