Dine Out Vancouver: winter set menus, book early

The Fairmont Hotel Vancouver at 900 West Georgia Street opened in 1939 and anchors downtown with its steep green copper roof and chateau styling. King George VI and Queen Elizabeth stayed here on their 1939 royal tour. Even if you sleep elsewhere, step into the lobby to see the art deco touches from the 1930s. If you…

The Sylvia Hotel at 1154 Gilford Street was built in 1912 and is now a designated heritage building, sitting right on English Bay beside Stanley Park. Choose it for the setting and the old-building character rather than for modern luxury. Ask for a room facing the bay when you book, and expect charming quirks like an…

The Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival runs across March and April, but the trees do not follow the calendar. Peak bloom for the best-known varieties usually falls in the first half of April and can move a week or two with the weather. Weekend afternoons are the busiest, so go on a weekday morning to places such as…

The Vancouver International Jazz Festival fills the city for about two and a half weeks from late June into early July. A free outdoor Downtown Jazz weekend with two stages and food trucks sits outside the Vancouver Art Gallery, and free lunchtime sets play at the Bentall Centre. Pay-what-you-can shows run on…

The Orpheum opened in 1927 as a vaudeville house and is now the permanent home of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, so you can hear a full orchestra in a heritage hall instead of a modern arena. The City of Vancouver runs the theatre, and choirs and visiting artists perform here too. Check the events calendar for…

The Commodore Ballroom at 868 Granville Street is a historic live-music hall with a sprung dance floor that gives a little under your feet, so a long night of dancing is easier than on a plain concrete floor. The room holds under a thousand people, which keeps even touring acts close. Check the venue calendar for…

The Trout Lake Farmers Market sets up by the lake every Saturday from spring until late October, running from morning into early afternoon. Go before noon for the best choice of produce, bread and local specialties, then carry lunch to the lakeside lawn. Admission is free. Check the market’s page for the current…

Queen Elizabeth Park sits on Little Mountain, the highest point in Vancouver, so the views stretch across the city and out to the North Shore mountains. Arrive in the early evening, wander the Quarry Gardens first, then walk to the viewpoint near the Seasons in the Park restaurant as the sun sets. Clear days are best…