Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
males, the staff is friendly and welcoming - especially to wide-eyed kids buying their
first
Archie
.
There are occasional signings by artists here. This is also the best place to be in the
city on the annual Free Comic Book Day (the first Saturday in May), when there's a
party atmosphere and gratis goodies for all - whether or not you dress as Darth Vader
(but don't expect to get anything if you wear your Jar Jar Binks costume).
HOLT RENFREW
CLOTHING
(
www.holtrenfrew.com
;
737 Dunsmuir St; 10am-7pm Mon, Tue & Sat, to 9pm Wed-Fri,
11am-6pm Sun; Granville)
Vancouver's swankiest clothing and accessories department
store. High-end-label lovers flock here to peruse the artfully presented D&G, Armani
and Issey Miyake togs and accoutrements arrayed over several brightly lit floors. Ser-
vice is personal from well-dressed staffers. The awesome end-of-season sales are re-
commended: racks of bargain clothes suddenly emerge on every floor, ripe for riffling.
Canada's answer to slick US chain Nordstrom, Holt Renfrew will finally get some
competition soon: at the time of writing, downtown's giant old Sears department store
was being renovated to house a sparkling new flagship Nordstrom. Let the battle com-
mence.
MINK CHOCOLATES
FOOD
(
www.minkchocolates.com
;
863 W Hastings St; 7:30am-6pm Mon-Fri, 10am-6pm Sat & Sun;
Waterfront)
If chocolate is the main food group in your book, follow your candy-
primed nose to this designer choccy shop in the downtown core. Select a handful of
souvenir bonbons - little edible artworks embossed with prints of trees and coffee cups
- then hit the drinks bar for the best velvety hot choc you've ever tasted. Than have an-
other.
It's always a good idea to pick up a few souvenir chocolate bars for home while
you're here, although it's likely you'll scoff them before they make it into your suit-
case: ganache-filled key lime and high-tea varieties are superb.
VANCOUVER PEN SHOP
ACCESSORIES
(512 W Hastings St; 9:30am-5:30pm Mon-Fri, 10am-5pm Sat; Waterfront)
There are two
things about this store that are pleasingly old-fashioned: the staff greets you when you
