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St. John's

About
Hotels
Food & Drink
Activities
Getting Around
Weekend

St. John's

Downtown St. John's

David Hebbard Photography

Canada’s most easterly city, St. John’s is a tight-knit community of brightly painted clapboard row houses and intimate shops. The downtown core, nestled in a small valley near the natural deep harbour, is small enough that it’s a short walk to just about every point of interest, whether food, drink or shopping.

Continue to Where to Stay in St. John's

Where to Stay in St. John's

Signature Club Lounge at the Delta Hotel

Hometel on Signal Hill
Looking for a luxe alternative to the big hotels? This intimate bed and breakfast, tucked into the side of Signal Hill, offers three suites decked out with designer amenities and the latest tech necessities. And if you fall head over heels in love with the city and want to extend your stay from, say, one week to one year, check out the property’s chic brownstone residences.
709-739-7799, 866-739-7799, hometels.ca
Murray Premises Hotel
The “premises” at Murray Premises Hotel, overlooking the harbour on the edge of the downtown waterfront, were once 19th-century salt-cod warehouses. Ask for a loft-style executive suite, which comes with a fireplace and a Jacuzzi.
5 Beck’s Cove, St. John’s, 709-738-7773, murraypremiseshotel.comFrom: Kosher Quality
Spa at the Monastery and Suites
Ditch the Blackberry – nothing should disturb the silence during your Phytomer Spa Seatonic Treatment, a.k.a. reflexology session. This spa makes it clear that its location – a former monastery – is no coincidence. It remains a shrine for quiet reflection and a place to find a higher sense of well-being. Of course, they draw the line somewhere. Instead of a monk’s cell, you stay in a suite, complete with air massage tub beside the king-size bed.
63 Patrick St., 709-754-5800, monastery-spa.comFrom: Stay Well
Sheraton Hotel Newfoundland
This downtown gem, steps from the business district and historic core, offers food for hungry eyes and hungry stomachs. Drink in the harbour vista while digging into the catch of the day at the Cabot Club Dining Room. After dinner, relax with a book in the Court Garden, the soaring tree-filled atrium that overlooks the brick buildings of Devon Row, or take a dip in the pool.
115 Cavendish Square, 709-726-4980, 800-325-3535, starwoodhotels.com
The Delta St. John’s Hotel and Conference Centre
Located in the heart of downtown and steps from legendary George Street, the Delta St. John’s offers rooms with a view. Look through the floor-to-ceiling windows to glean a panorama of the city’s historic district, or south and east to spy the goings-on in the port.
120 New Gower St., 888-793-3582, deltahotels.com

Return to St. John's Continue to Where to Eat and Drink in St. John's

Where to Eat and Drink in St. John's

Crab Fishermen at the Cape

Peter Helm

Where to Eat

YellowBelly Brewery and Public House
One of St. John’s newest pubs, the YellowBelly has quickly made a name for itself with delicious stick-to-the-ribs fare and an on-site craft brewery.
288 Water St. at George, 709-757-3784, yellowbellybrewery.com
Bacalao
Located in a former merchant family’s home, this restaurant serves traditional favourites with a twist, like rare medallions of Labrador caribou accompanied by a sauce spiked with the kosher Rodrigues Barrens Blend.
65 Lemarchant Rd., St. John’s, 709-579-6565, bacalaocuisine.caFrom: Kosher Quality
Chatters Café
Steam rises from the non-stop espresso machine at Chatters Café, where double espressos are as popular with the city’s early birds as with last night’s George Street revellers.
112 Duckworth St., 709-576-6363From: Canada’s Next Great Neighbourhoods
Rodrigues Winery
Rodrigues Winery serves kosher saltine crackers to cleanse your palate after one of its wine tastings. An hour southwest of St. John’s and open year-round, it offers tours in English, French, Bulgarian and Hindi.
Whitbourne, 709-759-3003, rodrigueswinery.comFrom: Kosher Quality
Basho
What do Japan and Newfoundland have in common? Seafood. No wonder, then, that this Japanese fusion restaurant serves up everything from lychee martinis to lobster sushi when in season.
283 Duckworth St., 709-576-4600
Sun Sushi
Storefront sushi and basic tables mix to create a local favourite. And don’t worry if you show up late; this downtown restaurant won’t turn you away if you arrive at closing time for the takeout trademark Red Dragon rolls.
186 Duckworth St., 709-726-8688

Where to Drink

The Narrows Lounge, Sheraton Hotel Newfoundland
You’re probably not coming here for the It factor – the Falcon Crest-era decor was undoubtedly tacky when it was new. No, you’re coming for the salty bartenders, the dramatic views and the stiff drinks. Try Mr. Kelly’s fish ‘n’ chips. Juicy and tender inside a fantastically crisp beer batter, the fish is a standout, but it’s the homemade French fries and tartar sauce that make the party. To drink: Iceberg vodka on the rocks, made with water harvested from 12,000-year-old icebergs. If you can harvest your own iceberg ice cubes, all the better.
115 Cavendish Sq., 709-726-4980, starwoodhotels.comFrom: Canada's Top 15 Hotel Bars

Return to Where to Stay in St. John's Continue to What to Do in St. John's

What to Do in St. John's

Signal Hill

Arts & Culture

Red Ochre Gallery
When you visit Red Ochre Gallery, owner Brenda McClellan will likely be busy hanging new works by abstract painters such as Elena Popova at her gallery, which specializes in Newfoundland and Labrador fine art.
96 Duckworth St., 709-726-6422, redochregallery.caFrom: Canada’s Next Great Neighbourhoods
Posie Row
Just down the street from Red Ochre Gallery, Posie Row stocks funky headgear alongside shimmering silver jewellery.
210 Duckworth St., 709-722-2544From: Canada’s Next Great Neighbourhoods

Shopping

Tvål
Sold by the slice and cut from a round cake, the all-natural soaps – offered exclusively by this East Coast cosmetics destination – bring the beach into the shower without all the sand.
280 Water St., 709-579-7627, tvalskincare.com
Fred’s Records
Afternoon audiophiles search the trove of local music at Fred’s Records for bargains. If you’re lucky, you might catch indie musicians, like Adam Hogan of Hey Rosetta!, delivering copies of their latest.
198 Duckworth St., 709-753-9191, freds.nf.caFrom: Canada’s Next Great Neighbourhoods
HOME on Water St.
According to co-owner Donald Moores, this shop’s well-curated selection of household objects “is the result of everything we know about making a home feel special.” The store is the world’s larder, with David Fussenegger bamboo throws from Austria, Pillivuyt asparagus serving dishes from France and Geoffrey Lane candles from British Columbia. Simple decor, soothing background music and the scent of lavender redefine the notion of retail therapy.
156 Water St., 709-738-8228
Living Planet T-Shirts
At landmark emporium Living Planet T-Shirts, all the designs are by Newfoundland artists. A Soviet-inspired “Accordion Revolution” shirt or a “Free Nfld.” design goes for $25.
197 Water St., 709-754-9300, livingplanet.caFrom: Canada’s Next Great Neighbourhoods
Neptune Sea Products
Along with dozens of varieties of smoked kosher fish – from Arctic char and capelin to salmon and rainbow trout – Neptune Sea Products offers up spicy orange ginger cod. Call for details on where to buy in Canada.
800-716-4946, neptuneseaproducts.comFrom: Kosher Quality

Attractions

Gower Street
To get a snapshot of St. John’s architectural heritage, go for a stroll along Gower Street, which is flanked by old row houses and Victorian homes. A quick walk up from here takes you past the Roman Catholic Basilica and to The Rooms, the provincial archives, art gallery and museum.
709-757-8000, therooms.ca
Signal Hill Historic Site and trails
Newfoundland is called the Rock for a reason: climb Signal Hill at the east end of the city, and you’ll realize exactly why. We suggest visiting historic Cabot Tower, the site of the first radio contact between the New World and Britain, then taking a hike. The challenging 1.3-kilometre North Head trail traces a section of red rock cliffs and the Narrows, the entry to St. John’s Harbour.
The Johnson Geo Centre
What’s better on the Rock than a rock museum? The Geo Centre is built right into the side of Signal Hill, and offers a geological scavenger hunt of the province and of the whole planet, complete with touchable samples.
175 Signal Hill Rd., 709-737-7880, geocentre.ca
George Street
No trip to St. John’s would be complete without a jaunt to George Street. The city’s party central, it boasts dozens of side-by-side bars and taverns, with closing time pushing 3 a.m. If things are too slow at one watering hole, simply get up and try the neighbour down the road. Ask cabbies for specific recommendations: Friday and Saturday nights, all cabs lead to George Street.
Cape Spear
This is as far east as you can go and still be in North America. In spring and early summer, Cape Spear offers excellent iceberg watching; the rest of the year, admire the massive waves that the sea hurls ashore (just don’t get too close). This rugged spot is a half-hour drive from the city.

Return to Where to Eat and Drink in St. John's Continue to Getting Around St. John’s

Getting Around St. John’s

Water Street

David Hebbard Photography

The Trans-Canada Highway, which ends in St. John’s, defines the outer perimeter of this easily navigable city. Within it, nothing is farther than fifteen minutes by car from the downtown core.

Getting from the Airport

St. John’s International Airport is only about 10 minutes from the city centre by taxi; fares run around $25 to the major hotels. There’s no airport bus service or limousine on site.

Taxis

Cabs are plentiful and convenient. If you’re lucky, you’ll meet Mike Rodgers, the Bugden cabbie who’s kept a guestbook in his car for decades. Thousands of people have signed the pages in several volumes, and you can thumb through the latest edition to find guests from as far away as Peru, China, Greece, Finland and Vietnam.

Public Transportation

In the city, St. John’s Metrobus offers a number of city bus routes, at fares of $2.25 for adults and $1.75 for children. Check out the routes at metrobus.com.

Return to What to Do in St. John's Continue to A Weekend in Trinity Bight, Newfoundland

A Weekend in Trinity Bight, Newfoundland

We make like the locals on a village-hopping tour of this Atlantic outport.

By Craille Maguire Gillies

Cruising the area’s ghost harbours with Rugged Beauty Boat Tours, fisherman-cum-guide Bruce Miller shows us black and white pictures of the outposts where his family lived before resettlement in the 1960s. Besides eagle sightings (which are commonplace), we also catch the “outers” (back) of a dolphin.

The 5.3-kilometre Skerwink Trail loops over the Boreal Shield and across cliffside plateaus. Strategically placed benches offer the best views this side of Ireland: look for Newfoundland’s own sea stacks – standing stones that are hundreds of millions of years old.

After shows at the popular Rising Tide Theatre (we caught a Newfoundland folk opera), the cast, crew and visitors head to Rocky’s Place Lounge for drinks and the occasional comedy show.

A “mauzy” night – Newfie for damp and foggy – is best spent at a kitchen party at Twine Loft, a restaurant and art gallery that’s part of Artisan Inn. Along with concerts by groups such as St. John’s folk trio the Once (above), the Loft holds painting workshops. Head upstairs to stock up on audiobooks featuring Newfoundland writers.

Tart wild partridgeberries carpet the ground at Cape Bonavista on a jutting sliver of rock, about an hour north of Trinity Bight. You can’t miss the unusual striped round lighthouse perched on the cape, but also look down at the shore for rainbows forming against the water-slicked rocks.

Fishers’ Loft Inn, in Port Rexton, is a tribute to vernacular Newfoundland architecture; reproduction houses are randomly sited to mimic the way houses haphazardly dot the island. Inside, regional artwork – which they sell for no commission – rivals what you’ll see at top St. John’s galleries. (Our pick: the Christine Koch linocut above.) The inn’s food is also a work of art: partridgeberry waffles for breakfast; grilled salmon with capers and pesto for dinner, accompanied by new potatoes dug from the garden that afternoon. The new greenhouse means you can enjoy tomatoes right up until the first frost.

Where to Stay in Trinity Bight, Newfoundland
Artisan Inn and Twine Loft Trinity, 877-464-7700, artisaninntrinity.com
Fishers’ Loft Inn Port Rexton, 877-464-3240, fishersloft.com
Where to Eat in Trinity Bight, Newfoundland
Rocky’s Place Trinity, 709-464-3400
What to do in Trinity Bight, Newfoundland
Cape Bonavista Lighthouse (open until October), Bonavista, 709-468-7444
Rising Tide Theatre Trinity, 888-464-3377, risingtidetheatre.com
Rugged Beauty Boat Tours 709-464-3856, ruggedbeautyboattours.net
Skerwink Trail (information through the Discovery Trail Tourism Association), 709-466-3845, thediscoverytrail.org