The Details
When to go, where to stay, where to eat and other St John's tips. Read More
Fantasy Island
Fun on the Rock doesn’t end at the city limits. For an authentic Newfoundland fix, give these jaunts a go
SEA KAYAKING IN CAPE BROYLE For the full-contact nature enthusiast, nothing compares to spotting your wildlife from a sea kayak. And with Stan Cook of Stan Cook Sea Kayak Adventures setting the pace, you’ll get an ecology lesson and a cardio workout. Get there: Drive an hour south of St. John’s on Route 10.
GROS MORNE NATIONAL PARK Landscapes don’t get much more otherworldly than this UNESCO park. From the desert-like surface of the Tablelands to the glacial waters of the Western Brook Pond, it barely feels like Earth, let alone Newfoundland. Get there: Take Air Canada’s 1.5-hour flight from St. John’s to Deer Lake.
TRINITY Made famous in the book and film The Shipping News, Trinity is the quintessential Newfoundland fishing town. A port for Portuguese fishing boats since the 1500s, Trinity’s picturesque harbour and historic buildings make it a top contender for Canada’s snapshot capital. Get there: Drive 1.5 hours northwest on the Trans-Canada Highway, then 45 minutes on Route 230. Take Route 239 to the Trinity turnoff.
EXCELLENT TASTE
St. John’s cuisine has a newfound refinement. PHOTOGRAPHY SHAYNE LAVERDIÈRE
Gourmet Grub
St. John’s dining scene is not all fish ’n’ chips. With a diverse selection of Indian, Greek, Thai, Japanese and crunchy vegetarian fare, a stroll down one of St. John’s major streets can work up any foodie’s appetite. Scattered amid the myriad craft shops and souvenir stores on Water Street are fine-dining eateries like Bianca’s, an elegant little spot noted for its giant sea scallops and duck-confit pasta. Presentation is a high priority, though once you’ve taken a peek at the wine list, you may forget to notice. Another popular venue is Blue on Water. It’s famous for its fresh seafood — though locals come for the pancake breakfast, which includes walnuts soaked in screech. Skip onto Duckworth, the next major street north of Water, and try the Sprout, a congenial café that serves vegetarian dishes with a twist. And don’t miss Asian Taste, the first and only place in St. John’s to offer Korean staples like kimchee. In this town, the world is edible.
Miles Ahead with CIBC
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Preconceptions can be hard to shake, but over the last few years, Newfoundland has been shaking pretty hard. The “b’ys” who used to build and sail the boats now build and run the oil rigs, and the resulting energy boom has brought wealth, optimism and expat labourers back home. St. John’s, the provincial capital, has begun to rival Halifax as Atlantic Canada’s hipster nexus thanks to a network of artists, musicians and entrepreneurs. All this and torn-from-a-postcard good looks, too.
The city’s snug streets, lined with candy-coloured houses — so painted to help sailors spot their homes as the ships steamed into harbour — are practically carved out of the rocky slopes. Not a town for the faint of heart or weak of calf, St. John’s openly mocks physics. Everywhere you go involves a flight of stairs. Walking to the corner store is a workout; driving without snow tires a sign of mental illness.
A Neighbourly Spirit
Unlike many North American cities, downtown St. John’s is almost free of multinationals. The locally owned businesses — like the legendary Fred’s Records, the only music shop in the downtown core and a meeting place for local musicians for over 30 years — thrive on neighbourly spirit and free-market collectivism.
“There’s a real connection to local things and local products,” says Chelsey MacNeil, co-owner of Model Citizens, a vintage-fashion boutique on Duckworth Street. “I think tapping into that is how we’ve gotten it right.” Specializing in designer and refashioned apparel (a niche that meshes well with Newfoundland’s use-what-you’ve-got character), MacNeil’s year-old shop is at the forefront of a city-sponsored commercial youth movement. “There’s definitely been a resurgence downtown,” she adds. “There’re a lot of young entrepreneurs here.”
A big part of that verve is driven by the downtown arts community who, MacNeil admits, are among her biggest customers. Bolstered by support from city and provincial governments, St. John’s is fast becoming an artistic hot spot. The A1C postal code in the city’s central bowl has one of the highest concentrations of artists in the country. Not accidentally, it’s the site of A1C Gallery, the leading contemporary-art space in St. John’s.
“The [arts] community here is undergoing an evolution right now,” says Gordon Laurin, A1C’s curator and coordinator. “In the ’70s, artists focused more on representations of the majestic landscapes of the province. The younger, emerging artists are more interested in exploring broader issues.”
Out of the Dark
For those who lived through the dark days of the 1992 cod moratorium and the mass exodus that followed, the fact that young people are spearheading the urban renewal in St. John’s is a welcome surprise. But the new, vibrant St. John’s owes a debt to the old, vibrant St. John’s. Around the corner from A1C sits the Crow’s Nest, a member’s-only club founded by naval officers stationed during World War II. It’s packed floor-to-ceiling with ephemera from the city’s wartime past you can easily lose a day in here listening to tales of the Battle of the Atlantic from veterans over a frosty pint.
Venture down Solomon’s Lane and you’ll no doubt hear the Ship Pub before you see it. A low-ceilinged tavern that reeks of old wood, tall tales and good times, the Ship has been the nerve centre of Newfoundland’s folk scene for decades, and nurtures local bands of all stripes. One such band is the Kremlin, a surf-rock trio partial to performing in gas masks and Soviet regalia. “The Ship is the number-one venue in town,” guitarist Adam Beardsworth tells me. He adds with a laugh, “It’s not hard to get people to come out to bars here.”
And then, of course, there’s George Street, a mythic boulevard of bars, bands and beer-fuelled bacchanalia. With so many establishments compressed shoulder to shoulder into two city blocks, the place should be utter bedlam. But as much as Newfoundlanders love to drink, they love having a good time even more — and you can’t hear the band from the back of a squad car. The unpretentious hodgepodge of old and young, cheery locals, curious mainlanders, joyous live music and wee-hour last calls makes for a remarkably well-behaved all-night blast.
Surprisingly Chic
While these back streets have character, the main drag is surprisingly chic. Eateries like Blue on Water — a popular gourmet seafood joint — have revitalized Water Street. The swankiest is Basho, a Japanese fusion restaurant on Duckworth Street. Chef/owner Tak Ishiwata, a student of celeb chef Nobu Matsuhisa, is famous for his iceberg martini, which, according to legend, uses ice harvested from icebergs with the help of a .22-calibre rifle.
Yet the city’s culinary flavour is still dominated by the local boy: king cod. The ubiquitous whitefish is so entrenched in the culture that “cod” and “fish” have become synonymous. Newfoundland’s long love affair with cod is due to its geographic and cultural isolation rather than persnickety preference. On a sparsely populated rock known for its unforgiving climate and thin soil, you make do with what you have. “A lot of Newfoundland’s cuisine is based on preservation, things that you can store all year long,” says Roary MacPherson, executive chef at the Sheraton Hotel Newfoundland. “We use a lot of indigenous foods like partridgeberries, bakeapples, pan-fried cod and scruncheons.” Newfoundland’s tradition of oddly named foodstuffs makes ordering à la carte an exercise in linguistics. In addition to scruncheons (crispy pork rinds to mainlanders), you’ll encounter toutons (fried dough served with breakfast), fish and brewis (pronounced brooz, a cod-and-hard-bread dish), Jiggs’ dinner (salt beef with boiled potato, cabbage and turnip), and, if it’s in season, flipper pie — made with genuine seal flipper.
You won’t find flipper on the menu at Bacalao, a new restaurant created by Andrea Maunder and partner/chef Mike Barsky, but you will find just about everything else Newfoundland is famous for, including cod tongues. Open for less than two years, Maunder and Barsky’s “nouvelle Newfoundland cuisine” has fast become a small sensation. “Newfoundland food has been viewed as home cookin’,” Maunder explains, “We were the first to try it as a fine-dining experience.”
Adventurous and independent, modern Newfoundland gives its hardy folk the freedom to explore their enthusiasms. They’ve seen dark times, now this long-suffering rock is getting its day in the sun.
The Details
How to Get There
Air Canada has the most daily non-stop flights to St. John’s, with service from Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, Halifax, Deer Lake and Gander. Redeem Aeroplan Miles for your flight.
How to Get Around
Avis can help make it easy to find your way around the Rock. When you rent an Avis vehicle, you can also rent a where2 GPS Navigation unit, available at participating locations. It provides you with turn-by-turn directions that will have you travelling like a local. Sign up for Avis Preferred Service (available at select locations) and you can skip the counter and go straight to your vehicle. Earn 500 Aeroplan Miles at participating airport Avis locations, and 250 Aeroplan Miles at participating off-airport locations.
When to Go
Spring and summer are the best seasons to visit Newfoundland. The notoriously challenging Atlantic weather is tamest in summertime, and the evenings are pleasantly cool and rarely humid. Summer is also festival season, with the George Street Festival, Canada Day parties, the annual Targa road race and more. Check local listings.
Where to Stay
SHERATON HOTEL NEWFOUNDLAND Occupying a prime position at the mouth of the St. John’s harbour, the Sheraton Hotel Newfoundland offers the city’s grandest accommodations. Partake of fresh seafood in the upscale Cabot Club dining room. 115 Cavendish Square; 1-800-325-3535. Earn Aeroplan Miles for your stay.
COURTYARD BY MARRIOTT ST. JOHN’S The bright blue exterior of this downtown hotel reminds visitors they could be nowhere other than colourful St. John’s. 131 Duckworth Street; (709) 722-6636. Earn Aeroplan Miles for your stay.
DELTA ST. JOHN’S All 400-plus rooms feature floor-to-ceiling windows with stunning views of the city. 120 New Gower Street; (709) 739-6404. Earn Aeroplan Miles for your stay.
Where to Eat
BASHO This Japanese fusion joint’s chic decor is surpassed only by its adventurous menu and trademark iceberg martini. 283 Duckworth Street; (709) 576-4600.
BACALAO Traditional Newfoundland favourites spun into uncommon (and uncommonly delicious) upscale fare. 65 Lemarchant Road; (709) 579-6565.
THE DUKE OF DUCKWORTH This cozy back-street brew pub is known for its homemade dark ale, the Duke’s Own. 325 Duckworth Street in McMurdo’s Lane; (709) 739-6344.
CHES’S Inarguably the best “fee ’n’ chee” (fish ’n’ chips) in a city that’s famous for its fish suppers, plus other stick-to-yer-ribs delights. 9 Freshwater Drive; (709) 726-3434. (One of three locations.)
Where to Shop
AUGUST & LOTTA STOCKHOLM A fashion hot spot that blends Grace Kelly-like classics with modern pieces from designers across the globe. 181 Water Street; (709) 753-3020.
ATTICA FURNISHINGS Sleek and chic home furnishings from local and international designers. 2 Freshwater Road; (709) 739-8382.
NEWFOUND ICELANDIC DESIGNS Stylish warm-weather apparel with an Icelandic flair. Form and function, together at last. 120 Water Street; (709) 753-3666.
