A Trip to my Urban Oasis

Well it’s the first day of March so guess what that means? Patio season is right around the corner.

Now I don’t know about you but haven’t done any traveling to Europe (that was supposed to be last summer but we all know what happened to that) so my top patios are in North America. LA is a destination my parents and I love, so we usually try and get there once a year. One of my moms most beloved places is the Grove so when we are in LA we have to go. Not that I’m complaining at all because one of my favourite patios is located there, the rooftop of La Piazza. It’s a two story Italian restaurant with a patio on both floors that look out into the Grove as the fountains are dramatically shooting water to the music. The rooftop patio, has one of the best vibes as well as amazing people watching. We’ve shared a lot of laughs and enjoyed some fantastic food and beverages while hanging out on this patio.

But enough about the Grove and LA or how I would do anything to be able to go there right now and let’s get to Vancouver’s best patios. Now this is completely biased and my opinions but they are definitely right.

The patio that I award Vancouver’s Best Patio to is Refections: The Garden Terrace at the Rosewood Hotel Georgia. The first time I ever went, I knew it was not going to be the last. Stepping out of the elevator on the fourth floor urban oasis, you enter a massive fully open outdoor patio in the inner courtyard of the hotel. With a modern decor surrounding with vibrant trees, flowers and hanging lights, Refections makes you feel like you have transported to a tropical place. There are high top tables, couches as well as an outdoor bar where you can grab one of the best Old Fashioned’s in town. The staff is friendly and welcoming and also knows their menus like the back of their hands. Reflections has a menu full of wine, cocktails and some delicious summer food, which makes it the perfect stop after a long day of work or even just an afternoon galavanting throughout the city.

I have spent many afternoons as well as some evenings, by myself sitting at the bar or with a group divulging in Reflections offers. From days shopping with my mom to happy hours with my friends, I have never wanted to leave. I have even spent part of my 20th birthday here. After a rough afternoon with conflicting ideas with friends and my mom telling me to calm down, I left the friends and met up with my parents and some family friends before my dinner. We sat on one of the couches where we had Prosecco, shared some flatbreads and charcuterie. I ended up spilling some of the bright red sauce on my very light shirt that I was supposed to wear for the rest of the evening. Whoops. But my mom came in, saving the day and got most of it out.

Refections Patio

The patio is seasonal and closes throughout the fall and winter. They do open during the holiday season for their Winter Wonderland Patio, but unfortunately this year, they were unable to open. It’s been over a year since the patio has been open but the Hotel Georgia announced on Instagram last week that Reflections will be opening for Spring. Will I be there on it’s opening day? Well that seems to be a little eggar but you bet I’ll be there on day two. 

Safe to say, with the year we have had, I cannot wait to get back to the best patio in Vancouver. I’ll see you at Refections.

My runner up for Best Patio in Vancouver is The Roof at Black + Blue. Located on Alberni in the heart of Downtown, Black + Blue is one of the finest steakhouses in Vancouver but it also has an outstanding rooftop patio. The Roof has the perfect combination of style and luxury, tables and lounge sofas with an outdoor bar. Open daily, The Roof has fire places and heaters surrounding so even in the dead of Winter, it’s a hit. Looking out over a view of the city, with fantastic people watching, it’s not a bad place to be if you’re by yourself or with a group. From Lamb to Waygu or even fish and a large cocktail and wine list, The Roof has options for everyone.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *