Vancouver during Olympics

I had amazing meals at both Tojo's and Vij. Both will likely be insanely packed for the Olympics. Tojo's is Japanese, and I recommend doing the omokase. You will need a reservation. Vij is Indian. It doesn't take reservations, and you will wait several hours. You get lots of fun goodies while waiting, though. Chinese food is also fantastic in Vancouver.

Shopping: Pacific Center, Robson Street, South Granville. Main Street in the Mt. Pleasant area has a few boutique shops like Eugene Choo as well.

Eat: Zagat's vancouver section has been opened up for free to the public during the olympics, definitely check that out http://www.zagat.com/Partners/Redire...ponsorid=Zagat

Nightspots: Other than all the olympic houses (German Fest, Irish House, Russia house, etc.) Yaletown has a bunch of small restaurants/bars, but it will be very busy with the LiveCity Yaletown events. Lots of bars scattered downtown as well. For clubs, The Roxy is a very popular one.

Sites: Stanley Park.

Further eating suggestions:
Kirin Seafood Restaurant in City Square at 12th and Cambie is close to you and very good elegant Chinese dining.
Kibune Sushi in Kitsilano ( Yew near Cornwall) is my favorite Japanese restaurant.
Try Moderne burger on West Broadway fro a really good retro burger or go about a block west to DB Bistro for Daniel Bouloud's upmarket version.
Habit and Nyala on Main Street aren't far away from you and are interesting restaurants. Nyala features Ethiopian fare which you eat with your hands by tearing off bits of spongy crepe and scooping up the food.
The best value and most quintessential Vancouver eating experience in my opinion is to line up at Go Fish, the little shack on the seawall at Fisherman's wharf across from Granville Island for fish and chips or an oyster po' boy, then eat and admire the view of the mountains on the North Shore now that it has FINALLY stopped raining for a few days.
Have a good time, whatever you do.

+1 on Vijs, get there early say 5:30-6:00 and wait at the bar (beer and wine only) but you get lots of appys coming by plus meet some people. You will be seated by 7ish.

If you like Italian, go to Arriva on Commercial Drive. Very authentic and very good value.

Be prepared to have lots of fun, downtown and the Live Sites are hopping. Not crazy like Mardi Gras or Vegas but a really cool vibe that is hard to explain. You'll understand when you get here, you will meet lots of people from all over it is impossible not to. Fun starts at 8:00am and ends about 7:55am next morning then do it all over until the 28th.

Plus if you get a chance to watch an event on the outdoor big screens and if it is either a Canadian or American doing well...wow people going nuts.

Olympic Events are sold out and tix are not too readily available even from legit ticket brokers (its legal here). They will charge a hefty premium of course.

Seats are pretty much all full here once the event starts, no empty seats like Beijing.
Could get lucky outside a venue though. I work across the street from the Richmond Olympic Oval and a colleague got two tickets for $40 for yesterdays Mens 1000M (congrats to our US members on Gold & Bronze BTW). I am sure this is a rarity but you never know.

Holland Heineken House in Richmond (a 20 minute ride on Canada Line from Broadway-City Hall to Brighouse). Reservations needed or the line up is like 2 hours.

Oh and the light display in English Bay is pretty cool, check out the pics.

Really, the shopping comes down to Roden Gray, J+O and Gravity Pope. If you need jeans Dutil is okay, they have PBJ, APC and N&F but it's not like a jeans mecca or anything. The only reason to buy anything at Holt's right now is a) really overpriced MC stuff (which you could do better elsewhere) or b) Alexander McQueen white label.