The Speakeasy on Granville (map, 921 Granville Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada, phone: 604-685-5531) is a pub located on the downtown Granville strip between Smithe and Nelson (closer to Smithe).

Digging up on Wikipedia reveals a bit about the history of the Speakeasy:

A speakeasy was an establishment which illegally sold alcoholic beverages during the period of United States history known as Prohibition (1920–1932, longer in some states).

Darien, a writer from Vancouver, comments on yelp.ca (click here to read review):

The drink prices are downtown average and the place is deceptively large. I often come to this spot when I want to get a drink late on a Friday or Saturday night. Due to the size of the room, one tends to be able to sit down most times during the evening. This is certainly not a destination, but true to the name is a relaxed place to unwind.

Pictured below are the nachos and beer that I ordered with my friends. The food tasted great, and was around $10.

Nachos from the Speakeasy on Granville (pub in downtown Vancouver).

Cafe Crepe (map, 796 Granville St, Vancouver, BC, Canada, phone: 604-806-0834) is a restaurant that serves freshly made French style crepes, sandwiches, and Foot Long hot dogs.

The crepes are made in front of you, by smartly dressed chefs, at round grills at the restaurant’s front window. They are made sweet (try chocolate, or apple and cinnamon) or savory (pick from ham, cheese, or a bunch of other ingredients such as mushroom or spinach). Crepes (such as the ones pictured below) cost in the range of $5 to $8 depending on the ingredients. I really like the rich Emmenthal cheese and spongy crepe batter. For the Foot Long hot dog (pictured below, around $5) be sure to try their French mustard and maybe even mayo if you’re a fan.

There are two locations of Cafe Crepe very near to each other on Granville Street downtown. The smaller one (796 Granville, Cafe Crepe “express”) is located next to Future Shop just north of Granville and Robson. The larger one, further down Granville near the Commodore Ballroom (map, 874 Granville St, Vancouver, BC, Canada, phone: 604-806-084), has more sit-down tables and even a private room for parties in the back.

Sometimes they get pretty busy and there might be a bit of a wait, especially if you want to eat-in. Take out orders are usually quite fast.

The other locations of Cafe Crepe in Vancouver are:

Robson Shopping District (map, 1032 Robson St, Vancouver, BC, Canada, phone: 604-488-0045)

South Granville (map, 2861 Granville St, Vancouver, BC, Canada, 604-488-1326)

UBC Campus (map, 103-2151 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, BC, Canada, 604-221-1142).

French Hot Dog from Cafe Crepe (yum) - click photo for larger version

Ham and Cheese Crepe from Cafe Crepe in downtown Vancouver, BC, Canada.

Cafe Crepe logo on a take-out bag with a glass of wine.

Another photo of the crepe from Cafe Crepe restaurant in Vancouver, BC, Canada.

ShuRaku Japanese Restaurant (map, web site, 833 Granville Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada, phone: 604-687-6622) is a new Japanese restaurant downtown (at the former location of Kitto Japanese Restaurant) that is getting rave reviews for its outstanding, upscale Japanese cuisine.

oishii, a reviewer on UrbanSpoon writes (click here to read review):

The menu has a wonderful array of tasty dishes and they have wonderful drinks to go along with the food.  The service is attentive and the ambiance is divine due to the gorgeously designed interior.  Definitely a place to check out!

We went all out and ordered a huge feast, including a bottle of Dreamy Moon Sake (not pictured, $34). Below are pictured some of the items we ordered. The food was very creatively and artistically presented, and tasted great, but I wasn’t entirely full after the meal. Maybe that was a good thing – better than being too full, I guess! I think that ShuRaku is one of those places that favors quality over quantity.

The meal was a treat for the senses and tastebuds. One of my friends commented that he thinks that ShuRaku is better value than (but nearly at the level of quality as) Vancouver’s famed Japanese restaurant, Tojo’s. ShuRaku is a place I would bring an out-of-town guest who I wanted to impress, and not entirely break the bank while doing so.

Roulette Roll ($12) from Shuraku Japanese Restaurant in Vancouver.

Enoki Mushroom and pork ($5.60) from Shuraku Japanese Restaurant on Granville in downtown Vancouver.

5 kinds of Sashimi ($24) from ShuRaku Japanese Restaurant in Vancouver, BC, Canada.

Deep fried prawn (came with Sashimi) from ShuRaku Japanese Restaurant in Vancouver.

Fresh oysters ($12 for 5 oysters) from ShuRaku Japanese Restaurant in Vancouver.

Ika Sumi Pasta ($8.75) - a salad made with squid ink pasta and fresh vegetables, from ShuRaku Japanese restaurant.

Salmon Foie Gras appetizer ($7.00) from ShuRaku Japanese Restaurant in Vancouver.

Beef Asparagus ($6.25) from ShuRaku Japanese Restaurant in Vancouver.

Another shot of the "5 kinds of Sashimi" (with glowing ice cubes that give it an interesting lighting effect) from ShuRaku Japanese restaurant

A nice dessert, the marble cheesecake ($6.99)