Commercial Drive
49°16′ N 123°04′ WNeighbourhoodMain Street and East Van
Commercial Drive suits travellers who want Little Italy's espresso bars and a SkyTrain hub on the same East Vancouver street, and the trade-off is distance from the beaches on the city's west side.
Photo Emma0mb · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 4.0 and others, credited in the gallery
Field card · Town · No. 004 · checked 16 Oct 2026
Take the Expo Line to Commercial–Broadway and walk north.
Who should base here
Base on the Drive for the SkyTrain at Commercial–Broadway and a different cuisine every night. Locals call the street The Drive.
Eat in Commercial Drive
Lunch LadyRestaurant
Regional Vietnamese cooking at 1046 Commercial Drive holds a Michelin Bib Gourmand. Start with the fried black tiger prawns in fish sauce.
Magari by OcaRestaurant
The pastificio at 1260 Commercial Drive hand-rolls its pasta at an open station and holds a Michelin Bib Gourmand. The Facciamo Noi tasting menu runs through off-menu pastas.
HavanaRestaurant
Latin-inspired cooking at 1212 Commercial Drive comes with a patio that stays open all year.
Drink in Commercial Drive
The late-night cocktail bar at 1214 Commercial Drive puts local musicians and comedians on stage.
Things to do in Commercial Drive
Rio TheatreCinema
The neighbourhood cinema at 1660 East Broadway screens films and stages burlesque and comedy nights. Its October 2026 calendar puts The Rocky Horror Picture Show on at 11:45 pm on 23 October.
Christmas Wonderland on the DriveEvent
Santa poses for free photos and horse-drawn carriages roll along the Drive on Sunday 29 November 2026 from 2 to 5 pm, and the Christmas tree in Grandview Park lights up at 5 pm.
Artists open their studios across the Eastside Arts District from 19 to 22 November 2026. Weekday hours run 5 to 10 pm and weekend hours 11 am to 6 pm.
Trout Lake (John Hendry Park)Park
Destination Vancouver lists the lake among the Drive's nearby sights. Its Saturday farmers market ran from 4 April to 31 October in 2026.
The first large wave of Italian immigrants reached Vancouver between 1896 and 1914 and settled in what is now Strathcona. By the 1940s and 1950s many families had moved to the north end of Commercial Drive, and the Commercial Drive Business Society says they filled it with cafés and delis. The City of Vancouver designated eight blocks of the Drive as Historic Little Italy in 2016. Italian Day fills the street every June, and in 2026 it ran from noon to 8 pm on Sunday 14 June.
Lunch Lady at 1046 Commercial Drive cooks regional Vietnamese food, and the Commercial Drive Business Society calls its garlic fried noodles ever-popular. Magari by Oca at 1260 Commercial Drive rolls pasta by hand at an open station. Both hold a Michelin Bib Gourmand. Havana at 1212 Commercial Drive keeps its patio going all year, and The Flamingo Room next door puts musicians and comedians on stage late into the night.
Christmas Wonderland on the Drive fills Grandview Park on Sunday 29 November 2026 from 2 to 5 pm. Santa poses for free photos, and horse-drawn carriages give rides along the street before the tree lights up at 5 pm. A week before, the 30th Eastside Culture Crawl opens artists' studios across the Eastside Arts District from 19 to 22 November 2026. Studios open from 5 to 10 pm on the weekdays and from 11 am to 6 pm over the weekend.
Commercial–Broadway station sits at East Broadway and Commercial Drive, where the Expo and Millennium lines meet. The Rio Theatre at 1660 East Broadway runs films and late-night live shows a short walk from the station. Trout Lake's Saturday farmers market at Lakewood Drive and East 13th Avenue ran from 4 April to 31 October in 2026 and stops for the winter.
Worth knowing
- From downtown, ride the Expo Line from Waterfront Station to Commercial–Broadway and walk north up the Drive.
- Reach Grandview Park by mid-afternoon on 29 November 2026 for the carriage rides, since the tree lighting at 5 pm closes the event.
Quick answers about Commercial Drive
What is Commercial Drive known for?
Commercial Drive is known for Little Italy. The City of Vancouver designated eight blocks of the Drive as Historic Little Italy in 2016, and Italian Day fills the street every June.
How do I get to Commercial Drive from downtown Vancouver?
Take the Expo Line from Waterfront Station to Commercial–Broadway station at East Broadway and Commercial Drive.
What's on at Commercial Drive in winter?
Christmas Wonderland on the Drive fills Grandview Park on Sunday 29 November 2026 from 2 to 5 pm. The Eastside Culture Crawl opens studios across the Eastside Arts District from 19 to 22 November 2026.
Within 12 km
Places to stay nearby
Within 12 km
Places to eat and drink nearby
Within 12 km
