Explore City Centre like a Local

In Coquitlam’s City Centre, you can eat, drink, shop, go fishing, play some outdoor table tennis, splash in a spray park and explore a nature trail – all in one afternoon.

Two major draws to the area include Coquitlam Centre and Town Centre Park. And yet, this central hub is also home to many hidden gems. Scroll down for some fresh ideas of where to walk the dog, meet friends for lunch, or “Crunch” off some calories.

With three SkyTrain stations in Coquitlam City Centre, bike and walking paths as well as ample parking it is an easy place to get to and explore.

Shop ’til You Drop

Start your day at Coquitlam Centre, which has close to 200 stores featuring top fashion brands, outdoor shops and major retailers. Then head across the street to Henderson Place Mall, the Old Navy/GAP Outlet, or Chapters at Pinetree Village. This area has many great shops for hunting down gifts or unique goods.

Eat & Drink

Locals love the foodie enclave of Glen Drive around The High Street, where you’ll see cuisines from all over the globe. You’ll also find many great dessert spots in the area, from Korean dessert cafés to Belgian waffles, crêpes, cupcakes and pastry shops. For the full list of restaurants in Coquitlam City Centre check out VisitCoquitlam.ca/eat-drink.

Brisk Café: Cute patio chairs and tables and hanging baskets make this a charming cafe in City Centre. Brisk Cafe

Brown’s Socialhouse Town Centre: Their patio is always a favourite place to stop for a cocktail or a bite to eat.

Clever Cupcakes: So many flavours and variations, including sugar-free, gluten-free and vegan options.

Kulinarya Filipino Eatery: Beef Nilaga, Kare-kare and more can be found here, prepared from scratch. Kulinarya Filipino Eatery

La Ruota Pizzeria: Pizzas are billed as “artisan” and “Neapolitan style.” In other words: delicious. Craft beer on tap as well.

Legend House: Specializing in Sichuan (Szechuan) cuisine and Northern Chinese Style Dim Sum. In house hand dragged noodles make for an authentic experience. Legend House

Minoo Bakery & Pastry: Persian bakery with a huge variety of cookies and baked goods (no website; 2918 Glen Drive, 604-552-3336).

Miracle Waffle & Miracle Sandi Egg: Freshly baked Belgian waffles topped with ice cream and fresh fruit? Yes, please! Stop by during the day or after dinner for a sweet, cool treat.

Oz Korean Cuisine: Enjoy the new patio at this restaurant offering a variety of Korean fare including their take on KFC (Korean fried chicken).

Shio Japanese Kitchen: This city centre sushi restaurant offers delicious food at great prices.

Singapore Hawker: A food concept that honours the hawker style dining culture of Singapore/Malaysia. Great for a quick lunch or family dinner. Singapore Hawker

Snowy Village: Dig in to eye-poppingly delicious desserts including bingsoo, which includes snowflake shaved ice topped with sweetened condensed milk, whip or ice cream, and your choice of fruit or sweet topping.

Titi Homemade Food: Homemade Persian fare is what you’ll find at this restaurant located on Pinetree Way. With newly added outdoor seating it’s a great way to eat local outside.

Urban Gate: A grocery store specializing in Persian food including a beautiful selection of cakes and baked goods. Bonus – they are currently offering take out of their mouth-watering restaurant menu items.

Xpress Donair House: Not only does this place have fantastic donairs but they also serve over 25 flavours of delicious gelato.

This summer, don’t miss the food trucks parked close to Town Centre Park, along Pinetree Way.

You’ll find many cool cafés throughout the area, from the quaint Creekside Coffee Factory (where they also roast their own beans) on the southern edge near Mariner Brewing as well as string of coffee shops near Town Centre Park, including Caffé Divano, PappaRoti, Café Delitzi and Awesome Place Coffee and Dessert.

And that’s just scratching the surface! Check out our searchable map of places to eat and drink.

Parks & Trails

Town Centre Park

Town Centre Park is better than great – it’s actually one of the best in Canada. So says the Canadian Institute of Planners, which in 2017 voted the park the nation’s best public space.

So, what’s so fantastic about it? Well, in summer, you’ll see people walking around Lafarge Lake, enjoying the peaceful landscape. You can spend a lazy afternoon picnicking or even fishing in the lake. Here are some top things to do:

Coquitlam Crunch

“Doing the Crunch” is a local rite of passage. The uphill Coquitlam Crunch trail involves climbing up more than 400 stairs followed by a path that leads to the top of Westwood Plateau with a 244-metre elevation gain. That’s the equivalent of 81 storeys! Hint – go early in the morning or in the late afternoon to beat the heat.

Hoy Creek Linear Park

This park is a quiet place to duck away from the nearby streets for a quiet walk under the trees. The trail follows Hoy Creek, where salmon return each fall.

Coquitlam River Park

Lace up for a run, walk or roll through this network of trails weaving its way along the Coquitlam River. The tree cover provides welcome shade on hot days.

Best Indoor Activities

In addition to shopping, Coquitlam facilities are reopening with new safety procedures in place. Here are a few to try.

Visit the Art Gallery at Evergreen Cultural Centre, currently open Thursdays from 1-8 pm and Fridays and Saturdays from 1-6 pm. The AGE focuses on contemporary art and ideas explored by professional artists working in all mediums. Visit their website to know before your visit.

Drop by the Coquitlam Public Library City Centre Branch on Pinetree Way to restock your summer reading library.

The City Centre Aquatic Complex is re-opening for registered drop-in activities in the pool, fitness studio and weight room starting in mid-August, as well as registered programming for September. Visit the website to register for your time and find all the information for your visit.

Did we miss your local favourite? Tell us about it! Email tourism@coquitlam.ca.

Read more about Coquitlam
Back To Blog
Find Out More