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LE'GENT ANTIQUES, 4402, AT EAST 28TH AVENUE Some of Vancouver's finest antiques dealers are on Main Street. But I head to Le'Gent — partly for the French Provincial furniture, partly for the man who sources it.

Owner Masoud Asvadi is a colourful character who arrived in Canada from Iran six years ago, not speaking a word of English. Looking for something to do, he converted an old TV repair shop into a fabulous antiques store. Now, he'll happily show you around and delights in telling the stories behind a rug purchased in Paris at the turn of the past century or a $7,000 English dining room set built in 1867.

Just be sure to stake a claim if his heavily accented English sways you. This is a favourite haunt of set designers from Vancouver's thriving movie industry. And if antique chandeliers are your thing, you may not find a better collection anywhere.

CAFÉ MONTMARTRE, 4362, BETWEEN EAST 27TH AND EAST 28TH AVENUES A true bohemian gathering spot, this café is a favourite for area writers, poets and aspiring musicians, who chow down on terrific, fairly priced food and on weekends listen to up-and-coming singer-songwriters.

One hint of the offbeat vibe is the bathtub by the front door, which serves as a pot for a huge plant. Inside, the decor is equally unique (read: ironic). On the ceiling hang small bicycles and a toy baby carriage, and the tables and chairs wouldn't be out of place in a student's apartment.

As for that food: Montmartre's specialty is crepes. If you're in the neighbourhood, let me recommend the Divine — slices of baked chicken breast with a béchamel, herb and melted mozzarella sauce — for $11.95. And don't leave without trying (or splitting) a Monaco sundae, known to contain extremely healthy shots of Kahlua and espresso.

THE REEF, 4172, AT EAST 26TH AVENUE If you're not a fan of hot and fruity sauces — and you're uncomfortable in a grandparent-free, under-30 zone — you might want to stay away. But you will be missing out. This is probably the best Caribbean food in the city.

The kitchen is run by Paulette Wedderburn, otherwise known as Miss Paulette, who was born in Kingston, Jamaica, and was raised by a mother who shared with her the secrets of making amazing curries.

Miss Paulette also makes a mean jerk. Her marinade is a spicy North Coast recipe that consists of, among other things, bay leaves, scallions, cloves, garlic, ginger and scotch bonnets — then, to give it true soul, she adds a little of this and a little of that. (And if you ever figure out what the "little bit of this and a little bit of that" is, you could be rich.) Oh, if you're wondering if you're in the right place or not, you'll know by the surfboards hanging from the walls and the floor-to-ceiling posters of palm trees.

HELEN'S GRILL, 4102, AT EAST KING EDWARD AVENUE An East Side institution, this classic diner has been around for 88 years. And it looks it.

The booths still have juke boxes. The floor is red-and-black checkered tile. Plants hang limply, and I mean limply, from the ceiling beside strings of Tiffany lamps. There's also a long counter with swivel chairs where you can get a real milkshake in the metal container it was created in.

And you just don't see menus like these any more — by which I mean menus with all-day breakfasts, veal cutlets and liver and onions. Plus seniors' menus for customers who have been coming here since it was called the Aristocratic way back when, such as one fellow who used to be a beat cop in the area 70 years ago.

Someone even wrote a cult novel in one of the booths here. Just don't ask me who the author was or what the book was called.

RED CAT RECORDS, 4307, AT EAST 27TH AVENUE It may be sandwiched — squished is a better word — between an Indian meat market and a kids' clothing store. But this tiny shop is regularly voted one of the best record stores for alternative music in Vancouver.

You simply can't find the albums and CDs they have anywhere else. Go to your local record store, for example, and see if they carry Vancouver ambient group Coin Gutter or Montreal's Snailhouse.

And since Red Cat sells three times more vinyl to its terribly young, terribly hip customers than CDs (co-owner Lasse Lutick says it might be some kind of backlash against digital music), the store also stocks record players. Okay, it sells only one type, but it sells a lot of them. And the record player converts the records to MP3s as well.

HAPPY BATS CINEMA, 198 E. 15TH, AROUND THE CORNER FROM MAIN STREET If you're any kind of videophile — or don't want to rely on pay-per-view in your hotel room — you have to drop in at Happy Bats. It's the best movie store I have ever been in. Ever.

You can find every movie ever directed by Steven Soderbergh, Robert Altman, Sam Peckinpah, Brian de Palma and Woody Allen, who all have their own shelf or two. Or if you're an admirer of Asian cult horror, you can go to the Asian cult horror section to find 964 Pinocchio. (How many movie stores you been into lately that have their own Asian cult horror section?) This place even has R-rated movies by such late-night masters as Tinto Brass and Jesus Franco.

Don't arrive with an army of friends, however, because the quarters are cramped.

WELCOME HOME EUGENE CHOO, 3683, AT EAST 21ST AVENUE You know you're in Hipsterville when they start naming stores Welcome Home Eugene Choo. Which, by the way, is a very fine clothing shop that has been selling the best in Canadian and international design since 2000.

If you're looking for slick, all-black Converse, or dress shoes by Common Projects, for instance, this is the place to find them. And W.H.E.C. is often crawling with Japanese English-as-a-second-language students looking for cult French brands that you can't find in well-trod shopping districts such as Robson Street. It also has accessories that you're not likely to see on a friend at your next dinner party. (Then again, the store does draw savvy customers from all over.) If you're on the hunt for cool looks in the area, also check out The Lip Lounge (a former salon turned clothing-and-makeup store) and Smoking Lily (everything from Pony Express bags to funky tea cozies).

Gary Mason is a Globe and Mail columnist based in Vancouver.