Food and Shopping

Read more about the many places to buy regular and specialty food items in St. John's, including information on local restaurants.

Grocery stores

St. John's offers a variety of supermarkets within the metro area. Most are accessible via Metrobus (public transit). The dominant grocery stores within the city are Sobeys, Dominion and Colemans, all with multiple locations. 

Supermarkets offer a vast selection of food and fresh produce. Several of the larger supermarkets offer a variety of international products, household items and clothing. To locate the store nearest you, use their store locator options on their websites.

There are other convenience stores located throughout the city. Most grocery and convenience stores are open seven days a week and several of the larger supermarkets are open 24-hours.

International products

There are several specialty stores in St. John's offering a variety of ethnic items including:

• Bulk Barn (spices etc.), search bulkbarn.ca for location nearest you.
• So Kee Chinese Grocery, 238 Duckworth Street, Phone: 709-739-1716
• Rocket Food, 294 Water Street, Phone: 709-738-2011
• Taste East NL., 62 Allandale Road, Phone: 709-579-7366
• Toya International Market, 40 O'Leary Avenue, Phone: 709-579-0999
• Sedra Food, 9 Freshwater Road, Phone: 709-763-5700
• Just Goody Mart, 336 Freshwater Road, Phone: 709-219-3663
• Andaluzia Market, 31 Peet Street, Phone: 709-771-7273
• Wandebo African Store, 38 Ropewalk Lane: 647-244-2208
• Desi Meals,  27 Elizabeth Avenue, Phone: 709-753-3220
• Shalimar Restaurant, 272 Duckworth Street, Phone: 709-237-5100

Farmers Market

The St. John's Farmers' Market is open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays year-round. It is located at at 245 Freshwater Road. The market offers a variety of fresh produce, baked goods, ethic foods, crafts and much more.

The City has also designated an area of the Churchill Square parking lot as an open air market for the purposes of outdoor vending. A small number of vendors participate in this market, generally offering fresh produce and fish.

Shopping

St. John's offers many shopping options from downtown specialty boutiques to shopping malls and big box centres. Business hours may differ from store to store. Most businesses operate seven days per week with some stores open 24-hours.

St. John's has two large indoor shopping malls - the Avalon Mall on Kenmount Road and the Village Mall on Topsail Road. Both malls are served on Metrobus routes (public transit).

St. John's also has two major big box centres - one on Stavanger Drive and the other on Kelsey Drive. Both areas have multiple large retailers. 

Downtown offers a wide variety of specialty shops, boutiques, galleries and restaurants.

Keep in mind that products do not have the Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) included in the sticker price, so you will pay an additional 15 per cent on most items at the checkout.

Secondhand stores

Buying previously used items is an inexpensive and sustainable way to purchase things such as appliances, furniture and clothing. If you are looking for used appliances or furniture it is a good idea to look online on Buy and Sell Magazine, NL Classifieds, Facebook Marketplace or Kijiji.

• The Salvation Army operates a thrift store in St. John's on Kenmount Road. 
• Other second hand retailers include Previously Loved Clothes and Things, Too good to be True, Beagle Paws Thrift Store, SPCA Thrift Stores and Value Village.
• If you love the thrill of finding vintage clothing check out Model Citizens or Found Consignment Boutique.

Restaurants

St. John's has a diverse selection of restaurants and cafes. From traditional Newfoundland food to Korean, Japanese, Indian and Afghan, St. John's has it all.  For information about St. John's as a dining destination visit destinationstjohns.com.

Use your favorite search engine to find a listing of the more than 90 restaurants in the city. There are also several 24-hour restaurants in the city. 

Remember that the price listed on the menu does not include the 15% Harmonized Sales Tax (HST), which will be automatically added to your bill. Smoking is not permitted in restaurants and public buildings in Newfoundland and Labrador. Tipping is normally at the discretion of the customer.