Digital Nomad’s Guide to St. John's

I tripped out to “The Rock” recently to experience the unique culture and character of its capital, St. John’s. I was pleasantly surprised to learn it’s also reasonably vegan and nomad-friendly.

(Want to know what St. John’s sounds like? Here’s a playlist of local acts.)

Coffee Shops

The Battery Cafe

1 Duckworth St, St. John's, NL A1C 1E3

Cute cafe with great coffee, lots of great local art, and no shortage of seating.

(Photo: The Battery Cafe)

Toslow

108 Duckworth St, St. John's, NL A1C 1E8

Arguably the hippest little cafe in St. John’s.

(Photo: Marc Z. Goldgrub)

Terre

125 Water St, St. John's, NL A1C 1A5

Essentially a coffee stand in the swanky Alt Hotel’s lobby, it’s nonetheless a solid spot for digital nomads.

There are some nice tables, WiFi, and a spectacular view of the harbour.

(Photo: Terre)

Restaurants

Poyo + The Sprout

364 Duckworth St, St. John's, NL A1C 1H5

The OG of vegan Newfoundland, and still the best all-vegan spot in the city.

(Photo: Poyo + The Sprout)

Peaceful Loft

250 Duckworth St, St. John's, NL A1C 1G6

Far from fancy, but this vegan Chinese restaurant’s food is particularly good and reasonably priced.

(Photo: Marc Z. Goldgrub)

The Nook and Cannery

69 Harvey Rd, St. John's, NL A1C 2E9

Proudly LGBTQ-friendly, its menu also features a good selection of vegan options, even if the place isn’t 100% plant-based.

The bowls in particular are superb.

(Photo: Marc Z. Goldgrub)

Parks and Recreation

Signal Hill

230 Signal Hill Rd, St. John's, NL A1A 1B3

St. John’s principle historic site, famous for the first transatlantic wireless transmission. The view is incredible.

(Photo: Marc Z. Goldgrub)

The Rooms

9 Bonaventure Ave, St. John's, NL A1C 5P9

A large complex with history exhibits, art galleries, and a theatre room. It’s probably the single best spot to get a sense of the rich cultural history of Newfoundland and Labrador.

(Photo: Marc Z. Goldgrub)

Erin’s Pub

186 Water St, St. John's, NL A1C 5V4

George Street is the tourist party area, but this down to Earth pub down the road is likely better suited for the vegan digital nomad crowd.

In one weekend, I saw a traditional Irish music performance (pictured), stand up comedy, and an open mic night. I missed the hardcore show and improv set.

(Photo: Marc Z. Goldgrub)

Drugs and Alcohol

Alcohol: Legal drinking age in Newfoundland and Labrador is 19.

Cannabis: Recreational cannabis is legal. It can be purchased from licensed dispensaries by adults aged 19+.

Psychedelics: I’m not aware of any psilocybin stores open in St. John’s, but there are plenty of websites offering to sell psilocybin to city residents. And by the time you read this, there may be shops open in the city. Nonetheless, psilocybin is illegal in Canada and any shops or websites selling it are acting in clear and explicit contravention of applicable law.