Voicemails for Isabelle feels like pure San Francisco, but most of it was made about 1,300 km north, in and around Vancouver, British Columbia. The crew spent only a few days shooting the real San Francisco landmarks and built everything else, including Jill’s apartment, Chef Bastien’s kitchen, and even parts of Austin, in Canada. If you live in the Lower Mainland or are visiting, several of these spots are easy to see in person.
New here? Start with the full map: Voicemails for Isabelle Filming Locations: San Francisco and Vancouver.
Quick Facts
- Film: Voicemails for Isabelle (2026), Netflix, released June 19, 2026
- Director/writer: Leah McKendrick
- Main filming base: Greater Vancouver, British Columbia
- Filmed: July to September 2025
- Vancouver stood in for: San Francisco and Austin, Texas
- Studio: Martini Film Studios, Langley
Why Vancouver Played San Francisco
British Columbia has doubled for American cities for decades, thanks to its film infrastructure, tax incentives, and versatile streets. For Voicemails for Isabelle, director Leah McKendrick’s team locked a very clear shot list in the real San Francisco, then applied that same visual language to Vancouver neighborhoods and filled in the rest at the studio. It is the same on-location-plus-studio approach behind other recent BC shoots, like our Project Hail Mary and Narnia (2026) guides.
The Vancouver Locations
Havana, 1212 Commercial Drive
The heart of the film’s Vancouver footprint is Havana, a long-running restaurant and bar at 1212 Commercial Drive. It was dressed up as Chef Bastien’s restaurant, the source of Jill’s professional misery, and doubled as her workspace. Scenes were shot here on Tuesday, July 29, 2025.
Can you visit? Yes, it is a working restaurant serving Cuban-inspired food, so you can eat exactly where Jill suffered under Bastien. Just check current opening hours before you go.
Commercial Drive (the Drive)
The blocks around Havana did double duty. Commercial Drive, known locally as “the Drive,” is one of Vancouver’s most characterful streets, full of independent cafés, international restaurants, and a lively pedestrian buzz. Several exterior shots use its storefronts and sidewalks as everyday San Francisco.
Can you visit? Easily. It is a great neighborhood to wander for coffee and people-watching, a short ride east of downtown.
David Lam Park, Yaletown
Jill’s dessert food truck scenes and several outdoor, heartfelt moments were filmed at David Lam Park, a waterfront green space in Yaletown along False Creek. With the downtown towers rising behind the water, it stands in convincingly for a breezy California park.
Can you visit? Yes, it is a public park with a seawall path, easy to reach on foot from downtown or Yaletown.
Gastown
The production also used Gastown, Vancouver’s oldest district, with its brick facades, cobbled streets, and the famous steam clock. Its vintage character adds old-city texture to the film.
Can you visit? Yes, Gastown is a central, walkable neighborhood and one of the city’s top things to do.
Martini Film Studios, Langley
Everything indoors was built at Martini Film Studios in Langley, a large facility with eight sound stages. That includes Jill’s San Francisco apartment, the restaurant kitchens, the Austin, Texas scenes, and the green-screen setup used for the emotional Golden Gate bridge bench.
Can you visit? No, this is a working studio and not open to the public, but it is the reason so much “San Francisco” and “Austin” could be shot in one place.
Recap: Vancouver Locations at a Glance
| Location | Area | In the film |
|---|---|---|
| Havana, 1212 Commercial Drive | Commercial Drive | Chef Bastien’s restaurant & Jill’s workspace |
| Commercial Drive storefronts | East Vancouver | Everyday “San Francisco” exteriors |
| David Lam Park | Yaletown / False Creek | Food truck & outdoor scenes |
| Gastown | Downtown Vancouver | Historic city character |
| Martini Film Studios | Langley, BC | Interiors, apartment, Austin scenes, green-screen bench |
Make a Vancouver Film-Fan Day
Because most of these sit close together, you can link them into an easy day. Start with brunch or coffee along Commercial Drive and see Havana at 1212. Head downtown to wander Gastown and catch the steam clock, then walk the False Creek seawall to David Lam Park in Yaletown. Martini Studios in Langley is a drive out and closed to visitors, so leave that one for the trivia.
Conclusion
The magic of Voicemails for Isabelle is that its San Francisco is mostly a beautifully dressed Vancouver. For local fans, that is a gift: you can grab a coffee on the Drive, eat where Chef Bastien ruled his kitchen, and stroll the same waterfront the camera did, all in one afternoon.
See how the two cities fit together in the full guide: Voicemails for Isabelle Filming Locations: San Francisco and Vancouver. For the real Golden Gate view, read Jill’s Bench.
FAQs
Was Voicemails for Isabelle filmed in Vancouver?
Yes. Most of the film was shot in Greater Vancouver, British Columbia, from July to September 2025. Vancouver stood in for both San Francisco and Austin, Texas, with only a short location shoot in the real San Francisco.
Where is Chef Bastien’s restaurant in real life?
It is Havana, a restaurant and bar at 1212 Commercial Drive in Vancouver, which was dressed as Chef Bastien’s place and also served as Jill’s workspace. It is a working restaurant you can visit.
What Vancouver neighborhoods appear in the film?
Commercial Drive (including Havana), Gastown, and David Lam Park in Yaletown along False Creek. Interiors were built at Martini Film Studios in Langley.
Can you visit the Voicemails for Isabelle Vancouver locations?
Most of them, yes. Havana, Commercial Drive, Gastown, and David Lam Park are all public and easy to reach. Martini Film Studios is a working studio and not open to the public.
Where was the Golden Gate bench scene filmed?
The bench scenes used a green screen at Martini Film Studios near Vancouver. The real view behind them is Battery Spencer in San Francisco’s Marin Headlands. See our full Battery Spencer guide.
Related reading
