10 Best Restaurants in Vancouver, British Columbia

Neighborhood residents queue before opening to secure one of the 30 seats in this cozy Italian bistro serving up house-made pasta and Prosecco on tap. Antipasti like burrata, fried cauliflower and—of course—meatballs, are served family style, so bring some friends for the best experience. It can take up to two hours to get a table, so plan to head elsewhere for drinks; the friendly staff (none of whom are named "Luigi") will text when your name hits the top of the wait list, or come for lunch if time is of the essence. Regardless of the hour, don't miss the house-bottled Spritz.

Here you'll find house-made pasta, antipasto, and out-of-the-ordinary wood-fired pizzas with out-of-the-ordinary toppings such as burrata with prosciutto apple. Reservations aren't available. Instead you'll be asked to write your name in chalk on a blackboard. But the food is worth the wait. There are lots of gluten-free options, a good selection of craft beers, and a reasonable wine list. You'll also find Nook in Olympic Village, Kitsilano, and at North Vancouver's Shipyards.

This small, family run restaurant cooks up traditional Italian fare as in calamari (served with truffle garlic mayo), scallop carpaccio, slow-braised lamb shank, and of course, pasta. House-made gnocchi and spinach ravioli are specialities. There's live music Friday and Saturday evenings (for a cover charge of C$2.50). 

The space is fun and funky—a mix of early-1900s architectural details, modern furnishings, and oversize pop art—and the seasonally changing menu of updated Italian fare is creative and delicious. The lengthy wine list emphasizes Italian labels, but British Columbia is well represented. To start, consider the grilled octopus, or, for more adventurous tastes, the roasted bone marrow. For a meat/fish course, how about seabass with a chickpea saffron stew and pistachios? For a light bite, join the local crowd at Uva Wine Bar inside the same hotel, which stays open till the wee hours.

Cioppino, the eponymous seafood stew, is the signature dish at this lofty candlelit room. Chef Pino Posteraro impresses with homemade pastas and Italian-Mediterranean dishes such as Haida Gwaii hailbut with confit garlic and Sicilian capers, and roasted rack of lamb with a candied garlic-lemon reduction. More rustic Italian fare, such as veal osso buco and braised beef short ribs, is also an option. In good weather, you can dine on the street-side patio. Note to oenophiles, the wine list runs more than 60 pages.

About a 10-minute walk from Main Street and Broadway, this bright, high-ceilinged take on a classic osteria fills up with neighborhood families and fashionable young people dining on house-made pasta, inventive vegetable dishes, and rich meats cooked over a wood-fired grill. The menu changes daily to showcase what's in season but always includes staples, like roasted chicken and steaks, along with more inventive items—think meatballs with pine nuts, a veal chop with polenta, or corn and wild chanterelles risotto. Reservations are recommended, but the seating at the central antipasto bar, right in the middle of the action, is strictly for walk-ins.

This cozy Italian restaurant in the heart of Yaletown is a fan favorite, thanks to the homemade pastas and tapas menu. Try the lobster and crab ravioli, the braised veal shank with saffron risotto, or the four-cheese gnocchi. They have plenty of Italian wines and classic cocktails on the menu, too. There are two other locations in Gastown and the West End as well. The West End location also serves brunch.