-
$$$$ | Kitsilano |
Before "local" and "seasonal" were all the rage, this highly regarded restaurant was serving West Coast cuisine with an emphasis on organic regional produce. Menu highlights include starters like tuna tartare with pickled garlic scapes and arugula seed pods, while Haida Gwaii halibut with broccoli puree, roasted cauliflower, and crispy potato, and heritage pork with clams are among the tasty main dishes. All are expertly presented and impeccably served with suggestions from Bishop's extensive local wine list. The split-level room displays elaborate flower arrangements and selections from owner John Bishop's art collection.
2183 W. 4th Ave., Vancouver, British Columbia, V6K 1N7, Canada
Known For
- Impeccable service
- Extensive local wine list
- West Coast cuisine
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. and Mon. No lunch, Credit cards accepted
-
$$$$ | |
Book ahead to nab one of the 30 or so seats in this cozy bistro, voted one of Canada's 100 Best restaurants, where Chef Alden Ong and his team in the open kitchen craft wildly creative vegetable-forward menus. Here, fresh local ingredients, organic produce, and ethically sourced meats play a starring role. There is a set menu served family style for the table (C$80) and Happy Hour on Friday and Saturday. For cocktails and a lighter meal, head next door to the sister wine bar, Grapes and Soda. Reservations are essential.
1535 W. 6th Ave., Vancouver, British Columbia, V6J 1R1, Canada
Known For
- Family style dining
- Seasonal ingredients
- Great vegetarian dining
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun and Mon., Reservations essential
-
$$$$ | |
With sleek white tables and sparkling chandeliers, Chef David Hawksworth's modish restaurant welcomes locals toasting new clients or celebrating a romantic anniversary. The food (and the crowd) is suave and swanky, too. You might start with hamachi tartare dressed with chili lime vinaigrette, or a simpler heirloom tomato salad with burrata and preserved cherries. Although the menu changes frequently, mains might include wild salmon with lobster agnolotti, or duck breast with turnip and loganberry jus. Everything is superbly presented, including, for dessert, the delicious mushroom ice-cream. Don't knock it until you've tried it.
801 W. Georgia St., Vancouver, British Columbia, V6C 1P7, Canada
Known For
- Upscale dining
- Seasonal menus
- Flavor combinations and presentation
-
$$$ | |
Tucked away inside the Vancouver Art Gallery, the 1931 Gallery Bistro and rooftop (weather-dependent) terrace are quiet retreats from the Downtown bustle. Food is very west coast modern-fusion as in Szechuan prawns with papaya slaw, coconut and carrot soup, and flavorful flatbreads. The poke bowls are excellent as is the selection of eggs Benedict.
750 Hornby St., Vancouver, British Columbia, V6Z 2H7, Canada
Known For
- Fresh, organic food
- Private patio amid glassy high-rises
- Eggs Benedict
-
$$$ | |
Located adjacent to the Queen Elizabeth Theatre, and within a few minutes walk of the city's Rogers Arena and BC Place, what better place for a pre-theater/pre-event meal? Choices are wide and varied, from social hour morsels (crispy cauliflower and parmesan garlic chips) to soups, salads, burgers, Asian-inspired bowls, pasta, and a decent kids' menu. Save room for house-made desserts. Bonus: there's underground parking.
675 Cambie St., Vancouver, British Columbia, V6B 2P1, Canada
Known For
- Expansive patio
- Pre-post theater
- Menu selection
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon.
-
Recommended Fodor’s Video
-
-
$$$$ | |
Chef Andrea Carlson previously manned the stoves at locavore destinations Bishop's and Raincity Grill, and she's kept her focus on seasonal local ingredients at her own Michelin-starred storefront bistro. Though she changes the menu regularly, about half of her inventive sharing plates are vegetarian, like the squash cannelloni with chanterelle mushroom cream or the grain "risotto" with potato, miso, and quinoa. Set menu starts at C$89 per guest.
2702 Main St., Vancouver, British Columbia, V5T 3E8, Canada
Known For
- Locavore menu
- Vegetarian options
- Cozy space
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Tues.–Wed.
-
$$$ | Granville Island |
At this contemporary bistro with a patio for people-watching, you can sample foods from BC and across Canada. Smaller appetites might gravitate toward the bison tartare, while hungrier travelers can sup on wild Pacific salmon with sunchokes, fennel, beets, and a butter sauce. Other great picks include the famous duck poutine (duck confit, Québec cheese curds, duck egg, crispy onions) and the bouillaisse (halibut, squid, shrimp, clams, celeriac, fennel, tomato, grilled bread). The adjacent retail store sells regional jams, chocolates, and other treats to take home.
1596 Johnston St., Vancouver, British Columbia, V6H 3R9, Canada
Known For
- Canadian cuisine
- Duck-fat fries
- Seasonal menus
-
$$$$ | |
The name doesn't have to do with fairy tales. It's about the farm-to-table movement, which encapsulates the philosophy of this bustling Kitsilano bistro. The idea is creative comfort food. And while the menu looks straightforward, with dishes like wild British Columbian salmon and smoked duck breast, it's full of surprising twists. The Spaghetti and Meat Ball turns out to be tagliatelle topped with a single oversized duck meatball that spills out the sauce when you cut into it, while zucchini "tagliatelle" contains no pasta at all. The moral? Don't judge this always-entertaining book by its cover (and order dessert when the lemon meringue parfait is available).
1944 W. 4th St., Vancouver, British Columbia, V6J 1M5, Canada
Known For
- Inventive menu
- Local ingredients
- Weekday brunch
-
$$$ | |
Chicken is the specialty at this classy bistro where the juicy rotisserie-roasted birds are served with potato salad, coleslaw, and biscuits. Other creative comfort foods include Arctic char with an annatto seed crust and lamb shank with cauliflower ragu. And save room for dessert—they always have something worth ordering. The space is interesting, too. Half the restaurant is in a restored historic structure (with details like mosaic tiles and a tin ceiling), while the other side of the dining room is set in a new condo building.
898 Homer St., Vancouver, British Columbia, V6B 2W5, Canada
Known For
- Rotisserie chicken
- Interesting space
- Notable brunch
-
$$$$ | |
On the site of Vancouver's first jail, this two-level restaurant with exposed brick walls and classic black-and-white floor tiles has a bold collection of cocktails and an intriguing modern menu. From the restaurant's name—French for "slaughterhouse" (the surrounding neighborhood was once a meatpacking district)—you'd expect a meat-focused menu. And although you'll find veal sweetbreads on toast, seafood shines as well in dishes like the grilled lobster tail or baked Pacific oysters with Burgundy truffle. Before plotting your escape into the night, dally over the mille-feuille or the chia spice-infused rice pudding.
217 Carrall St., Vancouver, British Columbia, V6B 2J2, Canada
Known For
- Creative cocktails
- Modern meat dishes
- Tempting desserts
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. and Mon.
-
-
$$$ | Downtown |
House-made pickles and preserves line the walls of this bright and modern "farm to Downtown" hot spot, extending the availability of BC produce throughout the drizzly Vancouver winter. Don't let the old-fashioned diner-style counter fool you—the food here is seasonal and local with menus changing quarterly to showcase what's fresh. Bright vegetable dishes like summer squash with goat feta, tayberry, almonds, and basil complement house-made pasta (including gluten-free options) and hearty meat dishes like sweetbreads with broccoli, smoked peanuts, and oyster mushrooms or Berkshire pork with peach, black beans, pumpkin seeds, and cilantro. Even the drink list leans local, with plenty of BC beers on offer and cocktails that incorporate house-made tonic, hot sauce, and milk liqueur.
905 Dunsmuir St., Vancouver, British Columbia, V6C 1A8, Canada
Known For
- House-made pasta
- Gluten-free dining
- Local ingredients
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. No lunch Sat.
