Shellback

For a very casual French Bistro, Salade de Fruits at 7th and Granville has an excellent deal on their weekly Table d'Hotes menu - a 3 course meal for $19.95. Take a look at their website http://www.saladedefruits.com/. The October menu is not posted yet. La Ragalade in West Vancouver is also worth considering - homestyle French comfort food. Generous portions and great value! Large selection of daily specials noted on the chalkboard. Parkside is a great recommendation. But for something a little more casual in the neighbourhood - try Tapastree on Robson and Denman. West coast tapas - all very reasonable prices in a cozy room.

A couple of Greek friends told me that Kalamata on Broadway and Cambie is very good and quite authentic. Has anyone been?

Since you will be in Yaletown, you should try Rodney's Oyster House on 1228 Hamilton. Casual, but great oysters! For ethnic/vegetarian - check out Tamarind Bistro. New funky Indian restaurant located at 1626 West Broadway owned by the same people as Rubina Tandoori. Prices are reasonable, lots of small plates, wonderful flavours... (many dishes feature tamarind). Interesting drink and dessert selections.

How about taking them to Steveston Fishing Village and enjoy fish & chips out of newspaper cones at Pajo's by the dock? Steveston is also important historically as the home of many Japanese Canadians before the war. If the weather is nice, you can take them out for a picnic. My younger Japanese friends love outdoor BBQs since it is so difficult to do back home. Maybe take them to the beach (Jericho/Spanish Banks) for an outing - sandwiches, BBQ burgers, salads, etc. It will be a memorable experience for them.

A friend of mine recommends Samosa Garden on Kingsway, has anyone tried?

I stayed at the Condes de Barcelona two years ago for my pre- and post-cruise stays. The location is wonderful (just across from a famous Gaudi apartment building) and quite convenient. They actually have two buildings, kitty corner from each other. Before my cruise, I stayed in the "newer"(?) side. The room was spacious and elegant. There was a lovely winding staircase that you can take to the top of the building and look out at the vistas around you. The clientele were mostly business types. However, when I checked-in again at the Condes after my cruise, I was directed to the building across the street. The room was older and grimier. It was also not as spacious as the first room I had. However, I paid the same price for both room types. I would definitely recommend the Condes, but be sure to specify that you want to stay in the "new" building.

Blue Water has a nice private dining room - brick walls and lined with wines. It could comfortably seat 10 to 12 people. In addition to Cioppino's, other Italian/Mediterranean restaurants such as La Terraza has quite an elegant private dining room. Also, Cafe de Medici has private dining areas with audiovisual capabilities. For private dining rooms with a view, Five Sails in the Pan Pacific has a private room overlooking the harbour with a round table. Also, the Heron Restaurant in Waterfront Hotel has a private dining room surrounded by windows.

Hi Keith, This may not be what you are looking for, but my husband and I sometimes go to the Food Court in Yaohan Centre to fill our craving for casual Chinese food. In the evenings (after 6 pm), all the prices come down. Four items with rice and a cup of tea (or soup) for $4.50 - you can't beat that. Also, the variety is great! Check it out.

We tried Yuji's when it was first opened. The restaurant was very similar to when it was Taka's - simple and modern. The food was tasty and certain items on the menu were quite interesting, eg. tofu sushi set (three cubes of tofu each with a different topping - chopped scallops, marinated tuna, etc.). Compared to Umami, Yuji is definitely leaning more towards Japanese cuisine. However, we thought the services was a bit lacking and portions were small for the price. Nevertheless, I still think it's worth a try - maybe they have smoothed out some wrinkles. In Gastown (in the Landing building), there is another new Japanese tapas restaurant opened a few months ago - Guu Kita no Otokomae. It's along the same idea - western influenced Japanese tapas in urban setting. The food was not bad, but not as polished as some of the other restaurants, eg. En or Japone. After trying Hapa, Guu, En, Japone, Wabi Sabi, Yuji, etc., I still think Hapa is best for food quality and variety, ambience, price and decor. I have yet to try Umami and Dan.

Had a wonderful dinner tonight at Parkside! We started off with the terrine of chicken and smoked ham - very tasty. For our entrees, my husband and I had the beef shank and my sister had the pumpkin and mascarpone ravioli. The portions were so generous - we just couldn't finish all the beef. Completed our meals with two toffee puddings and one lemon tart. Our waiter was friendly, attentive yet not hovering. The room was cozy and had a wonderful buzz. Dine-out Vancouver or not, we will be back!!

Greg Critser: Fat Land - How Americans became the fattest people in the world. Insightful.

It really depends on how badly high end restaurants want to cater to patrons with small children, here are a couple of examples of how other businesses deal with the problem: 1) A local movie theatre near where I live have a special viewing room called the "Crying Room". It is for people who bring small children who may not be able to sit through a movie quietly. 2) A Japanese restaurant in Richmond, BC has a special kids play room inside the restaurant with indoor slides, toys, video, etc. Unfortunately, one of the parents must be there to supervise, but at least the children will not bother other dining patrons. I think it's fine for a restaurant to make it's own rules about what type of dining establishment it wants to be - then it's up to me whether or not I want to patronize them.

High points of 2003 dining for me were Cru, Parkside, Quattro on 4th and C Restaurant. Disappointing experience was Feenie's - thought it was just a lot of fluff but no substance. The worst was the lunch at Joe Fortes when I took my boss there for his birthday. Everthing was bad from the word "go": greeting, seating, service, food and timing. (I hope it will not affect my salary review for this year.....)

Speaking of the old Taka location, there is now a new Japanese restaurant "Yuji" in its place. I heard the owner used to work at Sakana Bistro in Yaletown. The menu offers some interesting items, eg. tofu sushi set (three cubes of tofu each with a different topping - chopped scallops, marinated tuna, etc.). The decor is basically unchanged from when it was Taka, but the portions are quite petite. The night we were there was very quiet - more wait staff than customers. This place is worth a try, but for Japanese tapas and great ambiance, I would rather go to Happa's. I must try Dan! Also, one of my favourite Japanese restaurant was "Haru" on Thurlow near Davie. But it closed a couple of years ago. Does anyone know of an authentic Japanese restaurant that serves "Table d'hotes" menu at great value like the way Haru used to do? I know the sushi chef from Haru has now opened his own restaurant called "Ajisai" in Kerrisdale. They specialize in sushi and does an excellent job, but there are hardly any cooked items on the menu other than the wonderful red miso soup with lots of clams. For Japanese tapas, Japone on Oak near 70th Ave. definitely has an interesting and extensive menu at very good prices. The only draw back is the location. Has anyone else tried this place and what are your comments?

I heard that Brix on Homer Street has a very nice late night menu. Please take a look at this website. I think they are closed on Sundays. http://www.brixvancouver.com/inside/menu.html

I was a little disappointed with Provence Marinaside - the room had little ambiance and the service slow, but the food was quite tasty. Heard mixed reviews about Glowbal. According to one local hotel concierge, they serve an awesome brunch - but went there, had the omlette of the day and found nothing exceptional. Nice room though... My current favourite Yaletown eatery is Grace's "Simply Thai". The flavours are so distinct and some dishes very unique. You must try the exquisite Cho Muang - fushia coloured dumplings hand sculped into the shape of lotus flowers and filled with minced curried chicken, onion and special Thai spices. I heard that in Thailand, Cho Muang are served only to the royal family.