Vancouver Restaurant Recommendations

[sgschef]

I will be in Vancouver on Monday and Tuesday for business. With only 2 nights where would you go for dinner that would really show off the innovative styles I've read about. Can I do it w/o going to the most expensive places?

[cabrales]

sgschef -- Yes, consider Lumiere's bar area. Lumiere is one of the more expensive restaurants in town, but its bar area is reasonably priced.

http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?act=ST&f=74&t=2716

[nightscotsman]

This thread should be moved to the "Vancouver, British Columbia, and Western Canada" board, since I assume you are not considering dining out in Vancouver, Washington? Unless you were refering to the "innovative styles" of the Olive Garden and Red Lobster?

[tighe]

I would definately recomend Cioppino's Enoteca based on a fantastic lunch I had there. I think their prices are very reasonable and its in a cool part of town.

[Coop]

Bin 941 and Bin 942. Innovative and not at all like a Red Lobster.

We've got crab legs!

[scout]

I second the recommendations for Cioppino's and both of the Bins.

A few other options that aren't too pricey ...

Provence Marinaside - A cozy restaurant located on the edge of Yaletown with a mainly French menu.

Provence Marinaside

Vij's - 1480 W. 11th This place is a must if you like Indian food. They were closed over the holidays, but I'm sure they have re-opened by now.

Coco Pazzo - One of the best meals I've had in the last year was at this place. The dishes are not too fussy and a great variety of local ingredients are used. Although you might not use the word "innovative" to describe this place, I think it's certainly worth trying.Coco Pazzo

La Regalade - This tiny French bistro just opened within the last year on Marine Drive in West Vancouver. I have not had a chance to dine here yet, but I am constantly hearing great things about this place. If you go here you must report back to us with all of the details.

Good luck,

Scout

Edited January 10, 2003 by scout (log)

[Sam Salmon]

http://www.tojos.com.

You must sit the Sushi Bar and let Tojo-San feed you/buy him a large Japanese beer.

Always excellent often ambrosial....

[cabrales]

Sam_Salmon: Would you consider the prices at Tojo to be at the level requested, however?

[scout]

You might also want to consider trying a few dishes on West/Ouest's new "Small Plates" menu. I think this is similar to their old bar menu, but it's now available in both areas of the restaurant.

Click me

Edited January 12, 2003 by scout (log)

[Sam Salmon]

The profile indicates that the poster is from the New Jersey area-he's used to paying US funds.

So given the excellent exchange rate that US Americans enjoy Tojo's is easily affordable-Yes.

[arkestra]

Hi all:

My wife and I will be coming to Vancouver (from California) for a few days in early May. Although the main purpose of the trip is for me to run the marathon, we're hoping to enjoy a few good meals while we're there. So here are some of the things we're looking for:

1. Pasta: A couple of places where we can get good pasta (I need to carbo-load before the race). We're looking for some good places (quality over quantity), though nothing too formal.

2. A BC experience: Some place a little interesting for Sunday night dinner (after the marathon). Perhaps one that focuses on local/indigenous ingredients. (We were in Vancouver a year or two ago and went to Raincity Grill. The setting was very nice and I thought the food was pretty good, though the service wasn't great. Perhpas they weren't thrilled with the fact that we had our kids with us, even though they were well-behaved. Of course, that was only one visit.)

3. A nice cafe for lunch. Maybe some place that has good sandwiches/paninis.

4. Any place where I can get a good espresso.

We'll be staying near Stanley Park, but we will have a car, so we can drive a little (but don't send us to Whistler). Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

addendum: The kids are staying home this time. So it'll be a real vacation.

Edited March 22, 2004 by arkestra (log)

[paul mitchell]

Oh My, I can't believe I'm the first B.C.'er to jump on this - to your questions.

1) Bis Moreno has a great pasta tasting menu - I took the advice of my fellow egulleters and tried it out - also Umberto Menghi's Il Giardino is top Notch.

2) C Restaurant - they've got the connections for fish.

3) Go to Granville Island Market for lunch. Buy a little bit here, a little bit there from each purveyor / stand.

4) I'm not a coffee drinker. I only drank coffee once (trying to get laid) and I puked. But I know that a little trip to commercial drive to see the Italian boys and their cafe's is a good idea. There is also a crazy gelato place on the drive with like 200 flavours (Mario's Gelati?)

5) Villa De Lupo for dinner. Good stuff.

6) For a drink or afternoon snack go to Bacchus at the Wedgewood Hotel. Just off Robson Street. A great place to unwind.

Enjoy yourself in Vancouver. Anything you want to know we'll set you up.

Edited March 22, 2004 by paul mitchell (log)

[paul mitchell]

After re-reading your post I'm wondering if your coming with kids in tow? If so I might modify my post.

[HKDave]

2 informal, kid-friendly quality pasta choices:

- not far from your hotel, a good choice would be Da Pasta Bar (www.dapastabar.com). While 'serious' foodies might look down on it, the pasta and sauces there are very good.

- a 15 minute drive to 631 Commerical Drive would get you to Vancouver's oldest Italian restaurant, Nick's Spaghetti House. This is a traditional 'red sauce' Italian-American place with huge portions of, again, quite good quality pasta. Perfect for carb loading. No reservations, often a lineup.

If you want more 'authentic' Italian style pasta in a more formal setting, the various Umberto restaurants are always reliable - go to www.umberto.com and scroll down the page to get to the restaurant links. Reservations recommended at all of them.

I'll defer on the 'BC experience' and panini places to someone with more recent Vancouver experience than me. Personally, for lunch in Vancouver I'd go for dim sum rather than panini. Vancouver has some of the best dim sum on Earth, and that's coming from someone from Hong Kong.

Re good espresso, you won't have any problem finding it everywhere. Vancouver is a great city for coffee. About half of Vancouver is employed making coffee for the other half.

- Hong Kong Dave

[Coop]

For a great BC type experience try Parkside on Haro. chef Andrey changes his menu daily, the wine list is good and the service flawless. It's also in a very uniquely Vancouver neighbourhood.

[Coop]

Oh yeah. For coffee and panini the best place by far is Artigianno on Howe between Robson and Georgia.

[Jerry_A]

I second Parkside!

www.parksiderestaurant.ca

[arkestra]

Thanks for all the recommendations so far. Many places sound very promising. I've already done some internet research (hey, it beats work) and looked into Parkside (sounds great) and Bis Moreno (a real pasta possibility).

Dave, thanks for the dim sum recommendation. It may sound sacreligious, but I'm not a big fan of dim sum, in part because I don't eat meat. I do, however, love to get steamed fish at Chinee restaurants. Unfortunately, my wife is allergic to fish.

Any additional recommendations would be appreciated.

[chasmartel]

Hello BC,

I'm an eGulletter from the SF Bay Area and my wife & 4 year old daughter and I are travelling to Vancouver and Victoria in early April. I've read the recent thread re:Vancouver restaurant recommendations for the marathoner his spouse, but we need some ideas of places that would be OK with a kid (well-behaved, mostly, but still a kid). We also need some help in/around Victoria.

We may be relocating to BC from California, and so a goal of the trip is to begin to learn about different places that we might want to live. General comments re: neighborhoods/districts are welcome too.

What we're looking for on this trip are good neighborhood restaurants rather than "destination" spots (that's for another time). A decent wine list would be good too. Our daughter can at times be be pretty adventurous in eating (on Sunday, she ate a huge artichoke and about 1/3 of a rack of lamb), but at other times just wants pasta with butter & cheese. We'd like to get dim sum at least once, and some noodles.

Also, where do you shop for wine in Vancouver/Victoria? Not "collectible" wine, but better than mass-market wine. In government stores mostly or private shops? Recommendations? Warnings?

Thanks in advance for your help!

[Coop]

Here are my favorite neighbourhood spots:

Commercial Drive (Trendy Artsy type mixed with Old School Italians)

Marcello's. Great pizza and pasta, had bad service once, but that was unusual. Owner mans the wood oven during the busy times. Always busy.

Robson Street West (Mix of Japanese and Korean hipsters and trendy West End residents)

Gyoza King. Funky interior, great staff, best Japanese tapas in the city. Especially the gyozas and the sashimi.

Kintaro. Busy Ramen joint. The chef is obsessed with his craft. Real neighbourhood place. Get in eat, get out

Davie Street. (West end hipsters, retirees, gay and lesbian partiers).

Bin 941. Creative tapas with a Vancouver feel. Not to be missed.

Kit's ( People with Money and little taste)

Feenie's Variable quality, but when it's good it's really good. Great Mojito!

[stovetop]

Vancouver Island is a wonderful place; its size can fool you until you start traveling the island highways, after about eight hours, then you realize it is a little bigger then you thought. It has a huge diversity and has something for everyone. Vancouver Island has a huge agricultural diversity with Wineries, apples, berries and vegetables; the agri tourism industry is just starting up with a variety of things to do with the local farms and wineries, the quality is outstanding, watch and check out what is coming off the island this summer, it will receive a lot of press this year, move fast because property values are going up.

stovetop

http://www.agritourismbc.org/

http://www.islandwineries.ca/wineries.htm

http://www.islandfarmfresh.com/

http://www.engelerfarm.com/

Edited March 24, 2004 by stovetop (log)

[merlin]

chasmartel:

I'll leave the Vancouver suggestions to the Vancouverites but this Edmontonian loves Victoria. In fact we may be out there at just about the time of your visit enjoying the earlier spring [at least we hope] the coast and island affords as compared with Alberta.

The spot which immediately springs to mind when you mentioned "child friendly" is Paglicacci's right in dowtown Victoria. It is not one of my favourites but then again our "kids" are the four legged golden retriever types <smile> It is a busy, affordably priced spot that has always been packed whenever we have walked by.

Another place we tried for the first time during our last visit in the Fall was Zambri's. Family run Italian fare in an offbeat location within a strip mall. Top notch food, friendly service and to me bambinos and Italian food match like chianti and pasta. It is like a cafeteria at lunch. You select from the daily specials marked on the chalkboard and pay and they bring your selections to your table. Full service in the evening.

One of our favourites for years has been the Herald Street Cafe just past Chinatown. Given the people we have met in the past there and their menu I would venture the guess that they are child friendly. Open for dinner only I think.

Spinaker's Brew Pub I think permits minors. Restaurant on main floor and brew pub, patio upstairs. Very good pub fare and even better beer brewed on the premises. Can be accessed by car or via the lovely walk along the inner habour.

It can also be accessed by one of the wee water taxis that spin about the inner harbour. The same water taxi can take you out to the fisherman's pier/wharf where there is spot [whose names escapes me] than makes terrific fish and chips.

One spot which may not necessarily be "child friendly" but then again, I think it likely would be even if your daughter just had the "steak frites" is Brasserie L'Ecole [www.lecole.ca]. I have "sung" this bistro's praises on so many "foodie" interent sites than one might think I have a financial interest in it. I don't It does have a neighbourhood "feel" about it. Small, limited country bistro menu...great wine list and philosophy about serving wines by the glass.

We ate there two of the three nites when we were last in Victoria in October and have reservations for our arrival next month.

As far as buying wine in Victoria there is a big government store up Fort Street I think it was that has a pretty good selection. There is at least one store downtown and the VQA store in the Cook Street Village near Beacon Hill Park will have the best selection of Cdn wines from the Okanagan and the Island. The Delta Ocean Pointe Hotel where we stayed did have a small wine "boutique" off its lobby.

If you head up the Malahat Drive with its spectacular views and head toward the Cowichan Valley there are some Cdn wineries which sell wine from their tasting rooms. The quality is improving. Closer to Victoria there are some wineries in Saanich as well but I cannot vouch for their quality as we have not visited.

Enjoy your trip. Let us know what you found in either of the cities.

Edited March 24, 2004 by merlin (log)

[Keith Talent]

Coop's list is pretty much bang on, with the exception of his characterizations of neighbourhood residents.

Marcellos on Commercial is excellent for kids, they universally love it. Vancouvers best pizza (although it's somewhat akin to being the smartest pro wressling fan or having the best looking women at a monster truck derby) it also leaves you close to Casa Gelato for desert ( Casa Gelato - Caution volume down, hyper irritating imbedded music within ) Kids dig Casa Gelato much like dads dig booze. Or at least that holds true in my family

Actually, almost any restaurant on Commercial is excellent for short picky eaters. Havana, Bukowskis, Wazubee, all are resonably good, especially for lunch, funky which kids seem to appreciate and cheap(ish).

Actually, the more I think about it, the more I'm convinced Commercial is the best street in the city for eating out with kids.

Memphis Blues Barbecue House at the corner of Granville and Broadway is good for kids, provided you go before six to avoid lines. Kids seem to fundementally understand the concept of the nothing but protein (and a few sweet potato fries) meal. Get one of the platters, ribs, brisket, sausage, chicken and stop to buy some Rolaids before going to bed.

[Coop]

Kieth, I think my descriptions of the neighbourhoos is a bit tongue in cheek and also dated as I have been living in Maple Ridge for 17 years now. You don't like the Casa Gelato music...Gelati....Gelati....Gelati.... very catchy.

BTW there is an article in Vancouver Mag this month about the decline of the West End (Vancouver at its best and worst all in one neat package) and other Vancouver real estate. As well as Jamie Maw's annual summing up of the Tapas scene.

Edited March 24, 2004 by Coop (log)

[Keith Talent]

BTW there is an article in Vancouver Mag this month [about]...other Vancouver real estate. As well as Jamie Maw's annual summing up of the Tapas scene.

Two things, I defy you to find an issue of Vanmag that DOESN'T feature a cover story on real estate. Talk about your boring fixations. I'd hate to be trapped by the editorial board of Vanmag at a party. "Didja know Mt. Pleasant is up 13% this year?" "Yeah, you told me that last month too."

Enough already with the self congradulatory back slapping over our "world class" real estate hyper inflation. It's almost as tedious as anything James Barber has to say.

And second, Jamie Maw needs to refrain from the obligatory working the phrase "cities best cut man" into every freaking column. I mean, WTF is a cut man anyway? And besides, the cities best cut man works under a yellow tent in front of the burger place with the fried onions at the PNE every summer flogging crappy knives.

If I come up with a little time this afternoon I'll try to come up with a more current urban hipster spotters guide.