Vancouver Restaurant Recommendations

[Redhead]

I agree with Coop and Keith Talent, et al. Just wanted to add a few more Victoria recommendations. We've stayed at the Coast Harbourside 3 times and loved the rooms, the pool and the restaurant. Although it might appear too upscale at first glance for a 4-yr-old, the Blue Crab is actually kid-friendly. Hands out crayons and coloring books, has blue crab tattoos at reception, will happily divide plates to suit dainty eaters, or make "adjustments" to menu items to please little palates. The room service menu includes good choices for kids and arrives HOT. The wait staff are patient and accommodating. You can watch seaplanes landing and taking off. Uh, did I mention the pool? And there's a free shuttle service to carry those tired toddlers to and from the central downtown area (which is only a 10-minute walk for adults).

Our kids enjoyed the wood-fired pizza and were thrilled with the dry-ice "volcano" dessert at Moxie's, but frankly our adult entrees (mussels, salmon) were inedible. Stick to the pizza. For soft-serve ice cream or Coke floats, don't miss the Beacon Drive-In, across from Beacon Hill Park. I think you can also order a toasted tea cake there, how Victorian! The Market on Yates is an independent grocery store with a fun "British Foods" imported food section, and some very nice looking meat and fish. Good place to stock up on snacks.

[merlin]

For soft-serve ice cream or Coke floats, don't miss the Beacon Drive-In, across from Beacon Hill Park. I.

LOL...how could I have forgotten about the Beacon Drive-In? Thanks Redhead.

A few years ago when we flew to Victoria without our canine family members I co-ordinated via the internet a rendezvous at Beacon Hill park with some golden retriever owners.

Two of the goldens knew the route well and headed directly to the drive-in for their soft ice cream cones. I think we had about eight goldens and their owners lapping away at the ice cream...made for quite the picture!

[Keith Talent]

...at Moxie's, but frankly our adult entrees (mussels, salmon)...

HOLY SHIT.

Mussels at Moxies? I don't believe you. Two reasons, A) You'd probably be dead and B) This sounds a little too much like bragging. Mussles and Salmon? I don't think so. You over played you hand getting greedy by adding the salmon. There is no possible way two people could both eat seafood at Moxies and live to tell the tale, no way at all.

[chasmartel]

Thanks for your replies--they are exactly what I was looking for, and pretty amusing to boot! I think maybe we'll skip Moxies. At least seafood at Moxies.

More suggestions are, of course, welcome, (especially a good dim sum place), but I also have a couple follow-up quesions. First, any suggesstions for the North Shore? We're staying downtown, but I want to spend at least part of a day on the north side of the bridge(s).

On Vancouver Island, are there any stand-out activities for kids? Hikes or other outdoor activities that would suit a 3 1/2 yr old especially welcome.

Redhead--I picked out the Coast Harborside for our Victoria hotel from all of my internet research. It was great to see your recommendation & it makes us even more excited about coming. (In Vancouver, we're staying at the Westin Bayshore. Good choice?)

[merlin]

chasmartel:

When we visit friends in Vancouver we usually stay on the North Shore.

I can recommend the bistro fare at La Regalade in West Van. When we were there a couple of years ago for lunch we enjoyed ourselves and I expect that a child like your daughter would fit right in.

We also have thoroughly enjoyed meals at the Beach Side Cafe and The Beach House at Dundarave Pier also in West Van. The latter provides a great view and the food has improved significantly from its days when it was known as Pepi's or something to that effect.

Grouse Mountain. Lynn Canyon. The Seymour Mountain area. All are beautiful areas to visit and enjoy the views.

If you are driving take the scenic drive toward the ferry terminal and stop at Lighthouse Park.

The Lonsdale Quay area and its market provides a mini-Granville Island experience and you can access it easily via the seabus rather than driving across the Lions Gate Bridge should you decide to do that.

You will be in a great location at the Bayshore. An easy stroll into Stanley Park or down Denman.

One of our favourite spots in Vancouver is at the foot of Denman closer to English Bay, the Rain City Grill.

Sounds like you have the making of a terrific trip. Look forward to hearing what you like or disliked.

[Redhead]

...at Moxie's, but frankly our adult entrees (mussels, salmon)...

HOLY SHIT.

Mussels at Moxies? I don't believe you. Two reasons, A) You'd probably be dead and B) This sounds a little too much like bragging.

I know, I know! It's not like I hadn't been sternly warned about the place. But you see, it was Spring Break, hence the trip was ALL about the kids, and the kids insisted on this volcano thing.... sigh. Since their pizzas arrived first and tasted ok, I got my hopes up for our entrees. And Mr. Redhead's starter spinach salad also got a passing grade. But oh my, the wheels fell off the turnip truck with the seafood. No tummy aches afterward, but I suppose that was pure luck? I haven't had a dish this bad since I was served a bowl of rancid ratatouille in the youth hostel in (of all gastronomically outstanding places) Dijon, France.

edited to say: bragging rights here only on the Dijon, France bit!

Edited March 25, 2004 by Redhead (log)

[Coop]

On the North Shore I have had some really nice meals at Marine Drive. I should disclose that a very good freind of mine is the money behind the place, but I think I can say that my judgment is not clouded on this place. The last three meals I have had there were very good. It can be a bit inconsistent though.

[paul mitchell]

In Victoria you've also got to take a look at Cafe Brio. For Dim Sum I'd go to Don Mee in Chinatown in Victoria. It's been there for 80 plus years.

[paul mitchell]

In Victoria you've also got to take a look at Cafe Brio. For Dim Sum I'd go to Don Mee in Chinatown in Victoria. It's been there for 80 plus years.

The wine shop mentioned on Cook Street is an all VQA B.C. wines - if your interested in trying some Vancouver Island wines try to find anything from Godfrey-Brownell (Duncan) - their estate Pinot Noir and french oak chardonnay are really good - when I was at the winery at christmas he was also bottling a blackberry sparkler - another good one to look for is Alderlea wines.

Zambri's is also highly recommended. Funny location but once you see their tasting menu you'll see past the locale.

For an afternoon drink I have fond memories of sitting in the Bengal Room of the Fairmont Empress. Origionally a CP hotel, a little touristy but fun to relive a bygone area.

Another idea is to take a walk along the Seawall (runs paralell around the harbour on Dallas Road) there is a good little lunch place (can't remember name) on the water by the Breakwater. It's the only business on the seawall so you won't miss it.

Enjoy the Island. If you ever decide to head a little north towards Nanaimo or beyond I would happily give you ideas of what to do, where to eat, where to stay.

Edited March 25, 2004 by paul mitchell (log)

[Ling]

For dim sum in Vancouver, Sun Sui Wah is a good choice. They have a location in Richmond too. I also like Shiang Garden in Richmond.

[eatbc]

If you're not visiting until May, note that the Vancouver Magazine Restaurant awards are listed in the April issue, which should be out in a couple of weeks. I'm sure some juicy thread will start here as a result of those results.

[Beychevelle]

Where to start? There are so many good restaurants in Vancouver. Here goes...

Carbo-loading

Bis Moreno is great, but not where I'd go before a marathon. Maybe to celebrate afterwards. If you do go, take lots of $$$. Even your U.S. $ won't go far.

Instead I recommend Restaurant Amarcord at 1168 Hamilton St. (in Yaletown) (604-681-6500). I think it's one of the most underrated Italian places in the city. The owner is a terrific host. The room is elegant but cozy (does that make sense?). Best of all, the food is top notch at a fair price. The gnocchi is their signature dish, and I can definitely recommend it. They also have a good non-pasta menu, so your wife will have some other options.

Another Italian restaurant in Yaletown I really like is La Terrazza at 1088 Cambie St. (604-899-4449). It's getting more along the lines of Bis Moreno -- very elegant and a bit pricey. They have a great wine list though, so if your wife wants to indulge while you're carbo loading, that's the place.

Circolo at 1116 Mainland (604-687-1116) and Cioppino's Enoteca at 1129 Hamilton (604-685-8462) are also good bets. Again, more upscale than you maybe want the night before running 26.2 miles.

Further afield is Coco Pazzo at 1864-W-57th (604-267-1864). It's towards the airport, about a 20 minute drive from downtown. It's a great little spot. If you go, ask to sit at the chef's bar so you can enjoy the show and chat to the chefs while they work.

B.C. Experience

I'm with Dave. You shouldn't come here without trying our Asian cuisine. Hard to avoid both fish and meat in them though! If you change your mind, Banana Leaf, Tropika, and Sun Sui Wah are good bets. Phnom Penh is one of favourites, but not for a special night out. It's pretty downscale in every respect except the food.

"C" is a fabulous recommendation, but not worth going if your wife can't eat fish -- that is far-and-away their speciality.

For something a little different, I like Wild Rice at 117 Pender St (604-642-2882). It's a "fusion dim-sum/tapas" place. Great food, a little different, and you can pick and choose to avoid the meats and fish.

A great place to celebrate finishing the run would be "West" (formerly called "Oeust") at 2881 Granville (604-738-8938). It concentrates on local ingredients. Top-notch service and a nice room, admittedly in an odd location.

Bin 941 at 941 Davie St (604-683-1246) is another fun tapas place. Good food and very funky, though maybe not what you want for a celabratory dinner.

Blue Water Cafe at 1095 Hamilton St (604-688-8078) would be a good choice. Good food, good service, very trendy. Unfortunately their specialty is fish...

Provence Marinaside at 1177 Marinaside Cres. (604-681-4144) would be a good choice. Beside False Creek, so a great view. The food is excellent, though again leans to fish. (Did we mention Vancouver's beside the ocean? Lots of fish.)

A place that I love for special occasions is La Gavroche at 1616 Alberni St. (604-685-3924) - a block from the Bayshore Hotel near Stanley Park. Not a true "B.C. experience"; it's actually a french restaurant. They do concentrate on fresh local ingredients though, if that counts. Service is impeccable, a beautiful room, and a wine list that can't be beat.

Lunch

Artigiano is great, for both food and coffees. They're famous for their artwork on the foam in the latte's -- they actually taste good too. There are 2 locations -- the one on Howe already mentioned, and their original location at 1101 W Pender St.

The suggestion to graze your way through Granville Island is hard to top. I'm with Paul on that one.

Coffee

Artigiano is great. You may even be able to find a Starbuck's or two. However, for a good shot of espresso, the absolute best place in Vancouver, and I defy anyone to argue, is at Mario's at 595 Howe St. Mario is a genius with coffee. He caters to the business crowd though, so hours are limited.

Dessert

Oh yeah, you didn't mention dessert. Oh well, you've run a marathon - you deserve dessert. Go to Senses at 801 W Georgia St. In fact, buy a plane ticket and fly there now. The desserts and chocolates are sooooo good (coffee's not bad either). It's run by Thomas Haas, the pastry chef at Diva (another excellent restaurant). He's a world-recognized pastry chef, and it shows.

Hope you enjoy your stay. I'll be doing the 1/2 so maybe we'll meet.

Keep on running.

[kimabima]

The little place on the seawall (Dallas Road) is called Ogden Point.

If you want a place a three year old would really enjoygo to a White Spot restaurant (they are everywhere!)> Kids love their Pirate Packs- food served in a paper replica of a pirate's ship. My girls always enjoyed that.

The adult food is just a step above Denny's.

The Provincial Museum is fun for kids and the city is full of parks. Beacon Hill Park is very pleasant.

Victoria is a quiet, laid back city- not exciting but very relaxing. The ferry trip is wonderful for kids as well. The children's play area on the second floor is a magnet for kids of all ages!

have a great time in one of the lovilest places on earth IMHO!

Edited March 31, 2004 by kimabima (log)

[LaurieA-B]

A very wonderful children's bookstore is Vancouver Kidsbooks, on W Broadway in Kitsilano. That neighborhood is fun for wandering and walking. Our favorite Chinese restaurant (very casual, cheap, and kid-friendly) is Szechuan Chongqing on Commercial. Visit Granville Island. And in Victoria, don't miss the provincial museum, it's great for kids.

[arkestra]

Beychevelle: If we do Bis Moreno, it'll be on Friday night. I agree that something simpler is better for the Sat. night before the marathon. Thanks for additional recommendations. They sound good and I'm already reading about most of them in the "Where the Bites Are" section of Vancouver Magazine that is available online. (BTW, how reliable is Van Mag as a source for good restaurants?) eatbc, thanks for the advice about Van Mag's 2004 restaurant awards. I'm eagerly waiting to see them.

Yes, Granville Island is a great place. We were there during our last visit to the city. Two food items stood out in particular -- the blueberries and the concord grapes. We live in Southern California and many say Calif. has the best produce in the U.S. But we have never found such blueberries here. (That includes BC imports which are sold here). And the ones we had on Granville island were no fluke. We bought great ones at Capers and at other places in town. And the concord grapes were great. And seedless! I've never found seedless Concords here. (I talked to someone who sells nice organic Concord grapes at the local farmers' market here in Santa Monica. He didn't even know they had seedless Concords.)

I just hope I don't eat too much before the run. I'll report back after the run. Thanks for all the recommendations.

[arkestra]

Vancouver Magazine just posted it's annual restaurant awards:

Van. Mag. 15th Annual Rest. Awards

More choices to ponder!

[chasmartel]

Well, we're back. All in all, we had a grand time. We were in Vancouver from the evening of the 6th through the morning of the 10th when we took the ferry to Nanaimo & thence to Victoria until a return ferry & flight home on the 14th. The weather was spectacular -- I think we had about 4 raindrops on our way to the airport and from what I can tell, it was warmer than it was in California. I know it is a cliche, but most everyone we encountered was polite --even teenagers. I don't think I was honked at once in a week of occasionally tourist-style driving. Remarkable.

Your collective eating recommendations were very helpful and got us to places we probably wouldn't have found otherwise. Thanks. Here is my "trip report":

We arrived hungry at our hotel, the Westin Bayshore, at about 9 PM. We had a decent but expensive meal at their "coffee-shop." I had a salmon fillet with a sweet-sour crust that involved maple syrup that tasted better than it sounds. My wife had a seafood mixed grill. Our daughter had mac & cheese that was probably the best entree. We had a Greata Ranch Pinot Blanc (maybe it was pinot gris) that was pretty simple & straightforward and just fine for the occasion.

We had an expensive & not very good breakfast in the same place the next morning. Shortly after we sat down, we found ourselves surrounded by the Calgary Flames (though we had to be told who they were by the staff). They were well-dressed & seemed very polite (for professional athletes).

We spent much of the day in Stanley Park (Aquarium, horse carriage & playground at Second Beach), but made our way over to Commercial Drive for dinner. Our goal was Marcellos. We found it with no problem & enjoyed it. My wife & daughter had pasta (our near-4-year old ate most of the vongole & left my wife with the spaghetti). I had a Pizza Napolatena. We had a Brolio Chianti Classico -- a 2001 I think -- which was perfectly good & reasonably priced.

After eating we wandered up & down the street for gelato & a stop at a playground (a recurrent theme here). Commercial is pretty funky -- kind of reminded me of a mix of Telegraph Avenue in Berkeley and the SF Mission District, but with a much prettier mountain backdrop.

We drove around the area before after dinner -- going farther east and south before heading back to the hotel. I gotta say, there are a lot of ugly houses in Vancouver, though the many streets lined with pink flowering trees were beautiful. We couldn't figure out the grey-brown composite material on the outside of a fair number of the houses. I guess we've gotten pretty used to pastel-colored stucco.

The next day we had breakfast at the White Spot near the Westin. I remembered Keith Talent's mini-rant about White Spot from a few months ago & wanted to see for myself. It was actually a little better than I thought it would be and about 25% of the cost of breakfast at the Westin.

We spent the day on the North Shore -- at Grouse Mountain and then Lynn Canyon. Very pleasant. We ate lunch on Grouse Mountain -- sitting outside with a great view of Vancouver. For supper, we set out for Gyoza King. By the time we got there, we had a very tired child & found a long line so we set off down the street. By and by, we found Kintaro (with no line) and had a great meal. I'd never had ramen like that, and the gyoza were pretty good too. Our daughter perked up & actually ate a lot of her mother's bowl. What is the deal with the "Forest Fire" ramen? There were signs everywhere saying that it is only served on Saturdays. I'm guessing there is often a line out the door.

The next day started with another trip to Stanley Park (playgrounds and train) followed by a late dim sum lunch at Sun Sui Wah. Good food & fun cross-cultural experience, but our daughter wasn't in such good form. Everything we tried was good, but nothing was much different or better than I've had in places like Harbor Village in SF.

We spent the rest of the day touring around Vancouver neighborhoods with an extended stop at Queen Elizabeth Park (beautiful). This time we saw many nice houses & neighborhoods (Mount Pleasant, Fairview then west to UBC then south through Dunbar) that are probably not very affordable. Back to the hotel & sandwiches for dinner at Bojangles Cafe in Coal Harbor. Its best feature was that we could easily walk to the hotel (and it also had gelato).

Off to Victoria (via Nanaimo). After the ferry, we made our obligatory stop at Butchart Garden & the Butterfly Gardens (both good stops). Then off to the Coast Harborside in Victoria. We ate dinner downstairs at the Blue Crab. I remember that none of the menu descriptions really grabbed me, but the food when it arrived was actually pretty good. My wife & each had Arctic Char which was roasted & served with a barley risotto (I forget the first courses). It was simple, but well prepared. We had a Burrowing Owl Pinot Gris. It was pretty interesting, balanced & tasty going down, but it had no finish. All in all not worth the price ($65). The mark-up on some of the California wines was appalling. One non-descript white that often retails at supermarkets for maybe US$12 was CD$51 on the wine list.

The next day was Easter Sunday, so after an attempt to go church at St. Andrews (no room), we had brunch at the Great Gatsby (a last minute choice). We sat on the porch which was very nice, but the food was really pretty dreadful.

Our fortunes turned at dinner -- we went to Barb's Fish & Ships at Fisherman's Wharf. We got fish & chips, while our daughter got the clams she had been asking for since our meal at Marcello's. She went after them like a sea gull. We shared a picnic table with a retired couple visiting from Edmonton. We got talking hockey and I offered that we had earlier stayed in the same hotel as the Flames. The gentleman told me in all seriousness that as an Edmontonian, he could not, even in the next life, cheer for Calgary.

The next day, we toured around the neighborhoods of Victoria in the morning, and then made our way to Sooke in the afternoon. We had lunch at the Stovepipe Bar & Grill in Sooke. I had a bowl of seafood chowder & scallops wrapped & bacon. My wife had a cup of chowder & a steak sandwich and our daughter was quite pleased to have clams & mussels in a cream tarragon broth. All were good, particularly the clams & mussels. It is exactly the sort of place you'd hope to find on an drive out of town out to the seashore. I would go back.

Our lunch wasn't so big that we wanted to skip dinner, so off we went to Cafe Brio. Can't remember what we had as first courses, but my wife and I both went with the halibut with bitter greens and white beans, while our daughter had orrechiette (sp?) with butter and . . . a double lamb chop, her first love. She left only the bone, stripped of all flesh. We had a 2003 Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc which I think was about $59, a very reasonable mark-up over the $30 I would pay at retail here. I had a warm apple turnover for dessert that was a little too sweet, though I ate ever bit just to be sure. The food and service was very good.

We spent much of our last full day the Royal BC Museum and then . . . a playground. We drove right past Moxie's and had our last dinner at Zambri's. It was very good -- especially for a Tuesday night (I’m pretty sure Peter the chef was off that night). I started with farfalle with broccoli rabe & sausage. It was exactly right. My wife had asparagus wrapped with prosciuto and then lightly browned. Very good. I follow with leg of lamb with tomatoes, eggplant & mint over polenta, while my wife had hay & straw pasta with clams (which were commandeered by our daughter who had penne with peas). We had a delicious 1999 Chianti Classico, but I forget the name. A very good meal in a peculiar location.

I think the meals we have at Cafe Brio & Zambri's were very good & fairly priced. They did not try to do too much (not haute cuisine), and succeeded very well at what they did do. I think both places are pretty impressive for an area the size of Victoria.

We left Victoria in the morning with a 6 PM flight out of Victoria. We had about an hour to eat before going to the airport. We found the Yoahan Center on the map and decided it would be a perfect stop. I had read the "Yoahan Sucks" thread that Keith started, but I found I couldn't recall important details like the one or two edible choices. Bad bad steam table Chinese is what we got. We know cheap steam table Chinese (from many lunches in SF), and this was very bad.

It was very good trip and many thanks are due for your recommendations. PLEASE ask for recommendations if you are coming down here.

[jayhay]

Glad you enjoyed your trip, chasmartel. Couldn't have picked a better time weather wise!

[Foodie in Vancouver]

So now the question is - are you going to take the job and relocate? And if so, where - Vancouver Island or Vancouver? Good luck!

[merlin]

chasmartel:

Glad you enjoyed your trip. We just got back yesterday after four days in Victoria blessed by the fine weather and good food.

We did not get to Zambri's this trip but otherwise agreed with your observations. We went to Brasserie l'ecolde [excellent] for dinner one nite and back for the cheese course and wine the next, the Temple [disappointing] and Cafe Brio twice.

The asparagus veloute, smoked albacore tuna, fried proscuitto wrapped asparagus spears topped with a fried quail egg I had as an appetiser both times at Brio was a work of art and delicious.

We also stopped in for lunch at the Tapas Bar [good], the Blue Crab [ok] and Canoe [so-so]. The latter two spots are certainly beautiful "physical plants" and the gorgeous weather certainly encourages one to try find a place with a view.

We are looking forward to a return trip in the fall, if and when my liver returns to full function and my Mastercard bill gets wrestled into financial reconciliation.

[stovetop]

chasmartel and merlin; both of you had great timing with the weather which was amazing on the island, I am glad both of you had a great time.

chasmartel nice story on the drive in vancouver, it is one of Vancouvers great neibourhoods.

stovetop from mid island port alberni

[Rhea_S]

chasmartel: I'm glad you and your family enjoyed vancouver and victoria. Also, I think you and your wife should be commended for exposing your child to different foods and not limiting her to the children's menu.

[chasmartel]

Foodie in Vancouver: That is the $64,000 Question. We're working on applications to become landed immigrants which right now take about 18 months to process. We can't really start looking for work until we get further along. Moving to Canada has a lot of appeal for us -- especially if Bush is re-elected. As we go along, we may have job/contact questions, so stay tuned.

[stovetop]

good luck chasmartel.

You have a tough road ahead

stovetop

[arkestra]

Well, it's been a week since the marathon, so I wanted to post a brief report of our culinary experiences.

We went to Bis Moreno on our first night (Fri.) in Vancouver. This is a serious restaurant. My wife had the "signature menu" (with some adjustments to accomodate her allergy to fish). I just told them to let the chef design a menu for me with a fair amount of pasta and no meat. We both started with the white asparagus soup with white truffle oil. This was superb. I don't remember all the dishes we had after that, except that my wife had a lobster-filled ravioli and a venison dish, while I had a penne with wild salmon dish and a trout dish. You can tell they use top-notch ingredients and everything is well prepared and not "overdone" (i.e., not too many ingredients, not too much sauce, etc.; just enough to let the great ingrediets and cooking stand out). The one complaint we both had was that several of our dishes were way too salty. In addition, I ordered an espresso after dinner and it was dreadful. The cup was filled to the very top (after I had asked for a very "short" espresso) and did not have even a trace of crema. A high end restaurant, especially an Italian one, has to do better than that. All in all, however, it was a very pleasant experience and I would definitely recommend the place.

On Sunday night, after the race, we went to Parkside. This is a very nice place. We sat outside and I would definitely recommend that. It's nice to be able to dine outside on a quiet residential street. The place has a real neighborhoody feel. The food isn't quite at the level of Bis Moreno (neither are the prices), but what we had was quite good. I don't remember the precise appetizer we had, but it had eggplant, chickpeas, sundried tomatoes and a couple other things. Quite good. I had halibut with some sort of lemony crust, which was also very good. I don't remember what my wife had (that's what happens when you wait a week to report on a meal), but I know she liked it. We shared a lemon tart brulée with raspberry sorbet for desert. It was also very nice. No coffee this time.

We didn't really do wine. At Bis Moreno I refrained because of the marathon, but my wife had a glass of red wine from BC. I don't remember what it was, but I tried it and it was truly excellent. I had a glass of a BC Pinot Noir at Parkside. It was ok, but nothing exceptional.

All in all, a very enjoyable trip. The marathon was also fun. Perfect weather for a long run and I met my goal of breaking 4 hours, so I was happy (and tired).

Thanks again for all of your recommendations. Next time we come, it'll be for a real vacation, so we should have time to try many more of them.