Conceptualized in 2002, Dine Out Vancouver Festival began with 57 restaurants, and was created to increase business during a slow time of the year. Over twenty years and almost 400 restaurants later, the food and drink festival has become Canada's largest. Now, the festival consists of a three-week period of dining, events, and special hotel offers that give guests a taste of Vancouver's fresh ingredients and flavors. And with over 125 different cultural groups along with a litany of natural sources to forage from, diners are in for a treat.
To celebrate the festival and diversity, we've compiled a list of 25 MICHELIN Guide spots that are participating this year, so that you, too, can enjoy Vancouver's culinary landscape and help support the local community at the same time. Bon Appétit!
Cambie Street / Fairview
Vij's
Cuisine: Indian
Price: $60 dinner menu
When it opened back in 1994, this local staple was at the vanguard of Indian fine dining in North America, and it continues to make a compelling case for the gastronomic riches of the subcontinent. Namesake chef and owner Vikram Vij hasn’t slowed in spreading the good word, still maintaining a daily presence in the dining room, where he stops at tables to check that every guest is happy.
Inspector notes: "Consider a signature dish of wine-marinated “lamb popsicles,” with a fragrant fenugreek sauce or opt for one of the vegetarian dishes, like a curry made with red bell pepper, portobello mushroom and paneer."
Stay Nearby
Rooms at the Loden are available in five levels of understated fabulousness, the pinnacle of which is the Halo Suite, which comes complete with wrap-around terrace for superb mountain-ogling. Fabulousness is also to be found in memorably mid-century modern touches throughout, while understated-ness ensures an unpretentious experience thanks to a muted regional color palette (no forest-green bedspreads to be found) and exquisite service. The extra deep soaking tubs are a most welcome feature on romantically drizzly winter nights.
Chinatown
Bar Gobo
Cuisine: Contemporary
Price: $59 dinner menu
The best surprise is the cooking, emerging from a tiny corner kitchenette tucked behind the bar and offering an impressive degree of polish in a slim three-course prix fixe—utilizing local, seasonal ingredients, of course.
Inspector notes: "Whether wild nettle tortelli or roasted halibut with fiddlehead ferns, expect clear, hearty flavors; add-ons like rosemary focaccia with burrata and a lightly smoky apple onion butter are similarly pleasing."
Fiorino
Cuisine: Italian
Price: $45 dinner menu
Giovanni "Gio" Mascagni presides over this serious Italian place where the bread-making skills he learned in Tuscany are on full display. At lunch, focaccia sandwiches and schiacciata, like the one stuffed with guanciale, drizzled with honey and spread with walnut crema, are the hot ticket. At dinner, it's all about pasta.
Inspector notes: "Spaghettoni ai frutti di mare is a classic Italian seaside dish brimming with clams, mussels and prawns in a perfectly spicy arrabbiata sauce. Each strand is heady with flavor; the clams are tender; the mussels are meaty; and the tomato-based sauce is equal parts sweet, spicy and tart."
Torafuku
Cuisine: Asian
Price: $65 dinner menu
The main influences on the cooking at Torafuku come from countries like Korea, Japan and Taiwan, so it seems entirely apt that this restaurant is located close to, but not in Chinatown. The open kitchen is the focus of the understated room, which makes use of plenty of concrete for that ersatz-industrial look.
Inspector notes: "Lunch is quick and easy and all about rice bowls featuring kakuni-style braised meats, but at dinner the kitchen’s more adventurous side comes out to play. This is when you’ll discover more European elements to the dishes, like tuna tataki with Niçoise salad or Brome Lake duck rillette; and if there’s a dish you simply must order it’s their wonderful Basque cheesecake."
Stay Nearby
L’Hermitage is contemporary, clean-lined, coolly stylish, but in a way that’s supremely accessible, always welcoming, never alienating. In principle it’s as aesthetically appealing to the most conservative of business travelers as it is to the visually literate boutique enthusiast.
Coal Harbour/Gastown
The Mackenzie Room
Cuisine: Contemporary
Price: $65 dinner menu
The Mackenzie Room rightly describes itself as a “hidden gem,” as it really is waving the flag for culinary ambition in an area not overly encumbered with competitors. It boasts a laid-back vibe, a strong urban look and a blackboard menu listing dishes that focus on local, seasonal ingredients.
Inspector notes: "If you can get past the puns—names like ‘Prince Char-ming’ featuring Arctic char, or ‘Collar by Your Name’ which involves succulent braised pork collar with sauce à la Royale— you’ll find yourself enjoying generously sized and creatively conceived dishes that don’t skimp on flavor."
L'Abattoir
Cuisine: Contemporary
Price: $65 dinner menu
The chefs add a French accent to quality local ingredients; the baked oysters are a firm favorite, and the Fraser Valley duck with golden turnip will satisfy the hungriest of souls.
Inspector notes: "Torn layers of buttery mille-feuille tucked with a salted honey cream with buckwheat and bourbon is a triumph."
bacaro
Cuisine: Italian
Price: $65 dinner menu
From its marble-clad entrance to its modern furnishings and bright colors, bacaro bridges cool elegance and simplicity, and blends right in with the upscale lobby of the Fairmont Pacific Rim. The address may be Vancouver, but this spot is decidedly Venetian with its menu leaning toward the art of cicchetti, or small bites enjoyed on the go while quaffing a glass of wine.
Inspector notes: "Some of the best include sardines in saor, and fusilloni, enrobed in a veal and pork ragu with chanterelles and red wine-braised snails, is nothing short of divine."
Riley's Fish & Steak
Cuisine: Steakhouse
Price: $65 dinner menu
Located in the heart of downtown's waterfront, Riley's Fish & Steak lures guests with stunning views and a polished nautically informed interior that pours on the glamour. Dishes that may seem tried-and-true are far from ho-hum.
Inspector notes: "Fish and chips is surprisingly light yet savory, thanks to the ultra-crisp batter. Charred broccolini with an herbaceous and citrus-forward gremolata is a virtuous side dish."
Stay Nearby
One of the most modern, most stylish, and most luxurious of the Fairmont properties is the Pacific Rim, set on Vancouver’s waterfront, offering extraordinary views of the city skyline, Stanley Park, the Burrard Inlet, and the North Shore mountains. The modern architecture is adorned with plentiful contemporary art, and while the rooms and suites are a touch traditional (in typical Fairmont style) they’re full of high-end comforts, from Stearns & Foster beds to lavish, spa-like marble bathrooms. Along with a vast spa and fitness center it’s got a handful of highly regarded restaurants and bars, including the city’s first fully sustainable sushi bar.
Downtown Vancouver
acquafarina
Cuisine: Italian
Price: $65 dinner menu
Chef Jefferson Alvarez originally meant to open as a pizzeria, which explains the large wood-burning ovens perched up above the room. But this pivot to fine dining is less severe than it seems.
Inspector notes: "The kitchen shines brightest at more straightforward preparations, like a wonderful, chilled tomato soup with Spanish ham or delicate pasta dressed simply."
Archer
Cuisine: Contemporary
Price: $65 dinner menu
Nestled alongside high-end retailers in the posh shopping district, Archer fits right in. It's sexy and sultry here, where natural materials are abundant, white-washed walls are adorned with contemporary art, and dark wood tables are set with leather-covered chairs.
Inspector notes: "The kitchen gives local and seasonal ingredients the royal treatment in classic preparations like seared sablefish served with snow crab yuzu butter and crab chowder."
Bacchus
Cuisine: Contemporary
Price: $65 dinner menu
Bacchus is very special indeed. Cocooned inside the Wedgewood Hotel & Spa, this elegant restaurant is the kind of place where quotidian concerns immediately disappear.
Inspector notes: "Humble tomato soup is elevated; halibut from Haida Gwaii delivers a clean, sweet flavor complemented by a cool "chopped salad" of shaved apples, anise-sweet roasted fennel, beets and cucumber."
Boulevard Kitchen & Oyster Bar
Cuisine: Seafood
Price: $65 dinner menu
The versatile menu is as instantly likeable as the setting. Discover classics like baked oysters with creamed spinach, garlic bread crumbs and wild oregano. House-made pasta is tucked with a bevy of seafood, including Pacific white prawns, Humboldt squid, clams and mussels, while Calabrian chili bread crumbs deliver an enjoyable kick of heat.
Inspector notes: "Whole cauliflower, roasted in curry leaves with green chutney and coconut turmeric sauce, is a veritable celebration of the vegetable."
Fanny Bay Oyster Bar
Cuisine: Seafood
Price: $59 dinner menu
Tucked on a quiet street within walking distance from the city's stadiums, this hot spot gets crowded, especially on game days, and for good reason. This menu features some of the best shellfish and seafood-driven entrees around.
Inspector notes: "Whether perched at the bar or settled in at a table, raw bar items should be top of mind. Prefer cooked items? The grilled oysters, served hot and bubbly, shellacked with Creole butter and a fresh herb-flavored gremolata, will float your boat."
Hawksworth Restaurant
Cuisine: Contemporary
Price: $36 lunch and $65 dinner menu
Respected native son Chef David Hawksworth helms this eponymous restaurant nestled inside the posh Rosewood Hotel Georgia. Enter through the lobby or directly from Georgia Street into an elegant bar where guests who look as if they just stepped off a fashion shoot sip well-crafted drinks.
Inspector notes: "Agnolotti with hazelnut & celery foam is almost too pretty to eat, but then you'd miss the earthy umami of the roasted king oyster mushrooms."
Stay Nearby
Since the roaring twenties, the Georgia, with its in-house jazz radio station and innovative design and technology, was indeed a symbol of old Hollywood glamour on Canada’s west coast. The Rosewood chain purchased and renovated the property, reopening the hotel in 2011. The hotel’s original elegance has been particularly well-preserved in the polished dark-wood lobby and in the 1927 Lobby Lounge, the retro-inspired cocktail bar that pays homage to the Georgia’s opening year.
Kitsilano, West Side, University
Delara
Cuisine: Persian
Price: $35 breakfast/lunch and $45 dinner menu
Complex and elegant, Delara's dishes deliver the essence of fresh, flavorful Persian cooking—tartness from dried limes, yogurt and berries; freshness from herbs; richness from nuts and seeds; and aromas from spices.
Inspector notes: "Served in a deep bowl, hearty aush bobs with barley and legumes. Served with bread, it could be a meal alone, but don't stop there. Beef short rib with tangy gheymeh fills the room with a heady scent."
Maenam
Cuisine: Thai
Price: $42 lunch and $65 dinner menu
This kitchen delivers vibrant, heady cooking with bold flavors and an eye toward authenticity. Traditional dishes are given a local accent with top-tier local ingredients, from in-season produce to pristine fish caught in local waters.
Inspector notes: "Familiar items like hot and sour soup or panang curry achieve breathtaking heights thanks to a masterful use of aromatics and artfully balanced tastes."
Fable Kitchen
Cuisine: Contemporary
Price: $55 dinner menu
This popular farm-to-table cafe has been drawing crowds to Kitsilano for over a decade. The setting is lively and comfortable, with exposed red brick walls, wood furnishings and two varnished wood counters seating a handful of diners facing the open kitchen.
Inspector notes: "During daytime hours, the team turns out hollandaise-slicked eggs Benedict (and variations), Johnny cakes topped with pulled pork and tomato jam and thickly sliced challah French toast plated with caramelized apples and whipped mascarpone."
Karma Indian Bistro
Cuisine: Indian
Price: $30 vegetarian and $35 take out/lunch/dinner menu
The food is as pleasing as the surroundings, and the chef's serious vision is outlined on a menu of wonderfully delicious traditional dishes interspersed with bold, innovative plates.
Inspector notes:Coconut rice is the perfect sidekick to sop up all of that delicious, creamy sauce. Savor each bite of the mouthwatering jumbo prawns in a pureed spinach curry, but do leave room for dessert—perhaps the saffron rice pudding or a cooling mango ice cream."
Wildlight Kitchen + Bar
Cuisine: North American
Price: $65 dinner menu
This light-filled space is enhanced with natural and organic decorative elements, but the relaxed sophistication belies the serious nature of Chef Warren Chow's kitchen, where sourcing is paramount.
Inspector notes: Begin with a stunning charcuterie board that substitutes seafood for the ubiquitous meat to snack on everything from house-made salmon pastrami, marinated Salt Spring Island mussels, and pickled sea asparagus to tataki of smoked albacore tuna and cod rillette topped with cured ikura."
Stay Nearby
Opus Hotel Vancouver is, first of all, quite possibly the best-located hotel in town — its Yaletown neighborhood is full of life, packed with hip restaurants, cafés, galleries, and shops, and has a visual character that’s far more appealing than Vancouver’s central business district. And this character includes the Opus itself, a stylish contemporary structure whose brick-fronted facade lends it an extra measure of inviting warmth, a hint at what’s inside.
Main Street/Mount Pleasant
Bar Susu
Cuisine: Contemporary
Price: $65 dinner menu
Bar Susu offers a concise range of well-prepared, creative dishes served in a laid-back setting that fashions itself as a wine bar focused on natural pours. Natural wines star, while clever cocktails feature fortified/aromatised wines, like the amaro with house-made kola syrup.
Inspector notes: "The bold cooking here stands up to the beverage selection in compositions like fillets of torched mackerel resting in gem lettuce dabbed with emulsified bagna cauda; and smoked lamb belly slicked with warmly spiced jus and plated with minted grains and labneh."
Say Mercy!
Cuisine: Contemporary
Price: $60 dinner menu
Intimate and welcoming, passersby stop in their tracks and do a double take, as it's clear that everyone is having a gloriously good time at Say Mercy! As for the food? It's a mash-up of Italian cooking with a BBQ nudge.
Inspector notes: "Don't even think about passing over the BBQ Bolo—it's nonnegotiable. Short for "bolognese," it's a distinctive dish of house-made spaghetti tossed with pancetta, smoked pork butt and Grana Padana."
The Acorn
Cuisine: Vegetarian
Price: $45 breakfast and $65 dinner menu
The kitchen at this enduringly popular vegetarian restaurant has clearly established great links with organic suppliers in BC, hence the name-checks on the menu. These ingredients are put to very good use on an imaginative list of dishes that both intrigues and satisfies.
Inspector notes: "Choices like sunchoke with salal berry and burnt onion, and beer-battered halloumi also demonstrate that the kitchen understands the importance of texture as well as taste. Many dishes are also vegan and gluten-free; to really appreciate the variety, first-timers should place their trust in the tasting menu and enjoy getting to know some unfamiliar ingredients."
Stay Nearby
the DOUGLAS, Autograph Collection
The Douglas is a luxury hotel with boutique-hotel aspirations, its interiors a mélange of classic modernism and quasi-industrial loft aesthetics. It’s blessed with an expansive spa and fitness center, a generous handful of lively restaurants and bars, and access to the rest of Parq Vancouver, which contains several more restaurants and bars as well as a casino.
Olympic Village
Ophelía
Cuisine: Mexican
Price: $55 dinner menu
Stunning murals, colorful carvings...Ophelía is quite literally a bright spot in Vancouver's Olympic Village. Chef/co-owner Francisco Higareda prepares traditional pan-regional Mexican fare just as his mother, Ophelia, did.
Inspector notes: "Corn-crusted octopus sided by cilantro rice, braised kale and zucchini is bested with a Oaxacan mole blanco that's rich and creamy.:
Stay Nearby
Downtown Vancouver’s financial district is no place for funky little boutique hotels — Exchange Hotel Vancouver is pure international urban luxury, set in a skyscraper built atop the 1929 shell of the Vancouver Stock Exchange building. The interiors are contemporary-luxe, with a pronounced Art Deco accent, and they’re glamorous but not excessively racy; the rooms and suites seem equally well suited to a romantic city weekend or a style-conscious work trip. (Business travelers might skip the Martini Rooms, with their in-room self-serve bars, unless they’re submitting their expenses to Sterling Cooper.)
Robson Street
Carlino
Cuisine: Italian
Price: $65 dinner menu
The cuisine is inspired by Friuli, in Northern Italy (as well as neighboring Trentino-Alto Adige and Veneto) and reflects the area’s Slavic and Germanic influences—think braised cabbage agrodolce with pork cutlet Milanese. The menu displays a typically Italian devotion to simplicity, celebrating seasonal produce from local farms.
Inspector notes: "Freshly made pastas are a feature, in particular regional specialties like cjarsons, a half-moon shape that might be filled with creamy beet puree and gilded with poppy seed butter."
Stay Nearby
The days of the purpose-built luxury hotel just might be behind us. The Shangri-La Vancouver is built, as is increasingly common, on the Asian model — as a part of a mixed-use skyscraper, incorporating offices, retail, dining and residential space in addition to the fifteen hotel floors. The big difference is that unlike, say, Tokyo, where the hotel floors tend to be the topmost, here they’re the bottom ones; in low-slung Vancouver, though, there are still views to be had from the bottom quarter of the building.
West End, English Bay
Arike
Cuisine: African
Price: $65 vegetarian and dinner menu
Named after Chef Sam Olayinka's Nigerian grandmother, this cooking displays depth, managing to feel both personal and inventive. The chef weaves together local ingredients with a broad range of global flavors, as in grilled leeks with a crayfish ginger chili sauce or grilled pineapple carpaccio tucked with mint and herbs.
Inspector notes: "Exquisite boar is seared perfectly and accompanied by grilled plantain and sweet onion, but dessert may be the most impressive of all with a kicky chocolate cake set over a crème anglaise that teems with fragrant Thai basil oil, vanilla and citrus."
Stay Nearby
Unlike many of Vancouver’s hotels, the Wedgewood is a privately owned boutique, decorated and still overseen by the daughters of its original founder, a Greek-born Vancouver businesswoman. And in contrast to the city’s modern business hotels, this place is all European-style pomp and old-world elegance, beginning with the antique furnishings, Persian rugs, and carved stone desk of the reception.
