Starting out as a friends-only supper club, Gary’s has become a celebrated neighborhood staple in Vancouver.
Its kitchen is led by Chef Mathew Bishop, who offers high quality ingredients from local farms at an affordable price point. The MICHELIN Bib Gourmand restaurant has a menu that changes frequently, but a few star dishes stay: chicken liver and foie gras pâté. The food is delicious, and the service is just as fantastic. As the winner of The MICHELIN Guide Vancouver 2024 Service Award, Bailey Hayward loves to take care of people and make guests feel at home.
Below, we spoke to Bailey and Chef Bishop about their favorite restaurants in Vancouver and how Gary’s contributes to the overall dining community.
What makes the Vancouver dining scene special?
Access and proximity to great local farms! Many of our purveyors are located only a short, 30 to 40 minute drive from the restaurant. With Vancouver being one of the largest cities in Canada, it’s easy to overlook how close some of our food is actually grown. It’s amazing to think that often times, we’re serving vegetables that were picked that very same day.
What are your favorite restaurants in Vancouver?
Our regular spots are unfussy with an upbeat vibe. Our most frequented are Bar Tartare, Como Taperia and Bar Gobo. One thing they all have in common, beyond having delicious food and wine, is their incredible teams.
Where should first timers to Vancouver go?
Sushi Hil is simply perfection. This would be a trip highlight for so many! Similar to ourselves, Sushi Hil is owned and operated by a couple in business and in life; Chef Hil and his wife, Moonie, have been doing it with grace for a lot longer than we have so we’re taking notes!
What about for a big celebration?
AnnaLena. We really admire the team at AnnaLena and have always felt incredibly taken care of there. We see how much goes into their services and their tenacity, commitment and dedication is inspiring.
Where do you go for simple comfort food?
AJ's Brooklyn Pizza Joint for a bar pie and a beer or Maruhachi Ramen for their Tamago ramen.
What about for a meal with your loved ones?
Magari by Oca. This place feels like home and not because either of us have Italian backgrounds. The pasta is phenomenal and there is just a warmth and familiarity here that feels uncommon. It’s a special place.
Unrelated to food, where would you go on a day off?
We have a dog so when we’re not at the restaurant, we’re with him! For most of the year, we spend our time in Pacific Spirit Park. In the summer, you can find us at Spanish Banks during low tide.
Tell us about Gary's in a few words?
A nice place. When we opened Gary’s, we really wanted to create a restaurant that we would want to go to, one that felt relaxed and unpretentious. Our hope is that when people come to the restaurant, they feel like they've gotten a glimpse into our lives.
What does Gary's add to the Vancouver dining scene?
Accessibility. We work incredibly hard to source local, high quality and thoughtful ingredients that we offer at a price point that’s fair to both the restaurant and to our diners. We recognize that a meal at Gary’s doesn’t fit into most people’s weekly (or monthly) budgets but we strive to keep our menu at an accessible-to-most-one-or-twice-a-year price point.
What’s been your favorite memory?
Building community; we’ve been so fortunate to work alongside so many like-minded chefs, servers, dishwashers, service assistants, young restaurant owners, farmers, purveyors and winemakers. This industry has championed behind us from day one and we’re really grateful for the relationships that we’ve built and for the passionate and talented restaurant folks that came before us and put Vancouver as a dining destination on the map.
What would you like your legacy to be?
Contributing to a new restaurant culture where a life-work balance is prioritized, not just for ourselves, as owners, but for our team. As a team, we work together to foster an environment of joy, mutual respect and community — as at the end of the day, we’re just cooking food, and we’re all just human, and it’s important to take care of each other.
What’s next?
As of right now, we’re putting all of our energy and focus into Gary’s. We’re about to celebrate our ‘second birthday’ and are excited to see how we grow and evolve this year. And while we do have dreams of one day opening a second space, for now, we’re taking the scenic route.
Hero image: Kristine Cofsky / Gary's - Mathew Bishop and Bailey Hayward
