Vancouver's restaurants are
some of Canada's finest, and
span the price spectrum from
budget to blowout. If you want
to eat well, you'll be spoilt
for choice - and you won't
have to spend a fortune to do
so. As you'd expect, the city
also offers a wide range of
ethnic cuisines.
Chinese
and
Japanese cuisines
have the highest profile
(though the latter tend to be
expensive), followed by
Italian,
Greek and other European
imports.
Vietnamese,
Cambodian, Thai and
Korean
are more recent arrivals and
can often provide the best
starting points - cafés and
the ubiquitous fast-food
chains aside - if you're on a
tight budget. Specialist
seafood
restaurants are surprisingly
thin on the ground, but those
that exist are of high quality
and often remarkably cheap. In
any case, seafood does crop up
on most menus and salmon is
heavily featured.
Vegetarians
are well served by a number of
specialist places.
Restaurants are
spread around the city - check
locations carefully if you
don't want to travel too far
from downtown - though are
naturally thinner on the
ground in North and West
Vancouver. Places in Gastown
are generally
tourist-oriented, with some
notable exceptions, in marked
contrast to Chinatown's
bewildering plethora of
genuine and reasonably priced
options. Downtown also offers
plenty of chains and huge
choice, particularly with
top-dollar places and
fast-food fare: the local White
Spot chain was founded in
1928 and has some thirty
locations in Vancouver, and
offers good and glorified fast
food if time and money are
tight - the branch at 1616 W
Georgia St between Seymour and
Granville is the most central
downtown outlet. Superior
chains like Earl's and Milestones
are highly commendable, and a
reliable choice for downtown
eating right on Robson
.The old warehouse district of
Yaletown , part of
downtown's new southeasterly
spread, is also a key - and
still developing - eating and
nightlife area. Similar places
line 4th Avenue in Kitsilano
and neighbouring West
Broadway, though these require
something of a special journey
if you're based in or around
downtown. Perhaps try them for
lunch if you're at the beach
or visiting the nearby Vanier
Park museum complex.
Countless cafes are
found mainly around the
beaches, in parks, along
downtown streets, and
especially on Granville
Island. Many sell light meals
as well as the coffee and
snack staples. Little Italy
, the area around Commercial
Drive (between Venables and
Broadway), is good for cheap,
cheerful and downright trendy
cafés and restaurants, though
as new waves of immigrants
fill the area Little Italy is
increasingly becoming
"Little Vietnam" and
"Little Nicaragua".
Yaletown and the heavily
residential West End ,
notably around Denman and
Davie streets - Vancouver's
"gay village" - is
also booming, the latter
having gained a selection of
interesting shops and
restaurants.
The city also has a
commendable assortment of bars, many a cut above the
functional dives and sham pubs
found elsewhere in BC. Note,
however, that the definitions
of bar, café, restaurant and
nightclub can be considerably
blurred: food in some form -
usually substantial - is
available in most places,
while daytime cafes and
restaurants also operate
happily as night-time bars. In
this section we've highlighted
places whose main emphasis is
food and drink; entertainment
venues are listed in the next
section. Note, too, that
Vancouver has a handful of
places that stay open all
night or until the small
hours.
Cafes and snacks
Bavaria , 203 Carrall St (no
phone). A simple, no-frills
Gastown place with a couple of
tables outside on Maple Tree
Square almost in front of
Gassy Jack's statue.
Particularly recommended for
its inexpensive all-day
breakfast: if you want
something...
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more >>
Chinese
restaurants
Hon's Wun-Tun House , 108-268
Keefer at Gore St (tel
688-0871). Started life as a
cheap, basic and popular place
known for the house
specialities, "potstickers"
- fried meat-filled dumplings
- and ninety-odd soups
(including fish ball and...
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Italian
restaurants
CinCin , 1154 Robson St at
Bute St (tel 688-7338). An
excellent downtown option,
with stylish, buzzy setting
(try to book an outside table
in summer), food that merits
the highish prices and
includes top-grade home-made
pastas and desserts. Check
the...
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French
restaurants
The Hermitage , 115-1025
Robson near Thurlow St (tel
689-3237). Warm brick walls, a
big fireplace, crisp linen,
French-speaking waiters and a
courtyard setting give this
central and very highly rated
restaurant a cosy, almost
European feel. The chef...
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Greek
restaurants
Le Grec , 1447 Commercial
Drive (tel 253-1253). Popular
restaurant with a big range of
titbits at reasonable prices,
though you'll have to travel
out of downtown to enjoy them.
Casual and lively later on,
especially at weekends.
Orestes ...
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West Coast
Bishop's , 2183 W 4th near Yew
St (tel 738-2025).
Consistently ranked one of
Vancouver's best restaurants,
though it's some way from
downtown. Although there's a
frequent film-star and VIP
presence, the welcome's as
warm for everyone. The light
and...
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Other ethnic restaurants
Chiyoda , 1050 Alberni St at
Burrard St (tel 688-5050).
Everything here, down to the
beer glasses, was designed in
Japan. A chic but convivial
place - the emphasis is on
grilled food ( robata ) rather
than sushi - that draws in
Japanese...
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more >>
Vegetarian
The Naam , 2724 W 4th
Ave near Stephens St (tel
738-7151). The oldest and
most popular health-food and
vegetarian restaurant in the
city. Comfortable and
friendly ambience with live
folk and other music and
outside eating some
evenings. Open 24hr.
Inexpensive and recommended.
Pubs and bars
The Arts Club , 1585 Johnston
on Granville Island (tel
687-1354). The Arts Club 's
popular Backstage Lounge ,
part of the theatre complex,
has a waterfront view,
easy-going atmosphere, decent
food and puts on blues, jazz
and...
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more >>
