Someone asked me the other day where I would take foodie guests to eat in Vancouver and even though I did have guests in the summer, I still gave it a good think before deciding to post my top 5 here. To some extent it would depend on the guest (tastes, sense of culinary adventure, favoured cuisines, etc.), your relationship to them (romantic, family, big group, etc) and time of year (patio, view), but here’s a short list:
1. Hapa Izakaya
1479 Robson St, Vancouver
Hapa is first because I take everyone to Hapa. Sexy, modern, exotic and delicious with an inexpensive and varied menu, it does a fantastic job of showcasing Vancouver’s Asian cuisine and satisfying a wide swath of people.
Fresh fish, decadent ebi mayo, cold sake in bamboo carafes. Very reasonably priced. No resos between 6 and 8.
2. Boneta
1 West Cordova, Vancouver
Boneta’s tag line is “Boneta loves you” but I just want to squeeze them and tell them I love them right back. How can you not love Boneta? Fresh, flirty and fabulous, it manages to be somehow luxurious and casual at the same time. By which I mean that you can eat the best carpaccio (bison! with quail egg!) in the neighbourhood and not have to dress up for it, and you can likewise sip a glass of bubbly at the table next to Jennifer Beals and feel absolutely at home. The staff work hard to maintain this balance and I think that the emphasis on creating a welcoming environment is very Vancouver. That and it’s filled with local art, locally harvested products and minor local celebrities.
3. The Refinery
1115 Granville Street, Vancouver
Having recently celebrated their official grand opening, I suspect that the once quiet room at The Refinery is now going to be packed, but with good reason. Amazing cocktails like Lauren Mote‘s prize-winning Charred Bourbon Sour (in house “house” bitters, bourbon, lemon, egg white, charred american oak and caramelized coconut syrup), lots of B.C. wines and locally sourced product wherever possible.
The staff is incredble, the room is gorgeous and icing on this delicious cake is that the place is head-to-toe sustainable. Ocean-wise fish and on-site filtered water, organic and (where possible) homemade juices in the cocktails, recycled wood tables and wood fixtures and even a bike storage locker. The only thing that would make it more quintessentially Vancouver would be yoga on the roof.
1193 Denman Street, Vancouver
I haven’t actually been to Raincity Grill yet, but it’s a local favorite of many friends and foodists and I think has to be included on this list because of its dedication to West Coast cuisine and locally sourced food.
I used to frequent Aurora for that reason, RIP.
5. Dim Sum…somewhere
Doesn’t really matter where, but you need to go for dim sum if you’re visiting Vancouver. Har gow…siu mai, these are common words in the food-loving Vancouverite’s vocabulary and with so many quality asian restaurants, in my mind it’s a requisite stop. Happy Valley is a good choice, or Dai Tung or any of the fine establishments in Richmond. The Richmond Night Market is also a perfectly acceptable substitute and has the added benefit of being able to buy miles and miles of crap merchandise for your guests to take home with them.
What do you think? Where would you take an out of town guest?
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Yeah, Hapa Izakaya is totally the first stop on our list when folks are in town — but the nice thing is that it’s not *just* for visitors. I like going there just with friends, too.
none of these places are “just for tourists”. I hate the idea of tourist-targeted restaurants, although I guess they’re something of an inevitability.
The Pink Perl has the best Dim Sum in Vancouver in my opinion!
So I just had guests in town and we went to The Refinery, the Cascade Room, the Diamond, Boneta and Elysian for coffee. Wanted the Irish Heather and Salt and Hapa but there wasn’t time.