Where to eat at Vancouver (downtown)
West Coast/Pacific Rim/Local
Meat & Bread - $ - lunch spot for excellent sandwiches, porchetta is their signature, but other sandwiches are great too
The Dirty Apron Cooking School, Delicatessen & Catering - $ - sandwiches
Finch’s - $ - institution for simple sandwiches, but long lines
Pourhouse - $ - Just for their burger and devil's on horseback (bacon wrapped dates)
- Tacofino - $ - solid crispy fish tacos
- Chambar - $$$ - same/similar brunch menu to Cafe Medina (used to be associated), African mussels for dinner
- Nightingale - $$$ - lots of variety, beautiful room, casual sister restaurant to Hawksworth. Charred carrots, squash salad, mushrooms, lamb chops, and salted caramel pot de creme are lovely.
- Botanist - $$$$ - beautiful food, excellent beef tartare, tagliatelle, sablefish and lamb, hit/miss desserts, great room
- Boulevard - $$$$ - seafood, better for dinner, tasting menu is great, desserts are fabulous. Chocolate souffle is delicious and signature, but all desserts are solid. For lunch the chicken wings are excellent.
- Blue Water - $$$$ - seafood, known for miso sablefish and surprisingly short ribs, if you want to go big - pre order Alaskan King Crab (they prepare it in a fantastic seafood nage) with side of fork crushed potatoes
- Hawksworth - $$$$ - must get candy cap mushroom dessert if it's on the menu
- Elisa - $$$$ - modern steakhouse, but also lots of seafood. Chicken is surprisingly amazing, but the Holstein steak if my fav steak. Classic tartare, smoked bison tartare, hamachi, king crab legs and scallops to start are good. Risotto is a must side dish.
Italian
- Ask for Luigi - $$ - can be hit or miss, great anchovies with eggs
- Tavola - $$ - Simple and solid pasta (not my fav in city, but still solid), neighbourhood fav, approachable, excellent brick chicken
- Di Beppe - $$ - more casual sister to Ask for Luigi, thicker and fluffier roman style pizzas and very simple pastas, no line ups compared to Luigi
- Autostrada - $$$ - Mediterranean, great bread, great anchovies on toast
- Cin Cin - $$$$ - parmesan souffle a must, chicken is actually solid, and casarecce pasta is amazing
- Cioppino's - $$$$ - can add up, fantastic pasta, I always do chef's tasting menu
French
- Tableau - $$$ - only go for brunch/lunch - French onion soup and the mushroom toast - that's it.
- L'Abattoir - $$$$ - must order baked oysters and sweetbreads. Great cocktails. Good desserts.
- Le Crocodile - $$$$ - institution. Heavy butter and cream. Must order bone marrow, sweetbreads and veal medallions. For dessert, the souffle is classic and the Alsatian apple tart.
French Canadian
- St. Lawrence - $$$$ - Has won numerous local and national awards. Not fine dining, but pricey Quebecois bistro. Same owner as Pizzeria Farina and Ask for Luigi. Must order pork cracklings, foie gras parfait, tartare, tourtiere, steak frites, and fab rice pudding. Heavy butter and cream.
Greek
- The Greek By Anatoli - $$
Chinese
- Dinesty - $$ - Taiwanese. Traditional and good, not my fav, but if you must in downtown.
Japanese
- Hokkaido Ramen Santouka - $ - pork ramen
- Marutama Ra-men - $ - chicken ramen
- Tetsu Sushi - $$$ - reserve sushi bar seats (only 3), small, very casual, pricey for premium sushi, but worth it, do chef's omakasu premium sushi, go when it's not as busy so you can maybe get it served piece by piece. Traditional edomae style sushi.
- Miku/Minami - $$$ - known for aburi sushi, not traditional, order Aburi Salmon/Ebi/Saba Oshi Sushi
- Yui - $$ - ex-chefs from Miku/Minami, very casual, much smaller menu than Miku, but same sushi and cheaper
- Bistro Sakana - $$$ - not traditional at all, go for the Shiro Miso Toro Aburi roll
- The Lobby Lounge at Fairmont Pacific - $$$ - only need sablefish roll, just a lounge with live music and great cocktails
- Sushi Bar Maumi - $$$$ - pre pay online, strict rules, I prefer Tetsu
Mexican/Latin
- wrong city for it
Brunch
- Nelson the Seagull - $ - hipster, casual, great bread
- Cafe Medina - $$ - known for fricasse and salmon fume, and flatbread "hamburger", liege waffles are popular, but not made here
- Tableau - $$$ - only go for brunch/lunch - French onion soup and the mushroom toast - that's it.
- Chambar - $$$
Cocktails
- UVA wine bar
- L'Abattoir
- Fairmont Pacific Rim - you can also go upstairs to Botanist and get cheaper drinks than downstairs. Lobby Lounge drinks are $20+, upstairs is about $17+
- CinCin
- Distiller Apprentice
Coffee
- Nemesis Coffee
- Timbertrain Coffee
- Revolver
- Coffee Musette Cafe
Bakery/Desserts/Pastries
- Bird and the Beets - limited menu and baked goods, but great cookies
- Purebread - American style baked goods, lots of variety, solid coconut cake and coconut bread
- Nelson the Seagull - $ - hipster hang out/coffee spot, casual, great bread, limited brunch menu, but solid food
- Soirette - if you're looking to pre-order cake, London Fog cake is great, no seats
- Cadeaux Bakery
- Bel Cafe