Ask a Concierge
every year, Essential Vancouver poses a question to the pros:
Which
Vancouver eateries do you recommend? Les clefs d’or concierges dished on the
cream of the crop in our online survey. Some are perennial award winners, others
are personal favourites — all are excellent by jill von sprecken
Hidden Gem The name may mean “wise fox” in
Italian, but it’s those who stumble upon Savio Volpe’s
rustic handmade Italian fare that leave feeling wise. The
many facets of Ask for Luigi — handsome teak-panelled
room, delicately balanced Italian dishes, up-and-coming
neighbourhood — make this gem sparkle. Much-adored
local haunt Tavola charms with beautifully simple dishes
inspired by Southern Italy.
Patio Lift Bar-Grill-View’s wraparound perch near
Stanley Park shows off stunning city, harbour and North
Shore mountain views. Elegant Ancora offers delicious
Japanese-Peruvian fusion dishes, but also boasts a perfectly
picturesque space on the False Creek seawall. Rise above
the hustle and bustle of the city’s downtown core on the
glam rooftop terraces at Black + Blue or Reflections.
Romantic Like any great dining companion, Five Sails
doesn’t simply rely on its good looks: the spectacular views
are just as alluring as the French bistro fare. Bacchus
exudes romance — from the cherrywood panelling and
burgundy-velvet banquettes, to the nightly pianist tickling
the ivories. At Le Crocodile, signature Alsatian plates like
tomato-and-gin soup and the classic onion tart might com-
pete for your date’s attention.
High-End
From fresh, meticulously prepared sushi to
icy towers of shellfish, culinary anchor Blue Water Cafe
turned the tides on the city’s sustainable-seafood scene.
The best of the West Coast dazzles under the watchful eye
of chef David Hawksworth in his namesake restaurant,
Hawksworth. Live la dolce vita at Cioppino’s, a Yaletown
oasis that never fails to deliver on everything from well
chosen wines to detail-oriented Italian dishes.
Casual Iron Chef Rob Feenie’s famed chain Cactus Club
Café has an award-winning recipe: superb views, a muse-
um-worthy art collection and casual bites with a sophisti-
cated twist. The Flying Pig fulfills its ambitions with an
array of seasonally inspired dishes served in a stylish set-
ting. Bivalve enthusiasts flock to Rodney’s Oyster House
for unbeatably fresh seafood in a hopping, boisterous room.
Regional Cuisine
Cruise up to the show-stopping raw
bar at Coast for front-row seats to the restaurant’s fresh-
shucked shellfish and impeccable cocktails. At West, sample
the bounty of the Pacific Northwest in regional dishes that
range from duck to diver-caught scallops. Bold, complex
flavours are executed with panache at Royal Dinette,
where all that is seasonal and sustainable reigns supreme.
Dessert
Find a slice of Paris on the plate at Thierry, a
charming cafe stocked with everything from macarons
to pastries to decadent chocolates. The aroma of croissants
and other exquisite Viennoiserie lures passers-by to elegant
Faubourg. Flutes of champagne are the perfect pairing for
Mosquito’s daring menu of inventive desserts.
Drinks Make it an Old Fashioned at Pourhouse
Restaurant, where the brick-walled heritage building
and hand-crafted tipples hark back to the golden age of the
cocktail. Cure what ails you at internationally recognized
The Keefer Bar, with apothecary-style cocktails created
from house-made tinctures, bitters and teas. Subterranean
Prohibition embraces the building’s flapper roots with
Jazz Age–inspired cocktails in a sumptuous setting.
Brunch The queue at Medina Café is as unavoidable as
the heavenly Liège waffles and Mediterranean-inspired
dishes are delicious. Eclectic Jam Cafe is always jam-packed
with brunch enthusiasts, who indulge in house specialties
like red-velvet pancakes. L’Abattoir may be the site of
Vancouver’s first jail, but behind this bar, find bubbles at
brunch to accompany French-inspired fare.
Thanks to The Fairmont Hotel Vancouver’s David Reid, Melany Bautista and Yuki Fournier; the Fairmont Pacific Rim’s Charles
Gonzalez, Ivonne Mayne, Mark Finn and Matthew Scott; The Fairmont Waterfront’s Inna Medviychuk, Jesi Russell, Robert James
and Salima Jiwan; the Four Seasons’ Sheron Empey; Hotel Le Soleil’s Brett Archibald; The Listel Hotel’s Nikki Kourmouzis;
the Marriott Pinnacle’s Verinda Doman; the Metropolitan’s Oliver Ng; Oxford Properties’ Jason McWhinnie; the Pan
Pacific’s Shelley Hayashi; the Pinnacle Harbourfront’s Alex Monetta; the River Rock Casino Resort’s Rosh Chandra;
the Rosewood Hotel Georgia’s Daphne Liou, Gerardo Landaverde and Sue Yoon; the Shangri-La Hotel’s Jenie
Britto and Rodolfo Parra; the Trump International Hotel & Tower’s Benjamin Menard, David Lall and
Nicole Guevara; and the Wedgewood Hotel & Spa’s Curtis Slade.
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