It’s been a tasty year and I have found a lot to be thankful for. Here, in no particular order, are my favourite new dining spots from the past twelve months. The common theme among all these restaurants is their focus on comfort food, both new and old—apropos in today’s uncertain world. Please note that due to timing issues, this list comprises only those restaurants that opened by November of this year. Enjoy!
Fraîche
2240 Chippendale Rd.
West Vancouver
604-925-7595
fraicherestaurant.ca
The location says it all. The British Properties neighbourhood is now that much more liveable, thanks to Chef Wayne Martin’s fabulous view, fresh ingredients and inventive West Coast twists on classic comfort dishes.
Yew
791 West Georgia St.
Vancouver
604-689-9333
fourseasons.com/vancouver
It was the trumpet that signalled the return of glam hotel dining in Vancouver. With its impressive wine program (any bottle available by the glass if you get two), stunning décor and versatile kitchen, The Four Season’s Yew is (literally) the full meal deal.
Cibo
900 Seymour St.
Vancouver
604-602-9570
modahotel.ca
Another hotel heavy-hitter, this small trattoria boasts contemporary Italian dining infused with local colour and ingredients, all via a British chef. With its highly wine-compatible menu and complete lack of kitsch, this is the Italian we all want to be seduced by.
Michi Sushi
1513 West Broadway
Vancouver
604-736-4244
michi-sushi.com
No list is complete without Vancouver’s favourite food group—sushi. This bright little hole-in-the-wall is not just about great food when you’re on the go. The use of 50% brown rice, fresh local ingredients, and minimal packaging (no clamshells here) means both your waistline and the environment are spared, one shrimp and avocado roll at a time.
La Quercia
3689 West 4 Ave.
Vancouver
604-676-1007
laquercia.ca
This tiny trattoria (only 32 seats) has made Dunbar a dining destination once again. A focus on Piedmont and Emilio-Romagna means hearty flavours, big wines and a daily fresh sheet longer than my arm. Throw in great prices and you’ve got the perfect neighbourhood hangout.
Medina Café
556 Beatty St.
Vancouver
604-879-3114
medinacafe.com
Tagine, merguez, Belgian waffles with lavender chocolate and thick omelettes in cast iron pans; all are part of the magic of Medina’s lunch and brunch menu. Its Moroccan, North African and French influences make a unique and high-value offering that attracts finicky foodies in economic rain or shine.
Les Faux Bourgeois
663 East 15 Ave.
Vancouver
604-873-9733
lesfauxbourgeois.com
The East Side has long been under-represented in the resto category. Not anymore. This ultimate French bistro arrived in lower Kingsway with splendid duck confit, pate de campagne and enough reasonably priced wine to get oh-so-happily sloshed on. Loud, cheerful and dimly lit, it’s a little bit of Paris at your front stoop.
Red X Red
1216 Granville St.
Vancouver
604-408-6352
vodkabar.ca
The city’s first (and only) vodka bar is also home to some of the most comforting and inventive Eastern European cuisine outside of Little Odessa. A kitchen that makes everything from scratch, 80-plus vodkas from around the world and enough Communist memorabilia to make even a Romanov homesick are all just icing on the Kiev cake.
La Brasserie
1091 Davie St.
Vancouver
604-677-4682
labrasserievancouver.com
This Franco-German dining spot has revitalized a sorry stretch of the West End with its rotisserie chicken, suckling pig and schupfnudeln (don’t ask, just order), and value-priced wine list. It’s bistro savoir faire with German sauerkraut, and it’s beautiful. Now if only they could get their website up and running…
Voya Restaurant
1177 Melville St.
Vancouver
604-669-5060
voyarestaurant.com
Some say it’s the golden glow cast by the shimmery chandeliers, others that it’s the service provided under GM Robert Herman. I say it’s all that and the bag of chips that Chef Marc-André Choquette could probably whip up in his sleep, along with the rest of the other-worldly selections at Loden Hotel’s restaurant par excellence in Coal Harbour. It’s the kind of fine dining that Vancouver hasn’t experienced in decades and it’s about time.
Bon appétit!
Top Shelf
Get Home Safe with a Red Nose
Operation Red Nose is once more under way, giving holiday revellers free and safe rides home throughout the Lower Mainland. If you’re a bit tipsy from your holiday party or just nervous about icy roads, call 1-877-604-6673 and or visit bccpa.org/rednose.
