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10 new and notable rooms

Boneta

If you were to run Vancouver’s most talented culinary professionals through a fine strainer, you’d get Boneta. Named after co-owner Mark Brand’s mother, this Gastown room is a who’s who of the city’s young culinary talent; they operate with the loose improvisational confidence of jazz musicians. Executive chef Jeremie Bastien’s whimsical menu (projected on the wall rather than printed) changes weekly, but watch for commanding dishes like seared lingcod and crispy pork belly with Puy lentils and chanterelles ($18). The cocktails alone make this spot a must-visit—Sophie “the Little General” Taverner’s Negroni gets an added kick from citrus-infused Hendricks; ex–New Yorker Steve Da Cruz is as effervescent as the imported Billiot Brut he uses for his custom champagne cocktails. 1 W. Cordova St., 604-684-1844 —Chris Gonzalez

Deuce

Visiting this second effort from the folks who brought you Capones feels a little like dating the homecoming queen’s sister—some similarities, but ultimately not as satisfying. It’s got a terrific concept (small plates suitable for sharing) and modern décor, but the menu is hit-and-miss. Skip the crab fritters (a heavy mess even before they’re slathered with a thick Fontina and farmhouse Cheddar sauce) and go for the bottle rockets—spicy prawn pouches on a stick with gingered honey and lime ($10). The diverse cocktail list features some intriguing selections, the manliest of which is a sturdy bourbon-based concoction with a decidedly unmanly name: the Southern Belle ($9). With a few tweaks this is a room you could grow to love. 1617 Lonsdale Ave., North Vancouver, 604-988-8180 —C.G.

Cobre

One in a string of impressive openings in Gastown is Cobre, a room that has captured the alluring essence of Latino tapas and presented it in an enticing package. A helpful list of Spanish terms accompanies chef/owner Stuart Irving’s innovative menu, which flirts with influences ranging from Cuba and Mexico to South America. Sample the local albacore tuna ceviche with Peruvian potato salad and pipian rojo ($13), or the B.C. sablefish with mole amarillo and calabaza verde ($15). Horchata crème brûlée with seasonal fruit is a must. Owner/F&B whiz Jason Kelly’s wine list favours Chile and Argentina, but it’s his cocktails that really take flight. A private wine vault downstairs adds to its comfortable Gastown chic (read: wood beam ceilings and lots of exposed brick)

52 Powell St., 604-669-2396 —C.G.

Splitz Grill

The mountain-sized burgers are legendary in Whistler, but surrounded by the plentiful dining options of Vancouver, Trevor and Miriam Jackson’s new location on Main Street loses some of its charm. Still, this popular joint, which opened in January, draws steady crowds for its home-cut fries, whopping banana splits, and burgers the size of five-pin bowling balls. Customize your burger (choose from beef, chicken, lamb, spicy lentil, and teriyaki salmon) or Bavarian smokie with everything from salsa and baba ganoush to sauerkraut and banana peppers. The service is friendly, the milkshakes are thick, and the game is usually on. But something’s missing. Mountains? Maybe it’s not what you eat, but where you eat it. 4242 Main St., 604-875-9711 —C.G.

Café Medina

This new effort from the gang at Chambar is a trendy urban coffeehouse by day and doubles as a private room for Chambar by night. Exposed brick, a high wood-beam ceiling, impressive artwork (courtesy of co-owner Karri Schuermans), and great music will keep you buzzing long after the caffeine wears off. Six bucks gets you a strong, well-made coffee and a warm Belgian waffle with your choice of topping: lavender milk chocolate, spiced caramel, fig and orange marmalade, white chocolate pistachio rosewater, or dark chocolate. Service under Chambar veteran Robbie Kane is fast and friendly, but expect waits at peak hours—especially on Saturdays, when this café threatens to burst at the seams. Watch for the addition of a liquor licence and full-service kitchen in May. 556 Beatty St., 604-339-9395 —C.G.

Sip Resto Lounge

You wouldn’t expect to find a thriving lounge sandwiched between a pawnshop and an adult bookstore—unless you were on Granville Street. Tasty eats, inventive cocktails, and an in-house DJ make this room a perfect pre-party springboard. The open kitchen is literally front and centre, where mojito-swilling patrons nibble menu items that all include a boozy infusion. (A sip with every bite—get it?) Sapporo-cured beef robata with Grand Marnier hoisin ($10), La Playa calamari with blackened corn and Patrón salsa ($9), and the signature cheese perogies with chorizo and Hungarian pear brandy sour cream ($10) help to fuel the revelry, particularly on weekends, when this narrow room overflows like a tightly cinched corset. The owners have just acquired the space upstairs—watch for an expansion in June. Open late. 1117 Granville St., 604-687-7474 —C.G.

Carmichael’s at the Hilton Vancouver Airport

Beyond the lobby of this YVR mainstay (pass the visitors with name tags and you’ve gone too far) is a comfortable room where warm service and an Italian-inspired menu help take the sting out of a layover. Breakfast is solid, but dinner really takes off. Start with the roasted apple, walnut, and Cambozola salad ($9) or the fennel-cured salmon carpaccio with Spanish caper berries ($13) before tucking in to an inspired pumpkin ravioli with cinnamon, sweet pea, and sage butter ($17). Mains feature rustic Italian touches, like Queen Charlotte halibut finished with a herbed tomato broth ($20), and burly beef tenderloin garnished with porcini and pillowy gnocchi ($24). The wine list seems stuck in a holding pattern; the addition of a few choice bottles would make flying the friendly skies a whole lot friendlier. 5911 Minoru Blvd, Richmond, 604-273-6336 —C.G.

Flite

The newest incarnation of the not-so-lucky Lucky Diner space is an inviting wine bar for quiet sipping over a range of small plates. The interior is plush, from the chandeliers to the ample velvet booths where cozy couples sit tête-à-tête. Start with oven-dried tomato and amply sized grilled scallops, atop lobster bisque risotto cakes ($16), and then move on to lightly crisp soft-shell crab and fresh Nanjhin salad in a flavourful Thai red curry ($16). The wine “flite” choices, organized into Cabernet/Shiraz/Syrah and Sauvignon Blanc/blends, are well priced ($7.50 to $11.50 for three two-ounce pours) but are directed at novice wine drinkers; oenophiles are better off ordering by the glass. 1269 Hamilton St., 604-687-1269 —Tara Lee

Me & Julio

The folks behind the highly successful Lolita’s on Davie Street have set up shop in boho quarters on Commercial Drive. Service can be lax, but the food—smoky beef taquitos ($10.75); house specialty paella ($17.75); and ceviche habañero ($11.75) featuring local scallops, wild sockeye, and halibut in a zippy pomello-citrus marinade—is well worth the wait. The drink list is as lively as the room, from fruity cocktails to pitchers of mixed berry or tropical fruit sangria. Weekend brunches are also standouts. 2095 Commercial Dr., 604-696-9997 —T.L.

Lin Chinese Cuisine and Tea House

Robust Sichuan and northern Chinese flavours are found in wontons with an intense garlic sauce balanced by mellow, leafy greens ($4.99); Shanghai buns are plump, delicate, and full of soup ($4.99). For a quick, satisfying lunch, choose hearty noodles ($6.29) or the “beef sesame cake”—two flaky, 15-centimetre-long pastries filled with beef slices and green onion (at $4.99, a worthy alternative to neighbouring Subway). For dinner, order the braised tofu—served in a heated clay pot with vegetables and a full-flavoured sauce ($9.99)—or the spicy fish ($12.99) with plenty of rice. There’s great value here—the portions are generous. 1537 W. Broadway, 604-733-9696 —Lucas Lee

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