Downtown

AQUA RIVA
Sweeping sightlines wow at this waterfront room. The kitchen makes ample use of its signature wood oven for local seafood, meat, and pizza selections. Decent appetizers include a sesame crusted ahi tuna sashimi ($13.50) and scallop and prawn spring rolls ($14.95). Mains get points for experimentation but many dishes, like the lemon maple glazed sablefish ($28), have too many competing tastes. A smoky roasted rack of lamb ($36) is more successful. The extensive wine list has strong B.C. and Californian showings. Service is restrained enough for the business crowd. 200 Granville St., Downtown, 604-683-5599. Aquariva.com. $$$

ARIA
The imposing coliseum architecture of the Public Library dominates the windows of this wee hotel restaurant and lounge. The new direction of the kitchen is equally Italian-inspired with clean, fresh flavours. Try the roasted roma tomato, fennel and orange soup ($7) and bison tenderloin carpaccio ($14) before moving onto pan seared AAA beef tenderloin with polenta cake ($32), and grilled salmon filet in tomato broth ($26). Or opt for the $40 three-course menu, a biweekly ode to seasonal ingredients. The lounge and its vodka cocktails ($14) are popular with the pre- and post-theatre crowds. Westin Grand Hotel, 433 Robson St., Downtown, 604-647-2521. $$$

AS TIME GOES BY
Elegant Hotel Georgia room renders justice to its heritage home and lawyerly patrons: soft stone colours, slab floor and stone balustrades with contemporary furnishings spilling into the lobby. The Welsh rarebit is an old favourite that keeps the regulars happy. Janice Lotzkar has a superb wine list comprising B.C.’s best bottles; she was the first in town to develop an exclusively northwest list. Popular lunch buffet $18.95. 801 Georgia St. W., Downtown, 604-682-5566. $$$

BACCHUS
The seductive bar is where the power broking gets done, whether it’s deal-making, or actual entreaties of seduction. Many diners start the evening in the lounge with a glass of champagne and a signature lobster roll, then move into the elegant dining room. That might be for chef Lee Parson’s risotto of woodland mushrooms or Salt Spring Island mussel soup ($14). Mains run to pot-roasted organic chicken breast and asparagus with an astonishing white wine cream sauce imbued with morels. The supreme of halibut, with a fricassée of globe artichokes and fennel, bound with sauce vierge, is also transforming. The lounge food, especially the thin-crust smoked salmon pizza, is an excellent pre-theatre choice. Full red-carded English breakfasts. Wedgewood Hotel, 845 Hornby St., Downtown, 604-608-5319. Wedgewoodhotel.com/hotel/bacchus. $$$-$$$$

BEYOND RESTAURANT AND LOUNGE
Modern colours and textures dominate both the decor and Chef Paul Marshall’s west-coast cuisine at this 300-seat, multi-level restaurant. Chevre and onion tart ($10) and seared Queen Charlotte Island halibut with fennel purée and tomato-herb tarte ($23) are standouts on a cosmopolitan dinner menu. The lemon study—lemon pound cake, lemon curd and lemon sorbet ($8)—deserves a fine wine accompaniment—ask your server for a suitable pairing. 1015 Burrard St., Downtown, 604-684-3474. $$$

BIN 941
This raucous Davie Street tapas-only institution continues to pack them in every night, and for good reason. Gord Martin’s food benchmarks the city’s. Include the East West crab cakes on burnt orange and chipotle syrup and the stocky crimini mushroom risotto. The wine list is small, but it’s expertly chosen and knowledgeably served. For certain, it’s a tight, chaotic place with a soundtrack that jars even the most welcoming of ears, but if you’re looking for the epicentre of au courant, you’ve found it. 941 Davie St., Downtown, 604-683-1246. $$

LA BODEGA
An authentic tapas bar, bar one exception: instead of revving up at midnight, the doors are likely to close by 11. Vancouver versus Barcelona, in a nutshell. Crouton-heavy gazpacho Andaluz, fiery patatas bravas and hearty albondigas (Spanish meatballs) are all standouts on a comprehensive menu. The decor hasn’t changed since the joint opened in 1971, but then again, neither have the regulars holding up the rec-room style bar. 1277 Howe St., Downtown, 604-684-8814. $-$$

CAFE CREPE
These busy little locations offer Parisian-style crêpes, hot dogs and baguette sandwiches fast and fresh. Hungry shoppers and on-the-fly moviegoers dig into variety of hot savoury crêpes like the spinach and feta ($7) or the Europa ham and Swiss ($6.25). Or satisfy a sweet tooth with Café Crêpe’s specialty, a warm crêpe stuffed with Nutella, Grand Marnier and banana ($8.95). Now with a new location at UBC. 1032 Robson St., Downtown, 604.488.0045; 874 Granville St., Downtown, 604-806-0845; 2861 Granville St., South Granville, 604-488-1326; 796 Granville St., Downtown, 604-806-0834; 5960 University Blvd., UBC, 604-221-1142. $-$$

CAFE PRESTO PANINI
This little café packs them in, serving cheap and hearty Italian fare with the lively authenticity of a Milanese café. The room, no bigger than an Alfa Romeo, is resplendent with all things Italian, right down to the red and white checkered tablecloths. Owner Zoran—mustachioed master of the panini—holds court here, serving a steady stream of hungry shoppers, tourists and flocks of legal eagles from the nearby Law Courts. Try the classic panini ($8.95), crispy flatbread stuffed with hot capicolla, salami and mozzarella, or the linguine carbonara ($9.95). Palatable house wines and incredible value. 859 Hornby St., Downtown, 604-684-4445. $-$$

CAFE SI'IL VOUS PLAIT
This shoebox-sized room on Robson Street has the kitschy charm of a ’50s diner dishing out comfort food to budget-conscious downtowners. Owner Raymond Kim’s kitchen churns out home-cooked classics for the budget conscious like macaroni and cheese ($8), peanut butter and banana sandwiches ($4.90), and a very tasty vegetarian chili ($8). Try the daily made-from-scratch soups like split pea, mushroom barley or borscht, all served with greens and hot buttered cornbread for just $6.75. 500 Robson St., Downtown, 604-688-7216. $

CASSIS BISTRO
Young trio Sam Wilcox, Daniel McClintock and Ben Coté gutsily open on a sketchy block, reveal gutsy cooking. Their tiny 20-seat patio is otherworldly on hot summer nights and an urban eye-popper by day. Weekends hear an outdoor soundtrack of police sirens competing with an indoor DJ spinning for post-shift restaurant workers. Menu sees bistro classics that have never slummed so well. At lunch: paninis and pizzas; dinner succeeds with full-on French done on the cheap. Stick to Coté all-stars: onion soup is one of the best in town ($7.25 for lunch, $8.25 for dinner), as is his straightforward and richly flavoured coq au vin ($15). At these prices, sneak an extra glass from the French-inflected wine card. 420 W. Pender St., Downtown, 604-605-0420. $-$$

CENTURY
Suicide location sees Michael Mitton (of Lucy Mae Brown and Fiction) resurrect this heritage bank building blinged out with original marble floors and gold leafed ceilings. Mitton’s “modern Latin cowboy” theme (complete with oversized Che Guevera mural) is shotgunned by chef Remi DuBois’ South and Central American flavours. Despite some staff desertions (bar star Ron Oliver decamped for Yaletown’s Blue Water Cafe), a recent menu overhaul and the addition of lunch service aim to reinvigorate. Try the Che burger made with ground AAA prime rib, double-smoked bacon and tetilla cheese ($17) after your caramelized carenitas ($12). Wines and cocktails are Latin-focussed, and prices are affordable. Few rooms in Vancouver glitter so seductively, even when empty. 432 Richards St., Downtown, 604-633-2700. $$-$$$

CHAMBAR
Lit in lusty red, with exposed brick, wood beam ceilings and contemporary artwork, this stylish space is sheer eye candy, but Belgian owner/chef Nico Schuerman keeps the focus where it belongs—on the food. Aromatic moules frites ($19) in savoury broths delight, and the braised lamb tagine ($25) is a study in dribble-down-the-chin succulence. Innovative hand crafted cocktails and an enticing list of Belgian brews fuel the licentious revelry. 562 Beatty St., Downtown, 604-879-7119. $$-$$$

CHARTWELL
Executive chef Rafael Gonzalez confidently leads the Four Seasons’ signature dining room. From 5 to 6:30 p.m., pick two courses for $29 or three for $35. Favourites: seared halibut with wild forest mushrooms, and chocolate soufflé. Quality is not sacrificed for rapid delivery—food and service is among the best in the city. Four Seasons Hotel, 791 Georgia St., Downtown, 604-844-6715. $$$-$$$$

LE CROCODILE
A Vancouver landmark, and deservedly so. This traditional French restaurant, famous for its pan-seared foie gras, features classic entrées such as grilled veal medallions with veal demi-glace and morel mushrooms ($38); grilled wild B.C. salmon, served with light saffron veloute and sauté of calamaris ($30); pan-seared veal sweetbreads, with black truffled foie-gras cream sauce ($30); or slow-braised lamb shank “Provencal-Style,” a bargain at $28. Don’t miss chef-owner Michel Jacob’s savoury onion tart served with chilled Alsace edelzwicker. Or the beef filet steak tartare and lobster bisque served with fresh cream and cognac. The wine list runs deep to the mother country, as do some of the charming servers. We love Le Croc for many reasons, chief among them is the immaculate cooking. 100-909 Burrard St., entrance on Smithe, Downtown, 604-669-4298. $$$-$$$$

CULINARIA
Lobster hollandaise for $13. Chipotle-marinated flatiron steak with crispy yam cake and charred vegetables for $14. And smack in the middle of downtown. What’s the catch? This is a culinary school restaurant, run by the Art Institute (formerly Dubrulle Culinary Arts). Instructor and head chef Carol Bird coaxes student chefs toward a nightly card where desserts take the cake. This is true home-grown talent: the restaurant is run by students, from front of house to kitchen. Well worth a visit. 609 Granville St., Downtown, 604-639-2055. $$

DIVA AT THE MET
Executive chef Dino Renaerts has settled into the kitchen, and Thomas Haas, whose desserts receive international acclaim, remains a stalwart. Ingredient-driven cooking sees suave Jerusalem artichoke soup with a salty contrast of dried serrano, and translucent halibut carpaccio with crab and shrimp fritters. The meat and seafood entrées are models of concision without complication (the smoked cod especially) but it was a song of spring pea agnolotti that praised the season. The service remains expertly calibrated, and the wine list, which is full of dynamic Cascadian choices, strong. One of the city’s best—and most civilized—breakfasts. Metropolitan Hotel, 645 Howe St., Downtown, 604-602-7788. $$$$

DON FRANCESCO
An opera-singing owner and charming white-shirted waiters give this Italian room a made-for-tourist ambience. Classics like caprese salad ($14.95), beef carpaccio ($16.95), veal scaloppini ($32.95), and mushroom risotto ($24.95) neither surprise nor disappoint. The best-in-town tiramisu ($10.95), paired with the spectacular Sicilian dessert wine, Passito di Pantelleria, could make a regular of even the most tourist-wary local. 860 Burrard St., Downtown, 604-685-7770. $$$

DOOLIN'S IRISH PUB
At his rich dark room with its wooden tables, stained glass and Celtic drinking songs getting lucky means finding a barstool—this watering hole overflows like a badly poured Guinness. The menu is standard pub grub: kilt-clad waitresses serve steak and kidney pie ($10.99) and traditional Irish stew ($9.99) to a diverse crowd. 654 Nelson St., Downtown, 604-605-4365. $-$$

EARLS PARAMOUNT
Our favourite place to watch Canucks action—maybe even better than GM Place. We’re singling out Earls Paramount from its many sibs for three reasons: the soaring room is a riot of stacked rock, flat screens, beer taps and choreographed service; the food, developed by celebrity chef Michael Noble, just tastes better here; and the celebrated wine list, selected by experts and not agents, is an inexpensive glory. Overheard: A wine buff saying he “couldn’t afford to drink anywhere else.” He can, and his ribs went down just fine with a Yalumba cab—just before he called a Yellow one. 905 Hornby St., Downtown, 604-682-6700, and various other locations, earls.ca. $$

FALAFEL MAISON, FALAFEL HOUSE AND FALAFEL KING
All three locations offer Middle Eastern takeout, a cheapskate’s best friend. Cheap, filling and tasty, the falafel sandwich ($3.99) partners a crispy and moist chick pea croquette with a choice of lettuce, tomato, tabbouleh and hummus tucked inside a pita. Chicken or beef shawarma ($5.25) sees slowly roasted meat carved from rotating spit and rolled up in a pita with hot sauce and a choice of condiments. Don’t forget the napkins. Falafel Maison: 516 Robson St, Downtown, 604-647-6450; 902 Granville St., Downtown, 604-806-0045; Falafel King: 1105 Davie St., West End, 604-688-5536; 1110 Denman St., West End, 604-669-7278. $

THE FIVE SAILS
Recently refurbished, now owned by Chef Ernst Dorfler and wife Gerry Sayers. The casual lounge features a cosy fireplace and elevated banquettes; sample small plates from Chef Dorfler’s new west coast tasting menu like the Austrian-style ravioli with sage butter emulsion ($14). Award-winning desserts, gracious five-diamond service. Pan Pacific Hotel, 999 Canada Place, Downtown, 604-844-2855. $$$-$$$$

FLEURI
Of late, the menu has been pointing toward local ingredients, although some unsustainable seafood selections, like sea bass, indicate that work still needs to be done. But the lobster corn bisque ($16)? Liquid nirvana. Beef quartet ($37) features a veal cheeks tortilla cone and lightly spiced empanada with more ubiquitous braised short ribs. Indulge in the chocolate buffet Thursday to Saturday ($24, $12 with entrée), or head to Gerard Lounge for small plates. Sutton Place Hotel, 845 Burrard St., Downtown, 604-642-2900. $$$-$$$$

THE GALLERY CAFE AT THE VANCOUVER ART GALLERY
Like the gift shop below, the second-floor Gallery Café can be visited without having to pay admission to see art. The Café terrace is a favoured lunchtime getaway for area office workers and law court denizens. Don’t be put off by the cafeteria trays: there are no curly fries and chicken fingers; the menu is, instead, a more refined mix of panini and salad, soup and quiche. You can’t go wrong with the caprese panino (bocconcini with roma tomatoes, roasted peppers and sundried tomato oil, $7.95) or rare ahi tuna salad bowl ($9.25). Grab a Granville Island beer or a glass of Mission Hill wine and eavesdrop on VAG staffers on their break. 750 Hornby St., Downtown, 604-688-2233. $-$$

GOTHAM STEAKHOUSE
Ogle great pieces of meat, be it a 24-oz porterhouse or a visiting Hollywood starlet, at this swank American steakhouse. The elegant room features high ceilings, sweeping murals and a mouthwatering array of perfectly marbled Canadian Prime cuts. Carve into a 24 oz. juicy bone-in ribeye ($49.95) and plentiful sides like fresh asparagus ($7.50) and Lyonnaise potatoes ($6.50). Private rooms, an expansive patio and a luxurious cocktail bar attract captains of industry and the professional wait staff will help you to navigate a wine list that’s as enticing as the slow-roasted prime rib ($38.95). 615 Seymour St., Downtown, 604-605-8282. $$$$

GRIFFINS
Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served à la carte, but the breakfast or lunch buffet ($26 for breakfast, $27 for lunch) is the draw; the after-theatre dessert buffet is a convivial bargain at $13. (but is free with any dinner entrée) No need to dress at dinner for signature Alberta prime rib with Yorkshire pudding ($33.00) or the seafood trio of grilled salmon, halibut and prawns ($28). Dinner specials start at 4:30. Fairmont Hotel Vancouver, 900 W. Georgia St., Downtown, 604-662-1900. $$$

GYU TEPPANYAKI
Japanese grill-food: The real deal is the usuyaki, an all-you-can-eat lunch for $19.95. There’s edamame, salad, miso soup, seafood, chicken, beef, rice and vegetables, with the chef cooking it up right in front of you. Evenings see a similar theme with the “house special”—it’s not all-you-can-eat, but the portions are large for $28.95. Those who prefer à la carte can opt for prawn tempura ($13.95), ribeye ($22) or chicken breast ($10.95) or add sides such as foie gras, geoduck, lobster or a rack of lamb. 219-755 Burrard St., Downtown, (enter off Alberni), 604-688-7050. $$$

HAL MAE JANG MO JIB
The name translates roughly as Mother-in-Law’s place, and the most popular location sits right in the heart of the unofficial Korean zone, a growing concentration of Korean restaurants on the westernmost stretch of Robson. Line-ups testify to its status as a top haunt for swarms of Korean students. The menu is varied, offering plenty of Korean favourites like seafood pancakes and noodles, as well as more exotic fare like pork-spine stew. The service can be spotty, especially at peak times. 1719 Robson St., West End, 604-642-0712; 518 Richards St., Downtown, 604-688-0712; 395 Kingsway, 604- 872-0712. $$

HON'S WUN-TUN HOUSE
Chainlet of quick, efficient, budget-conscious Chinese food. Hon’s is known for their potstickers: pork, beef, chicken or vegetarian served pan-fried, steamed or in broth. The special vegetarian menu is vast, featuring items such as vegetarian goose (bean curd skin roll) and hearty hot and sour vegetarian soup. Hon’s are always packed, the kitchen is always in a hurry (sometimes sacrificing quality), but the price is right. 1339 Robson St., Downtown, 604-685-0871, (also in Chinatown, Richmond and New Westminster and Coquitlam). $

HY'S ENCORE
Hy Aisenstat’s legendary spot (if these walls could talk...) still turns out one of Vancouver’s best steaks in one of the city’s authentically retro dining rooms. The colour scheme runs to black and red, and so do the main-event steaks, expertly trimmed and grilled. While the 22-ounce porterhouse may be a model of understatement, the Caesar salads, prepared tableside, are pungent and deep. Portraits of retired waiters line the walls; those still working are all pro. Wine list runs to U.S. and French reds. 637 Hornby St., Downtown, 604-683-7671. $$$$

IL GIARDINO
The city’s longtime Tuscan standard-bearer is beautiful and not a little wise. Owner Umberto Menghi pulls pretty crowds to the city’s prettiest garden patio for salmon carpaccio mediorente and a rack of lamb with onion confit. Hell, it’s all quite good (if not the best), and highly seductive. GM Bobby Copiak is one of the city’s most gracious hosts and a deserving winner of Vancouver magazine’s Premier Crew service award. 1382 Hornby St., Downtown, 604-669-2422. $$$$

KAMEI ROYALE
A large, bustling room with plenty of alcoves cornered off with Fusuma sliding doors. The menu is a tome of 150 items so know that the maguro tacos—seared fresh tuna with zippy ginger dressing in crunchy wonton tacos ($7.50)—and the gyu tataki ($9.50)—lightly seared beef with housemade ponzu sauce—are especially good. Also worth exploring are specialty rolls like the “cherry blossom” ($13.95) with salmon and avocado wrapped with vibrant Hawaiian Red tuna. After sampling premium sake and shochu, stumble to the adjoining karaoke bar (9 p.m. onwards). 211-1030 W. Georgia St., Downtown, 604-687-8588. $$

KINGSTON TAPHOUSE & GRILL
Double-tier patio is downtown oasis, complete with water feature to block traffic; top tier with full bar is popular with the after-work crowd. Cocktail culture: Caipririnha made with Cachaca rum. Greatest hits: Ahi tuna Caesar—lightly seared and silky tender, although it makes for soggy lettuce. Go for the appies: well-spiced firecracker shrimp served sizzling at your table, crispy herbed calamari, decent burgers and basketball hoops of onion rings are guy things, great for game watching, both TV and two tables over. 755 Richards St., Downtown, 604-681-7011. $$

LICKERISH
A new owner and menu have brought some Asian flavour to this restaurant and lounge. From an extensive tapas menus, try the prawns—prepared with Thai chili paste and served with a creamy pesto dip ($12). Sesame-crusted, pan-seared ahi tuna with basmati rice, burnt orange ginger sauce and pineapple salsa ($23) is a highlight on an entrée menu that also features pasta and ribs. The desserts are heavenly, especially the B-52 tiramisu and the crispy banana spring rolls ($7 each). 903 Davie St., Downtown, 604-696-0725. $$-$$$

LOMBARDO'S PIZZERIA
Hidden away in the corner of an unassuming shopping mall, you’d never suspect that this casual spot is home to Vancouver’s best thin-crust pizza—Patti Lombardo’s wood-fired pies have been garnering accolades for more than 20 years. Classic combinations of the freshest ingredients are the key, best showcased by traditional favourites like the caprese featuring sliced tomatoes, bocconcini, onions, capers and basil. The newly opened downtown location around the corner from the Paramount Theatre satisfies the movie-going crowd. 1641 Commercial Dr., 604-251-2240; 970 Smithe St., Downtown, 604-408-0808. $-$$

MANHATTAN AT THE DELTA SUITES
Bring a hearty appetite and tuck into an upscale version of hotel buffet, or their take on table d’hote: “Unlimited Consumption” comprises seven courses for $45 (or tapas offered individually), with tongue-in-chic twists on classic dishes. Menu changes monthly to celebrate different regions and countries. 550 W. Hastings St., Downtown, 604-689-8188. $$$

METRO
From Brian Fowke and Tim Keller, who founded Rare last year, now Metro, a downtown room with an extensive menu; many land and sea proteins are cut to order—and priced—by the ounce. There’s complex flavour in Fowke’s preps, if a little too much complication on the menu: the choices are legion—from small plates through many riffs on fish, fowl and game. Some that sparkle in this handsome, clean-edged room: whole petrale sole with butter Parisienne ($32) and Baja spiny lobster with creamed corn and arugula ($57). But our favourite is a blessing of coq au vin with chive spätzle, served on Sunday evenings for a heartwarming $27. Fine oyster bar and a neat, emerging wine list. 200 Burrard St., Downtown, 604-662-3463. $$-$$$

MOONPENNIES
This café opens up early for the business crowd, where busy commuters grab bagels, scones and muffins or pause for a frittata or omelette served sandwich-style ($6.95) along with a coffee or juice to start the day. Lunch could be a selection of fresh baguettes such as roast beef, brie or smoked salmon ($4.75-$7.47) or a quiche, potpie or pasta. Offices order up platters of fresh fruit, mini-omelettes and baguette party trays to keep their workers fuelled through breakfast or lunch meetings. 1102 W. Pender St., Downtown, 604-669-6092. $$

MORTON'S THE STEAKHOUSE
The menu echoes the ’70s with the exception of your bill (about as hefty as the portions) and a few more national and local celebs added to the hallway’s photo gallery. Regional, local, sustainable—fuhgeddaboudit. Instead tuck into USDA prime aged, Midwest grain-fed beef shipped directly from Chicago (as is the richly classic New York cheesecake). All entrées ample enough to share from a 24-oz Porterhouse to a 14-oz double-cut filet mignon. Cajun ribeye steak is stand-out, especially with a side of creamed spinach and Lyonnaise potatoes. Colossal Shrimp Alexander aptly named; appies can double as entrées. Wine list has doubled, up to 240 selections, heavy on the California, Washington and Oregon reds. Terrific after-work beefwiches—on the house. 750 W. Cordova St., Downtown, 604-915-5105. $$$$

MOSAIC
The Hyatt Regency is home to a restaurant that’s been taken by storm by the lunch crowd, but mistakenly neglected for dinner. Chef de cuisine Chad Minton has moved the menu forward in ceviche three ways—ahi and ginger, tropical halibut, and spicy scallop and prawn ($12). A terrific ginger scallop prawn dumpling with Thai lobster sauce ($12) also pleases. Lunch entrées range from Asian chicken salad ($13) to club sandwiches ($15). Impressive service from knowledgeable staff. 655 Burrard St., Downtown, 604-639-4770. $$-$$

MOXIE'S
When you’re dealing with an indecisive group, Moxie’s is an okay bet. The wide-ranging menu, lengthier than any of its casual chain competitors, has everything from clubhouse sandwiches ($9.99) and chicken wings ($9.99) to cookie-cutter fusion like Szechwan green beans ($7.99) and Tandoori chicken pizza ($12.99). The location near GM Place is popular for pre-game nosh, while the patio on Denman is prime real estate for people watching. Now with 51 locations across Western Canada. 1759 W. Broadway, Kitsilano, 604-678-9973; 1160 Davie St., West End, 604-678-8043; 808 Bute St., West End, 604-696-9986; 180 W. Georgia St. Downtown, 604-684-8434. $$-$$$

OKADA
Chef Okada reflects changing seasonality on the daily fresh sheet (dinner only). Try the luscious monkfish liver (the ocean equivalent of foie gras) and fresh kanpachi. In the fall look for local pine mushrooms steamed with garlic butter in foil or served as a “tea” sharpened with a squeeze of lime. Finish the meal with a soothing bowl of chazuke—green tea poured over rice topped with salmon or preserved plum (ume). M101-888 Nelson St., Second Floor, Downtown, 604-899-3266. $$$

RARE TWO
In the old Bis Moreno space on Hornby across from the legendary Il Giardino, Tim Keller and Brian Fowke have fought the rap of a cursed location with a more inviting room and cooking as mature as it is young. In tapping chef de cuisine Colleen McClean to run the small, all-female, lab-like kitchen, they’ve caught a rising star. The menus constantly change to reflect the best of what’s locally available. Exquisite start: Seared weathervane scallops and savoury clams tide-pooled in fennel broth, then suckling pig with long pepper consommé and sous vide spot prawns. Or let them do the driving for the bargain $65 six-course tasting menu. The wine list is well priced and dotted with rare labels, the service engaging. 1355 Hornby St., Downtown, 604-669-1256. $$$

RELISH
The favoured watering hole/eatery of the Law Courts crowd, Relish celebrated three years in business this past August—and is evidently doing a good job with non-legal eagles, too, as the sleek modernist room fills up on evenings and weekends to an extent its predecessor, Urban Well, never did. Credit the try-hard kitchen and drinks card. Wine-drinking and light-noshing are the preferred way to go—Relish won an honourable mention for its wine list at the 2006 Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival. Recommended mains include the lamb chops (with honey lime couscous and cucumber yogurt) and the lobster ravioli. The lounge is now open until 2 a.m. 888 Nelson St., Downtown, 604-669-1962. $$-$$$

REX
All dark wood and leather, this American-style grill in the Bentall Centre courtyard has a country club feel, where corporate bigwigs press the flesh over slabs of AAA Alberta Prime. Chef Terry Multhauf’s showcase rotisserie stokes the fires of the power lunch crowd with 12-ounce cracked pepper ribeye with sweet corn succotash ($25) and the half rotisserie chicken with lemon rosemary pan jus ($16). Chermoula rubbed calamari ($10) and the sonoran albacore with chili aioli ($11) are grea ways to start. The evening specialty is thick cuts of juicy prime rib, in 8-ounce ($24), 12-ounce ($28) and “Rex-size” ($32) portions. Large patio is weather permitting and the room is available on weekends by special request. Three-course table d’hôte is a serious steal at $28. 1055 Dunsmuir St., Downtown, 604-683-7390. $$$

SALA THAI
Som Tum (salad of green papaya, chilies and lime, $7.99), golden shrimp cakes ($7.99), and Gaeng Pa-nang: sautéed tiger prawns, scallops, coconut meat and kaffir lime leaves in a fiery red curry ($9.99) are as authentic as they come. Terrific value at lunch and daily specials. Cambie location has been a neighborhood fixture for over 20 years, but the opulent downtown room also delivers consumate curries and pad Thai. 102-888 Burrard St., Downtown, 604-683-7999; 3364 Cambie St., South Cambie, 604-875-6999. $$-$$$

SANAFIR
David Nicolay, now Vancouver’s dominant restaurant designer, has created a soaring casbah, lantern-lit with brass and glass chandeliers, and aglow with enormous candles and those who self-tan. Under new chef Mark McEwan the pan-handling is decidedly upbeat. Platters feature themed trios of tuna, salmon, lamb and more ($14). The salmon version shows seared Coho salmon over vindaloo curry; tea-smoked spring salmon fillet over black Thai rice; and B.C. sockeye tartar with capers, tomato, pineapple and yam chips. Sanafir means “meeting place” in Arabic; here, the match you’ll make might range from downshifting hockey players to Aguilera wannabes. Celeb spottings: Sting, Shakira, Penelope Cruz and Kid Rock. 1026 Granville St., Downtown, 604-678-1049. $$$

SCUIE ITALIAN BAKERY CAFE
Downtown power lunching took a turn for the cheap with the arrival of this fast-paced modern room. The theme of Roman street food eaten on the quick gels well with the suited finance wonks queuing up for excellent Italian flatbreads (“pane romano”) and solid panini briefs. Served cafeteria style and offered alongside a full range of gelato flavours and espresso drinks, they’re molto authentic: go for the pancetta and gorgonzola flatbread or target the full-flavoured pizza-like braesola, parmesan and roma tomato version for rustic simplicity. 110-800 W. Pender St., Downtown, 604-602-7263. $-$$

THE SHORE CLUB
The newest and most expensive restaurant in the David Aisenstat empire sits pretty on the corner of Dunsmuir and Granville. It’s just as busy as the new Holt Renfrew across the street and is just a few cow lengths from his premier steakhouse, Gotham. Designer Elaine Thorsell has put together a multi-storied beauty with a classic ocean liner look, complete with white-jacketed service staff, lush fabrics, dark colours (blues and greens evocative of warm evenings at sea), and grey-veined Bianca Carrera marble. The food? Little we haven’t tried before—it’s tight, well executed, and highly unoriginal. Must tries include a macadamia nut-encrusted monster fillet of halibut ($31) served simply and immaculately with only a chive beurre blanc (sides are extra) and a miraculous puff pastry-encased salmon Wellington ($29) that melts on contact. The wine list is deeply stacked, as is the service. 688 Dunsmuir St., Downtown, 604-899-4400. $$$$

SHOWCASE
A bright, airy space where hotel guests enjoy breakfast or lunch before a day of power sightseeing. However, locals could also do well to check out a menu that takes a global approach to local ingredients. Ease in with a silky lobster bisque ($12), and a simple spinach vinaigrette salad with grilled portobello and phyllo goat cheese cigar ($10). The six-ounce Black Angus tenderloin ($28) is nicely tender and intensely flavoured with a Bordelaise sauce, while pancetta vinaigrette makes halibut sing ($26). Many B.C. selections in a solid wine list. 1122 W. Hastings St., Downtown, 604-639-4040. $$$

SONOMAMA SUSHI BAR & GRILL
Chef Anji Kim fuses French and Japanese elements in the heart of the Granville entertainment district. Hawaiian chicken katsu ($5.95), served corndog-style, is crunchy, spicy and sweet. The west coast roll is a winning combination of cream cheese, avocado, cucumber and wild smoked salmon ($7.50). Finish with the green tea ice cream with red bean paste, roasted pine nut sprinkles and Matcha powder ($4). A perfect prelude to a night on the town. 980 Granville St., Downtown, 604-662-3770. $$

TACOS MEXICO RICO
Think you know authentic Mexican food? Hold onto your souvenir sombrero—this taqueria is a crash course in true Mexican home cooking. Proprietor Amparo Ruiz prepares no-frills dining best seen in tacos wrapped in soft corn tortillas (four for $7), enchiladas smothered in mole poblano ($9.99) and sopes filled with carne asada ($2.50) and homemade guacamole (three for $7.99). Fresh fruit aquas frescas ($2) take the sting away from the piquant pico di gallo and Ruiz’s sumptuous flan ($3) is the size of a football. ¡Que padre! 309 W. Pender St., Downtown, 604-688-7426. $-$$

THE TEMPLETON
It might appear to be a greasy spoon diner on an unsavoury block of Granville flanked by sex shops, but it’s decidedly of the 21st century. Organic free-range chicken burgers (9.50), free-run eggs, hawkeye salmon omelette ($10), and preservative-free bacon are enjoyed to juke tunes and the smell of organic coffee always on the trot. In the evenings, regulars bump in for the classic movies projected on the wall, as well as for the free wireless internet. Proprietors Jessica Kaman (ex-biologist for the U.S. government) and Ricardo Farinha (ex-adventure tour guide) are omnipresent, leading a staff as casually dressed as their customers. 1087 Granville St., Downtown, 604-685-4612. $

TRANSCONTINENTAL
This new room, housed in the 90-year-old Waterfront Station, was previously office space and, prior to Via Rail moving its terminus to Pacific Central in the mid-’70s, a passenger waiting pen. Despite all the elegant touches introduced by Eli Gershgovitch (the man behind neighbouring Steamworks)—including classic CPR posters, art deco wall sconces, and Casablanca on the bar TV (surely not all the time?)—there’s a lingering austerity. Luckily, the food warms things up—classed-up comfort food such as chicken breast in morel mushroom sauce, and a lamb trio of sausage, rack chop and tenderloin—as does the uber-friendly service. 601 W. Cordova St. (Waterfront Station), Downtown, 604-678-8000. $$-$$$

UNWINE'D
A new, fairly priced room next door to the Holiday Inn, Unwine’d set industry fingers wagging (and tongues slagging) with its terrible name when it opened a year ago. But they doth protest too much. The wine list is better than most and the food has remained consistently adequate, with many small and shareable dishes that rise to impress. Try the AAA beef tenderloin Wellington ($17) or the pancetta crisps Caesar salad ($11). It’s a good place to do business or hide away (in fact it’s hard to find). The bar is cosy and the shaded patio is an urban, often empty retreat should you like the sound of fast traffic. 1180 Howe St., Downtown, 604-682-5225. $$-$$$

LA VALLEE
Formerly Tivoli, this little wine country bistro recently opened with a brand new look—and minimal fanfare—in the poorly located Executive Hotel Vintage Park (off the beaten path, obscured by the Granville Street Bridge). Worth seeking out for its strong menu, crafted with the help of San Francisco celebrity chef Gregory Short, perfectly executed by local phenom Tony Crisafi. Check out the Earl Grey tea-smoked rainbow trout salad ($12) then slide into Short’s signature wine-braised prime beef short ribs with foie gras butter ($26). The wine list, culled exclusively from the Okanagan, Napa and Columbia valleys, has many great selections but is also cluttered with unnecessary plonk—subtraction is in order. 1379 Howe St. (2nd Floor–Executive Hotel Vintage Park), Downtown, 604-696-6980. $$$

VILLA DEL LUPO
Villa may have a new proprietor and a new chef but the fine (and friendly) touches remain, surrounding a menu that touches the very top of Italian fine dining in Vancouver. Credit chef Greg Turgeon (ex-Circolo’s), who understudied former proprietor-chef Julio Gonzalez-Perini for six years—the kitchen hasn’t missed a beat. Veal sweetbreads, exquisite soups, neatly composed salads or gnocchi with Italian sausage to begin; autumn is found in a sturdy lamb shank osso buco, redolent of garlic and tomatoes, then taken up the register with the suggestion of cinnamon. The wine list is exquisite and well managed, the food reasonably priced for this calibre of dining. 869 Hamilton St., Downtown, 604-688-7436. $$$-$$$$

WHINEO'S
Very bad name in a still-sketchy Granville location, but the Oceanwise-savvy small plates stylings of executive chef Karl Gregg (served up in a snappily designed faux Bohemian room) make Whineo’s a welcome addition to an eyesore strip. Go for the Oyama duck rillettes with a compote of berries plucked from the Fraser Valley, or the fungi misti risotto cakes with manchego cheese and herb aioli. Wine-savvy youngsters pimp a list of inexpensive and outlandish labels like Fat Bastard, Menage À Trois and Le Freak. 1017 Granville St., Downtown, 604-669-9463. $$

THE WILLIAM TELL
Kudos to this landmark establishment, as it approaches its 45th anniversary, for remaining so doggedly steadfast to traditional fine dining. Under Philippe Doebeli (son of founder Erwin) this award-winning exemplar of old-world excellence continues to impress by eschewing fashionable whimsy. Standouts are the wild tiger prawns and halibut cheeks ($34.50), duo of Fraser Valley duck with cherry compote and tarragon jus ($29.50) and the carefully crafted 4-course table d’hote ($42.50). Tableside service of steak tartare, chateaubriand for two and flambéed crepes Suzette harkens back to the halcyon days of yesteryear. Professional service is unobtrusively friendly and the celebrated wine list is deep and inviting. Close proximity entertainment district makes it an ideal pre-theatre destination and the Swiss Farmers Buffet is a popular fixture on Sundays. 765 Beatty St., 604-688-3504. $$$ - $$$$

YAGGER'S DOWNTOWN RESTAURANT & BAR
Hipster version of Cheers with one exception—adventurous menu focussing on homey food for a grown-up palate. Not what you’d expect to find in this neighbourhood. But these guys (ex-Wild Rice) are happy to see you. Sidle up to the bar and order a Jagermeister (what else?) to get whet for big plates, many less than 10 bucks. Scarf down one of the best burgers in town, 75 percent beef with 25 percent pork to give it just enough moistness, perched on a Mix Bakery bun with chipotle. Mounds of creamy macaroni and cheese is packed with white cheddar and gorgonzola. Extensive martini list both fun and serious. Private back room, although a bit rough around the skirting board, completes look with big screen. Decent little wine list. 433 W. Pender St., Downtown, 604-602-7030. $$

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