Contemporary West Coast

ABIGAIL'S PARTY
Popular Kits location on Yew Street. Executive chef Ben DeChamplain’s menu showcases small, shareable dishes with heady flavours at humane prices; smartly styled, relaxed room plays host to first daters and locals indulging (until 2 a.m.). Goat cheese pavé, a pan-seared, potato wrapped bundle with roasted garlic and red wine and hibiscus reduction ($10) sets up the duck confit quesadillas with papaya, brie, and fig and orange salsa ($13). Wine list is stunted, but original cocktails soar—go for a Dangerous Liason: Woodford Reserve bourbon, vanilla bean infused cognac, sweet vermouth, chilies and honey ($7). 1685 Yew St., Kitsilano, 604-739-4677. $$

ALIBI ROOM
New owners Nigel Springthorpe and Raya Audet revive railyard institution, upgrading the decor and importing Paul Finlay (ex-Aurora Bistro) to re-tool the menus. Try the roasted free-range chicken breast with a smoked bacon and snap pea risotto ($20), or for veggies, a mushroom, brie, butternut squash and hazelnut strudel with beet purée ($14). Join the film crew hangers on and lofters on the 15-seat patio out front or hide upstairs and admire the view through soaring windows. 157 Alexander St., Gastown, 604-623-3383. $$

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. $$$

AURORA BISTRO
Chef Jeff Van Geest predated the gentrification of the Main Street crossroads years ago. Through regularly scheduled wine and beer dinners, he and new general manager Dan Hawkins have built a well-deserved affinity with neighbours and cross-town traffic. They come for the clean cooking conscientiously cast in locality and good ingredients such as Nicola Valley bison carpaccio ($12) with parmesan, smoked paprika aïoli and pickled beets, or Polderside Farm duck breast with szechuan peppercorn crust, rhubarb compote and crisp potato roestii ($27). The terrific wine list is B.C.-only, and features tough finds such as Black Hills Alibi, Joie Year One Rosé and Kettle Valley King Merlot. Aurora consistently exceeds its mark as a modern Canadian bistro where the food and service are both accessible and convivial. A must visit. 2420 Main St., South Main, 604-873-9944. $$-$$$

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. $$$-$$$$

BARDOT WATERSIDE BAR & GRILLE
Service is casual but professional, led by general manager Jim Chan. The Algarve prawns ($12) sautéed with olive oil, garlic, peppers and cognac should give way to executive chef Christina Erdman’s’s delicious olivada-topped salt cod cakes. Highly addictive parmesan-tossed frites with truffle oil and preserved lemon aïoli; neat wine card. 1127 Marinaside Cres., Yaletown, 604-683-5335. $$-$$$

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. $$

BIN 942
A busy space that draws diners in nightly with blasting tunes and innovative share plates. Chef/owner Gord Martin travels the globe (most recently to Morocco) and updates the menu accordingly. For meat lovers, the lamb sirloin with handmade eggplant agnolotti ($15) proves tender, as is the beef tenderloin phyllo wellington in a mustard marsala glaze ($15). There are also mussels done three ways ($13), black cod ($15) for seafood fans, as well as various veggie options. Don’t miss the Navajo fry bread with black olive houmous ($7), or the decadent fondue ($13). Compact but well-selected wine list. Late closing (2 a.m.) sees post-shift industry crowd. 1521 W. Broadway, South Granville, 604-734-9421. $$

BISHOP'S
A culinary icon, John Bishop continues to personally provide for his happy charges in a dining room that still looks crisp, youthful and elegant after 22 years. This is where the culinary buzzwords of local, regional, seasonal, organic and sustainable took root in Vancouver, and where many of the chefs and front-of-house heroes cut their teeth (Vij’s Vikram Vij, Mission Hill’s Michael Allemeier and Aurora Bistro’s Jeff Van Geest are alumni). Menus change weekly to reflect the dictates of the seasons, but jump on the hot spot prawn consommé with superb prawn and ginger wontons, and the smoked sablefish steamed with truffled brandade cake and a subtly spiced herb horseradish sabayon. Desserts are consistently impressive. The service team, led by maitre’d Abel Jacinto, is tops, and the wine list is an argument for Cascadian independence. 2183 W. 4th Ave., Kitsilano, 604-738-2025. $$$$

BIZOU BISTRO
Angela Sue’s sexy Mediterranean room, black, purple and butter-yellow with white linen-covered tables, is all about ambience. Start with the salmon cake with ginger-cilantro aïoli. Best in show? Pancetta and mushroom risotto with asiago cheese, or mussels with chorizo, Thai peppers and tomato sauce. Well structured wine list features B.C. wines, very reasonable mark-ups. 2666 Granville St., South Granville, 604-730-9766. $$-$$$

THE BOATHOUSE
Prime real estate is why this restaurant chain thrives. You’ll find locations overlooking the ocean in English Bay, White Rock, and Horseshoe Bay. The menu could use an update; rely on old standbys such as ahi tuna salad ($18.99), a steamer pot ($18.99) and their premium cut steaks paired with prawns, crab and lobster. Nods to the seasonal changing menu and sustainable seafood practice, friendly attentive service and B.C.-focused wine list. 1795 Beach Ave., West End, 604-669-2225 (also White Rock, Horseshoe Bay, Richmond, New West, Port Moody).

BONETA
If you were to run Vancouver’s most talented culinary professionals through a fine strainer, you would get Boneta. Named after co-owner Mark Brand’s mother, this Gastown room is a who’s who of this city’s finest young talent, who operate with the loose improvisational confidence of jazz musicians at the peak of their prowess. Executive Chef Jeremie Bestian’s whimsical menu (projected on the wall rather than printed) changes weekly, but watch for commanding dishes like seared ling cod and crispy pork belly with Du Puy lentils and chanterelles ($18). The cocktails alone make this spot a must-visit—belly up to the bar and watch these gifted liquid chefs ply their brand of palate-bending alchemy first hand. Sophie (the Little General) Taverner’s Negroni gets an added kick from citrus infused Hendricks, and ex-New Yorker Steve da Cruz is as effervescent as the imported Billiot Brut he uses for his custom champagne cocktails. Highly recommended. 1 W. Cordova St., Gastown, 604-684-1844. $$ - $$$

BRIDGES
The fave of every prairie visitor who touches down in lotusland for a long weekend getaway. Have their signature smoked salmon pizza ($22), very wet coast, and for those with more highbrow tastes there’s a pleasantly tart Digby scallop ceviche ($15). But if investing our life savings in Planet Hollywood taught us anything it’s to be careful how highbrow you go in a place that sells T-shirts. Stick to the basics (the patio and pub) and this stalwart will steer you gently into the waiting sunset. New mixed drinks and long martini list. 1696 Duranleau St., South Granville, 604-687-4400. $$

BRIX
Local and seasonal ingredients see plenty of play on chef Jason Wilson’s globally influenced “Modern Canadian” menu. While the small plates list remains the draw, the desserts are some of our most unsung. Follow up your cinnamon-seared Wentzel duck ($29) with dark French chocolate fondue ($19). If you visit in the warmer months, steer to the leafy, 40-seat courtyard right out of Greenwich Village. After dinner (or before) head downstairs to adjoining George Lounge for one of the city’s best hand-crafted cocktails. 1138 Homer St., Yaletown, 604-915-9463. $$-$$$

CARDERO'S
This casual bar and dining room opens to Coal Harbour views. Begin with chef Annabelle Leslie’s signature wok squid. Simply grilled fish mains are best, and the braised lamb shank is a bargain. The marina patio is one of the city’s prime porches and perfect for a platter of oysters and a pull of draft. 1583 Coal Harbour Quay, Coal Harbour, 604-669-7666. $$-$$$

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. $$$-$$$$

CHOW
Jean-Christophe Poirier’s hefty resume (Lumière, C, Toqué) pays homage to regional cuisine torqued with hard-won technique. Poirier stakes locality and the seasons in openers ($9-15) of B.C. oysters with parsley oil and celery foam, and mains ($19-22) such as Sloping Hills Farm organic pork with nutmeg gnocchi. 3121 Granville St., South Granville, 604-608-2469. $$-$$$

CRAVE
After 15 years of platinum-card cooking, most recently at the Four Seasons, chef Wayne Martin’s new kitchen, about the size of his former desk, packs pedigree and punch. The modern Canadian menu features “shorty poutine” with truffle parmesan fries and short rib jus ($9), or smoked black cod niçoise ($18). This is clean, uncontrived cooking, best taken over a beer or a bottle from the slim wine card, on a pretty patio that’s as sunny as the service. Weekend brunch is spectacular. 3941 Main St., South Main, 604-872-3663. $$

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. $$

DELILAH'S
Just inside the canopied entrance to this venerable West End institution lurks a night of martini-fuelled debauchery. Extensive list of inventive martinis is over 30 strong, luring thirsty locals. Sink into plush high-backed velvet booths underneath muralled ceilings and sample chef Jon Thauberger’s cooking. Dinner is available in either the small two-course ($29) or the reasonably priced four-course format ($41) or simply à la carte, including gems like porcini-dusted bison carpaccio and shaved manchego. Bonus: Open late and two curtain-clad booths offer privacy from prying eyes. 1789 Comox St., West End, 604-687-3424. $$-$$$

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. $$$$

DOCKSIDE
Hybrid restaurant that pulls off some fine food to go with its great Granville Island setting. The chèvre and apricot-stuffed chicken breast ($26) is quite good, as is the herb and pine nut encrusted halibut ($28), but the choice of yam fries, baked potato or rice pilaf is a little too unintentionally retro. The wine list, though not long, has some thoughtful and well-priced selections. But yacht-side location and giant patio are inarguable and the service very friendly. Granville Island, 1253 Johnston St., South Granville, 604-685-7070. $$$

FEENIE'S
The ceramic floor tiles and bamboo tabletops don’t rival the quiet coddling next door at Lumière, but you’ve gotta love a celebrity chef who retains the humility to offer Feenie’s Weenie ($9 for cheese smokie with tart sauerkraut and juicy lardons). Stick to the right side of the menu where Rob’s Favourites—from a Peking duck clubhouse ($15) to a short-rib beef dip ($16) or a calamari sandwich ($14) that winks at its po’ boy cousin—are cheeky deconstructions of upscale casual staples. Impeccably correct curds and gravy (is that a touch of tomato sweetness?) are negated by the fact that the poutine ($9) is—quelle horreur!—baked. 2563 W. Broadway, Kitsilano, 604-739-7115. $$-$$$

FICTION
Kits stalwart for martinis, cocktails, wine sipping, or an evening of whiskey sampling. Stick to share plates like yam fries with chipotle aïoli ($7), camembert and artichoke dip ($13) or pizzas topped with barbecue chicken or caramelized onion and bacon ($15). The stacked burger ($16) with bacon, mushroom, cheddar and onion mayo is good, but other mains need attention. The paella ($18) is bland, but the steak frites with stilton red wine jus ($18) is worthy. Finish with a cheese plate ($24) with daily variations. 3162 W. Broadway, Kitsilano, 604-736-7576. $$

FIDDLEHEAD JOE'S
A cynic might venture that this establishment would not survive three minutes without the fantastic vista. Wrong: Joe’s tries harder. New chef Jeremy Loewen covers the basics (heirloom tomato and bocconcini salad, $12) and pushes the envelope (curried frog legs on a fennel and coriander salad with peanut purée and chili, mustard and pomegranate sauce, $12). Truly, Vancouver needs more seawall cafés like this. 1012 Beach Ave., West End, 604-688-1969. $$$

FIGMINT
The aesthetes behind Glowbal, Coast and Sanafir midwifed this sleek 180-seat room. Slate and banquettes (with Paul Smith fabric) are topped with iconic “cloud” lights by Frank Gehry in an open dining room, while the lounge sees a white quartz bar sitting a mix of staid hotel guests and scenesters sipping from next-generation cocktails. Chef Lee Humphries’ steady, Euro-focussed hand in the kitchen impresses further. Lunch might offer a superb burger laid thick with English cheddar and pancetta, or a bitingly creamy risotto with fresh peas and asparagus, but the real treats arrive after dark: salvos of sunchoke and Riesling soup with saffron-braised veal cheeks are plated with corn purée and pine nut butter, (order a side of minted peas). Service, black clad and all business, runs tight. 500 W. 12th Ave., South Cambie, 604-875-3312. $$$

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. $$$-$$$$

FLUX BISTRO
Chef Vincent Wong (ex-Vintropolis) and GM Brian Redillas (ex-Monsoon) have broken out on their own with this new Gastown eatery. From the small plates menu try the lox-wrapped halibut ($11) or beef tenderloin medallion with tomato and bocconcini ($14). For mains, opt for the grilled beef tenderloin with daily vegetables, roasted garlic mashed potatoes, and a blue cheese demi glace ($24). Inventive cocktails, premium sake list and a wide beer selection. 162 Water St., Gastown, 604-678-8800. $$

FUEL
Tom Doughty and Robert Belcham (both formerly of C and Nu) have built a sexy spot in Kits, a favourite lunch haunt for the west side’s yummy mums. The exposed kitchen lets you view all the action as seasonal dishes—like seared Pacific scallops with musk melon and heirloom tomato ($17.5) or Polderside Farms Redbro organic chicken confit leg and poached breast with sorrel potato puree ($30)—are prepped. Expert wine pairings with every dish. 1944 W. 4th Ave., Kitsilano, 604-288-7905. $$$

GASTROPOD
Gastropod (from gastropoda, the scientific name for several species of snail) took home the gold for Best New Restaurant of the Year at Vancouver magazine’s annual restaurant awards (plus the silver in the Best Design category). Young art school grad and owner/chef Angus An was trained in New York at Jean Georges’ sleek JoJo and Montréal’s Restaurant Toqué before returning home to his native Vancouver where, together with his partner, Kate Auewattanakorn, he serves modern, well-considered, and French-backboned quality in a stark and sexy room that achieves cool in summer and warm in winter. The menus change with the seasons, but perennial must-tries include wild salmon “a la Gastropod” with its unique wasabi sabayon ($25), and the oysters washed in sauternes jelly and then sprinkled with horseradish “snow” ($13). 1938 W. 4th Ave., Kitsilano, 604-730-5579. $$$

GLOWBAL
The modern interior is as cool as ever, and chef John Crook’s globally inspired fare continues to please film stars and local hipsters at night while inexpensively feeding shoppers (from an impressive lunch card) by day. Service can be spotty, especially on weekends when the room is swamped. Must-haves include the cheese tortellini with smoked chicken in a velvety tomato cream. 1079 Mainland St., Yaletown, 604-602-0835. $$-$$$

GOLDFISH PACIFIC KITCHEN
Chef William Tse has created a menu full of fresh, modern dishes meant for sharing; try prawn and chicken gyoza ($9) and sugar cane skewered prawns ($18). The decor is the real show stopper: tables and bar back are made of rare Canadian marble with pale blue veining, and the bar area is full of Missoni-print Philippe Starck Mademoiselle chairs. Simply stunning. 1118 Mainland St., Yaletown, 604-689-8318. $$$ Goldfishkitchen.com

THE GRAMMERY GRILL
Chef Dennis Huang (ex-Ordinary Café) is now in charge of the kitchen. His confidence underscores a creative, diverse menu in beef carpaccio with truffle aïoli ($10) Owner Susan Lewandoski is welcoming and Trevor Herbert lives up to his 2004 Vancouver magazine award for Bartender of the Year. Join the regulars for hockey or football on the new big-screen; quality weekend brunches as well. Lunch also served. 2685 Arbutus St., Kitsilano, 604-730-5666. $$-$$$

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. $$$

HABIT
Décor pushes vaguely Roots-y, Canadian rec room feel, the bar’s a cosy sanctum before the boisterous dinner crowd drowns you out, and the food—small plates, cunningly contrived and usually well-executed—are well worth the stop. Many habitués do. Check out the Moroccan spiced free-run chicken wings glazed with orange-chili and pomegranate ($10) or the amazing crispy tofu, mushrooms and spinach with chili-hoisin sauce ($9). The wine list is brief but well chosen, the selection of local draft beer broad. 2610 Main St., South Main, 604-877-8582. $$-$$$

HERONS
With talented executive chef Shannon Walsh-Wrightson and his dedicated team at the helm, Herons is one the city’s best-kept culinary secrets—in a three-meal hotel dining room, no less. Inspired cooking is accented from a 2,000-square-foot herb garden. Start with the warm and crispy duck confit salad ($17), move to the black-trumpet-mushroom Ahi-crusted tuna ($32) or the roasted rack of lamb ($41) sided with a rich cauliflower-brie purée. Cap the feast with a Thomas Haas dessert. Wine list starts in friendly $30 range with B.C. wines but also includes hard-to-catch international producers. Warm service despite the room’s lack of intimacy. Fairmont Waterfront Centre Hotel, 900 Canada Place Way, Downtown, 604-691-1818. $$-$$$$

INDIGO
Full of colour and light, this pretty downtown room serves very fine west coast cuisine modern. Start with executive chef Andrew Court’s take on salad niçoise: seared ahi tuna atop local organic greens, crisp green beans and mint-citrus dressing. Sound wine list and sturdy cocktails. 1088 Burrard St., Downtown, 604-893-7150. $$-$$$

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. $$-$$$

LIFT
This $6.5-million waterfront marvel has improved markedly since its opening a few years ago—it’s now a consistently excellent destination restaurant for locals and visitors. Service standards have skyrocketed with the arrival of general manager Fernando Gougain (ex-Circolo). New chef Scott Kidd has steered the menu towards the superlative. At dinner, start with seared foie gras before forking your grilled beef tenderloin with confit abalone mushroom, spinach fondant potatoes on the side. The quality has definitely caught up with the high prices and gorgeous views, though the otherwise excellent wine list remains studded with over-priced bin ends. Very good brunches on weekends to punctuate a seawall stroll. 333 Menchion Mews, Coal Harbour, 604-689-5438. Liftbarandgrill.com. $$$

LUCY MAE BROWN
The patio dining area and the downstairs lounge have got it going on, especially on Friday nights when the crowd is young, handsome and looking to flirt. Food-focussed upstairs is mixed: farmhouse duck breast served with crispy potato and plum compote ($24) and filet steak topped with creamy cambozola and served with potato gratin ($27) are good but a halibut special underwhelmed. A sticky toffee pudding, with caramel sauce, roasted banana anglaise and cinnamon ice cream ($8) helps, but the dining room has room to improve. 862 Richards St., Yaletown, 604-899-9199. $$-$$$

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. $$-$$$

THE MILL MARINE BISTRO
Nautically themed (complete with garishly portholed interior and a lifeguard skiff), this is a cosy little room with a view, an aggrandized pub with a menu. The bucket of peel-and-eat shrimp ($25 for a full pound, $15 for half-pound) might offend the sensibilities of the foodie set, but since you can also get a bucket of Whistler beers for just $25 (5 beers for $25), we’re conditionally sold. Better still, go with old school nachos ($14). Remember how you used to have to pay extra for guacamole? Here you still do ($4.50). 1199 W. Cordova St., Coal Harbour, 604-687-6455. $$

MONK MCQUEENS
If you’ve forgotten why you love Vancouver, head directly to the huge patio at Monk McQueens where the $10-million False Creek view (adjusted to reflect current real estate prices) elevates chef Jeff Batt’s seafood-forward menu. The oysters are always screamingly fresh and tapas plates like roasted lamb loin with cassis and sour cherry demi ($16) and the salmon trilogy ($14) arouse effusive superlatives. Upstairs offers a more upscale experience, featuring an ambitious menu and live jazz on the weekends. 601 Stamps Landing, False Creek, 604-877-1351. Monkmcqueens.com. $$$

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. $$-$$

NU
Nu is a beautifully conceived waterside room where the French-influenced food follows suit. The gorgeous False Creek patio looks west but the brigade cooks outside the bento box: crispy fried oyster with Granville Island lager to begin. Follow with flat-iron steak à la béarnaise classically served with vinaigrette-spiked arugula and potatoes allumette. Cheerfully demand one of the excellent barmen’s inventions, and drink in the lovely view. Great spot for brunch, too. 1661 Granville St., False Creek, 604-646-4668. $$-$$$

OCEAN 6 SEVENTEEN
Waterfront hideaway that leans on its menus rather than its stunning location to get by. Co-owner Sean Cousins (ex-C, Raincity Grill) runs a small kitchen that consistently delivers in dishes of chilled asparagus with truffle sabayon and meyer lemon, rare Albacore tuna on roasted daikon, or the succotash pulled-pork shoulder alongside a smoked paprika-crusted pork loin with smoked tomato butter. Close with a ginseng and green tea crème brûlée. The crowd on the small, sunny patio appears to be culled from the surrounding condos, but it’s deserving of a much wider audience. Weekend brunches see chilled tomato consommé setting up excellent peameal backbacon bennies. Short wine list suffices. 617 Stamps Landing, False Creek, 604-879-6178. $$-$$$

O'DOUL'S
A Robson Street favourite, O’Doul’s consistently delivers all-day dining along with nightly jazz. Tourists and business people alike enjoy breakfasts such as the house-specialty: Haida Benedict made with wild pacific salmon ($14) or a lobster, crab and shrimp frittata ($18). Lunch dishes are generous—try the crab and prawn cakes with field greens ($15), a west coast seafood salad ($15), a sandwich or burger. Dinner is more elegant with jazz notes in the background. The rack of lamb ($33) is delicious as is the spinach ricotta gnocchi with grilled vegetables ($19). Wine list provides excellent B.C. wine pairing suggestions for your meal. 1300 Robson St., West End, 604-661-1400. $$-$$$

PACIFIC INSTITUTE OF CULINARY ARTS
Report Card: A for effort. Adjunct to a culinary school offers the hook of catching the next Rob Feenie on their way up—your food is prepared and served by the Institute’s students. The result blends genius with the mundane. A recent visit yielded a heavenly lobster and spinach agnolotti starter which all but floated into your mouth, but a leaden pork loin and cabbage main. Lunch and dinner are best enjoyed in the three-course prix fixe mode ($24/$36) with prices nicely in step with the apprentice atmosphere. The menu changes daily and reservations are a must. 1505 W. 2nd Ave., South Granville, 604-734-4488. $$

PAIR BISTRO
Owner’s love affair with B.C. is made more than evident with the native art on the walls at this often over-looked west side room—it also makes a big impression on the plate. Feast on locally foraged mushrooms (the wild mushroom latte starter with truffle oil is revelatory), Dungeness crab cake, Quadra Island pink swimming scallops anointed with beurre blanc and Fraser Valley game hen washed in wild lavender honey. Husband and wife team Todd and Janice Hodgins front a menu that pairs neatly with an exclusively B.C. wine and beer list, paeans to our province. Service is crack and so are the cocktails. No reservations—call ahead. 3763 W. 10th Ave., West Point Grey, 604-224-7211. $$-$$$

PARKSIDE
Many discerning diners call this West End room their favourite in the city—especially in good weather, when the lovely, leafy patio lends the place a European, al fresco feel. Chef-proprietor Andrey Durbach combines his reasonably priced, seasonal menu with accessibility and friendly, informed service. Like La Buca, the neighbourhood trattoria Durbach and his team opened earlier this year, Parkside is unfailingly cosy, cheery, and simply excellent. Prix fixe menus allow you to go for three courses ($40) or four ($50). If the carpaccio of octopus with warm potato salad is on the menu, don’t miss it. Ditto the lamb shank osso buco with risotto Milanese. 1906 Haro St., West End, 604-683-6912. $$$

RAINCITY GRILL
There’s more wildlife to be found in chef Andrea Carlson’s storied local cooking, which weaves a delectable web of foragers, farmers and fishermen. Carlson seasons the seasons in her “100-Mile” menu that changes throughout the year. From seven courses for a remarkable $60, might find dishes of organic beet salad in nettle and hazelnut vinaigrette, braised Matsqui lamb with roasted sunchoke, spring kale and bacon jus (pair it with the Garry Oaks 2003 “Fetish”) and rhubarb confit with goat cheesecake. The à la carte menu, a quicker study, is also a treat. More than 125 wines by the glass, cheerfully explained by manager Brent Hayman. Patio is designed for prolific people-watching. 1193 Denman St., West End, 604-685-7337. $$$-$$$$

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. $$$

SAGE BISTRO
Amazing how few Vancouverites frequent this spot, given that it’s a microcosm of one of the country’s most beautiful university campuses. Pacific breezes and Howe Sound views on the patio. If the lunch menu includes the curried chicken salad, look no further. The wine list numbers many local bottles at very low mark-ups. Closed for evening dining, but available for special events. 6331 Crescent Rd., at UBC, West Point Grey, 604-822-1500. $$-$$$

THE SANDBAR
Past the knick-knacky stores and down a narrow path, you’ll find The Sandbar—a cavernous restaurant on the water well suited as a bustling repository for the Granville Island tourist set. However, look closer and you’ll see that half the guests are actually in-the-know locals here to dine on fare such as the cornmeal-crusted calamari cones ($8.95)—not your usual rubber rings circa 1989. A daily fresh sheet offers up interesting selections from skate to sable fish and a little known secret resides behind the sushi bar downstairs: Hoshi, a contemporary of that other uber sushi chef Tojo. A serviceable and well-priced wine list rounds out the roster of this solid Granville Island choice. 1535 Johnston St., South Granville, 604-669-9030. $$-$$$

SAVORY COAST
Ex-CinCin Chef Romy Prasad and Restaurant Director Dee Anand make exquisite cuisine accessible in this winsome room (and on the large patio, which offers refuge from the Robson Street hubbub). Wild mushroom bruschetta with truffle oil and grana padano ($9) and the crispy duck confit pizza ($15) stand out, as does the penne amatriciana tossed with smoked pork cheek, tomato and garlic ($14). Fresh lobster and crab from the live seafood tank are deftly prepared to order. Limited wine list is a tad wanting, but cheap cocktails and proper 20-ounce pours of draft help take the sting away. Lighter-than-air panna cotta ($6) is a must. 1133 Robson St., West End, 604-642-6278. $$-$$$

SEASONS IN THE PARK
Take a walk through the Bloedel Floral Conservatory and the blooming beds, then evacuate to the shady back patio or sunny western side to partake of chef Buddy Wolfe’s confident if high-volume offerings. Find pan-seared wild salmon with kaffir lime and lemongrass butter sauce ($23), or miso soy marinated black cod with pineapple chive vinaigrette ($25). Don’t leave without a slice of the signature sunburnt lemon pie. Popular brunch spot for large groups—try the Hunan pork sandwich. Queen Elizabeth Park, W. 33rd Ave. at Cambie, South Cambie, 604-874-8008. $$$-$$$$

SEQUOIA GRILL AT THE TEAHOUSE
Westward leading, still proceeding after a quarter-century of cuisine. The refurbished menu makes the patio an afternoon delight for improved cooking under chef Michael Knowlson at this walk-in, cab-out Stanley Park landmark. Classics include quality (if expensive) lamb duo or black cod with Dungeness crab cake. Habitués use the wine list for snappy sauvignons and the starters card for wok-fired squid ($8), open-faced seafood club ($13), or fish and chips with mushy peas ($16). Ferguson Point, Stanley Park Dr., West End, 604-669-3281. $$$

SHAUGHNESSY RESTAURANT
Set in VanDusen Gardens, this restaurant is a picturesque spot for brunch, lunch, afternoon tea or dinner. Menu is somewhat dated, but well executed. Salads include the Caesar ($9) or smoked salmon ($10), appies list calamari ($10), mussels ($12) and daily soups, as well as seafood chowder ($8). For mains, old-school faves like seafood cannelloni ($25) and shepherd’s pie ($23), and more modern dishes such as pan-seared Alaskan black cod with a shrimp wonton and sesame potato cake ($28). Plenty of sandwiches and pastas for lunch. 5251 Oak St., Shaughnessy, 604-261-0011. $$

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. $$$

SO.CIAL AT LE MAGASIN
Chef Sean Cousins and Maureen Fleming of Ocean 617 landed on Gastown’s tourist drag in the spring of 2007 in a gorgeous restoration of a 1911 heritage building. The main floor dining room boasts Murano glass chandeliers (dropping from lofty, pressed tin ceilings), ancient fir beams and a lovely bar. There’s another cosy bar downstairs serving freshly shucked bivalves with TVs for avid game watchers (former Canucks coach Bob McCammon and goalie Kirk McLean are silent owners), and a charming butcher shop and deli at the rear with a separate entrance on Cordova. As Cousins serves only top quality meats (he butchers and makes charcuterie on site), leaning carnivorously is recommended for his cut-to-order steaks. Still, his artistry with seafood can’t be understated: with your Joie un-oaked Chardonnay, try the dreamy roasted sablefish with cauliflower purée, caramelized sunchokes, and truffle port jus ($27). 332 Water St., Gastown, 604-669-4488. $$$

SPOTTED PRAWN BISTRO
This long room with high ceilings and bright bay windows does brisk business at lunch, servicing the cubicle-dwellers from the nearby office buildings with a globe-trotting menu. Intriguing tapas like the sizzling firecracker prawns ($10) or the Asian salmon Wellington ($10) with shiitake mushrooms in spring roll pastry lures guests with the help of a rotating three-course table d’hote ($29.95). Heated patio tempts with what could be a postcard perfect peek at the Coast Mountains, save for those pesky high-rises. Watch for daily specials, but beware: service gets spotty when this bistro reaches a fever pitch. 1055 W. Hastings St., Downtown, 604-646-0667. $$-$$$

TAPASTREE
Pioneer of the small-plates movement, Tapastree introduced the city (in 1997) to what would become nothing short of a phenomenon that changed the way we eat—share plates meant for grazing. Nothing much changes here, thankfully, because they’ve got the experience of wine-bar dining just right, and a recent decor revamp has refreshed the room. Friendly staff will navigate you through the menu, but be sure to pause over buttermilk fried chicken or sautéed wild mushrooms on herb bread with goat cheese. 1829 Robson St., West End, 604-606-4680. $$

TOMATO FRESH FOOD CAFE
Fresh, new premises on West Broadway deliver chef James Campbell and owner Christian Gaudreault’s value-rich menus. Follow first-rate ingredients out of the fields and into starters of well-made soups and organic baby green salads; beef tenderloin from the Nicola Valley and free-run tarragon chicken and pea-shoot risotto with grilled scallops are excellent. Quality breakfasts, and the lunchtime hand-cut turkey sandwich with fresh cranberry sauce is worth the journey. Very well priced; fetching beer and wine lists. 2486 Bayswater St., Kitsilano, 604-874-6020. $$

TRAFALGAR'S BISTRO
The set design—forest green awnings, butter-coloured walls, oak woodwork, glowing leaded glass—is so adorably picturesque you expect Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks at the next table. Instead, at brunch you’ll find hip mommies, old friends and neighbourhood denizens nibbling modern bistro fare: cardamom-infused French toast ($15), juicy lamb burgers and frites with signature truffle aïoli ($16). At dinner, appetizers like lamb chops on a goat cheese croquette ($16) show the same careful flourishes. A four-page dessert menu, courtesy of the restaurateurs’ next door bakery, Sweet Obsessions, does the same skip between refined elegance (light, creamy lemon dacquoise) and dishy comfort (decadent chocolate hedgehog cake). 2603 W. 16th Ave., Kitsilano, 604-739-0555. $$-$$$

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. $$$

VISTAS
Stunning 20th-floor revolving view and chef Kevin Greehy’s solid—if hardly revolutionary—cuisine. His Queen Charlotte Dungeness crab cakes and pine mushroom fettuccine go sublime. And that’s just the first round—plan on staying for a couple of spins and leave room for crème brûlée in a demi-tasse. Ample wine list. Renaissance Vancouver Hotel, 1133 W. Hastings St., Coal Harbour, 604-691-2777. $$$-$$$$

WATERMARK
Stunning Kitsilano views and a Pacific Rim menu from Chef Lynda Larouche join forces in tribute to Vancouver’s beauty and cuisine. After a shaky start, this room is hitting its stride. Pair the wild grilled salmon and lobster risotto ($24.95) with a selection from the expansive New World-based wine list. Or, from the lunch menu, the Pacific halibut ‘n’ chips ($18.95) with an imaginative cocktail or a trusted brew. A location by the beach provides a truly local option: get your food to go and enjoy an exquisite, no-fuss picnic by the water. 1305 Arbutus St., Kitsilano, 604-738-5487. $$-$$$

WEST
A formidable lineup: David Hawksworth, one of Canada’s foremost chefs, who trained under greats Marco-Pierre White and Raymond Blanc in London before returning to his native Vancouver; a consummate bar that eyes traditional cocktail construction and finely managed wines; and Brian Hopkins, a disciplined and gracious host. All wrapped—like the off-duty movie stars who show up here frequently—in a jewel-box room. This is the province’s finest restaurant; the swift rotation of the menus precisely reflects the growing and fishing seasons. Seared and braised wild spring salmon with 12 different vegetables ($38); roasted fillet of sablefish, butternut squash purée, white asparagus and chanterelles ($39); or Virginia’s organic redbro smoked chicken with parsnips, caramelized apple purée and cider emulsion ($36). Finish with the restaurant’s fine turn of British Columbia, Québec and French cheeses, or pastry chef Rhonda Viani’s caramelized apple purée with cider emulsion. 2881 Granville St., South Granville, 604-738-8938. $$$-$$$$

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. $$

WILD GARLIC
Great value, effusive service and a creative menu make this a popular West End destination, and daily drink specials ($5 martinis on Fridays) keep the locals well lubricated. Explore tapas dishes like the roasted garlic and camembert fondue ($8) and duck leg confit with sour cherry jus ($8), but save room for the frozen hazelnut and candied garlic terrine ($6) for dessert. Rest assured, not all of the dishes contain garlic; but this is a hedonistic playground for those of us who worship at the altar of the stinky rose. 792 Denman St., West End, 604-687-1663. $$-$$$

ZIN
Brazenly bedecked in crimson and burnt orange, Zin leads a double life. A mild-mannered breakfast destination by day, this stylish room transforms into a convivial lounge by night, where Zin-tinis flow and big fun is had over small plates. Breakfast features a sturdy truffled mushroom frittata ($13) and a smoked wild salmon hash ($14) before sliding seamlessly into evening service, when designer bag-toting shoppers come in to refuel over artfully crafted entrées. Desserts are particularly strong—try the spiced rhubarb crème brulee with strawberry chutney ($7). Newly appointed chef Brian Fodor (ex-Kettle of Fish and Gotham) brings renewed zeal to this Robson Street staple, infusing his menu with a strong Mediterranean focus and an affectation for organic ingredients. Pacific Palisades Hotel, 1277 Robson St., West End, 604-408-1700. $$-$$$

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