West Vancouver

THE BEACH HOUSE AT DUNDARAVE PIER
New chefs Julio Gonzalez-Perini and Takeo Hiroi (both ex-Villa del Lupo) bring serious chops to this waterfront gem. Beautifully refurbished seaside house still offers some of the best views of the city, with a large patio perfect for sipping cocktails and watching the cruise ships cut through the Burrard Inlet. Upstairs private dining room offers exclusivity without sacrificing the view, award-winning wine list marries B.C. standouts with globetrotting heavy hitters, and brunch remains a local favourite. Recommended dishes include a seared ahi tuna tataki salad ($17), a Napoles-style octopus salad ($16), as well as tempting mains like a wild arctic char with sweet green pea and crème fraiche coulis ($30) and a local veal ribeye with pine mushrooms and lemon veal jus ($36) Watch for dining room renovations in the spring. CONTEMPORARY WEST COAST. 150-25 St., 604-922-1414. $$-$$$

BISTRO 1734
A modern French bistro with café curtains and tables sufficiently close enough for eavesdropping on West Van celebs (Vicki Gabereau and Fanny Kiefer have become speedy regulars), add to the French bistro ambience. A fireplace and dark wood wainscoting bring both warmth and light, a southern patio reveals ocean views. Owner Daniel Thomas (formerly Café de Paris) and chef Ashley Pages’ mantra: fresh shopping, daily. Lunch and dinner both offer a prix fixe—good deals at $20 and $32. Puy lentils with pancetta and truffle oil accompany roasted sockeye salmon. Other go-fors: Buttery, satin-textured roasted sablefish riding celeriac purée; a hefty portion of duck confit bundled into a crêpe, served with pea shoot salad. The wine list is mainly French with several choice B.C. selections, and like the menu, is reasonably priced. CONTEMPORARY WEST COAST. 1734 Marine Dr., 604-922-8198. $$$

BREAD AND TULIPS
West Van’s newest French-themed restaurant draws diners in with its panoramic view of the city, and keeps them coming back for its fine cuisine. The space includes a market and deli, and serves brunch/lunch and dinner. In the dining room start the day with an eggs Benedict with smoked tuna or salmon ($14), or come later for duck confit ($ 26), bouillabaisse ($28), and moules frites ($24)—all expertly prepared. The café serves freshly made sandwiches, baked goods, and gourmet coffees and teas. FRENCH. 2-2240 Chippendale Rd., 604-925-7595. $$$

CARMELO'S
A charming, comfortable room where aromas of fresh garlic, herbs and quickly seared veal float as gracefully as the service team. The classic northern Italian dishes come with easy price tags and exceptionally clean flavours. Executive chef John Pavle’s scallopini of veal shines the brightest with gorgonzola cream, while his vongole of clams, white wine, fresh herbs, garlic, and cream tops a long list of pastas. At lunch, start with Parma ham with a little olive oil and lemon before moving on to a wood-fired “Socca Arabiatta” pizza—it rings spicy lamb sausage, egg, peppers, and mozzarella. For dinner, we’d line up for the medallions of veal sauced with cognac and wild mushrooms and pair it up with an inexpensive bottle of Primitivo—amore. ITALIAN. 1448 Marine Dr., 604-922-4719. $$

DUNDARAVE FISH MARKET
Owners Frank Seabolt and Kim Van Sickle have carved out a West Van niche with their uppity fresh seafood market and restaurant. Not many thought it would fly next door to the revamped Red Lion pub, but the freshness and high quality of the food sees business bigwigs in their off hours lining up to get at it. Chefs Shaun Spooner and Corbin Roger take fillets of trout, sockeye, ahi, sole, and snapper (among others) straight from the display case and expertly prepare them with house-made sauces. Try the snapper with coconut, ginger and lime after forking mussels in an inspired riesling and roast garlic broth, or smoked cod risotto made better with crab butter. The wine list is short but strong, and the service, led by calm-under-pressure Brook Parker, is at its best when busy. SEAFOOD. 2423 Marine Dr., 604-922-1155. $$-$$$

THE OBSERVATORY
Take the tram up Grouse Mountain (price included with your dinner) and get down with the city lights. Chef Dino L. Gazzola has focussed his menu; starters include beef carpaccio with a horseradish aïoli, grilled squid stuffed with lobster and merguez sausage, and a great turn of grilled ahi loin (all $16). Try a main of seared scallops with lobster and chorizo risotto, roasted Cornish hen with smoked bacon and lentils (both $39), or a forest mushroom gnocchi ($35), then finish with a sticky toffee pudding. Hurray for the seasonally changing menu, seamless wine list and attentive service. CONTEMPORARY WEST COAST. Grouse Mountain, 604-980-9311. $$$

THE OCEAN CLUB
Club owners Derek Pink and Dave Kershaw bring us this thoroughly luscious modern room. Cloistered tables and a swank bar rib a spine of low-slung white couches under racks of hockey-ready plasma screens. Managing partner Andre Thomas (ex-Araxi) runs the operation, overseeing a brown clad and good-looking service crew. The same goes for West Van born and bred executive chef Doug Scott (returning to the North Shore after supporting roles at Araxi and Season’s in the Park). At dinner, hone in on the mac and cheese ($25), a baked brie massif of noodles bolstered by a generous slab of molasses-braised short rib. Start and finish with a cocktail from mixologist Daryl McDonald (his mojitos are superb). Impressive wine list, with many by the glass. CONTEMPORARY WEST COAST. 105-100 Park Royal, 604-926-2326. $$-$$$

LA REGALADE
French bistro plays the French card on the North Shore and excels. Head straight in with crab or shrimp rémoulade (with green beans and avocado) in a light yogurt, mustard and dill dressing. Unadulterated tomatoes topping a flaky parmesan tart is a simple but elegant beginning, paired with frisée salad dressed with black-olive tapenade. House-made pâtés are rustic and flavourful—and accompanied by a jar of cornichons. Try the signature beef bourguignon or navarin d’agneau with ethereal whipped potatoes—both served en cocotte. Lemon tart is wonderful and complements the rich entrées. FRENCH. 2232 Marine Dr., 604-921-2228. $$$

SALMON HOUSE ON THE HILL
A much improved, locally focused, and environmentally aware kitchen has brought the food at this 31-year-old institution up to par with its stellar location. Their “Uniquely BC” menu program offers a range of dishes prepared with ingredients sourced from around the province. It’s been a hit with long loyal West Vancouverites and tourists alike. Start with a butter lettuce salad with peppered goat cheese and a purple mustard citrus dressing ($14). When it’s available, pounce on the alder-grilled halibut ($30), served with bamboo jasmine rice, arugula with a zippy vinaigrette, and seasonal vegetables and potatoes. The views of the city and the ocean of course, are incomparable. CONTEMPORARY WEST COAST. 2229 Folkestone Way, 604-926-3212. Salmonhouse.com. $$$

SALTAIRE
This patio-driven, second floor restaurant is a summertime stunner with a good view of the water and Stanley Park (there is no finer deck from which to ponder, glass in hand, the devastation that last winter’s big storm wrought), and in winter it’s a stylish little haven for West Van parents on a tick tock babysitter leash. The menus and ingredients are basic and dishes are remarkably predictable. At brunch, the coffee service can be inept and the only consistently edible winners are the Benedicts. At dinner, avoid the pizzas and cling close to the sirloin steak with Danish blue cheese (valued nicely at $24). Desserts, like the double chocolate pecan brownie ($7), are circa high school—totally delicious. INFORMAL. 235 15th St., 604-913-8439. $$-$$$

THAI PUDPONG
A favourite among Ambleside residents. Classics such as beef in red peanut curry and larb salad balance salty, sour, sweet, and hot, as does the stir-fried tamarind squid. THAI. 1474 Marine Dr., 604 921-1069. $

VIP'S KITCHEN
Though the menu is heavy with standard Chinese take-out fare like beef broccoli, the real finds are the authentic chui chow dishes that are a rarity, even in Richmond. A subset of Cantonese cuisine, the food has a distinct emphasis on braises and briny flavors. The frittata-like oyster pancake is full of chopped fresh oysters and scallions, pan fried, and served with a salty soy dip. Chopped anchovy adds bite to stir fried gai-lan. Braised duck is sliced and served warm with a vinegar dip studded with fresh garlic. “Chin chui” chicken is boneless thigh meat in a rich brown sauce, served with crispy deep-fried spinach. Also available is chui chow style congee—which is a clear broth with chopped pork or seafood served over rice, rather than standard Cantonese-style thick porridge. The friendly staff will help you identify some of the more interesting dishes. CHINESE. 1487 Marine Dr., 604-925-1811. $$

ZEN
This Japanese standby triumphs at delivering both taste and art on every plate. It’s tucked away in West Vancouver, but we’d cross any bridge for the prolific selection of fresh sushi, sashimi and specialty maki. Begin with the sunomono salad, chock full of crab ($8.50). Don’t miss the seafood butter yaki with shrimp and scallops ($8.95) or the crunchy salmon—a crispy egg crêpe stuffed with sockeye salmon ($11.95). Sashimi selections are plentiful—choose from poke (big eye tuna seasoned in a honey soya sesame sauce) at $19.95, spicy tako ($13), tuna ($18.95) or salmon sashimi ($23.95) or shiromi usuzukuri—razor-thin sliced white fish in ponzu sauce ($19.95). JAPANESE. 2232 Marine Dr., 604-925-0667. $$$

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