Restaurant Awards 2025: The Best New Restaurants in Vancouver

Gold: Elio Volpe

Sequels rarely live up to the expectations set by the original—it’s the case for movies, sure, but the same could be said for restaurants. Diehard fans set their hopes impossibly high. Naysayers question if it’s overkill. There is instant comparison and instant pressure, and the new venture barely has time to find its footing before the critics storm in. But Elio Volpe, the chill, coastal cousin of Savio Volpe, hit the ground running… barefoot, carefree and whimsically tossing thin-crust pizzas all about. The Banda Volpi Group (who also own the Drive’s Pepino’s Spaghetti House and Caffè La Tana) wins gold for this Cambie Village restaurant, a mechanic-shop-turned-osteria that serves up comforting cacio e pepe with roasted jalapenos, a beautiful whole grilled branzino and the aforementioned wood-fired pizzas (there’s even a brunch version topped with roasted mushrooms, bacon, potato and hollandaise). “The pizza during brunch service gives me something to roll out of bed for,” said one of our judges.

540 W 17th Ave.
eliovolpe.com

Silver: Le Crocodile by Rob Feenie

Silver goes to the West End’s Le Crocodile by Rob Feenie. We know, we know, this restaurant has 40 years of history in the city, but our judges agreed that since Feenie took the reins, it’s a whole new beast. When Le Croc reopened last summer, this French fine dining spot had a bright new interior and an entirely refreshed menu lively with Asian influence: think seared foie gras with Hokkaido scallop and sake maple marinated sablefish with koji butter sauce. If you haven’t been to Le Crocodile in the last year or so, you haven’t been at all.

100–909 Burrard St.
lecrocodilerestaurant.com

Bronze: Meo

Chinatown’s vivacious and velvet-dressed Meo takes the bronze for beautiful bites like milk buns stuffed with curried potato and fresh oysters in a herb celery emulsion that makes shellfish sing. Equally impressive are Meo’s veggie-influenced takes on traditional cocktails (you’ll be up all night thinking about the espresso carrotini).

265 E Pender St.
meochinatown.com

Honourable Mentions

Good Thief
3336 Main St.
goodthief.ca

Casa Molina
2211 Manitoba St.
casamolina.ca

Find more of the best Vancouver restaurants on our list of 2025 Vancouver Magazine Restaurant Award winners.