15 Vancouver Restaurants Make Canada’s 100 Best Restaurants List

Ok, Canada’s 100 Best. We need to talk.

Was it a good idea for you to announce your list of the 100 Best Canadian Restaurants in 2023 sheer hours after our 2023 VanMag Restaurant Awards? Sure, it makes this a huge day in the industry, especially for the five Vancouver restaurants that won both a gold in our city-wide awards and a spot in the national ranking (St. Lawrence, AnnaLena, Oca Pastificio, Masayoshi and Maenam). It also means that we can’t help but compare the two lists.

If you haven’t yet, now would be an excellent time to read all about VanMag’s 2023 Restaurant Award winners. For context.

It’s time to dive in.

All the Vancouver Restaurants on Canada’s 100 Best Restaurants List 2023

Number 3: Published on Main

Published on Main is the highest-ranking Vancouver restaurant on Canada’s 100 Best list in 2023—knocked down two spots after the historical achievement of being crowned #1 in 2022 (and then the Michelin star a few months later, hell yeah). Mon Lapin in Montreal earned first place on the national ranking this year, followed by Toronto’s Alo.

Published didn’t win a gold in our 2023 Restaurant Awards, but the team did snatch silver in Best Upscale and a finalist nod in our Best Contemporary category (no small feat—this brand-new category was extremely competitive). Plus, Published on Main bartender Dylan Riches earned the coveted title of 2023 Bartender of the Year. The takeaway? If you do manage to get a reservation at Published—2023 accolades aside, the restaurant is crazy busy—make sure you get a pina colada.

Number 6: St. Lawrence

Michelin-starred French restaurant St. Lawrence is next on the Canada’s 100 Best List. In our awards, St. Lawrence earned gold in the Best French and snagged a bronze in Best Upscale. Three awards in as many hours? Not bad, chef J-C Poirier.

Number 9: AnnaLena

What’s better than three awards in three hours? Four awards in three hours: AnnaLena is on a roll. The Kitsilano restaurant earned #9 on Canada’s 100 Best List (notably, it shot up the list at breakneck speed—32 spots higher than its #41 position in 2022). And back home at the 2023 VanMag Restaurant Awards, the team won both Best Contemporary and Restaurant of the Year (The Big One, we call it), plus chef Michael Robbins was awarded the 2023 Chef of the Year title. Oh, and that Michelin star last year. Someone get this guy a trophy case, STAT.

Number 10: Kissa Tanto

Kissa Tanto rocketed up Canada’s 100 Best List this year—in 2022, they were #29. The awesome Italian-Japanese fusion restaurant earned finalist status in our 2023 Restaurant Awards in the Best Contemporary category. They’re also hot off that Michelin Star win from last November. Saluti/Kanpai!

Number 20: Hawksworth

Hawksworth came in at #20 in the 2023 national ranking (up from #25 in 2022). The Michelin-recommended restaurant continues win a steady stream of accolades.

Number 27: L’Abattoir

Local fave L’Abattoir comes in at #27 on Canada’s 100 Best ranking, and also earned a silver in the Best Contemporary category of the VanMag Restaurant Awards (yeah, the contemporary category is killing it). Plus, director of operations Chad Clark won one of our seven 2023 Premier Crew awards for outstanding front-of-house service.

Number 43: Boulevard

For Canada’s 100 Best, Boulevard Kitchen and Oyster Bar came in at #43—for VanMag, it’s number one (in the upscale category, that is). The downtown restaurant earned gold in Best Upscale and an honourable mention in Best Contemporary in the 2023 Restaurant Awards. Mark this spot for your next special occasion.

Number 44: Mott 32

Coming in at number 44 on the national ranking is Mott 32—it’s the only Chinese restaurant in Vancouver on Canada’s 100 Best. Respectfully, what the heck—we’re a city well-known for awesome Chinese cuisine, it feels like there should be more than one. Mott 32 also earned an honourable mention in our Restaurant Awards in the Best Chinese category. (Hey Canada’s 100 Best—next time you’re in town, check out Chef’s Choice, Dynasty, The Fish Man, The Jade, Neptune Palace and iDen & Quan Ju De, for starters, ok?)

Number 51: Oca Pastificio

Oca Pastificio takes #51 on Canada’s 100 Best, and also won gold in the Best Italian category of our awards. Big day for Oca!

Number 52: Masayoshi

Another Michelin-starred man, Masayoshi, earned #52 on Canada’s 100 Best. Chef Masayoshi Baba and his team also won a gold in the Best Japanese category of our Restaurant awards.

Number 69: Cioppino’s

Another Italian star (Oca Pastificio, Cioppino’s and La Quercia, #92, make three Italian restaurants on the national ranking). Cioppino’s earned silver in the Best Italian category of the 2023 VanMag Restaurant Awards.

Number 71: Tojo’s

The iconic Tojo (inventor of the California roll, depending on who you believe) comes in at #71. Tojo’s was also a finalist in the Best Japanese category of our awards.

Number 73: Maenam

Everything’s coming up Maenam. The awesome Thai restaurant made both this list and earned gold in the Best Thai category of the 2023 Restaurant Awards.

Number 79: Burdock and Co

We’ll say it: we think Burdock and Co should be higher up on Canada’s 100 Best list. But it’s not like it’s a secret that chef Andrea Carlson’s restaurant is incredible—they’ve got Michelin’s stamp of approval with one star and earned bronze in Best Contemporary in our Restaurant awards.

At this point, we’ve got to acknowledge: every single Best Contemporary winner (gold: AnnaLena, silver: L’Abattoir, bronze: Burdock and Co and honourable mention: Boulevard) of the 2023 Restaurant Awards has a spot on the Canada’s 100 Best List. We’ll agree to agree: Vancouver’s contemporary restaurants rock.

Number 92: La Quercia

And finally, La Quercia sneaks in at #92. The Kitsilano restaurant snagged bronze in the Best Italian category of our awards, too.