Where to Eat During the Vancouver Olympics

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Embrace the Games

Yew
Full. On. In addition to the Olympic-themed cocktail menu introduced last November, they’ve added themed menu items like the inconcievable one-pound Olympic Burger (Kobe and Alberta Beef, chanterelle mushrooms, double smoked Canadian bacon, tomato chili jam and local farmhouse cheddar). 791 W. Georgia St., 604-692-4939. Fourseasons.com

Opus Bar
Yaletown’s the unofficial “party zone,” so expect all rooms in that three-block radius to burst at the seams. Bonus points for the O-Bites menu with dishes like Carving Karage (chicken karage), Buffalo Bobsleigh (miso marinated buffalo sate) and Sockeye Slalom (salmon tempura roll). 350 Davie St., 604-642-0557. Opusbar.ca 

Red Card
They city’s newest, sleekest sports bar, attached to the Cibo restaurant in the Moda Hotel on Seymour and Nelson, offers plenty of big-screen action, killer thin-crust pizza, and a serious cocktail list. Perfectly situated between Yaletown and human zoo of Granville Street. 900 Seymour St., 604-689-4460. Redcardsportsbar.ca

db Bistro and Lumiere
Chef Daniel is coming to town—this is your chance to experience him cooking at his only Canadian outpost. Both rooms are 85% booked but management is holding a few seats at the bar and in the main room for locals.
db Bistro: 2563 W. Broadway, 604-739-7115. Dbbistro.ca; Lumiere: 2551 W. Broadway, 604-739-8185. Lumiere.ca 

Chambar
Guilty by association. No Olympic edits to the menu, but its proximity—half a block down from Canada Hockey (GM) Place and kitty-corner to LiveCity Downtown—means this perpetually buzzy room will be a scene unlike any other. 562 Beatty St., 604-879-7119. Chambar.com

Flee the Madness

Cru
Winner of our Best Small Plates restaurant award, this cosy room just off Broadway and Granville delivers haute comfort food (look no further than the Syrah-braised beef short rib with sinfully rich macaroni and cheese) expertly paired with affordable by-the-glass wine. 1459 W. Broadway, 604-677-4111. Cru.ca

La Quercia
Low key and intimate, this is where in-the-know West Siders will congregate far from the madding crowds. Treat yourself to the made-to-order risotto for two. 3689 W. Fourth Ave., 604-676-1007. Laquercia.ca

Lime
Top-notch sushi on the Drive. Former Blue Water raw bar chef Masaki Kudo delivers expert dishes like the toro stack: a tower of tuna belly chunks, green onion, and nori topped with a quail’s egg. 1130 Commercial Dr., 604-215-1130. Limerestaurant.ca

Koon Bo Seafood
At 41st and Fraser, large families pack into this non-descript, mini-mall-set room for well-executed Cantonese comfort food. Go for stir-fried beef brightened with housemade pickles or hand-shredded chicken salad with jellyfish and crispy wonton skins. 5682 Fraser St., 604-323-1218

Campagnolo
True, it’s just minutes away from the Athlete’s Village, but is it wrong to hold out for a downtown option that’ll stay under-the-radar? Campagnolo’s back bar has a large flat screen that will broadcast events, and if a Canuck wins a medal while you’re noshing on one of their Olympic specials (Bronze: margarita pizza paired with R&B Lager, $14.50; Silver: Salciccia Pizza paired with R&B Raven Cream Ale, $15.50; Gold: Funghi Pizza paired with a bottle of Menabrea Italian Lager, $16.50) the meal is on the house. 1020 Main St., 604-484-6018. Campagnolorestaurant.ca