Vancouver Restaurants

By Matt Coolen

We tried to keep things simple for you guys with this one by listing restaurants with a quick 2 or 3 line review then when you click the restaurant name you can read the full review.

Obviously this will be continuously updated with more full reviews and quick references so stay on top of this page to find out when to eat at and where to stay far away from.

Deuce Bungalow: 980 Granville, 604.688.2969

Deuce is a favorite. Great Mexican with an upscale twist. One of the cities best to check out before heading out for the night on the Granville strip for food or just a few cocktails and some socializing. Get there early or make reso's. There is a reason this place stays full.

Glowbal: 1079 Mainland, 604.602.0835

Best for brunch and even better to start off the night with some satays and cocktails. Sexy crowd, a Yaletown favorite.

Circa: 1050 Granville Street, 604.683.3311

Circa is the new kid on the strip. The venue itself is huge, but with a great layout, gorgeous decor, and a great shared plate selection, I doubt they will have a hard time filling it.

Campagnolo: 1020 main Street, (604) 484-6018

Rustic Italian food. Uses all fresh local ingredients. Rated Top 50 Hottest Restaurants in the world by Conde Nast. Do not miss this!

The Keg Yaletown: 1011 Mainland St, (604) 633-2534

Nice venue, horrible food, worse service, read the full review and you'll understand.

Pourhouse: 162 Water St, (604) 568-7022

Amazing food, great timeless space, and one of, if not the best cocktails in the city.

Trattoria: 1850 west 4th ave, 604.732.1441

The more casual little sister of Italian Kitchen is great for Dinner, and weekend drinks. Food here is awesome, and so is their wine selection. Great for date night.

Top Of Vancouver Revolving Restaurant:
555 West Hastings,  604.669.2220

Great place to spend your first night dining in Vancouver. You get to see a full 360 degree view of the city from over 500 feet above the city. Food is good, maybe a little pricey for quality.

Chill Winston: 3 Alexander, 604.288.9575

Cool space, awesome patio, less than mediocre food and worse staff. Hit this one for cocktails at night or beer on the patio.

Blue water cafe:
1095 Hamilton, 604.688.8078

Great space, great crowd, great oysters, food is just Ok. A lot of people swear by this place. Go for some oysters, stay for some drinks, eat somewhere else.

Sanafir: 1026 Granville, 604.678.1049

Beautiful venue, beautiful people, go for the great food and stay for cocktails with the cities sexiest crowd. Perhaps best place in the city to start your night, especially Tuesday night.

Yew: 791 Georgia, 604.692.4939
(Inside the Four Seasons)

The food is amazing, and probably the best cocktail menu in the city. Not much of a buzz around this place so don't expect a big crowd. Great lunch menu as well.

Pinky's: 1873 W 4th, 604.732.9545

Pretty good steaks. Probably best for lunches. There is also a Yaletown location but the one on 4th is nicer. The lobster wings are great to kick things off.

Goldfish: 1118 Mainland, 604.689.8318

Great menu, great place for a date. They have a nice, secluded patio. Picks up a bit at night time, has a nice little buzz but not as hopping as Glowbal can get.

Joe Forte's: 777 Thurlow, 604.669.1940

Best seafood and patio in the city. If you are really in the mood for seafood then get the three tier platter and brag to your friends about how much of a man you are. Excellent wine list as well.

Gotham: 615 Seymour, 604.605.8282

Nice and dark like a real steakhouse should be. Best steaks in the city, frequented by celebs for a reason. Come hungry, leave happy, don't believe the hype about prices, not as expensive as everyone says ($50 for lobster tail and fillet).

Lift: 333 Menchions Mews, 604.689.5438

Menu is great, patio is better with probably the best view and atmosphere in the city over looking Coal Harbor, at the mountains, with a nice peek of the downtown skyline. You can't lose if you are lucky enough to get a spot at Lift.

Cardero's: 1583 Coal Harbor Quay, 604.669.7666

I guess cozy is a good way to describe the fireplace lit lounge of Cardero's. Another great spot for a date, especially on a Sunday night when they usually have live acoustic music. Sit back, enjoy the view, sip some wine and enjoy the wok squid.

Granville Room: 957 Granville, 604.633.0056

DHM owned lounge/restaurant right in the middle of Granville. The food is good. Decent steaks. Huge portions. Good prices.

Phat: 1055 Mainland, 604.684.6239

Strait from Montreal, jewish style deli. Awesome at any time of the day. Lox and cream cheese bagels are amazing, and the Montreal smoked meat sandwich is famous.

Player's Chophouse: 808 Beatty, 604.694.2467

Great place to grab a steak before, or after a Canucks game. Lunch menu in just ok. Book it for a private party and figure out a way to use their shower in the private room.

The New Bohemian: 3162 Broadway, 604.736.7576

Great spot in the Kits area. Nice buzz at night time. Get there early or you might not get a seat. Best for appies or pre drinks. Order the flaming cheese to show off a bit.

Voya: 1177 Melville, 604.639.8692

Former executive chef of Lumiere takes on brand new spot inside The Loden Hotel. Awesome space, great lounge area. Everything I've tried on the menu so far has been delicious. End things off with a Sugar Shack for the best use of Hennessey I've ever had.

Samba: 1122 Alberni, 604.696.9888

If you love meat then check out this resto where you get all you can eat Brazilian flavored meats served Rodizio style. All you can eat is so much better when you don't need to get up.

Charm Modern Thai: 1269 Hamilton, 604.688.9339

The most upscale thai spot in Vancouver. Great yaletown location. The food is fairly authentic with some nice twists. Great cocktail menu and after work they have Bangkok happy hour.

Cactus Club: 588 Burrard, 604.682.0933

Beautiful staff. Great food. Great atmosphere. Good prices. A great sometimes needed notch below upscale. The Bentall location is a big, beautiful space and a great patio. Try the BBQ duck club, Best sandwich I've ever had.

Steamworks: 375 Water st, 604.689.2739

A Vancouver staple pub. They brew their own beer on site. Try the beer sampler. Great pub style food, good prices, friendly service.

Vij's Rangoli: 1480 W 11 Ave, 604.736.6664

World renowned Vij's lunch spot. The best indian food you could imagine. Get the pulled pork if you aren't a vegetarian, if you are get something else. Here you can also buy Vij's meals packaged to bring home for later.

Tojo's: 1133 W Broadway, 604.872.8050

Meh. Tojo's is world renowned for its sushi, and personally I don't see what the big deal is. I thought it was gross when I ate there, it wasn't just me, my whole group was severely disappointed. Eat better sushi for a fraction of the price at any corner downtown Vancouver.