Here is a primer on how to choose the best restaurants in Vancouver for Dine Out that runs January 20 – February 5th. This year there are 231 restaurants participating which is the largest ever for Dine Out Vancouver, that means there are a lot of choices for you all to discover! The prix-fixe menu are in one of three price points – $18, $28, or $38. For a full list of restaurants and menus, look HERE but come back after you have finished reading this article.
I took part in a media tour the other night to preview a few of the restaurants dishes for Tourism Vancouver’s 10th Anniversary Dine Out. On the tour our group visited Campagnolo (I loved the Crispy Ceci and I would have eaten the whole bowl if I did not have to share; as well the Risotto was rich in taste and delicious), Kitsilano Daily Kitchen (the Cauliflower soup was divine and more so with the house baked bread they served, dipping the bread in the soup was yum) and Bacchus in the Wedgewood Hotel for dessert.
Here is my take of the restaurants you should try, the buzz, the value and why.
I have read all the restaurant menus, and all the restaurants that I am telling you about are ones that I have eaten at myself, for many you may find reviews of those restaurants at VancouverFoodster.com, by going to the search box in the top right corner of the page and searching the respective restaurants.
First off – some tips – choose different times than you would normally dine out, by selecting earlier 5pm or later after 8:30pm times you will have a better chance in getting in to some of the popular restaurants than hitting refresh on the 6-7pm time slot. If you have kids and you need to get a baby sitter so that you can enjoy date night, change the night and look at Monday-Wednesday so that you get the restaurant that you want as opposed to settling for the restaurant you don’t want on a Friday or Saturday night.
Many of the restaurants are offering BC VQA Wine Pairings as well as Kronenbourg Beer Pairings for an extra cost with the meals, and in many of the restaurants the pairings provide great value.
Second — my picks on the restaurants that provide the best value for the money as well as the best menu, in my opinion.
$18 Menu (3 courses)
Beachside Forno
Doolin’s Irish Pub
Dunn’s Famous
Irish Heather Gastropub
Mahony & Sons Coal Harbour
Pink Elephant Thai
Rocky Mountain Flatbread Co
Sanafir Restaurant and Lounge
Trattoria Italian Kitchen
Urban Thai Bistro
Westward Ho
Wild Rice
$28 Menu (3 courses)
Abigail’s Party
American Grille at Vancouver Airport Marriott
Banana Leaf in Kitsilano
Baru Latino
Bistro Pastis
Café Pacifica at Pan Pacific Hotel
Campagnolo Restaurant
Carthage Café
Cento Notti at the Opus Hotel
Cork & Fin
Dockside Restaurant at the Granville Island Hotel
EBO Restaurant
Edible Canada
Fleuri Restaurant in Sutton Place Hotel
Fraiche Restaurant
Gusto di Quattro
Hamilton Street Grill
Hapa Izakaya Kitsilano
Lobby Restaurant at the Pinnacle Pier Hotel
Maenam Restaurant
The Oakwood
O’Doul’s Restaurant at the Listel Hotel
Refuel
Salmon & Bannock
The Teahouse
Via Veneto
$38 Menu (3 courses)
C Restaurant (*4 courses)
Café Il Nido
Carver’s Steak House at Executive Airport Plaza Hotel
Diva at the Met
Federico’s Supper Club
Fraîche
Glowbal Grill
Goldfish Pacific Kitchen
Hapa Umi
Joe Fortes Seafood & Chop House
Kitsilano Daily Kitchen
MARKET by Jean-Georges at Shangri-la Hotel
Miku Restaurant
Provence Marinaside
Provence Mediterranean Grill
Q4 al Centro
Raincity Grill
Q4 Ristorante
Tramonto at the River Rock Hotel
West Restaurant
Yew Restaurant at the Four Seasons Hotel
Following our visit to Kitsilano Daily Kitchen we headed back to Bacchus in the Wedgewood Hotel for dessert and I indulged on a Honey and Poached Pear Creme Brulee along with a Dark Chocolate Ganache & Praline Tart. This was my first Tourism Vancouver Media Dine Out preview which provided me with a taste of what is to come in Dine Out 2012.
By: Richard Wolak