• Hawksworth Restaurant: This swish spot is one of Vancouver’s buzziest restos. It is an elegant-but-funky art-filled space in the newly restored historic Rosewood Hotel Georgia, where Chef David Hawksworth cooks up exceptional West Coast fare with creative flair. A must for the extensive wine list and terrific cocktails.
  • Blue Water Cafe: Terrific seafood menu. Exceptional, award-winning wine list. Casual-elegant West Coast decor. Some of the best sushi in the city. In many ways, this high-end Yaletown eatery is the quintessential Vancouver dining experience.
  • Vij’s: Waiting in line at Vancouver’s favorite Indian restaurant is something of a rite of passage. It’s worth it, though, because once you finally get inside this jewel box of an eatery, you will discover fragrant and complex dishes unlike any you have ever experienced. Forget curry-in-a-hurry; this is some of Vancouver’s best food, hands down.
  • Sun Sui Wah: With its large Chinese population, it’s no surprise that Vancouver has plenty of great places serving up noodles, dumplings, and stir-fries. This sophisticated Cantonese restaurant on Main Street is one of the best. Go for dim sum, the feast of small dishes served at lunch, so you can try as many tastes as possible.
  • Cactus Club Coal Harbour: Yes, it’s a chain. But this chain has celebrity chef Rob Feenie at the helm and an exceptional sommelier choosing the wines. Besides, this location has one of the best views in the city, overlooking Coal Harbour and the North Shore Mountains from an enviable spot next to the Olympic Cauldron.
  • Chambar Restaurant: Hipsters and society types alike flock to this funky eatery, thanks to a great location in a historic building near the sports arenas and Queen Elizabeth Theatre. The cuisine is Belgian by way of North Africa, so expect terrific tagines and irresistible mussels, paired with Belgian beer, craft cocktails, and a great wine list.
  • L’Abattoir: Located at the oldest, most historic corner in the city, Gastown’s Maple Tree Square, L’Abattoir serves up modern fare based on local ingredients, with just a touch of molecular madness to add some spice. Beautiful room, well-edited wine list, and some of the best cocktails in a city that takes its libations seriously.
  • Tojo’s: Before there was sashimi at the supermarket and all-you-can-eat maki at the mall, there was Hidekazu Tojo. His is still the best sushi in the city; his Golden Roll (crab, salmon, scallop, and shrimp in a paper-thin omelet) is one of the best things you’ll ever eat. Order the omakase—chef’s sampler—and one of the superb sakes.
  • PiDGin: Located as it is right on the edge of the sketchy Downtown Eastside, at first PiDGin attracted attention for the mobs of anti-poverty protesters outside. Now all anyone talks about is the exceptional and wildly innovative fusion cuisine. Don’t ask what’s in it—just order the tasting menu so you can try a little bit of everything.
  • Como Taperia: Vancouver is having a love affair with Spanish cuisine, but its amor verdadero is this hopping tapas joint. The crowd is young and enthusiastic, the food is freshly prepared with flavors that pop off the plate. A great new addition to the city's dining scene. 

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.