2008 Golden Plates - Readers' Choices

Fine Dining

1. Bishop's Restaurant
183 West 4th Avenue, 604-738-2025

2. West Restaurant & Bar
881 Granville Street, 604-738-8938

3. Lumií¨re Restaurant
551 West Broadway, 604-739-8185

"We have this real West Coast approach that's very very friendly. Europeans, they come now to Whistler and Vancouver and they can't believe it. They come in on the doors and there is the staff saying 'Hi. How are you? Welcome. What a beautiful day.' They're sort of involved... It's friendliness with a sincere approach and very little gimmicks. You know when I look around Vancouver I don't see nothing too gimmicky. There's a commitment, too, to wanting to do it right."

Umberto Menghi
Owner,
Il Giardino

Overall

1. West Restaurant & Bar
881 Granville Street, 604-738-8938

2. Lumií¨re Restaurant
551 West Broadway, 604-739-8185

3. The Whip Restaurant Gallery
09 East 6th Avenue, 604-874-4687

Service

1. West Restaurant & Bar
881 Granville Street, 604-738-8938

2. Bishop's Restaurant
183 West 4th Avenue, 604-738-2025

3. Lumií¨re Restaurant
551 West Broadway, 604-739-8185

Pacific Northwest

1. Raincity Grill
1193 Denman Street, 604-685-7337

2. Bishop's Restaurant
183 West 4th Avenue, 604-738-2025

3. West Restaurant & Bar
881 Granville Street, 604-738-8938

Midpriced

1. Earls Restaurant
Various locations

2. The Keg Steakhouse & Bar
Various locations

3. Cactus Club Cafe
Various locations

Budget

1. Hon's Wun-Tun House
Various locations

2. Stepho's Souvlaki Greek Taverna
1124 Davie Street, 604-683-2555

3. White Spot Restaurant
Various locations

Chain

1. Milestone's Restaurant
Various locations

2. Earls Restaurant
Various locations

3. White Spot Restaurant
Various locations

Chinese

1. Hon's Wun-Tun House
Various locations

2. Kirin Restaurant
Various locations

3. Sun Sui Wah Seafood Restaurant
3888 Main Street, 604-872-8822;
102–4940 No. 3 Road, Richmond, 604-273-8208

Korean

1. Insadong Korean Barbeque & Live Fresh Seafood Restaurant
301-403 North Road, Coquitlam, 604-936-3778

2. Jang Mo Jib Korean Restaurant
Various locations

3. (tie) Seoul House
Royal Korean Restaurant
1215 West Broadway, 604-739-9001

3. (tie) Shabusen Yakiniku House
2993 Granville Street, 604-737-6888; 202–755
Burrard Street, 604-669-3883

"A couple of years ago there were a lot more of these casual/fine-dining chains. That's one thing that Vancouver has over other cities. It's not necessarily a good thing, the big chain. Slowly now there is a trend towards smaller individual restaurants, globally influenced restaurants, that are opening up.Before, the city was majorly dominated by the Cactus Clubs, the Earls. Those chains have made their living in the city. In terms of fine dining, there's a couple of big guys and that's about it. It lacks a big range of in-between restaurants: a good restaurant that serves good food but it's more sophisticated than most casual fine dining places. So now we're seeing more of these mid-range high quality restaurants opening up.

Angus An
Chef/owner,
Gastropod

Japanese

1. Tojo's Restaurant
1133 West Broadway, 604-872-8050

2. Guu
Various locations

3. Toshi Sushi
181 East 16th Avenue, 604-874-5173

Indian

1. Vij's
1480 West 11th Avenue, 604-736-6664

2. Maurya Indian Restaurant
1643 West Broadway, 604-742-0622

3. Tandoori King Restaurant
8017 Fraser Street, 604-327-3355

Thai

1. Thai House Restaurant
Various locations

2. Sala Thai Thai Restaurant
3364 Cambie Street, 604-875-6999;
102–888 Burrard Street, 604-683-7999

3. Montri's Thai Restaurant
3629 West Broadway, 604-738-9888

Vietnamese

1. Vina Vietnamese Cuisine
777 Dunsmuir Street, 604-682-8016

2. Phnom Penh Restaurant
244 East Georgia Street, 604-734-8898

3. Pho Hoa Restaurant
Various locations

Southeast Asian

1. Banana Leaf Malaysian Cuisine
Various locations

2. Tropika
Various locations

3. Rekados Grill
4063 Main Street, 604-873-3133

Asian

1. (tie) Tropika
Various locations

1. (tie) Red Door Pan Asian Grill
2996 Granville Street, 604-733-5699

2. (tie) Azia Restaurant
990 Smithe Street, 604-682-8622

2. (tie) Sun Sui Wah Seafood Restaurant
3888 Main Street, 604-872-8822;
102–4940 No. 3 Road, Richmond, 604-273-8208

3. Guu
Various locations

"The quality of the product is really superior here: from the produce, to the seafood. I love the organic product we get from the private sellers to Trout [Lake] market, it's a superior product. Even my main produce supplier, Allied, their stuff is spectacular. Sometimes it may be challenging around this time [of year], but you have enough to choose from. We have Anthony who comes around with his truck from the Okanagan and he brings quite a few goods for the cellars for winters, like apples, some fruit and a lot of root vegetables of course. The Alberta beef is amazing, and even as far as our pork. It's produced locally and smoked just up the street."

Wayne Martin
Chef/owner,
Crave

Deli

1. Capers Community Market
Various locations

2. (tie) La Grotta del Formaggio
1791 Commercial Drive, 604-255-3911

2. (tie) Max's Bakery & Delicatessen
3105 Oak Street, 604-733-4838;
521 West 8th Avenue,604-873-6297

3. Santa Barbara Market
1322 Commercial Drive, 604-253-1941

Grocery-Store Cafe

1. Capers Community Market
Various locations

2. Urban Fare
177 Davie Street, 604-975-7550;
305 Bute Street, 604-669-5831

3. Whole Foods Market
925 Main Street, West Vancouver, 604-678-0500

Specialty Cheeses

1. Les Amis du Fromage
1752 West 2nd Avenue, 604-732-4218;
518–2002 Park Royal South, West Vancouver, 604-925-4218

2. La Grotta del Formaggio
1791 Commercial Drive, 604-255-3911

3. (tie) Granville Island Public Market
1661 Duranleau Street, 604 666-5784

3. (tie) Urban Fare
177 Davie Street, 604-975-7550;
305 Bute Street, 604-669-5831

Butcher

1. Windsor Quality Meats
4110 Main Street, 604-872-5635

2. Armando's Finest Quality Meats
1689 Johnston Street, 604-685-0359

3. Jackson's on Granville
2717 Granville Street, 604-738-6328

"I think that Vancouver does compare definitely, globally. There are some really passionate people in this town... Maybe the most exclusive restaurants in New York and London or Tokyo, we can't really compare to them because we just don't have the clientele, which is not a bad thing."

David Hawksworth
Former executive chef at West,
scheduled to open his new restaurant at Hotel Georgia in late 2009

Bakery (bread)

1. Terra Breads
Various locations

2. Cobs Bread
Various locations

3. Uprising Breads Bakery
1697 Venables Street, 604-254-5635

Salads

"Who really eats salads?"

1. Milestone's Restaurant
Various locations

2. Crisp Salad Company
861 Hornby Street, 604-689-7774

3. Cactus Club Cafe
Various locations

Sandwiches

"Any Vietnamese-French sandwich shop"

1. Quiznos
Various locations

2. La Grotta del Formaggio
1791 Commercial Drive, 604-255-3911

3. Subway
Various locations

Soup

1. Burgoo
4434 West 10th Avenue, 604-221-7839;
3 Lonsdale Avenue, North Vancouver, 604-904-0933

2. (tie) Soup Etc!
Various locations

2. (tie) Stock Market
1689 Johnston Street, 604-687-2433

3. Capers Community Market
Various locations

Wraps

1. WrapZone
Various locations

2. Crisp Salad Company
861 Hornby Street, 604-689-7774

3. Steamrollers
Various locations

Bakery (pastries)

1. Notte's Bon Ton Pastry & Confectionary
3150 West Broadway, 604-681-3058

2. Fratelli Authentic Italian Baking
1795 Commercial Drive, 604-255-8926

3. (tie) Capers Community Market
Various locations

3. (tie) Cobs Bread
Various locations

3. (tie) Pí¢tisserie Bordeaux
3675 West 10th Avenue, 604-731-6551

Place to learn to cook

"Channel 52, Food Network
(I love you, Ina!)"

1. Vancouver Community College
250 West Pender Street, 604-443-8453

2. Cookshop
555 West 12th Avenue, 604-873-5683

3. Barbara-Jo's Books to Cooks
1740 West 2nd Avenue, 604-688-6755;
11A–1666 Johnston Street, 604-684-6788

"There's a lot of competition for getting bums in seats, which keeps the cost down for the consumer, and makes us work harder and really strive to put out an excellent product for the consumer. There's very little complacency."

"The use of regional ingredients and the combination of Asian and European flavours are what we're becoming known for. That's going to continue to grow."

Jeff van Geest
Chef,
Aurora Bistro

Pizza

1. Flying Wedge pizza co.
Various locations

2. Panago
Various locations

3. (tie) Lombardo's Pizzeria & Ristorante
120–1641 Commercial Drive, 604-251-2240;
970 Smithe Street, 604-408-0808

3. (tie) Nat's New York Pizzeria
2684 West Broadway, 604-737-0707;
1080 Denman Street, 604-642-0777

Fries

1. McDonald's
Various locations

2. Fritz's European Fry House
718 Davie Street, 604-684-0811

3. Belgian Fries
1885 Commercial Drive, 604-253-4220

Washroom

1. Cactus Club Cafe
Various locations

2. Moxie's Classic Grill
Various locations

3. Joeys
Various locations

Dessert

1. True Confections
Various locations

2. Death by Chocolate
Various locations

3. Sweet Obsession Cakes & Pastries
2611 West 16th Avenue, 604-739-0555

Hamburgers

1. Vera's Burger Shack
Various locations

2. White Spot Restaurant
Various locations

3. Moderne Burger
2507 West Broadway, 604-739-0005

Kid-Friendly

1. White Spot Restaurant
Various locations

2. McDonald's
Various locations

3. Red Robin
Various locations

Hot Dog

1. Dawg House
Outside 1740 West Broadway

2. Japadog
Northwest corner of Burrard and Smithe

3. Stand
Burrard and Robson streets, opposite HMV

Takeout

1. Stepho's Souvlaki Greek Taverna
1124 Davie Street, 604-683-2555

2. (tie) Thai Away Home
Various locations

2. (tie) The Noodle Box
1–1867 West 4th Avenue, 604-734-1310

3. Hon's Wun-Tun House
Various locations

Fish

1. The Cannery Seafood House
2205 Commissioner Street, 604-254-9606

2. C Restaurant
2–1600 Howe Street, 604-681-1164

3. (tie) The Boathouse Restaurant
Various locations

3. (tie) A Kettle of Fish
900 Pacific Street, 604-682-6661

Fish & Chips

1. Go Fish
1505 West 1st Avenue, 604-730-5040

2. Pajo's Fish & Chips
Various locations

3. (tie) Cockney Kings Fish & Chips
102–1035 Columbia Street, New Westminster, 604-522-6099;
6574 Hastings Street, Burnaby, 604-291-1323

3. (tie) C-Lovers Fish & Chips
1600 Pemberton Ave., North Vancouver, 604-980-9993;
8-555 Clarke Road, Coquitlam, 604-936-2447;
34-2991 Lougheed Highway, Coquitlam, 604-464-3611

Seafood

1. The Cannery Seafood House
2205 Commissioner Street, 604-254-9606

2. C Restaurant
2–1600 Howe Street, 604-681-1164

3. The Boathouse Restaurant
Various locations

Sushi

1. Tojo's Restaurant
1133 West Broadway, 604-872-8050

2. The Eatery
3431 West Broadway, 604-738-5298

3. Toshi Sushi
181 East 16th Avenue,604-874-5173

Tapas

1. Bin 941
941 Davie Street, 604-683-1246

2. La Bodega Restaurante & Tapas Bar
1277 Howe Street, 604-684-8814

3. Stella's Tap & Tapas Bar
1191 Commercial Drive, 604-254-2437

"People in Vancouver are much more 'foodies' than people in Quebec City. We just have a bigger crowd of people who go out. That creates a big demand, and because of that demand, there is a lot of variety of restaurants."

" Vancouver is a multicultural city, so that brings a lot of diversity into the restaurant industry... If I compare with Quebec city, there is not as much cultural diversity, which makes the food scene very much closed... The food scene in Quebec is not as diversified as it is here."

Francois Gagnon
Executive chef,
Cin Cin

Shellfish

1. Rodney's Oyster House
405–1228 Hamilton Street, 604-609-0080

2. (tie) The Boathouse Restaurant
Various locations

2. (tie) C Restaurant
2–1600 Howe Street, 604-681-1164

3. Joe Fortes Seafood
777 Thurlow Street, 604-669-1940

Vegetarian

1. The Naam Restaurant
2724 West 4th Avenue, 604-738-7151

2. Foundation Lounge
2301 Main Street, 604-708-0881

3. Bo Kong Vegetarian Restaurant
3068 Main Street, 604-876-3088;
80–8100 Ackroyd Road, Richmond, 604-278-1992

B.C. Wine List

1. Raincity Grill
1193 Denman Street, 604-685-7337

2. Aurora Bistro
2420 Main Street, 604-873-9944

3. Edge Bistro
3135 Edgemont Boulevard, North Vancouver, 604-985-9125

Imported Wine List

1. Le Gavroche
1616 Alberni Street, 604-685-3924

2. West Restaurant & Bar
2881 Granville Street, 604-738-8938

3. (tie) Blue Water Cafe + Raw Bar
1095 Hamilton Street, 604-688-8078

3. (tie) CinCin Ristorante & Bar
1154 Robson Street, 604-688-7338

B.C. Wine/Winery (red)

1. Mission Hill

2. Burrowing Owl

3. Quail's Gate

B.C. Wine/ Winery (white)

1. Mission Hill

2. Quail's Gate

3. (tie) Joie
3. (tie) Tinhorn Creek

"In my opinion, the best restaurants are the busy restaurants. They keep filling up because customers keep coming back. If they were not doing their job, people would never come back... What I always say to my new apprentices is 'What do you want to own? Do you want to own a restaurant that serves fish and chips and that has a lineup around the block 24 hours a day, or do you want to own a restaurant of 20 seats that has the most incredible food but you'll be lucky to do one seating a night?"

Emad Yacoub
President,
Glowbal Restaurant Group Inc. (Includes: Glowbal Grill & Satay Bar, Coast, Sanafir, Italian Kitchen

Imported Wine/Winery (red)

1. Yellow tail

2. Wolf Blass

3. (tie) Masi
3. (tie) Penfolds

Imported Beer

1. Stella Artois

2. Heineken

3. Guinness

Imported Wine/ Winery (white)

1. (tie) Cloudy Bay
1. (tie) Oyster Bay

2. (tie) Lindemans
2. (tie) Conundrum

3. (tie) The Little Penguin
3. (tie) Pfaffenheim

Domestic Beer

1. Kokanee

2. Molson Canadian

3. (tie) Alexander Keith's
3. (tie) Granville Island Brewing English Bay Pale Ale

Local Microbrew

1. Granville Island Brewing English Bay Pale Ale

2. Granville Island Brewing Lions Winter Ale

3. Granville Island Brewing Cypress Honey Lager

Local Microbrewry

"People are not ready in Vancouver to pay $60 for a veal chop."

Michel Jacob
Chef/owner,
Le Crocodile

1. Granville Island Brewing

2. Storm Brewing

3. Steamworks Brewing Company

B.C. Beer Selection

1. Fogg n' Suds
Various locations

2. Steamworks Brewing Company
Various locations

3. Yaletown Brewing Company
1111 Mainland Street, 604-681-2739

Imported Beer Selection

1. Stella's Tap & Tapas Bar
1191 Commercial Drive, 604-254-2437

2. Fogg n' Suds
Various locations

3. Chambar Belgian Restaurant
562 Beatty Street, 604-879-7119

Stiff Drink

1. Delilah's Restaurant & Bar
1789 Comox Street, 604-687-3424

2. The Cascade Room
2616 Main Street, 604-709-8650

3. Chambar Belgian Restaurant
562 Beatty Street, 604-879-7119

Drink Specials

1. Rugby Beach Club grille
201–950 West Broadway, 604-736-2438

2. Earls Restaurant
Various locations

3. Cactus Club Cafe
Various locations

Place to watch the game

"Restaurant in G.M. Place!"

"Cricket”¦Dosa Palace!"

1. Shark Club
180 West Georgia Street, 604-687-4275;
20169 88 Avenue, Langley, 604-513-8600

2. Earls Restaurant
Various locations

3. Boston Pizza
Various locations

3 a.m. Meal

"Is there one?"

1. The Naam Restaurant
2724 West 4th Avenue, 604-738-7151

2. Denny's Canada Restaurants
Various locations

3. Knight & Day Restaurants
Various locations

People-Watching

1. Havana
1212 Commercial Drive, 604-253-9119

2. Cactus Club Cafe
Various locations

3. The Boathouse Restaurant
Various locations

"Whether it's standard for the U.S. or because it's a vacation spot, their [Hawaii's] so-called top restaurants, for my taste and what I see in Vancouver, are average at best. You go there and finish a meal and say, 'Are they serious?'...and yet they're packed, and charging a lot of money."

Justin Ault
Owner,
Hapa Izakaya

Pub

"No longer”¦Bimini's."

1. The Irish Heather
217 Carrall Street, 604-688-9779

2. Doolin's Irish Pub
654 Nelson Street, 604-605-4343

3. Yaletown Brewing Company
1111 Mainland Street, 604-681-2739

Brewpub

1. Yaletown Brewing Company
1111 Mainland Street, 604-681-2739

2. Steamworks
Various locations

3. (tie) Dockside Restaurant
1253 Johnston Street, Granville Island, 604-685-7070

3. (tie) Dix BBQ & Brewery
871 Beatty Street, 604-682-2739

Pub Food

1. The Irish Heather
217 Carrall Street, 604-688-9779

2. Kingston Taphouse & Grille
755 Richards Street, 604-681-7011

3. (tie) The Frog and Firkin
1941 West Broadway, 604-734-3418

3. (tie) Yaletown Brewing Company
1111 Mainland Street, 604-681-2739

Place to Flirt

1. Cactus Club Cafe
Various locations

2. Bin 941
941 Davie Street, 604-683-1246

3. The Sandbar Seafood Restaurant
1535 Johnston Street, Granville Island, 604-669-9030

Place to have sex

1. Sanafir Restaurant & Lounge
1026 Granville Street, 604 678-1049

2. Cactus Club Cafe
Various locations

3. Earls Restaurant
Various locations

Romantic Restaurant

1. Seasons in the Park
405 West 33rd Avenue, 604-874-8008

2. Villa del Lupo Restaurant
869 Hamilton Street, 604-688-7436

3. (tie) Il Giardino
1382 Hornby Street, 604-669-2422

3. (tie) Le Gavroche
1616 Alberni Street, 604-685-3924

Wine Festival/Event

1. Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival

2. Cornucopia

3. Okanagan Wine Festivals

Food Festival/Event

1. Dine Out Vancouver

2. EAT Vancouver

3. Greek festival

Coffee Shop (Independent)

1. Continental Coffee
1806 Commercial Drive, 604-255-0712

2. 49th Parallel
107–3680 Bonneville Place, Burnaby,
604-420-4900

3. Kokopelli Café
4593 Dunbar Street, 604-228-0818

"We're very lucky that here that we have some of the best Chinese food outside of China, outside of Hong Kong. I've eaten in Chinese food places in New York and San Francisco, San Jose, which also has a great Chinatown, and I think ours is world class. It's the same with lots of ethinic food. We're very lucky we have a very diverse city. You can go out on any night and try different cuisines from pretty much anywhere in the world that you'd like"

Robert Belcham
Chef,
Fuel

Coffee Shop (chain)

1. Starbucks
Various locations

2. JJ Bean
Various locations

3. Blenz Coffee
Various locations

Coffee Shop with WiFi

"Coffee shops need to have wireless, or what's the point?"

1. Blenz Coffee
Various locations

2. Waves Coffee
Various locations

3. Starbucks
Various locations

Teahouse

1. Steeps
895 West Broadway, 778-371-8343

2. T
1568 West Broadway, 604-730-8390

3. Secret Garden Tea Company
5559 West Boulevard, 604-261-3070

Burnaby

1. The Pear Tree Restaurant
4120 East Hastings Street, 604-299-2772

2. Anton's Pasta Bar
4260 East Hastings Street, 604-299-6636

3. Horizons Restaurant
100 Centennial Way, 604-299-1155

Richmond

1. Hon's Wun-Tun House
4600 No. 3 Road, 604-273-0871

2. Kirin Seafood Restaurant
2nd Floor, Three West Centre, 7900 Westminster Highway, 604-303-8833

3. (tie) Sun Sui Wah Seafood Restaurant
102–4940 No. 3 Road, 604-273-8208

3. (tie) The Boathouse Restaurant
8331 River Road, 604-273-7014

Surrey, Delta,White Rock, Langley

1. The Boathouse Restaurant
14935 Marine Drive, White Rock, 604-536-7320

2. La Belle Auberge Restaurant
4856 48th Avenue, Ladner, 604-946-7717

3. (tie) Washington Avenue Grill
5–15782 Marine Drive,
White Rock, 604-541-4244

3. (tie) Giraffe Restaurant
15053 Marine Drive, White Rock, 604-538-6878

Whistler

1. Araxi Restaurant & Bar
4222 Village Square, 604-932-4540

2. Bearfoot Bistro
4121 Village Green, 604-932-3433

3. The Keg Steakhouse & Bar
4429 Sundial Place, 604-932-5151

New East Side

1. Me and Julio
2095 Commercial Drive, 604-696-9997

2. The Cascade Room
2616 Main Street, 604-709-8650

3. Timbre Restaurant
2068 Commercial Drive, 604-215-7515

New Downtown

1. Italian Kitchen
1037 Alberni Street, 604-687-2858

2. Goldfish Pacific Kitchen
1118 Mainland Street, 604-689-8318

3. Boneta
1 West Cordova Street, 604-684-1844

New Suburb

1. Vault Restaurant
5764 176th Street, Cloverdale, 604-576-4243

2. Okra Asian Bistro
1440 Lonsdale Avenue, North Vancouver, 604-990-0330

3. One12 Restaurant & Lounge
112 West 13th Street, North Vancouver, 604-980-1092

New West Side

1. Bistrot Bistro
1961 West 4th Avenue, 604-732-0004

2. Pied-í -Terre
3369 Cambie Street, 604-873-3131

3. (tie) La Buca Restaurant
4025 MacDonald Street, 604-730-6988

3. (tie) Chow Restaurant
3121 Granville Street, 604-608-2469

Tri-Cities

1. Joeys
550 Lougheed Highway, Coquitlam, 604-939-3077

2. Jameson's Newport Restaurant
215 Newport Drive, Port Moody, 604-461-7676

3. (tie) The Boathouse Restaurant
2770 Esplanade Avenue,
Port Moody, 604-931-5300

3. (tie) Saint St Grill
2514 Saint Johns Street,
Port Moody, 604-937-7477

North Shore

1. The Salmon House
2229 Folkestone Way, West Vancouver, 604-926-3212

2. The Edge Bistro
3135 Edgemont Boulevard, North Vancouver, 604-985-9125

3. The Beach House at Dundarave Pier
150 25th Street, West Vancouver, 604-922-1414

Hotel Dining

1. Bacchus Restaurant & Piano lounge
845 Hornby Street, 604-608-5319

2. Griffins Restaurant
900 West Georgia Street, 604-684-3131

3. (tie) Diva at the Met
645 Howe Street, 604-602-7788

3. (tie) Yew Restaurant + Bar
791 West Georgia Street, 604-692-4939

Casino for Eats

1. River Rock Casino Resort
8811 River Road, Richmond, 604-247-8900

2. Edgewater
311–750 Pacific Boulevard, 604-687-3343

3. Boulevard Casino
2080 United Boulevard, Coquitlam, 604-523-6888

Patio

1. Bridges
1696 Duranleau Street, 604- 687-4400

2. The Boathouse Restaurant
Various locations

3. Havana
1212 Commercial Drive, 604-253-9119

"The recent boom that we saw in 2007 with new restaurants opening gives more diversity and gives people more options to look at for different styles of cuisines, even concepts and brands.. I think the growth of new restaurants will feed a growth of new customers but not at the same rate the restaurant industry is growing. I think there is pre-Olympic rush to get restaurants open. As exciting as that is, I think we need to be cautious looking at lease rates. It's an exciting time; I'm very bullish on the future on the future of dining in Vancouver. With the Olympics coming I think we can really set ourselves apart, but the next year and a half might be a lean time for some restaurants."

Tim Keller
Co-owner,
Metro and Rare

Rainy-Day Hangout

1. (tie) Whip Gallery Restaurant
209 East 6th Avenue, 604-874-4687

1. (tie) The Naam Restaurant
2724 West 4th Avenue, 604-738-7151

2. Burgoo
4434 West 10th Avenue, 604-221-7839;
3 Lonsdale Avenue, 604-904-0933

3. The Sandbar Seafood Restaurant
1535 Johnston Street, Granville Island, 604-669-9030

Sunny-Day Hangout

1. Bridges
1696 Duranleau Street,
604-687-4400

2. Milestone's Restaurant
Various locations

3. Watermark on Kits Beach
1305 Arbutus Street, 604-738-5487

View

1. The Salmon House
2229 Folkestone Way, West Vancouver, 604-926-3212

2. Cloud 9 Restaurant
1400 Robson Street, 604-687-0511

3. Seasons in the Park
Queen Elizabeth Park, 604-874-8008

Organic

1. Capers Community Market
Various locations

2. The Naam Restaurant
2724 West 4th Avenue, 604-738-7151

3. Aphrodite's Café
3598 West 4th Avenue, 604-738-5879

Appetizers

1. Bin 941
941 Davie Street, 604-683-1246

2. Milestone's Restaurant
Various locations

3. Stella's Tap & Tapas Bar
1191 Commercial Drive, 604-254-2437

Steak

1. The Keg Steakhouse & Bar
Various locations

2. Gotham Steakhouse & Cocktail Bar
615 Seymour Street, 604-605-8282

3. Morton's The Steakhouse
750 West Cordova Street, 604-915-5105

Breakfast

1. Sophie's Cosmic Cafe
2095 West 4th Avenue, 604-732-6810

2. (tie) IHOP
Various locations

2. (tie) Slickety Jim's Chat and Chew
2513 Main Street, 604-873-6760

3. Joe's Grill
Various locations

Brunch

1. Milestone's Restaurant
Various locations

2. Sophie's Cosmic Cafe
2095 West 4th Avenue, 604-732-6810

3. Slickety Jim's Chat and Chew
2513 Main Street, 604-873-6760

Italian

1. Anton's Pasta Bar
4260 East Hastings Street, 604-299-6636

2. CinCin Ristorante & Bar
1154 Robson Street, 604-688-7338

3. Il Giardino
1382 Hornby Street, 604-669-2422

Continental

1. The William Tell Restaurant
765 Beatty Street, 604-688-3504

2. Chambar Belgian Restaraunt
562 Beatty Street, 604-879-7119

3. The Pear Tree
4120 Hastings Street, 604-299-2772

Middle Eastern

1. Afghan Horseman Restaurant
202–1833 Anderson Street, 604-873-5923

2. East Is East
3243 West Broadway, 604-734-5881

3. Nuba Cafe
322 West Hastings Street, 604-688-1655;
1206 Seymour Street, 778-371-3266

Dim Sum

1. Pink Pearl Chinese Seafood Restaurant
1132 East Hastings Street, 604-253-4316

2. Sun Sui Wah Seafood Restaurant
3888 Main Street, 604-872-8822;
102–4940 No. 3 Road, Richmond, 604-273-8208

3. Kirin Restaurant
Various locations

Latin American

1. Havana
1212 Commercial Drive, 604-253-9119

2. (tie) Baru Café
2535 Alma Street, 604-222-9171

2. (tie) Cobre Restaurant
52 Powell Street, 604-669-2396

3. Samba Brazilian Steakhouse
1122 Alberni Street, 604-696-9888

Mediterranean

1. Provence Mediterranean Grill
100–4473 West 10th Avenue, 604-222-1980

2. CinCin Ristorante & Bar
1154 Robson Street, 604-688-7338

3. Cioppino's Mediterranean Grill
1133 Hamilton Street, 604-688-7466

African

1. Nyala African Cusine
4148 Main Street, 604-876-9919

2. Simba's Grill
825 Denman Street, 604-974-0649;
7413 Edmonds Street, Burnaby, 604-525-8904

3. Harambe Restaurant
2149 Commercial Drive, 604-216-1060

French

1. Le Crocodile
100–909 Burrard Street, 604-669-4298

2. Lumií¨re Restaurant
2551 West Broadway, 604-739-8185

3. (tie) Le Gavroche
1616 Alberni Street, 604-685-3924

3. (tie) Bistrot Bistro
1961 West 4th Avenue, 604-732-0004

Spanish

1. La Bodega Restaurante & Tapa Bar
1277 Howe Street, 604-684-8814

2. Pepitas
2015 Burrard Street, 604-732-8884

3. Cobre Restaraunt
52 Powell Street, 604-669-2396

Mexican

1. Las Margaritas Restaurant & Cantina
1999 West 4th Avenue, 604-734-7117

2. Pepitas
2015 Burrard Street, 604-732-8884

3. Topanga Cafe
2904 West 4th Avenue, 604-733-3713

Greek

1. Stepho's Souvlaki Greek Taverna
1124 Davie Street, 604-683-2555

2. Maria's Taverna
2324 West 4th Avenue, 604-731-4722;
1037 Denman Street, 604-681-8500

3. Kalamata Greek Taverna
388 West Broadway, 604-872-7050

Eastern European/Russian

1. Rasputin Russian Cuisine
457 West Broadway, 604-879-6675

2. Budapest Restaurant & Pastry Shop
3250 Main Street, 604-877-1949

3. Ukrainian Village Restaurant
815 Denman Street, 604-687-7440