Food

Vancouver's Village eatery goes dark in West End's Davie Village

by Craig Takeuchi on July 19th, 2017 at 12:39 PM
    1 of 8 2 of 8

      Despite being situated in the heart of the Davie Village with Pride celebrations ramping up as we approach Vancouver Pride Week, Village restaurant appears to have closed.

      As of today (July 19), the windows and door at 1143 Davie Street have been papered up. Although the Georgia Straight made attempts to contact the restaurant, the phone number and email addresses have been disconnected.

      In 2015, chef Curtis "Lips" Demyon (the former executive chef of the now-closed Fish House in Stanley Park) initially launched the establishment as Lips Resto after a $1-million renovation to the venue.

      In September 2015, the restaurant temporarily closed as it underwent a makeover and rebooted itself a month later as Village Bistro (eventually renaming itself as simply Village) in an effort to connect with the village people.

      The original incarnation focused on upscale dishes but the revised menu changed its emphasis to comfort food.

      Describing itself as a "technique driven kitchen creating regional cuisine with bold flavours", the menu covered appetizers, including bison sliders, poutine, and Moroccan chicken; a selection of flat breads; entrées, such as lemongrass fried chicken, vegetarian soba, and steak stroganoff; burgers and sandwiches; and brunch items, including omelettes and pancakes.

      The restaurant hosted numerous LGBT community events, and was immersed in the thick of annual Pride celebrations.

      The closure is one of several recent changes on Davie Street.

      Right across the street, Moxie's reopened in April after downsizing its space while Pho Goodness relocated across the street into a larger space.

      Upper Deck Kitchen and Taphouse closed at 1239 Davie Street in March after failing to pay rent while Earth Market closed down recently after several changeovers in ownership.

      Lolita's South of the Border Cantina closed but Mexican vegetarian restaurant Lucha Verde has opened in its place. Meanwhile, down at English Bay, Hook Seabar seafood restaurant opened up last week.

      Comments