West End restaurant news: Central Bistro, Lips Resto, Fish House

Here's a quick rundown of a number of changes that are taking place in the West End dining scene.

The cozy Central Bistro at 1072 Denman Street (also the former site of the Brass Monkey restaurant) has closed its doors. The West End favourite, which featured live jazz music and brunches, was located only a few blocks away from English Bay. It announced its closure on September 8.

But fear not, foodies, for a new bistro is set to take its place.

Verve Bistro promises a menu with dinner items like elk chili, braised beef poutine, wild boar meatloaf, confit duck wings, and B.C. mussels. Its brunch menu will include B.C. salmon and brie frittata, elk burger with fried egg, and eggs benedict.

No opening date has been announced yet.

Meanwhile in other restaurant news in the area, Lips Resto at 1143 Davie Street is closed for renovations after only a few months of operation.

The restaurant was opened in May by the former executive chef at the Fish House in Stanley Park, Curtis “Lips” Demyon.  

The menu included sharing plates and items such as elk tartare, buttermilk-fried Fanny Bay oysters, and wild mushroom and quinoa fritters.

The location hosted a few dance parties featuring DJs, including the official after-party of the Vancouver Pride parade.

However, the restaurant seemed to struggle to find its place among West End eateries.

A sign that stated the restaurant was incorporating feedback and would reopen in early October has since been replaced with a sign that simply states "Our lips are sealed". So it looks like we'll have to wait and see what the restaurant looks like when it reopens with a new shade of lipstick.

Speaking of the Fish House in Stanley Park, the 25-year-old culinary landmark is scheduled to close on September 29 at 8901 Stanley Park Drive.

A statement on the restaurant's website explains the reason for the closure:

"While the Fish House has served the community and our guests so well over the years, our ownership has decided not to renew the lease of The Fish House in Stanley Park. We have notified the Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation that we will end the operational management of the restaurant effective September 30, 2015. The decision not to renew the lease of the restaurant is based on our company’s strategic focus to own, operate and asset manage a portfolio of Hotel assets and was made only after several evaluations and reviews by senior management."

As they say, all good things must come to an end. But stay tuned, as there's always the chance for something even better to take their place.