The Best Places in South Downtown
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Rank 1. Kissa Tanto
Japanese
Upstairs in a Chinatown walkup, rose banquettes and antique Japanese panels recreate the jazz cafés of 1960s Tokyo, which is a strange and perfect setting for a Michelin-starred restaurant fusing Japanese and Italian cooking. The kitchen plays it straight: hand-cut pasta with miso-cured egg yolk and parmesan, tiramisu made with plum wine-soaked tofu. Cult Japanese whiskies share the drinks list with Italian amari, and the cocktails split the difference. Dress up a little.
The awards
- Air Canada Air Canada: 2016 · #1 · Best New Restaurants
- Michelin Guide Michelin Guide: 1 Star
- AAA AAA: Three Diamonds
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Rank 1. St. Lawrence
French
The savory éclair filled with duck liver mousse has become something of a calling card here, and it explains a lot about the place. St. Lawrence is an elegant Québécois French tasting restaurant with a convivial front bar, a semi-open kitchen, and a Michelin star. The fixed menu rotates by season, sometimes leaning into sugar shack classics, sometimes into French bourgeois cooking, always with sauces that deserve more attention than they get.
The awards
- Michelin Guide Michelin Guide: 1 Star
- AAA AAA: Three Diamonds
- Air Canada Air Canada: 2018 · Top 10 · Best New Restaurants
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Rank 3. Okeya Kyujiro
Japanese
A black curtain drops at the exact minute of your reservation, which tells you everything about what follows. This omakase counter imports nearly all its fish and produce directly from Japan, but the kitchen goes further with live music, Buddhist chanting, and bamboo leaf carving woven between courses. It holds a Michelin star and reads less like dinner than like a ceremony someone spent years choreographing. Dress accordingly.
The awards
- AAA AAA: Four Diamonds
- Michelin Guide Michelin Guide: 1 Star
- Vancouver Magazine Vancouver Magazine: 2026 · Bronze Medal · Restaurant Awards: Best Omakase
- AAA Four Diamonds
- Michelin Guide 1 Star
- Vancouver Magazine 2026 · Bronze Medal · Restaurant Awards: Best Omakase
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Rank 4. Boulevard
Seafood
Hand-painted imported tile floors and marble-topped bars set the tone at this upscale seafood restaurant inside the Sutton Place Hotel on Burrard. The room is large but pulls together through chic lighting and buttery leather seating, and the menu matches the mood: baked oysters, house-made pasta loaded with Pacific shellfish, and a mixed shellfish platter that gets its own trio of sauces. Roger Ma took Vancouver Magazine's Chef of the Year in 2026.
The awards
- AAA AAA: Four Diamonds
- Canada's 100 Best Canada's 100 Best: #59 · Best Restaurants
- Vancouver Magazine Vancouver Magazine: 2026 · Gold Medal · Restaurant Awards: Best Fine Dining
- AAA Four Diamonds
- Canada's 100 Best #59 · Best Restaurants
- Vancouver Magazine 2026 · Gold Medal · Restaurant Awards: Best Fine Dining
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A grand piano sits in the corner like it's been there forever, and at Bacchus, inside the Wedgewood Hotel, that's more or less the point. This is a white-tablecloth hotel restaurant where the flower arrangements are serious and the chandelier means business. The kitchen turns out European-leaning classics with enough care to feel considered rather than comfortable. A spot on Canada's 100 Best list and a AAA Four Diamond rating confirm the room isn't just dressing.
The awards
- AAA AAA: Four Diamonds
- Canada's 100 Best Canada's 100 Best: #67 · Best Restaurants
- Michelin Guide Michelin Guide: Selected Restaurant
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The roast duck arrives at the table as a ceremony, sliced tableside and served with the kind of precision that makes you feel underdressed even if you aren't. This gold-accented fine dining room on Cambie is the Vancouver outpost of a centuries-old Beijing institution, and it holds a Michelin star. The menu runs from crispy duck to bird's nest and abalone, but simple stir-fried greens with garlic pull their weight just as quietly alongside the showpieces.
The awards
- Michelin Guide Michelin Guide: 1 Star
- Chinese Restaurant Awards Chinese Restaurant Awards: #15 · Elite 30 Canada
- Vancouver Magazine Vancouver Magazine: 2024 · Bronze Medal · Restaurant Awards: Best Upscale Chinese
- Michelin Guide 1 Star
- Chinese Restaurant Awards #15 · Elite 30 Canada
- Vancouver Magazine 2024 · Bronze Medal · Restaurant Awards: Best Upscale Chinese
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A shimmering chandelier and a floor-to-ceiling wine wall set the scene at David Hawksworth's eponymous fine dining room inside the Rosewood Hotel Georgia. The crowd looks freshly styled, and the cooking matches the room's composure: contemporary and precise, built on simple luxuries done with care. You can enter through the hotel lobby or slip in directly from Georgia Street, which suits both the suits and everyone else.
The awards
- AAA AAA: Four Diamonds
- Difford's Guide Difford's Guide: 5 stars · Difford's Guide
- Air Canada Air Canada: 2011 · Top 10 · Best New Restaurants
- AAA Four Diamonds
- Difford's Guide 5 stars · Difford's Guide
- Air Canada 2011 · Top 10 · Best New Restaurants
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Rank 8. Elisa
Steakhouse
A custom wood-fired grill anchors the room at this Yaletown steakhouse and bar, open flame flickering against warm wood tones while the kitchen runs tartares alongside Canadian and wagyu cuts. The butcher shop next door feeds the kitchen's sourcing philosophy. It holds a spot on the World's Best Steak Restaurants list and took Vancouver Magazine's Restaurant of the Year. Dress up a little; the room expects it.
The awards
- AAA AAA: Four Diamonds
- World's 101 Best World's 101 Best: #32 · World's Best Steak Restaurants
- Vancouver Magazine Vancouver Magazine: 2026 · Restaurant Awards: Premier Crew · Hanna Flodström
- AAA Four Diamonds
- World's 101 Best #32 · World's Best Steak Restaurants
- Vancouver Magazine 2026 · Restaurant Awards: Premier Crew · Hanna Flodström
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The kitchen is the room at this Michelin-starred fine dining counter on East Pender, where an L-shaped bar puts you close enough to watch every move the chef makes. Patrick Hennessy came up at Eleven Madison Park and carries that precision into cooking that reads simple on paper but lands as something more considered on the plate. Local sourcing is the quiet backbone of the menu, though the technique is doing most of the talking.
The awards
- Michelin Guide Michelin Guide: 1 Star
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The awards
- VineRoutes VineRoutes: Award of Distinction · Restaurant Awards
- Golden Owl Awards Golden Owl Awards: Nominee · Best Brunch Experience
- The Infatuation The Infatuation: The Best Restaurants In Vancouver
- VineRoutes Award of Distinction · Restaurant Awards
- Golden Owl Awards Nominee · Best Brunch Experience
- The Infatuation The Best Restaurants In Vancouver
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Rank 9. Le Crocodile
French
Rob Feenie, the chef behind the beloved and long-mourned Lumière, took over this longstanding French fine dining institution and quietly made it new again. The bones remain, foie gras terrine, Dover sole, veal with morel sauce, Alsatian apple tart, but the sauces have lightened and Asian grace notes have crept in without the menu losing its French accent. The renovated room is warmer, blonder, and easier to love than before.
The awards
- Canada's 100 Best Canada's 100 Best: #26 · Best Restaurants
- Vancouver Magazine Vancouver Magazine: 2025 · Restaurant Awards: Hall of Fame · Michel Jacob
- Vancouver Magazine Vancouver Magazine: 2025 · Silver Medal · Restaurant Awards: Best New
- Canada's 100 Best #26 · Best Restaurants
- Vancouver Magazine 2025 · Restaurant Awards: Hall of Fame · Michel Jacob
- Vancouver Magazine 2025 · Silver Medal · Restaurant Awards: Best New
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Rank 9. Vij’s
Indian
Vikram Vij built his reputation working the room personally, stopping at tables each night in a dining room that takes Indian cuisine seriously without taking itself too seriously. This is an elegant sit-down restaurant where the cocktail list is designed to hold its own against heavily spiced food, and the Michelin Bib Gourmand keeps showing up for a reason. The lamb popsicles in fenugreek sauce have their own devoted following.
The awards
- AAA AAA: Three Diamonds
- Air Canada Air Canada: 2013 · Finalist · Best New Restaurants
- Michelin Guide Michelin Guide: Bib Gourmand
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Rank 13. Elio Volpe
Coastal Italian
A mechanic shop turned coastal Italian osteria in Cambie Village, Elio Volpe does wood-fired pizza with a brunch version that gives people a reason to leave the house on a Sunday. The room has bar seating for solo meals and enough shared plates, including a whole grilled branzino, to make a group feel purposeful. Vancouver Magazine handed it gold for both Best New and Best Italian in the same year, which is the restaurant equivalent of a very good report card.
The awards
- Air Canada Air Canada: 2024 · Finalist · Best New Restaurants
- Vancouver Magazine Vancouver Magazine: 2025 · Gold Medal · Restaurant Awards: Best New
- Vancouver Magazine Vancouver Magazine: 2024 · Restaurant Awards: Bartender and Sommelier of the Year
- Air Canada 2024 · Finalist · Best New Restaurants
- Vancouver Magazine 2025 · Gold Medal · Restaurant Awards: Best New
- Vancouver Magazine 2024 · Restaurant Awards: Bartender and Sommelier of the Year
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Rank 13. Kavita
Modern Indian
Pine needles and deer lichen aren't typical pantry staples, but the chef at this modern Indian restaurant near Olympic Village uses foraged and hyper-local ingredients as the backbone of a daily-changing tasting menu. Whole spices are roasted and ground in-house, and the effect reads less as fusion than as a very specific argument about where Vancouver actually is. Canada's 100 Best listed it among the country's top restaurants for 2026.
The awards
- Canada's 100 Best Canada's 100 Best: #96 · Best Restaurants
- Vancouver Magazine Vancouver Magazine: 2026 · Silver Medal · Restaurant Awards: Best New Restaurant
- Vancouver Magazine Vancouver Magazine: 2026 · Gold Medal · Restaurant Awards: Best Indian
- Canada's 100 Best #96 · Best Restaurants
- Vancouver Magazine 2026 · Silver Medal · Restaurant Awards: Best New Restaurant
- Vancouver Magazine 2026 · Gold Medal · Restaurant Awards: Best Indian
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Rank 15. Homer St. Cafe
Contemporary American
The rotisserie chicken here gets an overnight brine before it even sees heat, which tells you something about how seriously this neighborhood restaurant takes comfort food. Chairs hung as wall art and a lively patio give the room an easygoing, slightly offbeat feel. The Michelin Guide has it selected, and Vancouver Magazine named the crew among its premier picks. Order the chicken, add a biscuit, and leave room for the cheesecake.
The awards
- Vancouver Magazine Vancouver Magazine: 2026 · Restaurant Awards: Premier Crew · Nick Bertoia
- Michelin Guide Michelin Guide: Selected Restaurant
- Golden Owl Awards Golden Owl Awards: Nominee · Best Brunch Experience
- Vancouver Magazine 2026 · Restaurant Awards: Premier Crew · Nick Bertoia
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- Golden Owl Awards Nominee · Best Brunch Experience
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Rank 15. Maxine's
French
The awards
- AAA AAA: Three Diamonds
- Vancouver Magazine Vancouver Magazine: 2026 · Restaurant Awards: Premier Crew · Nick Bertoia
- Golden Owl Awards Golden Owl Awards: Winner · Best Brunch Experience
- AAA Three Diamonds
- Vancouver Magazine 2026 · Restaurant Awards: Premier Crew · Nick Bertoia
- Golden Owl Awards Winner · Best Brunch Experience
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Rank 17. Bao Bei
Chinese
Sitting at the edge of old Chinatown, Bao Bei is a Chinese brasserie where the menu reads like classic dishes that took a very interesting detour. The chef's approach leans playful rather than reverent: mantou buns packed with braised pork and miso-serrano aioli, fried rice built around bitter melon and masala-preserved mushrooms. Nothing here is trying to be traditional, and it doesn't pretend otherwise. The Michelin Guide has selected it.
The awards
- AAA AAA: Three Diamonds
- Air Canada Air Canada: 2010 · Top 10 · Best New Restaurants
- Michelin Guide Michelin Guide: Selected Restaurant
- AAA Three Diamonds
- Air Canada 2010 · Top 10 · Best New Restaurants
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
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Rank 17. Blue Water Cafe
Seafood
The awards
- AAA AAA: Four Diamonds
- Vancouver Magazine Vancouver Magazine: 2026 · Silver Medal · Restaurant Awards: Best Seafood
- Vancouver Magazine Vancouver Magazine: 2024 · Silver Medal · Restaurant Awards: Best Seafood
- AAA Four Diamonds
- Vancouver Magazine 2026 · Silver Medal · Restaurant Awards: Best Seafood
- Vancouver Magazine 2024 · Silver Medal · Restaurant Awards: Best Seafood
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Rank 17. Giardino
Italian
The awards
- AAA AAA: Three Diamonds
- Vancouver Magazine Vancouver Magazine: 2025 · Restaurant Awards: Premier Crew · Bobby Copiak
- Vancouver Magazine Vancouver Magazine: 2026 · Restaurant Awards: Hall of Fame · Umberto Menghi
- AAA Three Diamonds
- Vancouver Magazine 2025 · Restaurant Awards: Premier Crew · Bobby Copiak
- Vancouver Magazine 2026 · Restaurant Awards: Hall of Fame · Umberto Menghi
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Rank 20. Chang ‘An
Shaanxi
The Peking duck here requires a phone call to reserve, then arrives tableside in a cloud of flambéed rum, carved to order, with the carcass reborn as soup or a peppery stir-fry for the finale. This Shaanxi restaurant on Granville pairs that theater with biang biang noodles, roast lamb, and waterfront views. A Michelin Selected pick, it draws a crowd that planned ahead and dressed for the occasion.
The awards
- Chinese Restaurant Awards Chinese Restaurant Awards: #2 · Elite 30 Canada
- Michelin Guide Michelin Guide: Selected Restaurant
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Rank 20. Chinatown BBQ
Barbecue
Roast duck and char siu hang lacquered in the window on East Pender, which is all the sign Chinatown BBQ really needs. It's a casual Cantonese barbecue spot with vintage art on the walls, a lazy Susan in the middle of the table, and regulars who look like they've never once consulted the menu. The barbecue pork travels well in a takeout box, but the room has its own pull. The barbecue goose, a chef's recipe, requires two days' notice.
The awards
- Chinese Restaurant Awards Chinese Restaurant Awards: #28 · Elite 30 Canada
- Vancouver Magazine Vancouver Magazine: 2025 · Restaurant Awards: Premier Crew · Jason Ye
- Vancouver Magazine Vancouver Magazine: 2025 · Silver Medal · Restaurant Awards: Best Casual
- Chinese Restaurant Awards #28 · Elite 30 Canada
- Vancouver Magazine 2025 · Restaurant Awards: Premier Crew · Jason Ye
- Vancouver Magazine 2025 · Silver Medal · Restaurant Awards: Best Casual
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The awards
- Air Canada Air Canada: 2024 · Finalist · Best New Restaurants
- Golden Owl Awards Golden Owl Awards: Winner · New Venue of the Year
- Golden Owl Awards Golden Owl Awards: Nominee · Best Cocktail Experience
- Air Canada 2024 · Finalist · Best New Restaurants
- Golden Owl Awards Winner · New Venue of the Year
- Golden Owl Awards Nominee · Best Cocktail Experience
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Rank 23. Ask For Luigi
Pasta Italian
A 32-seat corner pasta spot in the Rail District that feels more like a borrowed cabin than a restaurant. The portions here are sized for sharing, which is good, because ordering one dish each and then making eyes at your neighbour's plate gets old fast. Pappardelle with duck ragu, bigoli with shellfish, meatballs that show up unannounced and dare you to finish everything else after. The Italian wine list is short and well-chosen.
The awards
- Air Canada Air Canada: 2014 · Finalist · Best New Restaurants
- Michelin Guide Michelin Guide: Selected Restaurant
- The Infatuation The Infatuation: The Best Restaurants In Vancouver
- Air Canada 2014 · Finalist · Best New Restaurants
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- The Infatuation The Best Restaurants In Vancouver
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Rank 23. Chupito
Mexican
A covered outdoor taqueria on Yukon Street that feels like someone smuggled a great Mexico City back-alley spot into a Vancouver residential neighbourhood. The Mexican cooking leans a little ambitious, and the cocktail program punches well above the taqueria average. A Michelin Bib Gourmand, and the kind of place regulars quietly hope you won't find out about.
The awards
- Michelin Guide Michelin Guide: Bib Gourmand
- Vancouver Magazine Vancouver Magazine: 2025 · Restaurant Awards: Bartender of the Year · Tara Davies
- Vancouver Magazine Vancouver Magazine: 2026 · Silver Medal · Restaurant Awards: Best Latin American
- Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand
- Vancouver Magazine 2025 · Restaurant Awards: Bartender of the Year · Tara Davies
- Vancouver Magazine 2026 · Silver Medal · Restaurant Awards: Best Latin American
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Rank 23. Landmark Hot Pot
Chinese
The awards
- Chinese Restaurant Awards Chinese Restaurant Awards: #4 · Elite 30 Canada
- Vancouver Magazine Vancouver Magazine: 2026 · Honourable Mention · Restaurant Awards: Best Chinese
- Chinese Restaurant Awards #4 · Elite 30 Canada
- Vancouver Magazine 2026 · Honourable Mention · Restaurant Awards: Best Chinese
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Rank 23. Phnom Penh
Vietnamese
Lines form before the doors open at this cash-only Chinatown institution, which has been running Vietnamese and Cambodian food out of the same room forever. The menu stretches to nearly a hundred dishes, but regulars navigate straight to the beef luc lac, the salt-pepper-sugar wings, and a plate of thinly sliced raw beef in pineapple fish sauce that sounds odd until it arrives. It holds a Michelin Bib Gourmand.
The awards
- Michelin Guide Michelin Guide: Bib Gourmand
- Eater Eater: The 38 Best Restaurants in Vancouver
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Rank 23. Seaport City Seafood
Chinese
You climb a flight of stairs off Cambie to find white tablecloths, chandeliers, and a wall of pristine fish tanks keeping watch over the room. It's an upscale dim sum shop drawing the kind of crowd that irons its shirts, but the Michelin Bib Gourmand signals the menu won't punish your wallet the way the setting implies. The kitchen plays dim sum mostly traditional, with occasional detours that actually make sense.
The awards
- Michelin Guide Michelin Guide: Bib Gourmand
- Vancouver Magazine Vancouver Magazine: 2024 · Honourable Mention · Restaurant Awards: Best New
- Vancouver Magazine Vancouver Magazine: 2026 · Bronze Medal · Restaurant Awards: Best Chinese
- Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand
- Vancouver Magazine 2024 · Honourable Mention · Restaurant Awards: Best New
- Vancouver Magazine 2026 · Bronze Medal · Restaurant Awards: Best Chinese
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Rank 28. PiDGiN
Pan-Asian
Local artwork and soft industrial lighting set the tone at this city-chic fine dining room in Gastown, where the kitchen plays with combinations that have no business working as well as they do. The menu runs à la carte or as a tasting menu, with a vegetarian version available, and the cooking leans into unlikely pairings with enough confidence that the surprises land. A Michelin Selected restaurant, and one diners tend to return to.
The awards
- Air Canada Air Canada: 2013 · Top 10 · Best New Restaurants
- Michelin Guide Michelin Guide: Selected Restaurant
- Eater Eater: The 38 Best Restaurants in Vancouver
- Air Canada 2013 · Top 10 · Best New Restaurants
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- Eater The 38 Best Restaurants in Vancouver
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The blackboard menu changes with the season and the chefs' mood, which keeps the Powell Street regulars coming back to see what's new. This casual fine dining spot leans hard into local ingredients and pun-heavy dish names, so brace for something like "Straight Outta Kombu" before a plate that outpaces the joke. The cocktails are worth starting with. A Michelin Selected Restaurant doing real work in a neighborhood that doesn't demand it.
The awards
- Michelin Guide Michelin Guide: Selected Restaurant
- The Infatuation The Infatuation: The Best Restaurants In Vancouver
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Rank 30. Ophelía
Mexican
Stunning murals and colorful carvings make Ophelía one of the more visually lively rooms in Olympic Village. It's a modern Mexican restaurant where the chef cooks pan-regional dishes rooted in family tradition, and the kitchen's Oaxacan mole blanco has a way of making a strong case for itself. Book ahead, because the place is always packed, and the outdoor patio fills fast on any decent evening.
The awards
- Michelin Guide Michelin Guide: Selected Restaurant
- Eater Eater: The 38 Best Restaurants in Vancouver
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Rank 31. Dosanko
Yoshoku-Style Japanese
The awards
- Vancouver Magazine Vancouver Magazine: 2025 · Restaurant Awards: Premier Crew · Akiyo Lowey
- Eater Eater: The 38 Best Restaurants in Vancouver
- Vancouver Magazine Vancouver Magazine: 2024 · Honourable Mention · Restaurant Awards: Best Casual Japanese
- Vancouver Magazine 2025 · Restaurant Awards: Premier Crew · Akiyo Lowey
- Eater The 38 Best Restaurants in Vancouver
- Vancouver Magazine 2024 · Honourable Mention · Restaurant Awards: Best Casual Japanese
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Tealights flickering against brassware and the low pulse of Moroccan music set the tone before you've ordered a thing. This intimate Yaletown restaurant tucks diners into nooks so cozy that a full house still feels like a private dinner, and the kitchen makes it hard to rush: flambéed dishes arrive tableside, belly dancers appear on weekends, and the chicken pastilla, crisp phyllo dusted with cinnamon and powdered sugar, keeps drawing people back.
The awards
- Michelin Guide Michelin Guide: Selected Restaurant
- Vancouver Magazine Vancouver Magazine: 2025 · Gold Medal · Restaurant Awards: Best African and Diaspora
- Vancouver Magazine Vancouver Magazine: 2026 · Gold Medal · Restaurant Awards: Best African and Diaspora
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- Vancouver Magazine 2025 · Gold Medal · Restaurant Awards: Best African and Diaspora
- Vancouver Magazine 2026 · Gold Medal · Restaurant Awards: Best African and Diaspora
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The awards
- Eater Eater: The 38 Best Restaurants in Vancouver
- Golden Owl Awards Golden Owl Awards: Nominee · Best Patio Experience
- Vancouver Magazine Vancouver Magazine: 2026 · Editors’ Choice · Restaurant Awards: Best Patios
- Eater The 38 Best Restaurants in Vancouver
- Golden Owl Awards Nominee · Best Patio Experience
- Vancouver Magazine 2026 · Editors’ Choice · Restaurant Awards: Best Patios
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Rank 34. Fanny Bay Oyster Bar
Seafood
Fanny Bay runs its own shellfish farms, so the oysters on your tray were in the water embarrassingly recently. It's a seafood restaurant and raw bar on Cambie, a short walk from the stadiums, which explains why it fills up fast on game days. Sit at the bar and let the shucker guide you, or go for the grilled oysters, hot and bubbling with Creole butter. The Michelin Guide has it listed as a selected restaurant.
The awards
- AAA AAA: Approved
- Michelin Guide Michelin Guide: Selected Restaurant
- Vancouver Magazine Vancouver Magazine: 2025 · Honourable Mention · Restaurant Awards: Best Seafood
- AAA Approved
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- Vancouver Magazine 2025 · Honourable Mention · Restaurant Awards: Best Seafood
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The awards
- Golden Owl Awards Golden Owl Awards: Runner Up · Best Hotel Lounge Experience
- Golden Owl Awards Golden Owl Awards: Nominee · Nightclub of the Year
- James Beard Awards James Beard Awards: 2026 · Semifinalist · Outstanding Restaurateur · Elizabeth Blau - Blau + Associates
- Golden Owl Awards Runner Up · Best Hotel Lounge Experience
- Golden Owl Awards Nominee · Nightclub of the Year
- James Beard Awards 2026 · Semifinalist · Outstanding Restaurateur · Elizabeth Blau - Blau + Associates
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The awards
- James Beard Awards 2026 · Semifinalist · Outstanding Restaurateur · Elizabeth Blau - Blau + Associates
- Vancouver Magazine 2024 · Honourable Mention · Restaurant Awards: Best Steakhouses
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Rank 35. Torafuku
Japanese
Torafuku anchors itself around an open kitchen in a concrete-heavy room that's going for industrial and mostly gets there. The cooking pulls from Korea, Japan, and Taiwan, then drifts toward Europe at dinner in ways that sound odd and land well, duck rillette sitting comfortably alongside tuna tataki. Lunch is rice bowls and quick turns; evenings run longer and stranger. A Michelin Selected Restaurant, it draws a crowd happy to share the communal table with strangers.
The awards
- Air Canada Air Canada: 2016 · Finalist · Best New Restaurants
- Michelin Guide Michelin Guide: Selected Restaurant
- Vancouver Magazine Vancouver Magazine: 2025 · Honourable Mention · Restaurant Awards: Best Informal Contemporary
- Air Canada 2016 · Finalist · Best New Restaurants
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- Vancouver Magazine 2025 · Honourable Mention · Restaurant Awards: Best Informal Contemporary
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The awards
- Chinese Restaurant Awards Chinese Restaurant Awards: Top 50 Honourees · Elite 30 Canada
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Rank 38. Di Beppe
Italian
The awards
- Sprudge The Sprudge Guide To Coffee Shops In Vancouver, BC
- Golden Owl Awards Runner Up · Best Pizza Experience
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Rank 40. Black+Blue
Steakhouse
The awards
- AAA Three Diamonds
- Vancouver Magazine 2025 · Honourable Mention · Restaurant Awards: Best Steakhouses
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The awards
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Rank 41. Café Medina
Mediterranean
The line outside on weekend mornings is its own kind of landmark, and the smell of Belgian waffles from the kitchen doesn't help anyone's patience. Café Medina is a brunch spot with a Mediterranean lean, the sort of place where regulars shuffle to the counter without looking at the menu. Egg dishes carry the morning, and the orzo paella with chorizo and a fried egg on top has a way of ending the debate over what to order.
The awards
- Michelin Guide Michelin Guide: Selected Restaurant
- Golden Owl Awards Golden Owl Awards: Runner Up · Best Brunch Experience
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The awards
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The awards
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Rank 45. Acquafarina
Italian
The wood-burning ovens looming above the dining room are a clue to this upscale Italian restaurant's origin story: it was meant to be a pizzeria. The pivot to fine dining came later, and the room never quite forgot its roots, which suits everyone fine. Friendly servers keep things from getting stiff, the kitchen leans into simple preparations done well, and the enclosed patio splits the difference between a proper night out and a relaxed one.
The awards
- Michelin Guide Michelin Guide: Selected Restaurant
- Vancouver Magazine Vancouver Magazine: 2024 · Honourable Mention · Restaurant Awards: Best Upscale Italian
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- Vancouver Magazine 2024 · Honourable Mention · Restaurant Awards: Best Upscale Italian
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Rank 45. Bar Gobo
Natural Wine Bar
The cooking comes out of a kitchenette tucked behind the bar, which tells you everything about Bar Gobo's priorities. It's a natural wine bar on Union Street where the pours run exclusively from small, hip producers and the room is about as fussy as its namesake root vegetable. A short prix fixe rotates with the seasons, and the flavors land with more clarity than the setting would suggest. No attitude from the staff, despite the very correct wine list.
The awards
- Michelin Guide Michelin Guide: Selected Restaurant
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Rank 45. Per Se Social Corner
Italian
A corner spot on Homer Street that slides easily between a quick tapa and a full pasta dinner depending on what you're after. The Italian menu wanders pleasantly, from generously portioned hummus with warm flatbread to lobster and crab ravioli in a chipotle coconut milk reduction, which sounds like a fever dream but turns up on tables constantly. Slide into a side booth and plan to spend longer than you meant to.
The awards
- Michelin Guide Michelin Guide: Selected Restaurant
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Rank 45. Sushi Jin
Sushi
Six seats at the bar and two small tables make the math on reservations here pretty unforgiving. Sushi Jin is a quiet omakase counter that a lot of Vancouver hasn't found yet, which is either a shame or a favor depending on how you feel about crowds. The chef works in a traditional Japanese register with a personal edge, and the nigiri runs from delicate hirame to fatty otoro topped with Hokkaido uni. The Michelin Guide has it listed.
The awards
- Michelin Guide Michelin Guide: Selected Restaurant
- Vancouver Magazine Vancouver Magazine: 2024 · Honourable Mention · Restaurant Awards: Best Upscale Japanese
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- Vancouver Magazine 2024 · Honourable Mention · Restaurant Awards: Best Upscale Japanese
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Rank 49. Fat Mao
Thai Noodle Shop
The awards
- Vancouver Magazine Vancouver Magazine: 2025 · Gold Medal · Restaurant Awards: Best Casual
- Vancouver Magazine Vancouver Magazine: 2024 · Bronze Medal · Restaurant Awards: Best Casual
- Vancouver Magazine Vancouver Magazine: 2026 · Silver Medal · Restaurant Awards: Best Casual
- Vancouver Magazine 2025 · Gold Medal · Restaurant Awards: Best Casual
- Vancouver Magazine 2024 · Bronze Medal · Restaurant Awards: Best Casual
- Vancouver Magazine 2026 · Silver Medal · Restaurant Awards: Best Casual
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The awards
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Rank 51. Fat Mao
Thai Noodle Shop
The nham ngeaw, a tomato broth tangled with pork ribs, vermicelli, and dried red cotton tree flowers, is the kind of bowl that makes you question why you ever eat anything else. Fat Mao is a noodle shop in Chinatown serving Thai-style soups in a no-fuss room where the food does all the work. Chef Angus An keeps the menu tight and the broths deeply considered, which is a polite way of saying this place is far more serious than its vibe lets on.
The awards
- Vancouver Magazine Vancouver Magazine: 2025 · Gold Medal · Restaurant Awards: Best Casual
- Vancouver Magazine Vancouver Magazine: 2026 · Silver Medal · Restaurant Awards: Best Casual
- Vancouver Magazine 2025 · Gold Medal · Restaurant Awards: Best Casual
- Vancouver Magazine 2026 · Silver Medal · Restaurant Awards: Best Casual
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The awards
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The coffee shop that bloomed from an architecture firm's rose-petal vision sits beside Emily Carr University, which tells you something about the crowd. Inside, birch plywood and a fabric fin installation dropping from the ceiling give it the feel of a gallery that also pulls excellent espresso. Beans are sourced from farms the team has visited in person, and pour-overs and lattes are brought to your table. The paved plaza out front fills up fast on sunny days.
The awards
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Copper pendant lights hang above the espresso bar, and behind it sits a roaster big enough to make a point. Pallet is a coffee shop with several Vancouver locations; this one on Melville draws the laptop crowd and the lingerers alike into a high-ceilinged industrial room softened by trailing plants and blown-glass lights. Single-origin long blacks are the move, and the raspberry lemon loaf holds its own.
The awards
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Copper pendant lights hang over the coffee bar, and the roastery sits right behind it, so you watch the whole operation while you order. Pallet is a bright, roomy coffee shop with high ceilings, exposed trusses, and enough varied seating that you can actually stay a while. The pastry case runs to things like raspberry lemon loaf. A long black with single-origin espresso is the move if you can't decide.
The awards
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The awards
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Rank 53. Prototype Coffee
Coffee
The entrance is buried inside a concrete-and-rust cylinder on a busy street, which sets the tone: this coffee shop rewards the curious. Inside, moss-covered walls and mirror angles that suggest stalactites make it feel like a very good cave. The team roasts in small batches on four compact roasters behind the bar and tailors drink recommendations to your flavor preferences, so let them lead. Waffle donuts rotate through glazes like pistachio spice.
The awards
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Rank 53. Small Victory
Coffee
The pain au chocolat in the glass case is close enough to the queue that resisting it becomes someone else's problem. This Yaletown coffee shop splits its identity evenly between serious cafe and in-house bakery, with pour-overs from Canadian roasters and bread baked on the premises. Wood beams, marble tables, and brass-rod geometry on the walls give it a look that earns its following of counter-sitters who never quite leave.
The awards
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The awards
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The fridges here run deep with natural, low-intervention, and unfiltered wines from B.C. and further afield, and the staff will pop a cork in your direction before you've even settled in. Bar Tartare is a wine bar tucked inside the Birds and the Beets cafe on Alexander, with a short food menu anchored by the tartare the name promises. Guest chefs rotate through on nights, so the kitchen is never quite the same twice.
The awards
- Vancouver Magazine 2026 · Editors’ Choice · Restaurant Awards: Best Wine Bars
- Eater The 38 Best Restaurants in Vancouver
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Rank 60. Dante Italian Sandwich
Italian
The awards
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The awards
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Rank 60. Japadog
Japanese
A hot dog topped with teriyaki sauce, Japanese mayo, and a strip of seaweed is either a very good idea or a very weird one, and Japadog has spent years proving it's the former. The original Burrard and Smithe cart is the one to visit, though the small chain has since grown to multiple trucks and storefronts across the city. Anthony Bourdain stopped by for the No Reservations Vancouver episode and left a convert.
The awards
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Rank 60. Sashimiya
Sushi
A grab-and-go sushi and sashimi shop where the fish is sliced to order straight from the chiller, Sashimiya is the solo project of Taka Omi, who spent years behind the counter at the Fairmont Pacific Rim's RawBar. There are no seats, which the waterfront a short walk away quietly solves. Party trays, bentos, and platters are the move, and the shop stocks Japanese grocery finds alongside the fish for good measure.
The awards
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Rank 60. Straight Brooklyn Pizza
Neapolitan Pizzeria
The thin, crispy crust is the whole argument here, and the toppings are generous enough that you won't feel nickeled. Straight Brooklyn Pizza is a New York-style slice shop with several locations around the city, spinning off from the team behind Via Tevere. Order two slices and a free house-made dip comes with them, the pesto being the one to get. Good to know if you're pre-gaming Rogers Arena or BC Place and need something fast that doesn't feel like a compromise.
The awards
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Rank 66. Nook
Italian
The awards
- Vancouver Magazine Vancouver Magazine: 2026 · Gold Medal · Restaurant Awards: Best Chain
- Vancouver Magazine Vancouver Magazine: 2025 · Gold Medal · Restaurant Awards: Best Chain
- Vancouver Magazine Vancouver Magazine: 2024 · Gold Medal · Restaurant Awards: Best Chain
- Vancouver Magazine 2026 · Gold Medal · Restaurant Awards: Best Chain
- Vancouver Magazine 2025 · Gold Medal · Restaurant Awards: Best Chain
- Vancouver Magazine 2024 · Gold Medal · Restaurant Awards: Best Chain
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Rank 66. Zoomak
Modern Korean
Zoomak calls itself a modern Korean tavern, which undersells the kitchen by a comfortable margin. The housemade kimchi alone earns its keep, showing up alongside crispy pork bossam and turning up again warm over steamed tofu. Korean fried chicken and pork belly fill out a menu where picking a favorite feels like a trap. The room is loose and friendly, the prices keep pace with the vibe, and nobody's making you feel bad for ordering another round.
The awards
- Vancouver Magazine Vancouver Magazine: 2025 · Gold Medal · Restaurant Awards: Best Korean
- Vancouver Magazine Vancouver Magazine: 2026 · Gold Medal · Restaurant Awards: Best Korean
- Vancouver Magazine Vancouver Magazine: 2024 · Silver Medal · Restaurant Awards: Best Korean
- Vancouver Magazine 2025 · Gold Medal · Restaurant Awards: Best Korean
- Vancouver Magazine 2026 · Gold Medal · Restaurant Awards: Best Korean
- Vancouver Magazine 2024 · Silver Medal · Restaurant Awards: Best Korean
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Rank 68. Casa Molina
Spanish
The awards
- Vancouver Magazine 2025 · Honourable Mention · Restaurant Awards: Best New
- Vancouver Magazine 2025 · Editor’s Choice · Restaurant Awards: Best Date Night
- Vancouver Magazine 2026 · Honourable Mention · Restaurant Awards: Best Mediterranean
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Rank 68. Cuchillo
Modern Latin American
The awards
- Vancouver Magazine 2026 · Bronze Medal · Restaurant Awards: Best Latin American
- Vancouver Magazine 2024 · Honourable Mention · Restaurant Awards: Best Latin American
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The awards
- Vancouver Magazine Vancouver Magazine: 2024 · Editors’ Choice · Restaurant Awards: Best After-Work Hang
- Vancouver Magazine Vancouver Magazine: 2026 · Silver Medal · Restaurant Awards: Best Chain
- Vancouver Magazine Vancouver Magazine: 2024 · Bronze Medal · Restaurant Awards: Best Chain
- Vancouver Magazine 2024 · Editors’ Choice · Restaurant Awards: Best After-Work Hang
- Vancouver Magazine 2026 · Silver Medal · Restaurant Awards: Best Chain
- Vancouver Magazine 2024 · Bronze Medal · Restaurant Awards: Best Chain
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The awards
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The awards
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Rank 71. Monarca
Regional Mexican
The awards
- Vancouver Magazine 2024 · Silver Medal · Restaurant Awards: Best Latin American
- Vancouver Magazine 2026 · Honourable Mention · Restaurant Awards: Best Latin American
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Rank 71. Oku Izakaya
Izakaya Japanese
The awards
- Vancouver Magazine 2025 · Honourable Mention · Restaurant Awards: Best Japanese
- Vancouver Magazine 2026 · Honourable Mention · Restaurant Awards: Best Japanese
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Rank 71. Tasty Indian Bistro
Indian
The awards
- Vancouver Magazine Vancouver Magazine: 2024 · Bronze Medal · Restaurant Awards: Best Indian
- Vancouver Magazine Vancouver Magazine: 2025 · Honourable Mention · Restaurant Awards: Best Indian
- Vancouver Magazine Vancouver Magazine: 2026 · Honourable Mention · Restaurant Awards: Best Indian
- Vancouver Magazine 2024 · Bronze Medal · Restaurant Awards: Best Indian
- Vancouver Magazine 2025 · Honourable Mention · Restaurant Awards: Best Indian
- Vancouver Magazine 2026 · Honourable Mention · Restaurant Awards: Best Indian
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The awards
- Air Canada Air Canada: 2016 · Finalist · Best New Restaurants
- Vancouver Magazine Vancouver Magazine: 2024 · Editors’ Choice · Restaurant Awards: Best Patio
- Air Canada 2016 · Finalist · Best New Restaurants
- Vancouver Magazine 2024 · Editors’ Choice · Restaurant Awards: Best Patio
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The awards
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The awards
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The awards
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The awards
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The awards
- Vancouver Magazine Vancouver Magazine: 2025 · Silver Medal · Restaurant Awards: Best Chain
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The awards
- Golden Owl Awards Golden Owl Awards: Runner Up · Best Pub Experience
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The awards
- Golden Owl Awards Golden Owl Awards: Nominee · Best Brunch Experience
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Rank 78. Locanda dell'Orso
Modern Italian
The awards
- Golden Owl Awards Golden Owl Awards: Nominee · New Venue of the Year
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Rank 78. Maruhachi Ra-men
Japanese Noodle Shop
The awards
- Vancouver Magazine Vancouver Magazine: 2024 · Honourable Mention · Restaurant Awards: Best Chain
- Vancouver Magazine Vancouver Magazine: 2025 · Honourable Mention · Restaurant Awards: Best Chain
- Vancouver Magazine 2024 · Honourable Mention · Restaurant Awards: Best Chain
- Vancouver Magazine 2025 · Honourable Mention · Restaurant Awards: Best Chain
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The awards
- Golden Owl Awards Golden Owl Awards: Nominee · Best Brunch Experience
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The awards
- Golden Owl Awards Golden Owl Awards: Winner · Best Pub Experience
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Rank 78. The London Pub
Late-Night British
The awards
- Golden Owl Awards Golden Owl Awards: Nominee · Best Pub Experience
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The awards
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The awards
- Vancouver Magazine 2025 · Honourable Mention · Restaurant Awards: Best Steakhouses
- Vancouver Magazine 2024 · Honourable Mention · Restaurant Awards: Best Steakhouses
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Rank 89. Gotham
Steakhouse
The awards
- Vancouver Magazine Vancouver Magazine: 2025 · Silver Medal · Restaurant Awards: Best Steakhouses
- Vancouver Magazine Vancouver Magazine: 2024 · Bronze Medal · Restaurant Awards: Best Steakhouses
- Vancouver Magazine 2025 · Silver Medal · Restaurant Awards: Best Steakhouses
- Vancouver Magazine 2024 · Bronze Medal · Restaurant Awards: Best Steakhouses
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The awards
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Rank 89. Hy's
Steakhouse
The awards
- Vancouver Magazine Vancouver Magazine: 2024 · Silver Medal · Restaurant Awards: Best Steakhouses
- Vancouver Magazine Vancouver Magazine: 2025 · Bronze Medal · Restaurant Awards: Best Steakhouses
- Vancouver Magazine 2024 · Silver Medal · Restaurant Awards: Best Steakhouses
- Vancouver Magazine 2025 · Bronze Medal · Restaurant Awards: Best Steakhouses
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Rank 89. Pinche Taco Shop
Mexican
The awards
- Vancouver Magazine Vancouver Magazine: 2025 · Silver Medal · Restaurant Awards: Best Chain
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Rank 89. Thai Basil
Thai
The awards
- Vancouver Magazine Vancouver Magazine: 2025 · Honourable Mention · Restaurant Awards: Best Thai
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The awards
- Air Canada Air Canada: 2009 · #1 · Best New Restaurants
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The awards
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The awards
- Golden Owl Awards Golden Owl Awards: Nominee · Best Comedy Experience
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The awards
- Golden Owl Awards Golden Owl Awards: Runner Up · Best Live Music Experience
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The awards
- Golden Owl Awards Golden Owl Awards: Nominee · Best Live Music Experience