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Niwa
Japanese
Closed weekends by design so the staff can have a life, Niwa is a small Japanese dining room on Powell Street where blonde wood, filmy lights, and a kitchen counter set a mood of deliberate calm. The chef, formerly of Le Crocodile and Farmer's Apprentice, runs a menu tied to whatever the Pacific Northwest offers right now. Pickles, rice bowls, mochi sourdough, sake, and clarified cocktails. Weekdays suddenly feel like a reward.
Two honors, in evidence:
The record strongest first
- Air Canada 2025 · Top 10 · Best New Restaurants
- Vancouver Magazine 2026 · Honourable Mention · Restaurant Awards: Best Informal Contemporary
One number, weighted & current 86
How we scoreThe dishes from the writeups
- Mochi sourdough Air Canada, 2025
Nearby in the record closest first
- Nero Tondo Farm-to-table New American Eat · 88
- Odd Society Spirits Eat · 71
- Pallet Coffee Roasters Eat · 66
- Storm Brewing Drink · 44
- Resurrection Spirits Eat · 29
- Peya Indian Eat · 62
- Red Wagon Cafe Eat · 65
- Dachi Eat · 65
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