Dine Out Vancouver: Upscale restaurants for serious foodies
Tourism Vancouver’s annual Dine Out Vancouver Festival is back this winter from January 19th to February 4th. The 17-day culinary event provides foodies with a great opportunity to eat at Vancouver’s most acclaimed restaurants for less. If you want an upscale meal in an elegant setting, these high-end spots deliver a great bang for your buck. [Photo courtesy of YEW Seafood + Bar]
Chambar Restaurant
568 Beatty St, Vancouver BC V6B 2L3Sampling the heavenly moules frites at Chambar is a rite of passage for Vancouver fine-dining fans. The restaurant has earned critical acclaim for its striking decor, memorable menu – which combines Belgian and North African flavours – and fine wine selection, but manages to maintain an unpretentious atmosphere that welcomes families, well-heeled clientele and sports fans alike. For the Dine Out festival, Chambar has created an elegant three-course menu and the aforementioned mussels will be available in two styles: Congolaise (tomato, coconut cream and smoked chili) or Vin Blanc (white wine, butter, celery and leeks).
Ancora Waterfront Dining and Patio - False Creek
1600 Howe Street, Vancouver BC V6Z 2L9Unlike some of the more casual tourist traps that line Vancouver’s well-travelled seawall, Ancora is exceedingly elegant in terms of its decor and cuisine. A sophisticated dining room is bright and airy, and punctuated with subtle nautical blues and soft, contemporary design features. In keeping with the restaurant’s waterfront locale, the menu focuses on high-quality, sustainable seafood while incorporating unique Japanese and Peruvian influences. Choices on the $40 Dine Out dinner menu include albacore tuna taviche, Pacific lingcod, braised beef short rib and more.
Yew Seafood + Bar
791 Georgia St W, Vancouver BC V6C 2T4The iconic Four Seasons restaurant, Yew Seafood + Bar, incorporates Mediterranean and Asian influences in their coastal, seafood-forward menu. During Dine Out, seafood fans will have the chance to savour dishes such as scallop minestrone, tiger prawn ceviche and steelhead salmon. Landlubbers will be pleased to hear there’s also a braised short rib option on deck.
Aburi Restaurant
1118 Mainland St, Vancouver BC V6B 2T9We’ll forgive you for Instagramming the colourful rolls on the table during a night out at Minami – these mouth-watering morsels are worth sharing with your followers. Best of all, the high-quality Ocean Wise certified sushi tastes as good as it looks. Like its sister restaurant – the much-acclaimed Miku in Coal Harbour – this chic Yaletown restaurant specializes in Aburi-style sushi, which means oshi, rolls and nigiri are flame-seared using a blowtorch and bamboo charcoal to deliver a distinct smoky flavour. The chef’s signature sushi selections are on offer on both the lunch ($30) and dinner ($40) menus during Dine Out.
Vij's
3106 Cambie Street, Vancouver BC V5Z 2W2With celebrity restaurateur Vikram Vij at the helm, an outstanding all-female Punjabi kitchen staff, dozens of industry awards and a beautiful location on Cambie Street, Vij’s is definitely a must-try at this year’s Dine Out festival – if you can get a table of course. The three-course $40 dinner menu will feature the same Indian fusion flavours that have attracted nightly line-ups here since day one. Just as stunning as the food is the jewel-toned dining space, which is bathed in a warm glow thanks to gracious servers and the eye-catching paper lanterns strung from the ceiling.
Coast
1054 Alberni St, Vancouver BC V6E 1A3Extravagant seafood towers and suit-clad investment bankers are a common sight at this upmarket spot on Alberni Street. The tiny downtown dining room features stylish seating and a striking 20-foot circular bar in the centre of the two-tiered space. The $40 Dine Out menu features an appetizer, entrée and dessert. Choices range from classic seafood staples like sushi to Asian-influenced options like pork chop tonkatsu. Finish it all off with a banana coconut cake.
L'Abattoir Office
242-209 Carrall St, Vancouver BC V6B 2J2The somewhat gruesome name hints at the meaty delights on the menu at this much-lauded dining room. Housed in a 19th century heritage space on the site of Vancouver’s first jail, L’Abattoir is renowned for its sophisticated nose-to-tail gastronomy and handcrafted cocktails (Don Draper would approve), and is a must-try for serious foodies. Visit the industrial chic dining room during Dine Out to sample three courses of delectable French-influenced West Coast cuisine, with standout dishes like Arctic char and foie gras parfait.
West Restaurant + Bar
2881 Granville St, Vancouver BC V6H 3J4West is a venerable institution along the South Granville strip. Impeccable hospitality and an elegant dining room – complete with a long cherry wood bar and handsome leather dining chairs – give the restaurant an Old World feel. Dine Out patrons can expect beautifully plated contemporary dishes that feature heirloom veggies, sustainable seafood, and meats sourced from local B.C. farms. The chefs have cultivated relationships with regional suppliers – even offering an extensive list to curious diners on the restaurant’s website.
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