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By Mhairri Cuthbert

Arrivals Travel

Vancouver’s appeal is wide-ranging. Whether we’re making the four hour commute to visit friends, update our closet, rock out to U2, or purely get an urban fix, it is an exciting break in our otherwise laid back Okanagan lifestyle. An integral part of the Vancouver getaway is to experience the city’s incredible dining scene.

Referenced as a ‘foodie’s fantasyland’ by USA Today, Vancouver’s exciting culinary scene offers an eclectic mix of laid-back bistros, fine dining, chic lounges, quirky coffee shops and international cuisine. Vancouver’s dining arena is continuing to evolve and adapt. With the change in economic climate over the past year, and amount of world-wide attention gained from the 2010 Olympics, Vancouver restaurants have stepped up their creative game to further improve taste, quality, experience and value. Local, seasonal ingredients and sustainable practices are also a critical component for many of the successful and celebrated Vancouver restaurants.

In an effort to help you select the perfect dining experience, we sacrificed our 2010 ‘healthy eating’ resolution and sampled our way through some of Vancouver’s finest eateries. Below are the fruits of our labour.

Champagne Brunch on a Beer Budget: Joe Fortes Seafood & Chop House

A true culinary veteran, Joe Fortes has been a household name in Vancouver for almost 25 years. The San Francisco styled seafood grill, famous for its oyster bar, elegant ambience (white linens and all), and incredible roof-top garden patio, provides a swanky setting for weekend brunch. Forgo the latte, and splurge on a mimosa while you enjoy the delicious basket of freshly baked scones and bread. If you like crab you must (must, must) order the Maryland Crab Cakes. In fact, we would recommend visiting Joe Fortes solely to order this dish as it is hands down the best crab cake we have ever tasted. Other brunch classics, such as Eggs Benny and the American Breakfast (a man meal complete with eggs, lots of meat and hash browns) are delicious, beautifully presented and start from just $12. In short, you can enjoy an incredible meal in a posh atmosphere, steps from Robson Street for the same price as a chain restaurant. Yup, we agree, it’s a no-brainer.

Share Plates. Huge Taste: Regional Tasting Lounge

Share and share alike is the theme at R.TL, one of Vancouver’s trendy new restaurants. The boutique dinning lounge offers a sexy, intimate setting to sip, savour and share your way through its global cuisine. With an ever changing menu featuring at any time three regions from around the world, you are guaranteed to reawaken your taste buds and gain a new appreciation for food. Highlights of our meal were the Va Va Voom Martinis (an R.TL signature), ‘Spikes’ (succulent skewers of duck, chicken, lamb and seafood marinated in a Moroccan spice mix and cooked to perfection), House Salad (lightly dressed in an incredible citrus vinaigrette), Seared Albacore Tuna (served with preserved lemon vinaigrette and tabouleh) and Housemade Smores (sweet, sticky and you get to play with fire). Located in the heart of Yaletown, Vancouver’s style-savvy shopping and nightlife district, R.TL is the perfect place to end your day, or start your evening. If you don’t go crazy with the Va Va Vooms (which is hard to do), a sinfully delicious meal at R.TL will cost an average of $40 per person.

Piggy Puffs and Devilled Eggs. Refuel Neighbourhood Restaurant & Bar

Housemade pork rinds, buttermilk fried chicken and devilled eggs are a few of the tasty items found on the menu at Refuel, in the West 4th shopping district of Kitsilano. Sourcing out quality local and sustainable ingredients is a priority in Refuel’s menu creation, and although it might not be the best choice if you’re starting a diet, it is definitely worth checking out. The recently renovated space has a comfortable, relaxed urban vibe that lends itself well to catching up with friends and sampling the unique, eclectic menu. Crispy Humboult Squid with green chilies and lime, Creamy Spinach, and Refuel Potatoes (a gooey, cheese-laden masterpiece) were our top picks on the savoury side. For dessert we happily settled on the Vanilla Crème Brulee with candied citrus, which was unbelievable, although the Apple and Pear Crostada with sour cream ice cream looked tempting as well (in retrospect we should have ordered both). Dinner at Refuel will start around $40 per person, but for a bargain take advantage of the early bird and late-night Burger and Beer Special for just $15.50.

Bold Spices, Big Flavours, Impressive Mussels: Chambar Belgian Restaurant

Since opening to wildly popular reviews in 2004, family owned and operated Chambar has firmly established itself as one of Vancouver’s most unique and popular dining experiences. The magic begins with the décor, which is moody, seductive and just makes you want to indulge. To whet your appetite start with the famous Blue Fig, a gin martini infused with figs and served with a side of Danish blue cheese. As the menu is continuously evolving it’s a great idea to ask your server for recommendations, however the infamous Moules Frites (mussels and fries) paired with a bottle of Chambar Ale should definitely make an appearance at your table. Other favourites of ours include Les Coquilles St. Jacques (seared scallops, smoked pork & pickled green beans) and Canard Aux Epices (spice rubbed duck breast, butternut squash puree, caramelized apples & whipped goat cheese). A meal at Chambar will cost around $50 per person and, as it’s within walking distance from GM Place, is a more elegant and yummier alternative to overpriced concert hotdogs and warm game beer.

Perfect Italian: Cin Cin
Dining at Cin Cin is heavenly. Somehow the chaos surrounding everyday life is halted the moment you climb the marble stairs off Robson Street and enter the romantic Tuscan-inspired dining room. The restaurant’s extensive wine list and seasonally focused contemporary Italian menu are sure to awaken the gourmand in you and have you drooling before the bread arrives. Rather than tiptoe around Cin Cin’s incredible array of dishes, we’d prefer to simply recommend our amazing (delicious, incredible, wonderful) meal. Starter: Saltimbocca (wild prawns wrapped in prosciutto). Mid Course: White Truffle Gnocchi with black trumpet mushrooms. Second Courses: Scallops with chorizo, beans and cardoons in a Madeira reduction and Duo of Beef (braised short ribs and alder wood grilled tenderloin). Dessert (made onsite by famed pastry chef Thierry Busset): Amarena Crème Brulee, Chocolate Éclair and Coffee Macaroon. A tasting tour of Italy starts around $60 per person and, with no time change or passport required, is well worth it.

Each of the restaurants we visited on our edible tour is passionate and committed to the experience of food and offers a unique and unforgettable setting for a romantic meal, or intimate gathering of friends.

If you’re looking for accommodation in Vancouver, and overwhelmed by choice, we recommend Moda Hotel as a funky and inexpensive option (starts from $89 per night). The boutique hotel’s heritage building has been redesigned with a modern, contemporary feel and is within walking distance to Robson Street and Yaletown. If you’d prefer to splurge, and lap up the luxury, the Shangri-La Vancouver is perfect (sigh). Beds that embrace you, heated floors in the spa-inspired ensuite, in-room espresso, surround sound for your iPod, mood lighting and automated window coverings (who needs to get out of bed to draw the curtains?) are a few of the treasures waiting for you in this private oasis. You’ll pay a little more for these conveniences (rooms start from $230 per night), but we promise it’s worth it. The Shangri-La is also home to the world-renowned Market Restaurant by Jean Georges (Vancouver’s newest hotspot), and is only a block from Robson Street.

This entry was posted on Saturday, January 30th, 2010 at 10:00 am and is filed under Arrivals Travel, Travel. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.