One of the city’s hardest working chefs, Angus An has five other spots dotted across the city, including Fat Mao, which serves blissful noodles in Chinatown and Downtown, as well as Longtail Kitchen and Sen Pad Thai. But if you only have time to visit one of his restaurants, go for Maenam, where you can drool over An’s deft balancing act of sweet, aromatic, citrusy, hot, and spicy flavors in great Thai dishes with B.C. twists. Walk-ins are welcome in the lounge for an a la carte dinner, but it’s worth it to book the chef’s menu, a bargain at $88 ($65 USD) per person for 11 dishes served family style. Lunch sets are also a terrific value, with a choice of main, soup, salad, and rice for $24-28 ($18-21 USD).

Sure the aisles are packed with wide-eyed Instagrammers at this popular tourist destination, but there are some jewels to be found here to assemble a superb picnic for watching the boats and paddle boarders on False Creek. Take your pick from delights such as pickled headcheese, succulent mortadella, and punchy salami at the Oyama Sausage Co, then head to Terra Bread to pick up some focaccia or baguettes before stocking up on local Salt Spring Island cheeses at Benton Brothers and fresh doughnuts at Lee’s.

Take a 20-minute trip on the Skytrain from downtown to the neighboring city of Richmond, which Eater’s former roving critic, Bill Addison, called “one of the cultural marvels of North America” for having some of the finest Asian food in the world. At this award-winning favorite, the dim sum is handmade by chef-owner May Chau, who focuses on Hong Kong classics: steamed pork and crab dumplings, pan-fried pork buns, and deep-fried wontons — all must-orders.

Serving up excellent daily brunch, happy hour, and dinner menus, Maxine’s has been doing a roaring trade with locals since opening in 2021. The sister restaurant to Homer Street and Tableau has already established itself as part of the Westender dining canon, as the weekend queues attest. Crowds come for generously portioned smoked salmon rosti, a gloriously messy smash burger, and the on-point cocktail and wine list. Hang out on the sun-trap patio and watch the world race past on Burrard Street, or settle into a comfy booth and graze your way from day to night.

Sashimiya opened in 2020, tucked away on the bottom of Hornby Street. The ultra-casual, entirely sustainable, grab-and-go sushi and sashimi shop is sushi master chef Taka Omi’s first solo spot after leaving the Fairmont Pacific Rim’s RawBar. Fish can be sliced to order for sashimi from the chillers, and a host of Japanese grocery goodies are on offer too. There are no seats, so take your exquisitely made party trays, platters, and bentos down to the waterfront to enjoy picnic-style, or order for delivery.

Since Vancouver’s food trucks were legalized a decade ago, they’ve enjoyed a rollercoaster ride through fads and fortunes. Favorites have come and gone, as the ranks of dozens have slimmed to a handful; much-loved trucks such as Soho Road, the Kaboom Box, and (Eater 38 long-stay) Top Rope Birria have rolled off the road. But elder statesman Japadog abides. It’s always worth checking one of the six food truck locations (including one parked at the airport) and four stores, especially the original at the junction of Burrard Street and Smithe Street. Snap up one of the signature all-beef Terimayo dogs with teriyaki sauce, Japanese mayo, and seaweed to see why the brand has lasted the course. Anthony Bourdain loved this budget treat on the No Reservations Vancouver episode, noting wisely, “If life has taught us anything, it’s to eat meat in tube form.”

Open till midnight seven nights a week and conveniently located a stone’s throw from most downtown hotels, Thierry makes for the perfect late-night solo adventure or dessert date. Delicate buttery lemon tarts, decadent rum-soaked savarins, crumbly sea salt butter cookies, and lavishly decorated cakes are on offer. There’s always a tempting array of seasonal treats, especially during Okanagan peach season, and plenty for gluten-free diners too. The ganache-filled, hand-made chocolates make for great gifts — if you can manage not to nibble them yourself.

Dynasty boasts twinkling chandeliers, views over the city from its first-floor perch on West Broadway, and, thanks to chef Sam Leung, some of the city’s best modern Chinese food. Open daily from 10 a.m. for dim sum, its standouts are the buttery barbecue pork cha siu bao with baked lemon, and the silky, wafer-thin dumplings stuffed with fresh shrimp, scallops, and black truffles. Dinner features a “24-hours notice” menu, with Cantonese delights such as mushroom-braised duck. Service skews more efficient than hospitable, but the food easily makes up for it.

Thankfully, the Covid-era patio remains at this ever-popular Yaletown neighborhood rotisserie cafe and bar, offering the chance to bask in the sun as you consider decent European wine picks, some of the city’s most consistently excellent roast chicken, and tasty sides. Inside, watch the handsome red Rotisol Grande Flamme Olympia rotisserie spit-roast perfect, free-range chickens and other proteins, and briefly ponder whether you should give in to the Full Monty (a waistband-tightening set menu that carves through some of Homer Street’s favorites). Ponder no more — of course you should.

It would be easy to miss Bacaro, tucked away on the ground floor of the Fairmont Pacific Rim hotel behind Giovane Caffè. Head to the back of the room and you’ll be rewarded with a thrilling menu of surprisingly affordable aperitivo snacks. Drawing inspiration from Venice’s bacari and cicchetti bars, which serve wine and small plates, the restaurant offers items starting at $4 such as an anchovy and chive butter crostini or whipped salt cod with grilled polenta; during aperitivo hour (3 - 6 p.m.), every drink comes with a free cicchetti. There are also superb pastas (the flower-like sbocciare is both Instagrammable and unmissable), house-made and imported salumi, seafood, and a comprehensive vermouth menu, plus a spritz-heavy cocktail list. Bacaro is close to many of the city’s primo attractions and the waterfront, and it’s open all day from 11:30 a.m.

Born in French Guiana and raised in a Chinese family, chef Remi Ho’s business began as a pop-up in 2019 and has blossomed through enthusiastic industry word-of-mouth to a sleekly stylish tiny Asian-French patisserie just a few steps from the bustle of Cambie Street. Make sure you arrive early or order online for pick-up to ensure you secure popular treats, such as the to-die-for, buttery, crispy salted egg yolk financier and the pillow-soft black sesame-stuffed mochi.

Chef Vikram Vij is a huge star, with a stint as an investor on the reality show for aspiring entrepreneurs Dragon’s Den and a national range of prepackaged gourmet frozen curries to his name. In partnership with chef Meeru Dhalwala, Vij has created a fine dining Indian restaurant where you can feast on ambrosial curries utilizing local ingredients and hand-ground spices, paired with B.C. wines and funky cocktails. Pre-pandemic, the queue for a table might have included luminaries such as ex-Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau or Harrison Ford, but now you can make a reservation and skip the wait. Don’t miss the lamb popsicles.

Don’t be intimidated by the dramatic entryway with dripping wax candelabras. Ophelia is a very welcoming modern Mexican spot with notably great service in the often-overlooked Olympic Village part of the city. Come for the solid margarita program (especially for Margarita Monday deals) and on-point creative cocktails in a busy room decorated with folk art. Stay for the excellent skirt steak tacos with roasted bone marrow and deliciously complex burned salsa, or the popular weekend brunch with punchy chilaquiles. Don’t skip the tres leches with pistachio crumble and lime-infused whipped cream.

Pidgin seamlessly blends the bounty of the Pacific Northwest with French techniques and Asian influences. Although the place is perfect for bar snacks — the gochujang chicken wings are the best in the city — and genuinely thrilling for creative cocktails with ingredients such as toasted rice rum and gunpowder tea gomme, go with the prix fixe, which offers exceptional value with seven inventive mini courses 89 Canadian dollars (about $66) per person. Whisky and sake fans will love the selection, and the wine list offers global gems too.

On the search for a superb ooey-gooey smash burger and great beers? Look no further than the very excellent Kapow Burger, based at the equally splendid Electric Bicycle Brewing, which is tucked away in the funky ex-warehouse district of Mount Pleasant. Choose from six, piled-high burgers (including a chicken burger and a vegetarian sweet potato version) topped with items like pickled jalapenos and crispy bacon. The Kapow with fried onions and cheese is gloriously messy, and it pairs perfectly with a generous serving of tater tots doused in cheese and the Big Mac-like Kapow sauce. In the brewery, pick from an array of on-tap regulars (the Atomic Jam Raspberry Sour is rightly a house favorite) and fruity, bright, seasonal specials.

After the much-loved Juice Bar shuttered in October, long-time server Lindsay Otto took over and re-opened the place as Bar Tartare. Located in the same space as the popular Birds and the Beets cafe, the bar stocks its fridges with unfined, unfiltered, natural, and low-intervention wines from B.C. and beyond. Expect knowledgeable servers to cheerily exclaim “Try this!” as they pop corks (or unscrew caps). Given the bar’s name, you’ll have to try the tartare (the bison is superb, with plenty of zingy flavor and crunchy textures), but check out nightly specials from the rotating crew of guest chefs.

Chef Gus Stieffenhofer-Brandson and team are unstoppable juggernauts, scooping up every prize, from a Michelin star in the city’s inaugural awards to the No. 1 spot in Canada’s 100 Best Restaurants in 2022. You’ll need to plan far in advance (reservations open 60 days ahead and sell out in a few hours) or eat at 5 p.m. to discover what alchemy is afoot here, but it would be churlish to leave Published off the list just because it’s challenging to get a seat. At $165 ($123 USD) plus tax and tip, the superb tasting menu is one of the most expensive in the city. If you’re on a budget, you can still dive into the playfully experimental dishes by going a la carte or picking up a snack at the bar. Just try not to fall in love with any menu items, as dishes switch up often.

Suyo gathers the talents of Peruvian ex-Ancora chef Ricardo Valverde, award-winning ex-Botanist bartender Max Curzon-Price, and front of house veteran James Reynolds. The Main Street restaurant’s menu is a lot like its crack team: Exceptionally good ingredients add up to an even greater whole. Hotly anticipated — and immediately packed since opening in summer 2022 — Suyo’s modern take on Peruvian cuisine looks, tastes, and smells radically different from anything else in the city right now. That all comes at a cost, with mains around the $50-60 mark. Splurge if you can, or stop by the small bar to enjoy imaginative cocktails inspired by the peoples and landscapes of Peru, accompanied by sublime charred octopus and zingingly fresh ceviche.

Chambar alumna Tannis Ling combined forces with chef Joël Watanabe, who brings his Corsican-Japanese heritage to this popular Chinatown restaurant. It may look like a hipster take on a Chinese brasserie, but the sound of woks crashing in the kitchen speaks to its traditional techniques. Sharing plates are pleasingly well-sized and the cocktails thoughtfully crafted, and — because it’s Vancouver — all meat is local and ethically raised, hormone- and chemical-free. Don’t miss local legend Helen’s delicate hand-made potstickers and dumplings — she makes hundreds of perfect dumplings each day — and the appropriately named Kick Ass House-Fried Rice.

For years, if you wanted to eat at this stylish, locals’ Vietnamese spot on Main, you’d have to queue. In a pandemic pivot, Anh and Chi began accepting reservations, bookable with a $10 charity donation. Everything on the menu is bursting with fresh flavors and perfectly balanced in terms of spice and heat. Portions are wildly generous, so order everything for the table. Must-orders include custardy bánh khot prawn cakes wrapped in crispy rice and the fun, finger-licking DIY platter of khay bánh hỏi lụi nướng. It’s worth considering takeout, which gives you access to the very good wine list at 50 percent off.

Industry veterans opened this much-anticipated, neighborhood tapas bar to rave reviews in late 2018, bagging the coveted No. 2 spot on Air Canada enRoute’s Best New Restaurant of the Year list in 2019, along with every local award going. It’s no wonder, given Cómo delivers a truly delicious experience including on-tap vermouth and bone-dry fino sherry, free tapas at the bar during happy hour with a drink purchase (4-5 p.m.), superb hard cheeses, and crisp patatas bravas striped with mayo and spicy tomato sauce. The room is loud and friendly, with efficient cheery service, and although you can make reservations for the rest of the room, the patio is open first come, first served. Enjoy a brief trip to Spain at the handsome bar before heading back out to Vancouver.

Bar Susu began as a pop-up, then became permanent, and is now back to popping up again, after a fire tore through the restaurant space. Fortunately, as part of the Boxset Collective family (which includes Published on Main), Susu has taken over the evening slot at the team’s Novella Coffee Bar. The gorgeous room plays host to Published’s chef Gus Stieffenhofer-Brandson, who creates a menu that wanders from pan-European to pan-Asian (aonori, caperberries, and bruschetta all feature at various points). Alongside are an ever-changing array of low-intervention wines, amari, cocktails, and vermouth, all procured by dialed-in wine director Brittany Hoorne.

Kissa Tanto scored a Michelin star in Vancouver’s inaugural awards. The pitch-perfect pairing of Japanese and Italian cuisines comes together in a funky, second-storey space in Chinatown, a few steps away from the restaurant’s sister crowd-pleaser, Bao Bei. The menu is small enough to make you want to order everything: the exquisite pasta made in-house; the showstopping whole fish served fins and all, which arrives puffed, hot, and crisp from the fryer along with a daikon-soy dipping sauce; a deceptively simple salad seamlessly fusing kombu dashi and pecorino. Reservations are essential.

Since opening in summer 2017 under the experienced hand of chef J.C. Poirier, an alum of Montreal’s Toqué, St Lawrence in Japantown has been one of the city’s toughest reservations to score, and it’s only become more difficult since the restaurant received a Michelin star. Stepping through the velvet curtain into the small dining room, you leave behind Vancouver and its passion for clean, fresh, lean cuisine, and dive into a delicious butter-hosed world where old-school French technique meets Québecois cuisine. The music, wine list, and staff are (mostly) French, and the $148 ($109 USD) tasting menu (now the only option) groans with decadent treats. You’ll need to prepay in order to secure a reservation, but even with the upfront outlay, add any possible delicious extras once you’re seated and hang the consequences.

It was already a Vancouver tradition to join the queues outside this well-priced Vietnamese Cambodian spot in Chinatown — but then the restaurant scored a Michelin Bib Gourmand and the demand has only intensified. The menu is enormous, so save yourself from the agonies of choice and order the deep-fried crunchy chicken wings (with an amazing dipping sauce), the Instagram-ready platter of thit bò butter beef, and the beef lúc lắc with egg and rice. And yeah, okay, maybe some garlic squid too. Pro-tip: Wear comfy shoes for the line.

You’ll find some of the city’s very best pasta at this wildly tempting wine bar/cafe/grocery on Commercial Drive, in a neighborhood that’s enjoying something of a renaissance, partly thanks to a strong pandemic-era patio culture. There are a trio of menus to take you from brunch through aperitivo hour and dinner. The overstuffed muffuletta sandwich is a must-order, as is the superb agnolotti stuffed with chicken and pork in glossy, buttery roasting juices, topped with crispy sage. Italian wines, spritzes, and amari (try a flight) round out the full experience. Pick up house-made sauces, breads, sauces, and pastas to prepare at home from the grocery section, where you can also browse imported olive oils, bottled cocktails, amarena cherries, and other enticing pantry items.

Distilling is still something of a new art in B.C. thanks to its antiquated, post-prohibition booze laws, which only got a refresh in 2013. Odd Society joined the first wave of new distilleries, and it has remained a must-visit and one of the most consistent producers of craft spirits, including gin, vodka, vermouth, and whisky. Check out the cute cocktail lounge at their East Van distillery, located in a converted motorbike garage, and road-test a few spirits before heading out to explore the many neighboring breweries of “Yeast Van.”

A crisp fall afternoon is perfect for people-watching on Havana’s spacious patio on the Drive. Alongside a comprehensive list of rum, mezcal, and tequila drinks, this cheerful locals’ institution has some of the city’s best nonalcoholic cocktails (the salted cucumber “margarita” is especially good) to accompany fried plantain chips and chunky guacamole. The twice-daily happy hours, packed-out brunch (free pancakes for kids 8 and under till 11 a.m.), and well-priced menu of Latin American staples, which ranges from tacos to Cubanaos, have made this a rightly popular spot for almost 30 years.