vancouver: where to eat.

{The burger at La Brasserie. Oh yes.}

The most obvious place to start in a guide to Vancouver is food! There's A LOT of good food in Vancouver! My list won't even come close covering all the amazing choices in there are in the city but here's a comprehensive list of my favourites. As a side note: Dineout Vancouver starts this week and many of the places on my list are participating.

{I've given the restaurants a one to three dollar sign rating to signify approximate prices. Most of my choices fall into the medium cost category, though.}

Best for brunch La Brasserie $$

Vancouver is a brunch town. On the weekends people roll out of bed late, then go to brunch, so you're almost guaranteed to actually get a seat here if you go when it opens at 11. The food is French/German and the atmosphere is warm. The french toast is out of this world and they have breakfast poutine, which I definitely couldn't eat by myself! Their burger is also to die for. Don't go without an appetite.

Honourable mention Cafe Medina $$ (spectacular coffee and waffles) and Cafe Zen $ (cheap and great eggs benedict, just make sure you go before 10:30)

Best diner Argo Cafe $

The Argo is a bit of a hole-in-the-wall but is widely thought of as the best diner in Vancouver (maybe just by me). The portions are ample and the specials are inventive (and change on a daily basis). There are a lot of not so good for you options, lots of Asian dishes and lots of standard diner fare. If you're feeling decedent, the desserts are homemade! The value is some of the best anywhere. You get a free cup of soup with your meal and the prices are great. Seat yourself and pay, with cash only, at the front counter. Only open on weekdays between 7 AM and 3 PM.

Best place for a first date The Whip $$

I might be biased because this is where my manfriend and I had our first date, but I feel like it's the right mix of sort of hip and sort of classic, to make you seem cool but not too cool for a first date. (How's that for a recommendation!) The veggie burger and the edamame are pretty good and they serve beer that's brewed right down the street. 

Best place for watching hockey Luke's Corner Bar $$

Ya, you heard me. This is a new one for us (it's pretty new in Vancouver) but there is a lot of choice for food, with lots of salads that don't make you feel like you're eating salad, and good screens for watching hockey.

Honourable mentions Original Joe's (pub food and comfy couches, if you can get one) $$

Best vegetarian food Bandidas $

Bandidas has tacos that I fantasize about way more than is healthy. The restaurant is always super busy but it is worth the wait. The Camillo tacos are amazing even though you wouldn't think of walnuts as a taco filling. And they hand make their own corn tortillas, need I say more?

Honourable mentions The Naam $ (a Kits classic) and The Foundation $ (great nachos with a side of attitude: you were warned)

Best place for meat lovers Memphis Blues BBQ $$

The pulled pork is amazing here! If you're with a large group that platters give you a huge variety so that you can taste everything. Just be sure to have a lot of napkins handy.

Honourable mentions Shabusen (for all you can eat sushi and Korean BBQ) $ and Joe Fortes (for when you're feeling fancy or old school and want oysters or steak) $$$

Best cheap and cheerful La Taqueria $

This place has a great selection of tacos (I may be slightly biased towards tacos: I LOVE THEM). It's a teeny place with a cafeteria feel. Last time I was at the Cambie location, they didn't have a liquor license, just so you know.

Best atmosphere The Sandbar $$$

The food here is solid but not standout, though I wouldn't miss the oysters: the atmosphere is what does it here! The windows are huge and the space is airy, with lots of wood beams and fireplaces. The absolute best spot in the place is on the large deck under the Granville Street Bridge. It fills up pretty quickly though and they don't take reservations for the deck, so be prepared for a wait. The deck has heaters and blankets so it's open in the winter (a bit of an eco-indulgence 'cause let's face it, those heaters are not environmentally friendly).

Honourable mentions Rodney's Oyster Bar $$$ (great oysters and great atmosphere), The Boathouse, Kits location $$ (I've really only ever had drinks here but the view is totally worth it and I hear the brunch is great) and Locus $$ (the first restaurant that I went to in Vancouver: solid food and the bar looks like a tree)

Best for groups with diet restrictions Maenam $$

The vibe at Maenam is pretty laid back but modern and the service is great. The food is the real stand out though. It's incredibly good Thai food. The best way to go is with four to eight people so that you can ask the server to just bring a bunch of things that they pick for you. They can do vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free all in one meal.

Best place for cocktails The Diamond $$

A really cool space (and by cool, I mean there are quite a few hipsters in the joint) with really excellent cocktails. Beware of the Jersey. Just sayin'.

* * *

What's all this about? The answer is here.