The Mackenzie Room is a wine bar restaurant in Strathcona, Vancouver.
The Mackenzie Room on Powell in Railtown since 2014 is a heritage-room wine bar from chefs Alex Tung and Sean Reeve, BC natural list and small plates.
Why locals love it: Railtown heritage-room wine bar past the Downtown Eastside, low-lit, walk-up bar plus dining room.
Tip: Reservations on Tock for the dining room; the bar walks in for a glass and snacks.
Address: 415 Powell Street, Vancouver, BC V6A 1G7
Dachi on East Hastings since 2018 sits past the Downtown Eastside in a corner room with a 12-seat counter, Michelin Bib Gourmand 2022 in the BC guide.
Why locals love it: Counter-style izakaya tucked on East Hastings beyond the tourist strip, opens 17:00, the city's reference sake-fish counter.
Tip: Tock reservations open 30 days out; the counter walks in for the early seating.
Phnom Penh on East Georgia since 1985 runs the Cambodian and Vietnamese kitchen the city sets its bar by, plus the Michelin Bib Gourmand 2022 in BC.
Why locals love it: Chinatown counter past the heritage gate, the city's most-photographed chicken wings under $15, cash discount.
Tip: Cash takes a discount; the wings sell out by the late seating. Avoid lunchtime on Saturday.
Burdock & Co on Main Street since 2013 is chef Andrea Carlson's foraged-and-fermented kitchen, Michelin-starred in the 2022 BC guide, only 30 seats.
Why locals love it: Tiny Main Street tasting room, only 30 seats, chef Andrea Carlson's foraged-and-fermented menu rotates weekly.
Tip: Reservations on Tock open 30 days out; the bar walks in for the small-plates menu.
Salmon n' Bannock on West Broadway is Vancouver's only Indigenous-owned restaurant since 2010, run by Inez Cook, Eater Vancouver Restaurant of the Year 2023.
Why locals love it: Off the West Broadway gallery strip, Vancouver's only Indigenous-owned restaurant, Eater Restaurant of the Year 2023.
Tip: Reservations on OpenTable open 30 days out; the bar takes walk-ins for the bison and salmon plate.
Dachi on East Hastings since 2018 sits past the Downtown Eastside in a corner room with a 12-seat counter, Michelin Bib Gourmand 2022 in the BC guide.
Why locals love it: Counter-style izakaya tucked on East Hastings beyond the tourist strip, opens 17:00, the city's reference sake-fish counter.
Tip: Tock reservations open 30 days out; the counter walks in for the early seating.
Sushi Hil on Main Street is chef Daniel Kim's 8-seat omakase counter since 2019, Michelin recommended in the 2022 BC guide, the city's reference modern sushi.
Why locals love it: Tiny eight-seat counter on Main Street with a vegetable-forward kaiseki sushi format, omakase by reservation only.
Tip: Tock reservations open 30 days out at 09:00 PST and book within minutes; counter omakase only.
Kingyo Izakaya on Denman since 2008 is the reference modern izakaya hidden in a residential basement room with sliding wood doors, EnRoute top Japanese.
Why locals love it: Den-like Denman izakaya under the Robson tourist line, Vancouver Magazine top izakaya award eight years running.
Tip: Dinner books on OpenTable a week out; the chef's counter takes a separate omakase plate.
