Boulevard Kitchen & Oyster Bar at the Sutton Place Hotel under executive chef Roger Ma runs Vancouver's reference oyster bar plus a wood-fired Pacific menu.
Signature dishes: Seafood tower, Pacific oysters, Wood-fired plates
Must order: The seafood tower for two with a flight of BC oysters from Read Island and Fanny Bay.
Tip: The oyster bar walks in nightly; the dining room books two weeks out through OpenTable.
Address: 845 Burrard Street, Vancouver, BC V6Z 2K6
St Lawrence on Powell Street is chef J-C Poirier's Quebecois bistro since 2017, Michelin-starred from the inaugural 2022 BC guide and EnRoute Best New.
Signature: Tourtiere, Cretons, Onion soup gratinee
Order: The classic tourtiere with house ketchup, then duck for two from the wood oven.
Tip: Reservations open 60 days out on Tock; the bar walks in from 17:00 for the tourtiere and a glass of Quebec cider.
Burdock & Co on Main Street since 2013 is chef Andrea Carlson's foraged-and-fermented kitchen, Michelin-starred in the 2022 BC guide, EnRoute Best New 2014.
Signature: Foraged plates, Tasting menu, BC mushroom dishes
Order: The chef's tasting menu with chef Andrea Carlson's foraged BC plates.
Tip: Reservations on Tock open 30 days out; tasting menu sittings book first.
Published on Main from 2020 is chef Gus Stieffenhofer-Brandson's wood-fire tasting room on Main, Canada's Best Restaurant 2022 and Michelin-starred 2022.
Signature: Tasting menu, BC sea urchin, Wood-fire plates
Order: The tasting menu; chef Gus Stieffenhofer-Brandson sets the seasonal pace.
Tip: Tock reservations open 30 days out and book within hours; the chef's counter takes a separate higher-priced menu.
Kissa Tanto on East Pender from chef Joel Watanabe and Tannis Ling is a Japanese-Italian room with a 1960s Tokyo jazz cafe feel, Michelin-starred 2022.
Signature: Spaghettini vongole, Tagliatelle bolognese, Crispy tuna otsumami
Order: The spaghettini vongole and the crispy tuna otsumami, the kitchen's signature crossover plates.
Tip: Reservations open 30 days out on Resy; Tuesday is the harder seat. The bar takes walk-ins for spaghettini and a Negroni.
Bao Bei on Keefer Street since 2010 is Tannis Ling's modern Chinese brasserie, Michelin Bib Gourmand 2022, the city's reference natural-wine Chinese.
Signature: Shao bing pork belly, Mantou with chicken, Spicy peanut noodles
Order: Shao bing pork belly bun with the spicy peanut noodles; pair with a sake highball.
Tip: No reservations; the bar walks in from 17:30. Sunday evening is the easier seat.
Maenam on West 4th since 2009 is chef Angus An's modern Thai room, Michelin recommended 2022, the city's reference Bangkok-meets-BC kitchen.
Signature: Crispy oyster pad Thai, Spot prawn curry, Whole Fraser Valley duck
Order: The crispy oyster pad Thai with the chef's tasting; chef Angus An runs the kitchen.
Tip: Reservations on OpenTable open 30 days out; the bar walks in for pad Thai and a Tiger beer.
