Pender and Keefer between Main and Carrall hold Vancouver's original Cantonese line. Phnom Penh's chicken wings, Bao Bei modern Chinese, The Keefer Bar cocktails and Sai Woo on Pender.
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.
Phnom Penh on East Georgia Street since 1985 runs the Cambodian and Vietnamese kitchen the city sets its bar by, Michelin Bib Gourmand 2022.
Signature: Crispy chicken wings, Butter beef carpaccio, Pho ga
Order: A double order of the crispy chicken wings and butter beef carpaccio; Phnom Penh's reference plates.
Tip: No reservations; arrive before 18:00 or after 20:30 to skip the line. Cash takes a discount.
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.
Phnom Penh on East Georgia Street since 1985 runs the Cambodian and Vietnamese kitchen the city sets its bar by, Michelin Bib Gourmand 2022.
Signature: Crispy chicken wings, Butter beef carpaccio, Pho ga
Order: Double order of crispy chicken wings and butter beef carpaccio.
Tip: No reservations; arrive before 18:00 or after 20:30 to skip the line. Cash takes a discount.
Bao Bei on Keefer Street since 2010 is Tannis Ling's modern Chinese brasserie, Michelin Bib Gourmand 2022, Vancouver's reference natural-wine Chinese room.
Signature: Shao bing pork belly, Spicy peanut noodles
Order: Shao bing pork belly bun with the spicy peanut noodles.
Tip: No reservations; the bar walks in from 17:30. Sunday evening is the easier seat.
Bestie on East Pender since 2014 is a 25-seat German sausage and beer counter, Vancouver Magazine Best Casual Restaurant 2018 and a Chinatown anchor.
Signature: House-cured Currywurst, Schweinshaxe, House pretzel
Order: Currywurst with the house mustard plate and a German Pilsner.
Tip: Walk-in counter only; cash-priced after-work specials between 17:00 and 18:00.
Fat Mao Noodles on East Georgia from chefs Mark Perrier and Angus An since 2018 is a Cantonese noodle counter, Michelin Bib Gourmand 2022 and a late-night.
Signature: Hong Kong braised brisket noodle, Cumin lamb dan dan, Crispy chicken
Order: Hong Kong braised brisket noodle soup with a side of crispy chicken.
Tip: Walk-ins from 17:00; the kitchen closes 23:30 the latest open in Chinatown post-pandemic.
Cadeaux Bakery on Powell in Railtown from baker Eleanor Chow Waterfall is a French pastry counter since 2015, layer cakes and viennoiserie the calling card.
Tip: Pre-order layer cakes 48 hours in advance through the website; the counter does smaller picks daily.
Worth the queue: Cadeaux cake
Juice Bar on East Pender in Chinatown since 2019 is a sandwich-and-wine counter with a BC-focused natural wine list and a deep pet-nat selection.
Signature pour: BC pet-nat by the glass
Wine focus: Natural wine, BC growers
Food: Sandwiches, charcuterie, snacks
Tip: Counter only; the sandwich-of-the-day pairs with a glass at the till. Bottle shop attached.
The Keefer Bar on Keefer Street in Chinatown since 2009 is Vancouver's reference cocktail bar, an apothecary-style room, Canada's 50 Best Bars perennial.
Signature drink: Dragonfly cocktail with house ginger syrup
Food: Chinese-leaning small plates
Tip: Walk-in only Monday to Thursday; weekend bookings open at the door from 17:00.
Juniper Kitchen & Bar on Keefer Place since 2017 is the city's reference gin and botanical-cocktail bar, plus a Pacific Northwest small-plates kitchen.
Signature drink: Botanical gin and tonic flight
Food: Pacific Northwest small plates
Tip: The gin flight pairs four house pours with tonics; the bar walks in earlier in the evening.
Key Party on Powell in Chinatown is a hidden basement cocktail bar since 2017, entered through a faux accountant's office, the city's reference speakeasy.
Signature drink: Dealers' choice
Food: Hong Kong cafe-style snacks
Tip: Reservations on the website; the door key code is texted the day of. Dealers' choice is the bar's standard.
ToursByLocals' Vancouver Chinatown private tour walks the Cantonese-line strip on Pender and Keefer, 5 to 6 stops including Phnom Penh and Bao Bei.
Phnom Penh on East Georgia is Chinatown's reference Cambodian-Vietnamese kitchen since 1985, the chicken wings the city's most-photographed budget plate.
Try: Crispy chicken wings
Tip: Cash takes a discount; the chicken wings with rice noodle bowl runs $15. Arrive before 18:00 to skip the line.
Fat Mao Noodles on East Georgia from Angus An since 2018 is a Cantonese noodle counter under $22, Michelin Bib Gourmand 2022, a Chinatown late-night seat.
Try: Brisket noodle soup
Tip: Walk-ins from 17:00; the kitchen closes 23:30 the latest open in Chinatown post-pandemic.
Phnom Penh on East Georgia closes at 21:00 most nights, the late-evening Cambodian counter for a final wing plate and a glass of beer in Chinatown today.
Try: Crispy chicken wings
Order: Crispy chicken wings and butter beef carpaccio with rice noodles.
Tip: Last seating around 20:30; cash takes a discount. The wings are still the calling card late.
Fat Mao Noodles on East Georgia from Angus An runs the late-night Cantonese line in Chinatown, kitchen until 23:30 most nights, the post-pandemic late seat.
Try: Brisket noodle soup
Order: Hong Kong braised brisket noodle soup with crispy chicken on the side.
Tip: Walk-in from 17:00; last orders around 22:45. The kitchen closes 23:30 the latest open in Chinatown.
The Keefer Bar on Keefer Street in Chinatown since 2009 runs Vancouver's reference late-night cocktail bar to 01:00, Canada's 50 Best Bars perennial.
Try: Cocktails plus small plates
Order: Dragonfly cocktail with the dim sum-style snacks; last call at 00:45.
Tip: Walk-in only Monday to Thursday; weekend reservations at the door from 17:00.
Juke Fried Chicken on Keefer Street since 2017 is a Southern-style fried chicken counter, the reference soul-food window plus a sister Juke 4-Front cocktail.
Try: Fried chicken and bone-in pieces
Order: Two-piece fried chicken with a buttermilk biscuit and slaw.
Tip: Counter only; the bone-in dark meat is the kitchen's calling card. Weekend late-night service runs to 23:00.
Key Party on Powell in Chinatown is a hidden basement cocktail bar since 2017, entered through a faux accountant's office, the city's reference speakeasy.
Tip: Reservations on the website; the door key code is texted the day of. Dealers' choice is the bar's standard.