Converted warehouse district south of downtown. Blue Water Cafe seafood, The Flying Pig, Provence Marinaside, Glowbal and the False Creek seawall patios.
Blue Water Cafe in Yaletown under chef Frank Pabst since 2000 is Vancouver's reference seafood room, Ocean Wise certified and an Unsung Heroes host.
Signature: Seafood tower, Wild BC salmon, Sablefish
Order: The seafood tower with raw oysters, plus the wild BC sablefish from the wood grill.
Tip: The raw bar walks in early evening; the dining room books a week out on OpenTable. February's Unsung Heroes menu is the calendar event.
Blue Water Cafe in Yaletown under chef Frank Pabst since 2000 is Vancouver's reference seafood room, Ocean Wise certified and the Unsung Heroes host annual.
The Flying Pig in Yaletown on Hamilton since 2010 is an all-day farm-to-table brasserie with three Vancouver branches and a Yaletown patio anchor.
Signature: Crispy pork belly, Steelhead trout, Sticky toffee pudding
Order: Crispy pork belly with the daily fish; the kitchen's reference brunch plate is the dungeness crab benedict.
Tip: Reservations on OpenTable; Sunday brunch books two weeks out. The Olympic Village branch is the patio default.
Small Victory in Yaletown is a French-leaning patisserie and cafe since 2014, plus two newer city branches and the city's reference almond croissant.
Signature drink: Almond croissant + flat white
Tip: Counter line through 10:00 on Saturday; tables turn fast and Sunday's slower.
Small Victory in Yaletown since 2014 is a French-leaning bakery and cafe, plus newer Burrard and Mount Pleasant branches and a reference almond croissant.
Tip: Croissants sell out by 11:00 on Saturday; the Burrard branch is the calmer seat.
Worth the queue: Almond croissant
Cioppino's Cooking Studio in Yaletown from chef Pino Posteraro is the city's reference Italian cooking school, the chef behind the Cioppino's Mediterranean Grill.
OEB Breakfast Co on Hamilton Street is the Calgary-origin modern breakfast chain's Vancouver branch since 2017, a Yaletown patio and two more city locations.
Order: Soul in a Bowl with eggs and cheese curds; the Calgary-origin OEB breakfast classic.
Tip: Walk-in only; download the OEB app to hold your place from home. Weekend queue from 09:30.
Bistro Sakana on Mainland Street in Yaletown since 2008 runs a Japanese brunch service with chirashi-don and salmon teriyaki, the reference Yaletown room.
Order: Chirashi-don with the sashimi rice bowl, the kitchen's reference brunch plate.
Tip: Reservations on OpenTable; the lunch-into-brunch service runs through Wednesday to Sunday.