For sports enthusiasts, wine lovers and locavores alike, this buzzing Canadian city has it all, says resident Kurtis Kolt...
Top restaurants and wine bars in Vancouver
Revolver Coffee
Vancouver is a caffeine-fuelled city and this family-owned cafe in the city’s historic Gastown neighbourhood is a mecca. Espressos and pour-overs from local and international artisan roasters are served by a savvy (but not snobby) and stylish team. www.revolvercoffee.ca
Burdock & Co
Chef Andrea Carlson’s cosy Mount Pleasant eatery offers adventure and whimsy with organic, local, cultivated and foraged ingredients. Try buttermilk chicken with pickle mayo or elk bavette with chimichurri and chanterelles, and explore the tidy wine list, focused on natural wines from home and abroad. www.burdockandco.com
Burdock & Co
Edible Canada
Granville Island’s Public Market is a drawcard for local seafood and produce. After shopping, enjoy comfort fare here, like chowder and burgers, plus a good range of local wines and beer. www.ediblecanada.com
Virtuous Pie
This is a vegan pizzeria, but any foodie will love these pies, topped with house-made nut cheeses, pestos and more. All are baked to order on a tangy, chewy, hand-stretched dough, perfectly washed down with a small range of local wines on-tap. www.virtuouspie.com
Virtuous Pie
Bao Bei
A stylish Chinatown eatery where crispy pork belly and dumplings are a must, along with something from the tip-top Sherry and saké list or inventive cocktails using Asian ingredients. www.bao-bei.ca
Marquis Wine Cellars
For more than 30 years this has been a destination for the city’s wine lovers. Take a self-guided sampling tour of the store’s Enomatic machine, chat with the wine-trade veterans on staff, or peruse the many boutique selections discovered by (and exclusive to) owner John Clerides. www.marquis-wines.com
Marquis Wine Cellars
Alibi Room
Craft beer fans will find lots to like in Vancouver, where hardly a week goes by without a new brewery opening. Alibi Room is the place for beer aficionados, where both local and West Coast American ales can be enjoyed by the glass or as part of a flight. www.alibi.ca
Blue Water Cafe
This elegant Yaletown hotspot is an ode to seafood, whether from live tanks, the raw bar or the grill. Add in a superb by-the-glass selection and a deep Champagne cellar, and you have quite the evening. www.bluewatercafe.net
Blue Water Cafe
Wildebeest
This popular restaurant on the edge of Gastown celebrates rustic country cooking with carnivorous fare such as elk and bison, all butchered in-house. An exciting cocktail list vies for attention next to an extensive and inventive wine selection. Can’t make dinner? Then the decadent brunch is a must. www.wildebeest.ca
