New York, Chicago, London, Rome, and more. These are just some of the many food capitals in the world, beloved for their diverse culinary offerings and exquisite cuisines. You may have noticed, however, that Vancouver isn't part of the list. Then does this mean that foodies won't have a good time exploring the culinary scene in this Canadian city? Not necessarily! Although Vancouver is far from what many would consider a food capital, it still has a lot to offer. Botanist, St. Lawrence, and Chambar Restaurant are just some Vancouver restaurants worth checking out!
Botanist
Inside the luxurious Fairmont Pacific Rim Hotel stands Botanist, one of the best places to eat in Vancouver. High class doesn't even begin to describe this restaurant. They serve fine European cuisine in an elegantly minimal setting, perfect for Sunday brunch, a business lunch with clients, or even a birthday feast. Indulge in their delicious foie gras torchon, paired with savory waffles and caramelized apples for a culinary sensation you won't soon forget. For dinner, their Wagyu Beef Carpaccio with puffed tendon and truffle vinaigrette is specifically on point. You won't want to eat anywhere else after visiting once!
Source: Botanist Dining Facebook Page
Blue Water Café
With a name like Blue Water Café, you'd expect hot cups of coffee with sweet pastries here, right? Well, they do serve them and all but for the most part, this Vancouver restaurant is all about fine fresh seafood. Blue Water Café takes pride in its partnerships with prominent suppliers. They're the ones that provide the exceptional delicacies on the menu. That includes their scallops drizzled with orange sauce and serve with snap peas and grape tomatoes. As well as the scrumptious lobster paired with fork-crushed potatoes and seasonal vegetables. Such dishes will have you wanting to
move to Vancouver just so you can enjoy them again and again!
Source: Blue Water Café
Chambar Restaurant
Located on the busy Beatty street in Vancouver, Chambar Restaurant is a high-class European restaurant worth spending your hard-earned cash on. The place is haute cuisine at its finest, serving up authentic French dishes that'll make you feel like you're actually in France yourself.
La Truite Fumée, for instance, is a best-seller where the flavors of smoked steelhead trout and jalapeño pistou clash together to create quite the culinary whirlwind. And that's just for brunch! For dinner, you can order
Les Scampis or seared wild prawns served with jerk spice butter and sweet potatoes. Now that will have you feeling like you're eating in a
Michelin-starred restaurant in Paris!
Source: Chambar Restaurant
Hawksworth Restaurant
Housed in the ever so elegant
Rosewood Hotel Georgia, Hawksworth Restaurant is worth checking out. The award-winning chef David Hawksworth heads the kitchen here, so you can be sure that whatever you order, it'll be of the highest quality! Eating here is like taking a culinary journey around the world as Hawksworth has filled his menu with all sorts of dishes from various countries. Yakitori grilled octopus, for instance, has all the savory seafood flavors of Japan down to a tee. Meanwhile, a fresh plate of a niçoise salad will have you tasting the more organic side of Italian cuisine.
Source: Hawksworth Restaurant Facebook Page
Hy's Steakhouse & Cocktail Bar
By its name alone, you'd easily think this was a lively hangout with overflowing beer and American football shown on all the TV screens, right? Well, the Hy's Steakhouse & Cocktail Bar isn't that type of establishment. The place is a lot more sophisticated than what its name implies, beautiful enough to look like a
New York Michelin-starred restaurant. But yes, even with such an elegant ambiance, the food here is all about the well-cooked meat. Be it medium-rare or well-done the steaks they serve here are out of this world. One bite and you'll feel like you're the king of the world!
Source: Hy's Steakhouse & Cocktail Bar Facebook Page
Kissa Tanto
Japanese and Italian are two of the most distinct and delicious cuisines in the world. Now, what if those two converge into one incredible Vancouver restaurant? Located on E Pender Street, this fusion restaurant is something else! It's both an upscale establishment and a hip cocktail bar all-in-one, but of course, its sumptuous dishes are the main stars of the show! Think Charcoal Udon with Dungeness crabs, prawns, and Calabrian chili butter. Or a side of Mascarpone Polenta drizzled with yuzu lemon balm. Each bite will take your taste buds on a tailspin you wouldn't have it any other way!
Source: Kissa Tanto Facebook Page
St. Lawrence
Craving some French food again? St. Lawrence ought to be the next restaurant in Vancouver to check out. Its seasonal menu is full of dishes and delicacies straight out of the European country, even the word ones that you probably thought you'd never eat in a million years. For example, it's alright if you hate the idea of eating
Escargots but St. Lawrence serves theirs drenched in garlic and parsley butter and paired with a puff pastry. But if you prefer seafood instead, there's always fish & seafood stew with peas, fava beans & lobster bisque sauce. Sounds appetizing, doesn't it?
Source: St. Lawrence
The Downlow Chicken Shack
Although many of the best restaurants in Vancouver, British Columbia are more on the upscale side, there are a few that are a lot more affordable. The best example is The Downlow Chicken Shack on Commercial drive. Offering all sorts of poultry-ladened sandwiches and other dishes, its classic diner setting is pretty novel compared to the other culinary hotspots on this list. And that's part of the fun! You don't have to think about what to wear or
how to act when you eat here. Just bite into their juicy chicken servings and enjoy the culinary sensation!
Source: The Downlow Chicken Shack Facebook Page
Vancouver may not be a food capital, but that doesn't mean that foodies won't have a good time here. There are many Vancouver restaurants that serve exceptional food, amazing cuisines, and provide the right ambiance for a truly perfect culinary experience.
