 West Restaurant, Tourism Vancouver/John Sinal photo Residents and visitors alike love to eat out here, sample the local wines and share their favourite restaurant tips with each other. Whether it's appetizers on the patio, sashimi, tempura or teriyaki at a sushi bar, fine French fare, comforting café food, burgers at the bistro, haute cuisine in a five-star setting or chow mein at the noodle house, the choice is seemingly endless here. Many of the city's restaurants have won local, national and international media awards, honours and accolades (including Four and Five Diamond Award from the CAA/AAA). Some pride themselves on sourcing their ingredients locally, using organic meats and produce, or participating in unique partnerships like the Ocean Wise fish sustainability program. What does this all amount to? Some pretty remarkable-tasting fare in a city that loves to eat! Some unique Vancouver experiences include: Must Visit
Al Fresco
West Coast
Ethnic Diversity
Casual Dining
Dining with a View
Coffee Houses
Bakeries
Burgers
Gourmet Must Visit  There are some special food places that you have to experience while you're in Vancouver. Granville Island Market: With its mounds of fresh fish, meat, poultry and produce, not to mention crusty breads, savoury soup stocks, and handmade pastas, the market is where city cooks head for inspiration. Few leave the market without succumbing to lunch from the mouthwatering food stalls, best taken al fresco and often accompanied by musical entertainment. Richmond Night Market: It's dim sum on the move as you wander from stall to stall, sampling aromatic Asian specialties. There are over 400 stalls at the Night Market, offering a uniquely Asian shopping and eating experience. Steveston: This charming fishing village now offers an array of excellent seafood restaurants but for most, the true Steveston experience will always mean sitting on the pier with a paper cone of crisp fish and chips. Al Fresco  They may not have invented al fresco dining, but Vancouverites have perfected it - lazy afternoons on the patio that slide into deck-top evenings watching twinkling lights on boats in the bay. Special places: - Watch sailboats, barges and little ferries at Granville Island and False Creek
- Kits Beach, English Bay and West Vancouver waterfronts showcase boats of every kind, as well as fabulous sunsets
- Coal Harbour offers views of cruise ships gliding by and seaplanes landing
- Yaletown is the place to people watch
- The fishing docks in Steveston provide endless distractions together with the freshest fish.
West Coast  "West Coast Cuisine" is celebrated with ingredients that are indigenous to the Pacific Northwest: succulent seafood like salmon, sablefish and oysters; artisan cheeses and hand-crafted chutneys; organic produce and fresh-picked berries paired with local award-winning wines and beers from British Columbia's microbreweries. Special places: Ethnic Diversity  The quality and diversity of Vancouver's ethnic cuisine is unequalled in North America: Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Korean, Vietnamese, Indian, Greek, Italian and fusions of same. From internationally-renowned restaurants to neighbourhood buffets, there is a seat at the table to suit every taste. Special Places: - Vij's / Vij's Rangoli: Described by the New York Times as "easily one of the finest Indian restaurants in the world," Vij's is both a local and international favourite. Rangoli is Vij's casual diner and spice shop.
> View Vij's website - Tojo's: Tojo is the sushi chef's sushi chef and inventor of the California Roll. A pilgrimage to this restaurant is pricey, but oh so worth it.
> View Tojo's website - Dim Sum: Vancouver is justifiably renowned for its dim sum parlours, many of which focus on regional cuisines or seafood. They offer an exceptional opportunity to sample a wide variety of dishes in a genuinely Asian setting.
Casual Dining  The vibrant Vancouver dining culture has even spawned it's own made-in-BC chain restaurants, offering outstanding menus, impressive wine lists and playful inventiveness all at an astounding mid-price range. Eat where the locals do...and love it. Check them out: - Earl's - eclectic contemporary menu with renowned wine list
- Cactus Club - uniquely Canadian with Asian inspiration
- The Keg - the original Vancouver steak house
- Joey's - Mediterranean Asian fusion
- The Boathouse - focus on fresh regional seafood
- Milestones - steaks, rotisseries, pasta
- White Spot - family style menu with its famous "Pirate Packs" for children
View Dining  Whether it's a snow-capped mountain, a sparkling seascape, a plum tree in blossom or an enchanting window-box garden, there are a plethora of places to take in the view and oh yes, eat too. Special places: Grouse Mountain, Burnaby Mountain, Queen Elizabeth Park, Stanley Park, English Bay, Kitsilano, False Creek, Steveston, and virtually any place with a window. Coffee Houses  The Pacific Northwest conceived the continent's great coffee culture and no place does it better than Vancouver's many sidewalk cafes. From the Italian coffee bars on Commercial Drive to the coffee houses you will find in every neighbourhood, expect Vancouver's award-winning baristas to make it your way. Bakeries & Delis  Craving a snack? Vancouver's bakeries specialize in artisan breads, delectable pastries and often feature light lunch choices like sandwiches, samosas, pies, and soups. Special Places: - Terra Breads - Kitsilano and Granville Island
- Mix - Point Grey
- Liberty - Main Street
- Notte's Bon Ton - West Broadway
- Siegel's Bagels - Kitsilano
- Solly's Bagelry - numerous locations
- Max's Bakery and Deli - Oak Street
- Kaplan's Deli Restaurant and Bakery - Oak Street and West End
- Benny's - West Broadway
Burgers Born-and-bred natives revere the White Spot Restaurant's Legendary Classic with Triple O sauce. Other joints renowned for giving the humble burger five-star treatment include: - Moderne Burger - West Broadway
- Vera's Burger Shack - various locations
- Red Onion - West 41st Avenue
Gourmet  Lovers of fine dining will appreciate Vancouver's internationally-acclaimed gourmet restaurants with their innovative cuisine and exceptional wine cellars. Special Places: - Lumière brilliantly blends European, North American and Asian cuisine. Consistently ranked as one of North America's top restaurants, in 2000 it received the coveted Relais Gourmand designation.
>Lumiere - West Restaurant & Bar, Vancouver magazine's 2007 Restaurant of the Year, "epitomizes the best of the west coast food experience."
> West Restaurant - C Restaurant boasts a waterfront location across from Granville Island and serves regional seafood that Vancouver magazine describes as "unmatched in its ardent authenticity and representation of all that BC has to offer."
> C Restaurant
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