Vancouver, Canada + Add a trip

Japanese Tapas

Small plate dining is big across the city, but nowhere does it work as perfectly as in the multitiude of Izakaya-style Japanese restaurants. You'll find a concentration on west Robson and others spread out in the rest of the city.

But for my money if you only do one, Guu with Garlic is the one to try. Expect a 30 - 60 minute wait or more, a loud room with random shouting, and unfamiliar menu items (with English descriptions). Go with a few people, split around 2 or 3 plates per person, and try as much as you can. You'll be surprised at how cheap your bill is.

1698 Robson St. Vancouver, BC (604) 685-8678

Vij's Restaurant

Yes, there's a line to get in, but it's worth it. If you show up at 5, you'll probably make it in for the first seating at 5:30 (especially if it's a week-night).

Stephos on Davies

Best Greek food in Vancouver. You line up (no reservations), cheap food and big ol' portions. The tsaziki is great and full of garlic :-)

Granville Island for markets and artists

Not technically an island, but underneath the Granville Street Bridge you'll find the most popular Canadian destination after Niagara Falls. A former post-industrial derelict area, the compact Granville Island now supports one of the city's most vibrant farmer's market, mid-range restaurants, artist studios and galleries, craft shops, the top-rated Emily Carr art and design university, and even a remaining cement factory. A purposeful blend of industry, commerce and recreation.

Close to the Number 50 bus and walking distance from the downtown core.

Yaletown Restaurant

Milestones Grill & Bar has a good menu, decent bar selection, attractive inside dining and nice outdoor seating as well. Great service on a recent busy night (Canada Day 2008).

Tojo's (Japanese Restaurant)

Tojo's is located on a thoroughfare amidst strip malls and random shops, but don't let the lackluster environs deter you. This is one of the best Japanese restaurants you'll ever have the opportunity to eat at in North America. Tojo takes traditional dishes and puts his own spin on them using mostly organic, seasonal and local ingredients. Not to be missed.

Cioppino's in Yaletown

Had a wonderful meal despite having a clear view of the dumpsters in front of the patio seating area. Excellent greens & fresh herb salad with stilton (probably one of my most memorable salads). Also had rabbit leg and dessert of banana-filled filo pastry with chocolate and honey.

C Restaurant

A perennial favourite. Fresh and inventive dishes using locally-sourced produce and seafood with wonderful waterfront views.

Waves cafe at Water St

Had some good coffee at Waves cafe at Water Street

Sophie's

Cosmic Cafe....great breakfast and great atmosphere. Make sure to get there early because the line up can get big.

Banana Leaf - Malaysian cuisine. Broadway near Willow. Excellent food. Reasonably priced. chicken satay with peanut sauce ...m-m-m!

Japanese: Guu with Garlic on Robson Street. No sushi here. Zipang Sushi on Main Street and 22nd, price is reasonable for great food and creative sushi. They have other contemporary Japanese food. Posh Sukiyaki on Broadway and Burrard. All you can eat sukiyaki. Quite cheap if you think about it. They have really modern ambience and great drinks (I tried non alcohol).

Ditto on Stepho's. Big portion, cheap. Try the Roast Lamb, BBQ Chicken, and Fish Pies. Yummy.

Tropika on Robson or Cambie St. Try the crab, very good (well, might be too salty for some).

Best vegetarian food I have tasted in Vancouver. Very reasonable not expensive and good size portions. Music is a bit loud sometimes, they always play the best hip hop.

Best cappuccino in town. I have not tried anything else from that place but I can say that the cappuccino is awesome. It's also fun to speak with the Portuguese people over there.

Great vegetarian alternative. Good prices and wide selection in the menu. Open 24/7.

Yew York is a Tapas restaurant. The service is excellent and the Goats cheese flat bread is awesome.

really excellent match lattes.

fun staff and good food at the cheapest prices in yaletown

One of the best bars in town. They don't serve any bad beers on tap (that means no Molson, Kokanee, Coors, Budweiser): it's mostly British Columbian and Albertan, with a few others for good measure. The prices are swell, the atmosphere is great, and everyone that works there is really nice. Also, if you're an Edmonton Oilers fan, this is the place for you: the owners are from Edmonton, so they show all the Oilers and Eskimos games on in the bar. It gets pretty packed on those nights, but it's good fun.

Without a doubt, the best sushi in town. Super cheap. This place looks like a bit of a hole-in-the-wall, but that just adds to the charm. Their specialty rolls are absolutely unreal, and you get pretty sizable portions, too. It's consistently busy, but that's a sign of some good quality food, so expect to sit at the counter or get some take-out.

It's like any other Starbucks you've ever been in, except with quite nice wooden tables along the window. And that's probably all you need to know. Still, I've found out how Dopplr's iPhone app works now, and that's also important.

Great food, nice room, good service.

A neighbourhood gem on the Eastside.

Vij's is a must but if you're in a hurry or want something less dear he has a great bistro next door to the main restaurant.

best restaurant in east van that's not "ethnic :-) " !!!! steak frites!!!!!!!!

Don't come here if you are starving, there is an Old Spaghetti Factory around the corner.

But if you want to have a nibble of some fantastic cheese, breads/crackers and cured meats (try anything Oyama!), then come here. The non-alcoholic sparkling wines are great for non-drinkers, but their wine list (of which I'm a fan) is massive. Also a great, hip place to meet new people at the long communal table.

Another top tip - try out their 'local-themed' plates (again Oyama) for a great taste of Vancity that won't bust your wallet. Whenever I've got foodie friends visiting, this is a funky little stop during a mid-afternoon Gastown stroll.

This place replaced Angus An's old Gastropod (which needs to be deleted off of Dopplr) and is a real delight. I ate there last September, after having spent the first half of the year in Asia (incl. Thailand) and it brought back fantastic memories.

I would put good money on this being the best (and classiest) Thai restaurant in Vancouver. Chef An studied under David Thompson (of Nahm in London) and I would highly recommend it to anybody who appreciates Thai food.

This is a great lunch spot for a Vancouver summer day during the work week. When I worked in Vancouver, this place had decent prices, a conversation-friendly buzz and impeccable food. The staff are pretty accommodating. Great for business lunches, but phone ahead to reserve a table. It can sometimes be hit/miss for walk-ins.

Best burgers in Vancouver, bar none. This isn't the only location though, so check their website.

This place is one of two (the other is Rodney's Oyster House) that I recommend to out-of-town visitors looking for oysters in Vancouver. If you time it with the season, you can get some great big monsters out of Tofino. Delicious.

If you're looking for a cheap lunch, Joe Fortes' has a Blue Plate Special every weekday for $10. Pretty good value for the quality.

Its more traditional than many of the funkier places on Robson, but worth a visit for quality food.

Not a place to impress your girlfriend, but it does pretty good Mexican. Try the enchiladas.

yummy japanese food on a stick! inexpensive but not cheap! highly recommended!

A very nice place to get Breakfast. You need to be able to deal with the waiter's/owner's sense of humor, but that's one of the reasons that makes this place charming and worth going. Breakfast was around CAD $15 per person, for a nice plate full with eggs, baccon, sausage , mushrooms and toasts. I would go there again as I felt being in America there. You'll probably find a few more bits of information on their website at http://www.theelbowroomcafe.com

Good food, wide variety, friendly atmosphere. I didn't expect such a good Spanish food in Vancouver!