28 Best Restaurants in Downtown, Vancouver

Looking for a great steak? This two-level steak house has its own meat locker for dry aging, and the house specialty is certified Kobe ribeye and striploin. Several dishes include showy, table-side service. Vegetarians and pescatarians will also find plenty of options. If you can, head to the rooftop patio, a garden-inspired space filled with pergolas adorned with lights and flowers for a very romantic, happening space. Happy hour runs every day, all afternoon, so it's the perfect place to stop into after a shopping spree along Alberni and Robson Streets.

In this hip, brick-walled eatery, classic Belgian dishes are reinvented with flavors from North Africa and beyond. The moules (mussels) are justifiably popular, either steamed in white wine or sauced with exotic smoked chilis, cilantro, and coconut cream. Those seeking a more adventurous option might select the barbecued frog legs, curried mushrooms, or ostrich carpaccio. Unusual, perhaps, but definitely delicious. Meanwhile, a smartly dressed crowd hangs out at the bar sipping imported beer or delicious cocktails like the Blue Fig (gin infused with oven-roasted figs and served with a side of blue cheese). An easy walk to theaters and sports arenas, it's a good spot for a pre-event bite.

Owner Umberto Menghi is one of Vancouver's most favored and venerable restauranteurs, and his upscale, charming, fine-dining venue is usually the choice to celebrate anything special. High ceilings with wooden beams, ochre walls, and an inside garden courtyard offer plenty of private corners. Tuscan flavors abound whether in pasta or dishes like oven-roasted sablefish with horseradish crust, or slow oven-braised veal osso buco with saffron risotto. Reservations are a must. If you like what you find, Umberto runs a hotel and cooking school in the heart of rural Tuscany.

With sleek white tables and sparkling chandeliers, Chef David Hawksworth's modish restaurant welcomes locals toasting new clients or celebrating a romantic anniversary. The food (and the crowd) is suave and swanky, too. You might start with hamachi tartare dressed with chili lime vinaigrette, or a simpler heirloom tomato salad with burrata and preserved cherries. Although the menu changes frequently, mains might include wild salmon with lobster agnolotti, or duck breast with turnip and loganberry jus. Everything is superbly presented, including, for dessert, the delicious mushroom ice-cream. Don't knock it until you've tried it.

Chefs prepare classic Alsatian-inspired food—including the signature onion tart—at this long-established Downtown restaurant that sets the standard for French cuisine in Vancouver. Despite the white-tablecloth sophistication, the breezy curtains, golden yellow walls, and burgundy banquettes keep things cozy. Favorite dishes include a signature foie gras tasting followed by classics such as lobster with beurre blanc, veal medallions with morel sauce, and grilled Dover sole. Service is attentive and professional.

This is fusion sushi, so purists be warned. The restaurant introduced Vancouver to flame-seared aburi and also pressed oshi sushi to Canada. And its imaginative combinations since then have certainly made their mark. Try the Aburi prime platter of nine rice bites topped with everything from pressed prawn with a lime zest to jalapeño-spiced salmon to Japanese Wagyu. Or go for Raisu: a bamboo box containing 12 multicolored rice squares. Only 10 boxes are made each night, so get there early to snag one. The place can get noisy, but its location next to Canada Place gives unrivalled views of cruise ships coming and going.

A former gentlemen's club that has evolved into an upscale, tapas-style bistro, this restaurant turns shared dining (think generous small plates) into a deliciously classy experience. Roasted cauliflower, orange-braised fennel, and buttermilk fried chicken with spiced maple syrup come alongside oven-fired pizzas with toppings such as zucchini, mint lemon, and cashew béchamel. Save room for a dessert finale, especially if it's espresso cake. Large, full-plate options are available. But why choose one dish when multiple flavors await? Besides, this is David Hawksworth's second restaurant, and that endorsement alone puts it in the winner's circle.

Tucked away inside the Vancouver Art Gallery, the 1931 Gallery Bistro and rooftop (weather-dependent) terrace are quiet retreats from the Downtown bustle. Food is very west coast modern-fusion as in Szechuan prawns with papaya slaw, coconut and carrot soup, and flavorful flatbreads. The poke bowls are excellent as is the selection of eggs Benedict. 

Run by the same team that oversees the adjacent Hawksworth Restaurant, this upscale little café at the Rosewood Hotel Georgia serves fine coffee, a few salads and sandwiches, and exquisite pastries, from colorful macarons to beautifully crafted fruit tarts. Downtown business types like to meet here, and both shoppers and sightseers stop in to recharge. It's opposite the Vancouver Art Gallery and just a short stroll from Robson Street's boutiques.

Settle into a deep cream-toned banquette or nab a sidewalk table for a seafood-centric meal at this stylish spot in the Sutton Place Hotel. Start with fresh local oysters or indulge in Canadian caviar from the nearby Sunshine Coast. Mains swim through the sea, too—perhaps lobster and local rock fish bouillabaisse; linguine with clams and tiger prawns; or roasted sablefish—but heartier appetites can dig into a steak or a heritage pork shoulder. Sharing dishes are also imaginative and include (market-price) caviar and seafood towers. For a special treat, reserve ahead to have select items cooked tableside. The wine list is strong on British Columbia labels.

Located adjacent to the Queen Elizabeth Theatre, and within a few minutes walk of the city's Rogers Arena and BC Place, what better place for a pre-theater/pre-event meal? Choices are wide and varied, from social hour morsels (crispy cauliflower and parmesan garlic chips) to soups, salads, burgers, Asian-inspired bowls, pasta, and a decent kids' menu. Save room for house-made desserts. Bonus: there's underground parking.

Lots of warm woods, booths, and faux antiques here and there create a modern, pub-like atmosphere where comfort food is the name of the game. Think shepherd's pie, chicken pot pie, beef bourguignon, jambalaya, and a perennial favorite: mac and cheese. Big bowls of soup and sandwiches are also on the menu. A great place for early family suppers and for livelier crowds as the evening progresses. Service is friendly and efficient.

This small, family run restaurant cooks up traditional Italian fare as in calamari (served with truffle garlic mayo), scallop carpaccio, slow-braised lamb shank, and of course, pasta. House-made gnocchi and spinach ravioli are specialities. There's live music Friday and Saturday evenings (for a cover charge of C$2.50). 

For Mediterranean-inspired breakfast and lunch fare, from skillets piled high with eggs, roasted potatoes, and caramelized onions to paella, try this casually chic (and always busy) Downtown café just off Robson Street. Don't leave without sampling their specialty: Belgian waffles, with toppings like dark chocolate or salted caramel. The address is misleading; the building's configuration means the entrance is actually half a block north.

Some of Vancouver's best coffee is served at the several locations of Caffè Artigiano, where the baristas have won prizes for their latte art. Come for the java, and satisfy your hunger with a pastry or sandwich, too. In addition to locations further afield, other Downtown locales are at 763 Hornby St., 666 Burrard St., and 429 Howe St.

The space is fun and funky—a mix of early-1900s architectural details, modern furnishings, and oversize pop art—and the seasonally changing menu of updated Italian fare is creative and delicious. The lengthy wine list emphasizes Italian labels, but British Columbia is well represented. To start, consider the grilled octopus, or, for more adventurous tastes, the roasted bone marrow. For a meat/fish course, how about seabass with a chickpea saffron stew and pistachios? For a light bite, join the local crowd at Uva Wine Bar inside the same hotel, which stays open till the wee hours.

This see-and-be-seen at, two-floor seafood palace has a certain "wow factor." There's plenty of bling to be found here, from the shimmering lights to the sparkle-sporting patrons. Options include oysters, sushi, fish-and-chips, seafood towers, and any of the day's fresh catches. (And the kitchen also serves excellent steak.) Whether you're looking to sit at a table on the restaurant's heated and covered sidewalk patio or inside, reservations are recommended.

The two-level, bustling eatery never seems to lose its energetic vibe in the seasonal fare it presents or in the patron it attracts. Whether it's a seat at the bar beside the open kitchen, a gathering by the fire, a cozy meal in a booth, or joining the throng on the heated outdoor patio, this place rocks. It's no wonder, given happy hour starts at 2:30. The broad (and sometimes pricey) menu includes a mouthwatering and hearty seafood bouillabaisse, a delicious lobster paella, pasta, and poultry. Beef items run the gamut from a prime Tomahawk (C$149) or a 280-ounce prime rib eye double entrecôte (C$120) to a C$16 burger. The wine and cocktail list is just as diverse. For people watching, head to the mezzanine that overlooks all the action. Glowbal is in the TELUS Garden building, one of Vancouver's greenest buildings. Look up. The glass-ribbed canopy resembles a whale.

Located in the same former Stock Exchange building as the luxe EXchange Hotel, Hydra Estiatorio transports you to the Greek islands. Check in at the long bar for mezzes and cocktails, including items from the raw bar such as ceviche, or linger over specialties that include forno-roasted leg of lamb, pan-roasted salmon, and the catch of the day—either grilled or baked. Sharing platters are flavor-packed. Globally sourced vintages include a rare nod to the home country, including Moschofilero, Assyrtiko, and Xinomavro. The contemporary mood is a big hit with the after-work crowd and millennials.

There might be other places in the world that sell Japanese-style hot dogs but the phenomenon is so very multiculti Vancouver, and this tiny storefront is the sit-down-at-cramped-counter spin-off of a wildly successful food cart with a loyal following. Bratwurst and wieners are topped with teriyaki sauce, nori, and other Asian condiments. You can still find the carts (usually) at two Burrard Street locations—one at the corner of West Pender Street between Robson Street and Smithe Street, and another near Waterfront Station on West Cordova Street at Granville. Keep an eye out for the JAPADOG food truck, which may be found in Kitsilano, South Granville, or the Olympic Village.

Named for a much-loved English Bay bartender and lifeguard from the city's early days (he arrived in Vancouver in 1885), this lively brasserie has a piano bar, bistro, oyster bar, and a covered rooftop patio. The menu is diverse, but steaks, chops, and generous portions of fresh seafood are the main draw. Select some fresh oysters from the lengthy list, then try the wild salmon, the cioppino (a seafood stew), or the seafood tower on ice—a lavish assortment that's meant to be shared. Locals and visitors recommend Joe's for the great food matched with excellent service. And Joe's is now open in Whistler, too.

A striking silver mural of a kirin (a mythical dragonlike creature) presides over this elegant two-tier restaurant, one of the best choices for Chinese food Downtown. Specialties here are northern Chinese and Szechuan dishes, which tend to be richer and spicier than the Cantonese cuisine served at Kirin's other locations. If you're adventurous, start with the spicy jellyfish, redolent with sesame oil. Then try the Peking duck or a fresh seafood dish. Or make your choice from the live seafood tanks. Dim sum is served daily at midday.

There's a distinctly European vibe to Maxine's. In part, because of the central display of wines and spirits around which you can sip and savor. And in part, because of the menu that goes from croissants and cafe au lait in the morning, to a slow-cooked pork collar or risotto for dinner. And the brunches in between are legendary. Then there are the floor-to-ceiling glass walls that seem to bring the outside in, making the outside patio very much part of the eatery.

Vancouver's ocean of Asian restaurants can be overwhelming so finding dependably great, authentic Thai cuisine is a treat. Sala Thai means "an open pavilion for gathering," so you can expect gracious hospitality and service, alongside seafood, noodles—pad Thai, pad see-ew to name just two---and curries with coconut milk, fruits, and spices. The diverse menu includes desserts like jackfruit, mango, and sweet sticky rice, as well as deep-friend bananas and homemade coconut ice cream. No wonder kids love the place.

Inspired by the street foods of Rome, this cafeteria-style Italian bakery-café (pronounced "shoe-eh") starts the day serving espresso and pastries, then moves to panini, soups, and pastas. One specialty is the pane romano, essentially a thick-crust pizza, sold by weight. There can be lines out the door at lunch, so try to visit early or late. (Not too late, though, as it's only open until 5 pm.) There are additional Downtown branches with varying hours. If you're in Yaletown, look for the location at 126 Davie St.; it's open every day.