Vancouver Dining | The Best Places For Dinner

Vancouver Dining: Bao Bei | www.rtwgirl.com

Need Vancouver Dining Suggestions?

Are you going to Vancouver and need dinner restaurant recommendations? I shared a post with the best budget meals in the city so I thought it was about time to share the best places for dinner for more of a nice night out.

Here is a roundup of the best Vancouver dining experiences at night!

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Vancouver Dining Recommendation: Tacofino Commissary or Tacofino Bar

Perhaps tacos are the furthest from your mind when planning a trip to Vancouver. If you don’t live in a place where you grab tacos all the time, I would recommend having a meal at Tacofino. Originally started as a food truck in Tofino on Vancouver Island, it has now expanded to a handful of trucks as well as brick and mortar spaces around Vancouver and Vancouver Island. Their first physical restaurant was their Commissary on Hastings in East Vancouver but they now also have their Tacofino Bar which is located in Gastown. It is popular, read: busy so do give yourself time to get a table. What I love about Tacofino is how fresh and local the seafood is.

*Just got the news that Tacofino just opened up a place in Yaletown also.*

Tacofino

I had octopus tostadas at their Taco Bar

TacofinoTaco time! Their popular fish tacos

Tacofino - Churro

Churros!

Vancouver Dining Recommendation: Bao Bei

I would classify Bao Bei as a refined and modern Chinese restaurant. Some people may wrinkle their nose at the description but the food here is great. They do an excellent family style group dinner (8-10 people) for around $40. If you have a larger party (8-10), you can reserve a big table. Their cocktails are excellent as well.

Bao BeiCrispy pork belly yum

Bao Bei Vancouver Canada

Bao BeiGreat cocktails at Bao Bei

Bao Bei Negroni

Watermelon negroni! Cheers!

Bao Bei

Delicious dumplings!

Vancouver Dining Recommendation: Forage

I’ve mentioned Forage before in my Vancouver breakfast/brunch post and I’ll mention it again here for dinner. Chef Whittaker and his team create meals that are locally sourced and so delicious. The location on Robson Street in the Listel Hotel is easy to get to, there’s parking nearby, or you can easily take transit.

Forage VancouverRoasted kale salad

Forage Vancouver

Chilled spot prawn salad. So good I went back for it again!

Forage Vancouver

I love that he cooked with purple yam

Forage VancouverPork belly and lentils. Mmmmmm!

Forage Restaurant Listel Hotel | www.rtwgirl.com

A beautiful cream puff

Vancouver Dining Recommendation: Market by Jean Georges

Canada doesn’t have any Michelin starred restaurants but Jean-Georges Vongerichten does have an outpost at the Shangri-La Hotel in Vancouver. I went in for a couple of appetizers and a cocktail and I was hooked. I had his black truffle pizza (not shown) and the steelhead salmon on crispy rice. Sooooo good!

Market by Jean Georges Vancouver Canada

Steelhead on crispy rice

Market by Jean Georges Vancouver Canada

A refreshing cocktail at Market

Vancouver Dining Recommendation: Belgard Kitchen at the Vancouver Urban Winery

Originally Vancouver Urban Winery opened as just that, a winery. Over the years Belgard Kitchen and Postmark Brewing have also opened up in the same building, the Settlement Building. I am a fan of Belgard Kitchen and have eaten there several times. I feel like not that many people know about it so it’s relatively easy to snag a table but the food is really well done. The menu focuses more on smaller sharing plates which are fine by me! Sharing is caring!

Belgard Kitchen at the Vancouver Urban Winery

Mushroom pate. It was so good we ordered two!

Belgard Kitchen at the Vancouver Urban Winery

Meatballs!

Vancouver Urban Winery

Of course, you can order wine to go with your meal!

Vancouver Dining Recommendation: Minami

I have written about Minami before in my Vancouver sushi restaurant roundup. There are lots of budget or medium range Japanese restaurants but Minami would be a bit more upscale. And so worth it! I love aburi (where part of the nigiri is flame grilled but most of it is still raw) sushi!

Minami Vancouver

Pressed BC wild salmon, jalapeno, Minami sauce

Minami VancouverPressed house cured mackerel
Minami

Gyoza appetizer

Minami Vancouver

A delicious lychee cocktail

Vancouver Dining Recommendation: Giardino

Ahhhh, Giardino! I have so many fond memories of dining at Umberto Menghi’s restaurants over the years and when Il Giardino closed down I was quite devastated. I dined there with my first boyfriend, my late husband, and all of my friends. When I got the news that it had reopened a few doors down, I was thrilled to be invited to a media event. Let me tell you I feasted hard! I have since been back again but I have yet to go for my favourite meal there, brunch! If you’re looking for Italian food in Vancouver there are only a few places I recommend and Giardino is one of them.

Giardino Vancouver

The new patio area

Giardino VancouverCheers with an Aperol Spritz

Giardino VancouverAhi tuna carpaccio

Umberto Menghi of Giardino Vancouver

The maestro himself, Umberto Menghi

 Giardino VancouverGrilled Porterhouse Fiorentina

Giardino VancouverSpaghetti Al Nero Di Seppia

Giardino Vancouver

Dessert! Canoli, sorbetto, and macarons

Vancouver Dining Recommendation: Maenam

Maenam is one of Chef Angus An’s restaurants. Though his name may not be familiar he has trained with many a renown chef and put in his time at several at Michelin-starred restaurants. I was never a huge fan of any Thai restaurants in Vancouver, especially not after having travelled to Thailand, but the food at Maenam is legit. The flavours are bold and make you want to come back for more.

Maenam Vancouver

Hot and sour sablefish soup

Maenam VancouverPork stirfry

Maenam VancouverGrilled prawns on betel leaf!

Vancouver Dining Recommendation: Burdock & Co

I love Chef Andrea Carlson’s eateries whether it be her casual Harvest Community Foods or Burdock & Co. I love the casual vibe, the Mount Pleasant location, and her very local menu.

Burdock VancouverRoasted corn, chanterelle mushrooms, bean ragout with crispy wheatberries

Burdock Vancouver Padron peppers

Vancouver Dining Recommendation: Hawksworth

I love the room, the bar, and the food at Hawksworth. I would be bold and say that it’s probably the best restaurant in the city. The room itself, the food, cocktails and the vibe are all top-notch. If you are wanting a culinary experience, amazing food, and to be dining in a beautiful space, Hawksworth is it.

Hawksworth VancouverOysters to start. Yes, please!

Vancouver Dining - Hawksworth Absolutely delectable. All of the dishes

Vancouver Dining - Hawksworth | www.rtwgirl.com.jpg

Vancouver Dining - Hawksworth

Vancouver Dining - Hawksworth

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Vancouver Dining: The Best Places To Have Dinner In Vancouver, Canada

**Disclaimer: Many thanks to Forage, Minami, Hawksworth, Maenam, and Market for their hospitality. I loved them so much I have eaten at all of them on my own since. As always, opinions are solely my own.

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