Vancouver Restaurants
Ok Im warning you this post will be long! Ive also tried to include websites where possible, Im typing this in a word document and then copy and pasting so not sure how the links will be affected if I need to I can edit them once posted.
There are no shortages of restaurants in the downtown core. You cant walk a block without coming across at least a few on each block and something new for Vancouver this summer will be the food trucks. We have always had a few here and there but this year they rolled out a new program and issued more licenses and changed the guidelines around them so I think they will be a much bigger presence than they have been in the past.
Two main areas that have pretty much wall to wall restaurants are Robson (between Burrard and Broughton mostly and then again as you get closer to Stanley Park) and Denman Street (which is by Stanley Park, Lost Lagoon and 2nd Beach).
There are way too many restaurants to list here and although I have been to quite a few as a percentage of how many there actually are its very small! Ill list the ones I particularly like or have heard good things about. For the record I will say Im not what you would call a fine dining kind of gal, if anything Im worried the food on our cruise will be too fancy for me. Also our kids are not picky eaters so some of the places I would take my kids may not be appropriate for all kids there are many restaurants I take mine that my friends wouldnt. That being said heres my recommendations
Before going into the Robson restaurants there are a couple on at little street just off Burrard (steps away from the Hyatt and Burrard Skytrain) that has a strip of restaurants and they are worth a visit.
1. Kobes Japanese Steakhouse 1042 Alberni Street - is lots of fun. Its one of those places where the chef cooks the food in front of you and does the fancy knife work. Some of them are better showmen than others but even if you get one that doesnt do the fancy stuff the shrimp makes up for it! You sit at tables for 12 I think it was (its a square with the chef and grill in the center) so you will be seated with other people on a first come first served basis (on weekends leave time for a wait). Definitely order the shrimp its awesome. (you also get an appetizer of the shrimp included but three isnt enough for me!) If you are used to maritime lobster then dont order the lobster. It was tasty but nothing compared to steamed Altantic lobster, a little too chewy for me. They also have sushi which Ive never had but I imagine it must be pretty good. I read a bunch of reviews that talk about long wait times. Weve been twice and didnt have to wait more than 20 minutes or so either time so I dont know if we just lucked out or if the long waits were an anomaly. Its not cheap but Im still craving the shrimp! Because you are spread out in a square with a grill and chef in the middle this is not a place to have a quite intimate dinner. Its also not a good place if you want to be able to have a full on conversation but if you are looking for something different, fun and tasty its a good choice. It is pricy for us its a big splurge and we always use an Entertainment Guide coupon (you may still be able to pick up some 2013 ones before they are gone for good so sad they went under)
www.koberestaurant.com
2. Coast Seafood 1054 Alberni Street I have never been here, a little too pricey for me but I have heard its really really good. If you like Seafood and price is not an issue this may be the place for you.
http://www.glowbalgroup.com/coast/
3. Sambas Brazilian Steakhouse 1122 Alberni Street - I just saw that the location is now being developed into a highrise so they are looking for a new location. I am leaving it up here because its worth a visit if they find a new location in the downtown core. Its a meat fest!! If you are a vegetarian stay away! LOL Its all you can eat bar-b-que and you get a little disc to put beside you that says more on one side and Im full on the other and men with skewers of meat walk around the tables and cut off a slab of meat for you as often as you want. There are all sorts of different things to try and they usually have at least one out of the ordinary one to try as well. There is a big salad bar to go with it. On the weekends they have entertainment, dancing showgirls. This one is also pricy and a treat for us. Its $32 a plate (I believe kids were half price) so make sure to go hungry. We went with a few other couples who left their kids at home because they thought they wouldnt like it but we brought ours and they ask to go back at least a couple times a month.
http://www.thaihouse.com/samba/
4. Thierry Chocolaterie Patisserie Café 1059 Alberni Street Ive never been here but someone was asking about bakeries and this place sounds yummy!
http://www.thierrychocolates.com/
Ok moving on to Robson Street (all of the choices Im listing here are around the Red Robin price range and all are family/kid friendly unless otherwise noted)
5. Thai House - 1116 Robson Street (upstairs, easy to miss look for the pink sign) this is one of my favourite restaurants. The spring rolls are nice and crispy and full of flavour. The Pad Thai is well done and the cashew chicken is just the perfect amount of spicy. I tend to order the same thing every time so whenever we have a group we make a point of ordering one or two different dishes to try and Ive never been disappointed. Everyone Ive brought here has liked it as well.
http://thaihouse.com/
6. Cactus Club 1136 Robson Street I love the Cactus Club. The Bellinis alone are worth the trip! The yam fries are nice and crispy and the teriyaki chicken and rice bowl or the fish tacos are my two personal favorites. It is a chain restaurant but I dont know how many locations they have outside of Canada (if any) so it may not be as well known as I think. I have taken my kids but I probably wouldnt again a little too pricey for kids and no kids menu at all. They will make the pasta in smaller portions for them but thats about it. (there are multiple locations in the downtown core as well)
http://www.cactusclubcafe.com/
7. Chong Qing 1260 Robson Street I have never been to this location (only recently found out they have one there!) but they have another location across the street from my office and I go there a couple of times a month. Really good Szechuan food. We have all our staff celebration lunches there because everyone loves it (and we have a staff of approx 40 so thats a lot of opinions). Good prices and portion sizes. Lots of choices for dim sum as well.
http://www.cqrestaurant.com/
8. Kalypso Restaurant & Tapas Bar 1323 Robson Street Good greek food and Tapas. Not usually a wait and service is pretty quick. Ive mostly done lunch here so dinner may be different. Its also right above a Starbucks in case you want an after dinner coffee fix on your way back to the hotel.
Onwards to Denman Street (close to Stanley Park and the seawall) These places would mostly fall into the quick dining category I think and again all are kid friendly unless otherwise noted. Denman street is just off the beach so the restaurants tend to be beachwear appropriate rather than fancier sit down restaurants.
9. Ponchos Mexican 827 Denman Street They have been around for about 25 years. Yummy Mexican food, I havent been in a long time but we used to go quite regularly, decent prices and good ambiance with live music Fridays through Sunday.
http://ponchosvancouver.com/
10. Akira Sushi 1069 Denman Street I have never been here (not a sushi fan) but I know some of you were asking for Sushi places (which you will not have a problem finding they are EVERYWHERE!) but this one got quite a few good reviews and seem to have a wide variety of specialty items that you may not find at the corner sushi place.
11. Nats New York Pizza 1080 Denman Street I have personally never been there but MANY people I know have told me its the best pizza in town
http://www.natspizza.com/
12. Fatburger 1101 Denman Street This is my dh and kids favorite burger place. I like it but Im not a huge burger fan so I find the rest of the menu to be a bit limiting. The onion rings are good and the yam fries are crispy. The Caesar salad is usually really good but once or twice we have gotten a not so good one. The burgers are very tasty and cooked to order. The milkshakes are delicious.
http://www.fatburger.com/
13. Espana 1118 Denman Street - This place is fairly new and Ive never been there but my friend who lives near Denman loves it and highly recommends it. She said they have really good tapas.
http://www.espanarestaurant.ca/
14. Cupcakes 1168 Denman Street - If you have ever seen Cupcake Girls on TV this is the place the show is about. I LOVE the coconut cupcakes.
http://cupcakesonline.com/
15. Veras Burger Shack 1181 Denman Street - Funky burger place. Lots of different burger, hot dog and side options. I prefer this place to Fat Burger because of that. Its a perfect place after a day at the beach. You can also get it to go and eat it on the beach (be prepared to wait though - they cook the burgers to order so it will be about 15 minutes or so).
http://www.verasburgershack.com/
16. Milestones - 1210 Denman Street I remember coming here on my first night in Vancouver almost 20 years ago! They make awesome Bellinis. The food is good and the price is about average for a similar restaurant (trendy after work crowd but you could also bring kids more of a sit down restaurant than the others in this area). They also have a weekend brunch.
http://www.milestonesrestaurants.com/
17. The Boathouse: 1795 Beach Ave Seafood place, a little pricey but the food is good and the view from the deck is awesome. I have taken my kids to one of their other locations and it was not a problem but this location is quite busy so not sure I would bring them. Its also not great if youre looking for a quiet intimate meal (traditionally the Boathouse is what I would consider an upscale restaurant but I think this location is a little more casual than the other locations)
http://boathouserestaurants.ca/
There are lots more than I mentioned as well you will easily find something to your liking just by walking up and down the street.
A couple of other quick mentions Granville Street between Robson and Davie has a ton of quick serve, fast food type of places if you are looking for a quick snack or lunch on the go.
If you are staying at the Wall Centre or Sutton Place there are two little out of the way places that are inexpensive and yummy for a quick service meal:
18. Tokyo Joes (Sushi and Japanese) - 955 Helmcken St
19. One Saigon (Vietnamese) 979 Hornby Street
20. Roque Kitchen and Wetbar - Inside Waterfront Station at the terminal - really yummy not so much kid friendly although I think you could take them
http://www.roguewetbar.com/
21. Joeys - Saving the best for last my favourite place is Joeys there are a couple of different ones but I always go to the one on Burrard just up from Robson 820 Burrard Street The lettuce wraps are sooooo good. The butter chicken is awesome. I also love the lobster grilled cheese, yam fries, souvlaki and most of the appetizers! (dont order the gyoza though bleh). Two of my coworkers order the Ahi Tuna club and Baja fish tacos every time and swear by it.
http://www.joeyrestaurants.com/burrard
Phew that should keep you guys eating for awhile!