It’s becoming increasingly difficult to get a really good sub-$15 burger in downtown Vancouver, but Hundy, from Michael Robbins, the chef of Michelin-starred AnnaLena’s, allows you to do exactly that at a stripped-down location in Yaletown. Go for the burgers and stay for the hidden bar — follow the signs to the right of the cash register to dive into the fun cocktails at Stock Room. Bar snacks include ghost pepper-flavored Lay’s potato chips from Thailand, Turkish Froot Loops gummies, and, of course, Hundy burgers; aim for the 4–6 p.m. happy hour for an excellent value.

One of the city’s hardest working chefs, Angus An has five other spots dotted across the city, including Fat Mao, which serves blissful noodles in Chinatown and Downtown, as well as Longtail Kitchen and Sen Pad Thai. But if you only have time to visit one of his restaurants, go for Maenam, where you can drool over An’s deft balancing act of sweet, aromatic, citrusy, hot, and spicy flavors in great Thai dishes with B.C. twists. Walk-ins are welcome in the lounge for an a la carte dinner, but it’s worth it to book the chef’s menu, a bargain at $88 ($65 USD) per person for 11 dishes served family style. Four-course lunch sets are also a terrific value.

At this Fairview neighborhood cafe, expect innovative bakes designed to melt down your socials and delight your taste buds, including a Tom and Jerry-style cheesecake (which looks like a cartoon cheese wedge and tastes like heaven), cute Nanaimo bar-inspired igloo cakes, and a blue pond-glazed creme brulee with a chocolate rubber duckie floating in it. Snacks and coffee here are excellent too — seasonally inspired latte art is on point, and the creative team drops new creations every few weeks. Wicked Cafe has a second location in West Point Grey, but this one has bags more character and is an easy stroll from the downtown core.

Take a 20-minute trip on the Skytrain from downtown to the neighboring city of Richmond, which Eater’s former roving critic, Bill Addison, called “one of the cultural marvels of North America” for having some of the finest Asian food in the world. At this award-winning favorite, the dim sum is handmade by chef-owner May Chau, who focuses on Hong Kong classics: steamed pork and crab dumplings, pan-fried pork buns, and deep-fried wontons — all must-orders.

Don’t worry: The queues for this West End ramen favorite move fast, and it’s always worth the wait — especially if you’re a noodle fan. Each day this small ramen shop makes 500 4.4-ounce balls of noodles, which rest for 24 hours before being cooked and slurped up. Hailing from Japan, Maruhachi favors a silky rich chicken broth over the heavier pork-based tonkotsu. Prepare to be enchanted — and don’t miss out on the egg. It’s consistently the best in the city.

Sashimiya opened in 2020, tucked away on the bottom of Hornby Street. The ultra-casual, entirely sustainable, grab-and-go sushi and sashimi shop is sushi master chef Taka Omi’s first solo spot after leaving the Fairmont Pacific Rim’s RawBar. Fish can be sliced to order for sashimi from the chillers, and a host of Japanese grocery goodies are on offer too. There are no seats, so take your exquisitely made party trays, platters, and bentos down to the waterfront to enjoy picnic-style, or order for delivery.

Since Vancouver’s food trucks were legalized a decade ago, they’ve enjoyed a rollercoaster ride through fads and fortunes. Favorites have come and gone, as the ranks of dozens have slimmed to a handful; much-loved trucks such as Soho Road, the Kaboom Box, and Top Rope Birria have rolled off the road. But elder statesman Japadog abides. It’s always worth checking one of the six food truck locations (including one at the airport) and four stores, especially the original at the junction of Burrard Street and Smithe Street. Snap up one of the signature all-beef Terimayo dogs with teriyaki sauce, Japanese mayo, and seaweed to see why the brand has lasted the course. Anthony Bourdain loved this budget treat on the No Reservations Vancouver episode, noting wisely, “If life has taught us anything, it’s to eat meat in tube form.”

Dynasty boasts twinkling chandeliers, views over the city from its first-floor perch on West Broadway, and, thanks to chef Sam Leung, some of the city’s best modern Chinese food. Open daily from 10 a.m. for dim sum, its standouts are the buttery barbecue pork cha siu bao with baked lemon, and the silky, wafer-thin dumplings stuffed with fresh shrimp, scallops, and black truffles. Dinner features a “24-hours notice” menu, with Cantonese delights such as mushroom-braised duck. Service skews more efficient than hospitable, but the food easily makes up for it.

Thankfully, the Covid-era patio remains at this ever-popular Yaletown neighborhood rotisserie cafe and bar, offering the chance to bask in the sun as you consider decent European wine picks, some of the city’s most consistently excellent roast chicken, and tasty sides. Inside, watch the handsome red Rotisol Grande Flamme Olympia rotisserie spit-roast perfect free-range chickens and other proteins, and briefly ponder whether you should give in to the Full Monty (a waistband-tightening set menu that carves through some of Homer Street’s favorites). Ponder no more — of course you should.

An offshoot from the popular Toronto-based Haifa Room, this delicious collaboration teams up long-time friends and hospitality veterans from Jewish and Palestinian backgrounds. Located in the Deloitte Summit tower, the restaurant has the vibe of an office canteen (albeit with cheerier lighting), but the superb cocktails (try the rosewater paloma), attentive staff, and thoughtful wine list will make you feel at home. Don’t skip the spectacularly crispy Nazareth hot chicken on a pink bed of sumac yogurt, the puffs of deep-fried creamy Jerusalem artichokes, and the absolute plate-licker of a house labneh studded with black olive crumble and bright tomato chermoula. Bar Haifa is open for lunch as well as dinner.

Chef Vikram Vij is a huge star, with a stint as an investor on Dragon’s Den, the reality show for aspiring entrepreneurs, and a national range of prepackaged gourmet frozen curries to his name. Vij has created a fine dining Indian restaurant where you can feast on ambrosial curries utilizing local ingredients and hand-ground spices, paired with B.C. wines and funky cocktails. Pre-pandemic, the queue for a table might have included luminaries such as ex-Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau or Harrison Ford, but now you can make a reservation and skip the wait. Don’t miss the lamb popsicles.

The Permanent is one of Vancouver’s most stunning event spaces; the restored 1907 bank building features a stained glass atrium, crown moldings, and glowing brass chandeliers. Inside the century-old vault, whenever the space isn’t booked for private gatherings, you’ll find Pretend Wine Bar, which offers up a thrilling selection of by-the-glass natural and low-intervention wines from around the world, all driven by manager Louisa Cohen and bar manager Drew MacDonald’s passion for grapes and good company. Chef pop-ups drive an ever-changing food menu, and there’s a well-stocked bottle shop for any wines that you fall in love with at the bar.

Don’t be intimidated by the dramatic entryway with dripping wax candelabras. Ophelia is a very welcoming modern Mexican spot with notably great service in the often-overlooked Olympic Village part of the city. Come for the solid margarita program (especially for Margarita Monday deals) and on-point creative cocktails in a busy room decorated with folk art. Stay for the excellent skirt steak tacos with roasted bone marrow and deliciously complex burned salsa, or the popular weekend brunch with punchy chilaquiles. Don’t skip the tres leches with pistachio crumble and lime-infused whipped cream.

Pidgin seamlessly blends the bounty of the Pacific Northwest with French techniques and Asian influences. Although the place is perfect for bar snacks — the gochujang chicken wings are the best in the city — and genuinely thrilling for creative cocktails with ingredients such as toasted rice rum and gunpowder tea gomme, go with the prix fixe, which offers exceptional value with seven inventive mini courses 89 Canadian dollars (about $66) per person. Whisky and sake fans will love the selection, and the wine list offers global gems too.

Natty wine lovers gather here to celebrate what happens when grapes meet naturally occurring yeasts. An urban winery in the heart of Mount Pleasant, la Fabrique St-George utilizes grapes from the different wine regions in B.C. and ferments them in beautiful clay qvevri. Unfined, unfiltered, and additive-free, these wines are as natural as it gets. Belly up to the tasting bar to try them by the glass, or enjoy a bottle in the airy lounge, where well-stocked chillers are piled high with tempting cheese and charcuterie options, alongside cutlery, cutting boards, and such so you can make a little picnic for yourself in the space. There’s also a full program of DJs, live music, the occasional opera to enjoy too.

On the search for a superb ooey-gooey smash burger and great beers? Look no further than the very excellent Kapow Burger, based at the equally splendid Electric Bicycle Brewing, which is tucked away in the funky ex-warehouse district of Mount Pleasant. Choose from six piled-high burgers (including a chicken burger and a vegetarian sweet potato version) topped with items like pickled jalapenos and crispy bacon. The Kapow with fried onions and cheese is gloriously messy, and it pairs perfectly with a generous serving of tater tots doused in cheese and the Big Mac-like Kapow sauce. In the brewery, pick from an array of on-tap regulars (the Atomic Jam Raspberry Sour is rightly a house favorite) and fruity, bright, seasonal specials.

Lila is a joyful collaboration between two of the city’s most important chef-owners, good friends Meeru Dhalwala (Vij’s) and Shira Blustein (the Acorn), known for their long-time championing of sustainability, community building, and mentorship and support of women in hospitality. Located on the “Michelin Mile” strip of Main Street and boasting one of the city’s best hidden patio gardens, Lila brings Dhalwala’s modern Indian cuisine and Blustein’s plant-based sensibility together for truly plate-licking results in a slender charcoal-grey and sage-green room festooned with leafy plants. The menu prioritizes plants, plus some dairy and sustainable seafood, and it begs to be shared, so don’t be shy in ordering one or two extra dishes — you haven’t lived till you’ve devoured cold garam masala-marinated jackfruit for breakfast. Whatever you do, always make room for the potato and cauliflower pakoras with bright mango-and-mint chutney.

Chef Gus Stieffenhofer-Brandson and team are unstoppable juggernauts, scooping up every prize, from a Michelin star in the city’s inaugural awards to the No. 1 spot in Canada’s 100 Best Restaurants in 2022. You’ll need to plan far in advance (reservations open 60 days ahead and sell out in a few hours) or eat at 5 p.m. to discover what alchemy is afoot here, but it would be churlish to leave Published off the list just because it’s challenging to get a seat. At $165 ($123 USD) plus tax and tip, the superb tasting menu is one of the most expensive in the city. If you’re on a budget, you can still dive into the playfully experimental dishes by going a la carte or picking up a snack at the bar. Just try not to fall in love with any menu items, as dishes switch up often.

Suyo gathers the talents of Peruvian ex-Ancora chef Ricardo Valverde, award-winning ex-Botanist bartender Max Curzon-Price, and front of house veteran James Reynolds. The Main Street restaurant’s menu is a lot like its crack team: Exceptionally good ingredients add up to an even greater whole. Hotly anticipated — and immediately packed since opening in summer 2022 — Suyo’s modern take on Peruvian cuisine looks, tastes, and smells radically different from anything else in the city right now. That all comes at a cost, with mains around the $50-60 mark. Splurge if you can, or stop by the small bar to enjoy imaginative cocktails inspired by the peoples and landscapes of Peru, accompanied by sublime charred octopus and zingingly fresh ceviche.

Andrea Carlson’s resume reads like a rundown of every restaurant that helped shape Vancouver’s fresh, local, and sustainable style: C, Raincity Grill, Sooke Harbour House, Bishop’s — she’s worked at them all. You’ll find a shining example of British Columbia-based, casual fine dining at her Michelin-starred restaurant, Burdock & Co, which offers a tasting menu of locavore, ultra-seasonal dishes that pair perfectly with the tight, natural-leaning wine list. Favorites come and go on the five-course menu, but add on an order of the fan-favorite buttermilk fried chicken with dill pickle powder, or go big with sustainably sourced Northern Divine sturgeon caviar with tater tots and a shot of aquavit.

Local produce shines brightly in this softly lit vegetarian/vegan restaurant, which strums along happily to hipster beats in the heart of the city’s funky Main Street neighborhood. The menu switches up frequently (save for the show-stopping halloumi in a whisper-thin beer batter) as the region’s seasonal bounty rolls through. The wine list has plenty of lesser known biodynamic varieties to try, and impressively, the non-alcoholic drinks are given as much consideration as the excellent cocktails. If you can’t score a seat for dinner, try the weekend brunch, which offers eggs and granola alongside more complex options such as bok choy with Espelette pepper, nam jim, plum hoisin, and puffed wild rice.

For years, if you wanted to eat at this stylish, locals’ Vietnamese spot on Main, you’d have to queue. In a pandemic pivot, Anh and Chi began accepting reservations, bookable with a $10 charity donation. Everything on the menu is bursting with fresh flavors and perfectly balanced in terms of spice and heat. Portions are wildly generous, so order everything for the table. Must-orders include custardy bánh khot prawn cakes wrapped in crispy rice and the fun, finger-licking DIY platter of khay bánh hỏi lụi nướng. It’s worth considering takeout, which gives you access to the very good wine list at 50 percent off.

The casual wine-bar sibling to the multi-award-winning Published on Main began as a pop-up but is now firmly one of the city’s favorite spots, complete with a summery patio, on East 6th. The gorgeous room plays host to chef de cuisine Justin Golangco’s menu, which wanders from pan-European to pan-Asian; aonori, caperberries, and bruschetta all feature at various points. Alongside is an ever-changing array of low-intervention wines, amari, cocktails, and vermouth, all procured by wine lead Stephanie Alishan (formerly of London’s Super 8 Restaurant group).

This slender restaurant on the edge of Chinatown is home to some of the city’s most interesting by-the-glass wine options, including low-intervention and terroir-focused pours from around the world and around the province. Whether it’s an amber wine from Georgia or crisp pinot noir from a local Vancouver Island producer, Gobo’s Peter Van de Reep, winner of the 2020 Best Sommelier of BC competition, will help you find the right wine to pair with the attractively priced, prix fixe three-course menu. If they’re available, add the creamy Kewpie-spiked deviled eggs, served with a gloriously salty-crispy anchovy topping.

Kissa Tanto scored a Michelin star in Vancouver’s inaugural awards. The pitch-perfect pairing of Japanese and Italian cuisines comes together in a funky, second-story space in Chinatown, a few steps away from the restaurant’s sibling crowd-pleaser, Bao Bei. The menu is small enough to make you want to order everything: the exquisite pasta made in-house; the show-stopping whole fish served fins and all, which arrives puffed, hot, and crisp from the fryer along with a daikon-soy dipping sauce; a deceptively simple salad seamlessly fusing kombu dashi and pecorino. Reservations are essential.

You’ll find some of the city’s very best pasta at this wildly tempting wine bar/cafe/grocery on Commercial Drive, in a neighborhood that’s enjoying something of a renaissance, partly thanks to a strong pandemic-era patio culture. There are a trio of menus to take you from brunch through aperitivo hour and dinner. The overstuffed muffuletta sandwich is a must-order, as is the superb agnolotti stuffed with chicken and pork in glossy, buttery roasting juices, topped with crispy sage. Italian wines, spritzes, and amari (try a flight) round out the full experience. Pick up house-made sauces, breads, sauces, and pastas to prepare at home from the grocery section, where you can also browse imported olive oils, bottled cocktails, amarena cherries, and other enticing pantry items.

Distilling is still something of a new art in B.C. thanks to its antiquated, post-prohibition booze laws, which only got a refresh in 2013. Odd Society joined the first wave of new distilleries, and it has remained a must-visit and one of the most consistent producers of craft spirits, including gin, vodka, vermouth, and whisky. Check out the cute cocktail lounge at their East Van distillery, located in a converted motorbike garage, and road-test a few spirits before heading out to explore the many neighboring breweries of “Yeast Van.”

A crisp fall afternoon is perfect for people-watching on Havana’s spacious patio on the Drive. Alongside a comprehensive list of rum, mezcal, and tequila drinks, this cheerful locals’ institution has some of the city’s best nonalcoholic cocktails (the salted cucumber “margarita” is especially good) to accompany fried plantain chips and chunky guacamole. The twice-daily happy hours, packed-out brunch (free pancakes for kids 8 and under till 11 a.m.), and well-priced menu of Latin American staples, which ranges from tacos to Cubanos, have made this a rightly popular spot for around 30 years.