It suddenly occurred to me while I was checking out the Web Directions North site for the latest news, that I should at least mention some restaurants I’ve frequented in the downtown/Yaletown areas over the past couple of years and would be happy to recommend to out-of-towners for dinner options.
The Where to Eat page on the Web Directions North is a great starting point. I’d also like to add the Georgia Straight’s Dining Out Guide for Feb 1-8, 2007 as another handy resource to check out.
The restaurants listed below are separated into 2 tables. The first table are restaurants I’ve personally been to and highly recommend. The second are restaurants that I have had friends recommend to me.
If you are planning to go with a party of more than 4 people, I would strongly recommend calling ahead for reservations for all restaurants except Hon’s and Vij’s.
So without further adieu, here they are:
Personally recommended restaurants in Yaletown & Downtown area
| Restaurant | Cuisine | Address | Price Point | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cactus Club | West Coast | 357 Davie St. | $$ | Famous for their Bellini drinks. Attracts the post-work crowd for appetizers and drinks. |
| Capone’s Restaurant and Live Jazz | Italian | 1141 Hamilton St. | $$ | Live Jazz nightly. |
| Glowbal | West Coast / Asian Fusion | 1079 Mainland St. | $-$$ | Great satays. |
| Hon’s Wun-Tun House | Chinese / Vegetarian | 1339 Robson St. | $ | Fast, no-frills eating. Extensive vegetarian menu as well. Recommend their Potstickers. |
| The Keg | West Coast / Steakhouse | 742 Thurlow St. | $$ | Great place to satisfy your steak craving. |
| Milestone’s | West Coast / Pub | 1109 Hamilton St. | $-$$ | Great after-work place to have dinner and drinks. |
| Samba | Brazilian Steakhouse | 1122 Alberni St. | $$ | Servers come to your table with meat skewers and cut portions for you. A wide range of meats are available, such as beef, pork, chicken, lamb, and ostrich. They also have a nice salad bar if meat isn’t your thing. |
| Simply Thai | Thai | 1211 Hamilton St. | $-$$ | Great spring rolls and curry dishes. |
| Tropika | Malaysian / Thai | 1128 Robson St. | $-$$ | Tasty satays. |
| Tsunami Sushi | Japanese | #238-1025 Robson St. | $$ | Floating sushi bar. Busy most nights. |
| Yaletown Brewing Company | West Coast / Brewpub | 1111 Mainland St. | $-$$ | Has a pub and restaurant side. Try their seasonal beer, brewed in-house. |
Recommended restaurants in Yaletown & Downtown area by friends
| Restaurant | Cuisine | Address | Price Point | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coast | West Coast | 1257 Hamilton St. | $$$ | High end West Coast cuisine. Teppanyaki-style seating, the menu is whatever ingredients the chef has chosen for that day. Excellent service. Expect a followup call from them asking you how your dining experience was. |
| Guu – Thurlow | Japanese Tapas | 838 Thurlow St. | $-$$ | Worth the lineup. Expect to be eating cheek by jowl with other patrons, it’s that popular a place. Reasonably priced. |
| Guu – Robson | Japanese Tapas | 1698 Robson St. | $-$$ | More tables available at this location. |
| Hapa Izakaya | Japanese Tapas | 1479 Robson St. | $-$$ | Always packed on Fridays. Great ambience. |
| Vij’s | Indian / Vegetarian | 1480 West 11th Avenue | $-$$ | Perennial local favorite. No reservations, first come first serve. Located a few blocks from the south side of the Granville Street Bridge. |
- $ – Under $20
- $$ – $20 – $40
- $$$ – Over $40
