As some folks may know, in our role as the local editor for Zagat, (backed by a great team in New York) we’ve been working for the last few months on the latest Zagat Survey, that encompasses key players in Vancouver, Victoria, Vancouver Island, Whistler and the Okanagan Valley. Well, here’s an exclusive look at the main results, (you’ll need to scroll down) at Zagat Google +
…Along with a pretty nifty backgrounder on Zagat Buzz
As usual, most of the attention (fair enough) is focused on the winners, the Zagat ‘Top Lists’—those restaurants with the highest scores, either in specific Food, Decor, Service categories, ‘Most Popular’, or across the board.
As Zagat says, “The (full) content is available exclusively at ZAGAT.com and via Zagat’s suite of mobile apps. The Survey covers 299 restaurants as reviewed by 2,255 local diners in the Vancouver area, including Vancouver Island, Victoria, Whistler and the Okanagan Valley.”
However, also worth noting are the market findings that Zagat announces in conjunction with the numerical results. Here they are, ranked in an order we feel might of interest in particular to BC diners:
‘Green’—as in environmentally responsible dining.
The Hired Belly has long believed that BC is at the forefront when it comes to the growth of farmers markets and increasing awareness of the need to nurture local producers.
Zagat’s numbers support this:
“64% of surveyors say locally sourced, organic or sustainably raised food is important.”
Celebrity Chefs
We also know that Vancouverites—and maybe west coasters in general—have little time for the celebrity chef syndrome. No, we’re not going to list them here, but you can pretty well count on one hand the star chefs who came here (either in person or via branded proxy) over the last two decades, sparkled briefly and who have since left.
Zagat says:
“According to 59% of surveyors, having a celebrity chef in the kitchen has no effect on their dining decisions.”
Internet Reservations
Just in case you were wondering about the influence of the likes of Open Table… on line resos have almost doubled, compared to last year.
“This year, 39% of reservations are made via the Internet, up from 21% in 2010.”
And, be sure to mind your mobile manners
It seems that one out of two people don’t like you paying more attention to your PDA or cell than them.
Zagat finds “50% say it is “rude” to text, tweet, call or e-mail at the table—although 89% consider it “OK” to take pictures of food, companions, etc.”
So who are the big winners? You might be surprised.
From the release:
Winners:
Vancouver: Pear Tree in Burnaby (Food and Service) with a near-perfect 29 on Zagat’s 30-point scale for Food; Downtown’s Five Sails (Decor); Keg Steakhouse & Bar is Most Popular.
Victoria/Vancouver Island: Brasserie L’Ecole in Downtown Victoria (Food); Empress Room (Decor); Camille’s (Service); Sooke Harbour House is Most Popular.
Whistler: Rimrock Cafe (Food); La Rúa Restaurante (Service); Araxi (Decor and Most Popular).
New: The Survey welcomes a selection of restaurants in the Okanagan Valley wine region, located 200 miles east of Vancouver, where restaurants – some open seasonally – feature local wines and regional cuisines.
Top Newcomers in Vancouver (in order): 1. Nicli Antica Pizzeria (Gastown), 2. Ensemble Restaurant (Downtown), 3. Meat & Bread (Downtown), 4. Hawksworth (Downtown) and 5. Tableau (Downtown).
Best Buy: Sandwich shop Meat & Bread in Downtown Vancouver is this year’s Top Bang for the Buck.
Dining Out: Vancouver survey participants report dining out an average of 2.8 times per week.
It pays to remember that these scores are not PR or media driven and that they directly reflect the diners’ experiences. There’s also a pretty exhaustive system applied that ensures the review corresponds with the scores achieved—and that any ‘creative’ voting is weeded out.
Disclaimer: Tim Pawsey (aka the Hired Belly) is the local editor for Vancouver, Victoria & Whistler Zagat Survey.
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