Dine Out Vancouver (Jan 20-Feb 5) turns 21 this year. Hard to believe that it all started in 2003 with just 57 restaurants. Equally impressive is that some restos have been there every year—such as Bacchus at the Wedgewood.
This year, says Dine Out manager Lucas Pavan, no less than 370 restaurants are participating—”a brand new record,” he notes.
Pavan adds: “In a typical year Dine Out will generate or stimulate more than $24 million in spending in restaurants, events and hotels in that 17 day period—which is phenomenal!”
He also says that, since reservations opened on January 11th, web activity increased by 57% over 2022. In fact there’s been “the highest number of individual users or web traffic to the Dine Out website since 2016.”
Pavan reckons “there’s a lot of pent up demand to get out into restaurants to enjoy what Vancouver’s culinary scene has to offer.” Moreover, “with Michelin here now, the bar is set super high. But we all know that Vancouver’s culinary scene is great.”
Worth noting there are indeed 19 of those Michelin recommended rooms among the Dine Out Vancouver ranks. But there are plenty of other ways to make the most of Dine Out. Here’s How.
Make the most of the Dine Out Vancouver website
Just about everything you need to know about Dine Out Vancouver can be found on the website. It’s beyond comprehensive. But you need to dig around a bit. You can search in every way imaginable, from neighbourhood to cuisine style and more. It also has every participant listed in the drop down menu. (Just enter the first letter to find who you’re looking for quickly.) Figure out what you want to look for first (brunch, lunch, dinner, vegetarian etc. The filters are your best friend.) Then cut to the chase. Go right to the menu. And, by the way, if you just want to stay home and eat in your ‘jammies’, click on any of the 92 take-out choices! Although, you’ll miss out on the Dine Out buzz that’s definitely back this year.
Rileys’ cream of wild mushroom soup
Discover new places
We all know the pandemic has turned everything upside down. And, sadly, cost a lot of people their livelihoods and businesses. But as things have improved there’s also been no shortage of activity. Scroll through and you’ll find quite a few newcomers worth checking out. Dine Out may be great for revisiting old faves. There’s nothing wrong with that. Yet it also offers a good opportunity to check out some newbies—literally from A-Z … Adda to Zaatar W Zeit. Or, how about Surrey’s new Aussie brunch inspired Ruex Café & Bar? Also of note, I got to test drive Riley’s Fish & Steak the other night and was duly impressed with everything I tasted on the $65 menu. Just kitty corner to the convention centre, Riley’s is a smartly trimmed and dynamic addition to the downtown core. Dine Out Vancouver menu highlights? Superb wild mushroom soup (above); and lobster and acorn squash (both nicely matched with Burrowing Owl Pinot Gris.) Oh, and excellent strip loin with red wine jus … and more!
Broaden your horizons
Another way to make good use of the Dine Out Vancouver Festival website, it’s perfect for discovering new cuisines. No time like Dine Out to try something different, such as Max’s —the lone Filipino participant, $30 menu (Kingsway near Boundary)—or excellent Nepalese food at Gurkha Himalayan Kitchen ($34), with full vegetarian options. I’ve been a fan of this little neighbourhood haunt since the day they opened. Find them upstairs near Shoppers, in Davie Village.
Vij’s Dine Out highlights
Not just the ‘deals’
Of course, it’s easy to look for ‘deals’ by clicking on the lowest priced menus ($20-$34). But why look only for the budget offerings? There’s value to be found at every level. Moreover, by no means does every restaurant price its Dine Out offering at the higher end of the tier. For example you’ll find a superb assortment of dishes on offer at Vij’s (including wickedly good eggplant in yogurt and tomato curry with onion rings)—three courses for $50. All this, plus the chances are that Vikram might be there to welcome you with a cup of chai.
Go when it’s less busy
There’s no denying, in earlier days Dine Out could be a bit chaotic. Restaurants had to limit their seatings (some still do) and diners sometimes found themselves rushed. Those days, for the most part, are gone. Part of the reason for that is the wider range of of options on offer. Generally speaking, no surprise, times earlier in the week are less busy. But, if your schedule permits, lunch remains a seriously good alternative to busier dinner times. Also, think of a Dine Out Vancouver lunch (or brunch) as being not only a leisurely treat but also a great way to check out if you want to return at a later date for a ‘serious dinner’. Here are three that caught my eye: Waterfront Ancora, on False Creek North, Kerrisdale’s Bufala (also Edgemont Village) and Hawksworth, as available.
Provence Perfect Pairings Dinner – Wild Mushroom ravioli with prawns – nwongpr photo
Put some class in your glass
One of Dine Out Vancouver’s less obvious benefits is the chance to enjoy a meal with well-matched BC VQA wines, served in decent stemware. Vancouver is lucky to boast more than its share of smart sommeliers, who understand what it takes to come up with a good food and wine match.
Again, the menu pages reveal a handful of BC wine-savvy restaurants who take the idea seriously. They suggest a well-matched BC wine for every Dine Out dish. And some go even further …
For example, Provence Marinaside’s ‘Perfect Pairings Dinner’ features three-courses paired with signature wines from Okanagan Crush Pad’s Haywire, Narrative and Garnet Valley Ranch vineyards. Stunning Garnet Valley is also one of the Okanagan’s newest wineries whose wines won’t be available until the fall—except at Provence!
Farm to table original, Fable Diner offers a wide range of matched BC VQA sips from Mt. Boucherie, La Stella and others, while regional standard bearer Forage suggests McWatters Chardonnay 2020 with Northern Divine sturgeon, and Quails’ Gate Optima with Autumn Spice Cake for dessert.
For more noteworthy curated BC VQA wine pairing menus, check out: the West End’s previously mentioned Tibetan Gurkha Himalayan Kitchen; seafood specialist Fishworks, on the North Shore; downtown’s Showcase, in the Vancouver Marriott Pinnacle, waterside Lift, in Coal Harbour and at Wedgewood Hotel’s Bacchus Restaurant & Lounge, where celebrated chef Rob Feenie (ex Cactus Club and lumière) is now Chef-in-Residence.
Fancy trying your own food and wine pairing at home? Refer to this handy Wines of BC guide that’s just brimming with good ideas.
Dine Out Vancouver Street Food City
Make it eventful!
Dine Out Vancouver Festival has grown well beyond the mid-winter, prix fixe menu blitz that started it all. In many ways the success of the festival has paralleled Vancouver’s trajectory in becoming a food destination. The lineup of special events now constitutes a major part of Dine Out. One highlight, unquestionably, is Street Food City This year’s schedule has been expanded to longer weekend hours. There’s also no shortage of other fun stuff, from learning how to make Gelato—at Gelato 101, presented by Kits’ Uno Gelato—to dim sum discoveries, craft brewery and distillery tours, and more.
Don’t forget your etiquette!
Dine Out Vancouver can be challenging at times, especially at a moment when (thanks to the pandemic) people are short staffed and everyone from servers to chefs and managers is working long hours to make it all happen. For that reason, here’s a small reminder. Be considerate. And don’t forget to tip fairly—generously if you can. Servers, bussers and sous-chefs are the unsung heroes of this entire exercise, so why not show your appreciation? They likely more than deserve it.
Leave A Comment