West Restaurant to Close after 20 years

Toptable Group has announced that award-winning West Restaurant + Bar will close at year end. It will not be renewing its lease.

It’s by no means official. But I’ll hazard a pretty good guess that the cost of the new lease didn’t make sense to continue. The building is also possibly slated for development.

The closing of West marks the end of an era which very much helped define Vancouver’s culinary scene. You can read more here, in my recent post.

Over the years, West has produced some stellar people, including the present team.

From the release:

“West has been so honoured to play such an integral role in the city’s vibrant restaurant community,” said Michael Doyle, President, Toptable Group. “Home to so much talent over the years including David Hawksworth, Thierry Busset, and Sabrine Dhaliwal – just to name a few – we are proud of, and grateful to, all of the amazing men and women who have contributed to our success including being named Vancouver Magazine’s Restaurant of the Year.”

From now until the end of December 2019, West plans to host a line-up of collaborative alumni dinners with Executive Chef Bobby Milheron and Restaurant Director Owen Knowlton to celebrate many of the spectacular menus that have been crafted for this room over its time. Watch for updates via West’s social media regarding special guest appearances and events.

We would also like to thank Founder, Jack Evrensel and all of the alumni such as Quang Dang (Executive Chef), Warren Geraghty (Executive Chef), David Gunawan (Chef de Cuisine), Rhonda Viani (Pastry Chef), Brian Hopkins (Restaurant Director), David Wolowidnyk (Bar Manager), and many more for their contribution to the restaurant’s accomplishments.

About the Author: Tim Pawsey

Tim has been covering the food and wine revolution for about 20 kilos. Count 15 kg alone thanks to the blossoming cuisine and wine culture of British Columbia, Canada. Tim’s hallmark is seeking out and recommending value wines from BC and around the world that offer quality at every level. He also scopes out noteworthy restaurants that live up to their promises—and often over deliver. Readers depend on the Hired Belly for his “Belly’s Best” and “Belly’s Budget Best” picks to help them find the right wine for the occasion. For several decades Tim wrote columns in the Vancouver Courier and North Shore News. He contributes to several other publications, including BCLS Taste magazine, Quench, Vitis and many others. Tim is a frequent judge for wine competitions and was a founding judge of The BC Lieutenant Governor’s Awards for Excellence in Wine. He is frequently invited to judge at The BC Wine Awards, and others. Tim has traveled to taste in many of the world’s leading wine regions, most recently in Burgundy, Argentina and Chile.