12 must-try restaurants participating in Dine Out Vancouver

In case you missed all the buzz, Dine Out Vancouver has returned once again with over 450 restaurants participating in and around Vancouver.

But with only so many hours in a day, there’s simply not enough time during the 18-day festival to try every restaurant. Therefore, you need to be strategic when it comes to placing your reservations.

Whether you’ve got your eye on one of the Michelin-accredited restaurants, a neighbourhood gem, or one of the hottest new restaurants on the list, we’ve compiled a list of some noteworthy restaurants and menus you can try at this year’s Dine Out Vancouver.

Published on Main

If you’ve never had the chance to dine at Published on Main (or at any Michelin-star restaurant), take this as your opportunity to do so.

While this may be one of the most costly menus ($110 pe person), you’ll experience many of the hits found on Published’s regular menu. This includes dishes like its Smoked and Candied Steel (with burnt nori and kelp croustade), Hunter’s Chicken, and the must-try Wintergreen dessert (made with wild blueberry and chanterelle mushroom).

Address: 3593 Main St., Vancouver
Cost: $110 per person

Selene Aegean Bistro

Selene’s brunch game is on point, and its Dine Out Vancouver menu is no exception to the rule. We’re talking fried eggs on a bed of tzatziki topped with kefaloytri and baharat chilli crunch (Cilbir on the menu for those looking), and a Fried Chicken Sandwich straight out of a dream with kiwi relish and caramelized onion yogurt. It’s also worth noting that you can add an order of Selene’s pork belly to the menu, which is definitely worth the extra charge.

Perhaps it’s our sweet tooth talking, but the Amygdalota Ice Cream Sandwich (tahini ice cream and honey caramel on an almond cookie) is top-notch.

Address: 360 Penticton St., Vancouver
Cost: $40 per person

Kavita

Kavita has only been open for a handful of months, but it’s already been making waves in the Vancouver restaurant community. While the restaurant is best known for its amma-kase menu (a.k.a. its take on an omakase), its Dine Out Vancouver menu is nothing to sneeze at here. Do yourself a favour and order the Goat Haleem; it just might be the coziest dish you’ve ever eaten.

Address: 250 W. 3rd Ave., Vancouver
Cost: $65 per person

ELEM

Also known as one of the best new restaurants in Canada, cross ELEM off of your bucket list during this year’s Dine Out festivities.

Highlights include the Beef Cheek, a dish so tender that you can leave your knife on the table. Plus, the Pistachio Kulfi for dessert hits all the right notes: sweet with a touch of salt and all sorts of deliciousness.

Address: 2110 Main St., Vancouver
Cost: $70 per person

The Greek

The Greek, a major player in the local Greek food scene, has once again joined the list of restaurants participating in Dine Out Vancouver.

Gigantes Bean Stew (buttery tender Greek beans in two ways), Chicken Kapama (slow-cooked chicken in housemade tomato sauce served over crispy potatoes and okra), and a Plum Stuffed Pork Roulade (with Greek demiglace and mashed potatoes).

Address: Multiple locations
Cost: $55 per person

Copperpenny Distilling Co.

Folks who enjoy a cocktail as much as they do a good meal out are in for a treat with Copperpenny’s Dine Out Vancouver menu.

The menu, which includes items like Duck Breast (sous vide in prosciutto bone broth, sauce au poivre, braised leek umulsion, duck fat fried chanterelle, and a potato stack) and Stuffed Squash (mushroom and leek stuffed delicata squash, sauce au poivre, pecorino romano, and braised chard), also has the option to add a cocktail pairing to each course.

Address: 288 Esplanade E Ave., North Vancouver
Cost: $39 per person (optional $51 cocktail pairing)

Touk

Top Chef Canada season 11 winner Chanthy Yen just opened the doors to his highly anticipated restaurant Touk at the end of December, and it already has the whole city buzzing.

Plenty of hit dishes from his time on Top Chef Canada have made an appearance on its Dine Out Menu, including the Borbor (known best for bringing Top Chef Canada judge and fellow Vancouverite Mijune Pak to tears), alongside the beloved Fraser Valley Tomahawk.

Address: 1152 Alberni St., Vancouver
Cost: $65 per person

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ARC Restaurant + Bar

While ARC might be best known for its bottomless brunch (an offering that is also available for Dine Out Vancouver), its dinner offering isn’t something to miss either.

You’ll start with Bread and Bone Marrow (bone marrow mixed with butter and served with crunchy sourdough) and then have a couple of options to choose from for your starter, main, and dessert.

Highlights include the Mushroom Bisque, B.C. Pork Belly, Slow Braised Shortrib, and the Poached Pear for dessert (with tonka bean mascarpone, hazelnut crunch, and mulled wine reduction).

Address: 900 Canada Pl., Vancouver
Cost: $55 per person for dinner ($59 per person for brunch and $39 per person for lunch)

Burdock and Co.

The other Michelin-star restaurant to have made the list of participating restaurants in Dine Out Vancouver is none other than Burdock and Co.

Here you’ll find a three-course version of its current tasting menu called Australian Road Trip Under a Cold Moon, inspired by chef Andrea Carlson’s recent travels to South Australia and Victoria. Dishes include Oysters with elderflower ponzu and finger lime, Vegemite Roasted Lamb Loin with wattle seed and squash tart, and Tonka Bean Custard with Anzac biscuit and honey sorbet.

Address: 2702 Main St., Vancouver
Cost: $110 per person

Bar Gobo

Also under the Burdock and Co. family of restaurants, Bar Gobo is also offering a three-course menu featuring chef Ralph Cravalho’s Filipino-inspired cooking shaped by French technique.

The fan-favourite Beef Tartare with fish sauce caramel, crispy shallots, and radicchio is on the Dine Out menu, including entrees like Bavete Steak with pomme purée, lemonrass butter, and sherry jus, as well as Parisian Gnocci with albacore tuna, mushrooms, tamarind beurre blanc, and spicy gremolata.

Address: 237 Union St., Vancouver
Cost: $65 per person

Capo and the Spritz

The Yaletown staple Capo and the Spritz is also participating in Dine Out Vancouver this year with its selection of Italian favourites.

Folks popping in for lunch can enjoy a three-course $35 menu with bites like the Winter Burrata Salad (creamy burrata, radicchio, mixed greens, stone fruits, tomatoes, adn white balsamic vinaigreete), Rigatoni Alla Norma (eggplant, rich tomato sauce, chili, and parmigiano reggiano), Classic Pizza (pepperoni, Gaeta olives, and mozzarella), and desserts like its Cannoli (citrus ricotta, chocolate chips, and pistachio).

As for dinner, you’ll find some options from the lunh menu as well as some exciting entree options like Slow-Cooked Lamb Shank (gremolata, cheesy polenta, and crispy Burssels sprouts), Saffron Seafood Risotto (shrimp, scallops, saffron-infused arborio rice, and parmesan), and Eggplant Parmigiana Arrabbiata (tomato sauce, mozzarella, parmesan, and crushed red pepper).

Address: 350 Davie St., Vancouver
Cost: $35 per person for lunch, $59 per person for dinner

Gary’s

The Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurant Gary’s is once again participating in Dine Out Vancouver, and its much-loved Chocolate Mousse with bergamot cream and roasted almonds is returning with it.

You’ll also be able to enjoy its selection of Phyllis’ Pickles and Sourdough-Rye Rolls with seasonal butter, as well as bites like Lingcod with fumé, flageolet beans, cabbage, and lardons, and Braised Pork Cheek with spaetzle, cultivated mushrooms, and garlic crumb.

Address: 1485 W. 12th Ave., Vancouver
Cost: $70 per person

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