VANCOUVER SUN RESTAURANT GUIDE

BY SUN RESTAURANT CRITIC MIA STAINSBY REGIONAL CONTEMPORARY

Au Petit Chavignol » Wine and cheese boite with some comfort food thrown in. 604-255-4218.
Bishop's » A leader in sustainability. Excellent service. 2183 West Fourth Ave., 604-738-2025.
Bin 941 » Tapas bar in tiny eclectic space. 941 Davie St., 604-683-1246. Bin 942 » Creative, delectable tapas dishes. 1521 West Broadway, 604-734-9421.
Boneta » An ambitious chef behind a constantly changing menu, some dishes reaching the sublime. 1 West Cordova St., 604-684-1844.
Brix » Large tapas selection, large selection of wines by the glass. 1138 Homer St., 604-915-9463.
Crave » Divine comfort food with elegant touches. 3941 Main St., 604-872-3663.
Cru » Blurs the lines of fine dining, lounge and bistro. 1459 West Broadway, 604-677-4111.
DB Bistro Moderne » Daniel Boulud's casual side and that includes a 28 luxury burger. 2563 West Broadway, 604-739-7115.
The Diamond » A saloon-like room in a heritage building. Great cocktails and an eclectic, Asian-inflected menu. 6 Powell St., info@diamond.com (no phone).
Goldfish » A designer room; good value for the casually elegant food. 1118 Mainland St., 604-689-8318.
Glowbal Grill Steaks and Satay » Hip, happening destination. Creative chef. 1079 Mainland St., 604-602-0835.
Grub » Modest little spot that delivers a lot. Blackboard menu changes constantly. 4328 Main St., 604-876-8671.
Market by Jean-Georges » Astonishingly good value for Jean-Georges Vongerichten's food. Shangri-La Hotel, 1115 Alberni St., 604-695-1115.
Nu » Waterfront. Modern regional cuisine. 1661 Granville St., 604-646-4668.
Pair Bistro » "Locovore" ingredients, wine and art. 3769 West 10th Ave., 604-224-7211.
Pourhouse » Popular Gastown watering hole with excellent cocktails. Comfort food. 162 Water St., 604-568-7022.
Raincity Grill » Locovore's delight. Try their 100-Mile Menu. Some exquisite dishes. 1193 Denman St., 604-685-7337.
Refuel » Comfort food of the highest order. Artisanal meat cuts. 1944 West Fourth Ave., 604-288-7905.
Salt Tasting Room » Contemporary charcuterie style food with wine pairings. Edgy surrounding. 45 Blood Alley, 604-633-1912.
Suvai » Good value neighbourhood spot dedicated to local ingredients. 2279 West 41st Ave., 604-261-4900.
Two Chefs and a Table » Seasonal cuisine in edgy Railtown. 305 Alexander St., 778-233-1303.
Voya » West Coast cuisine with global and creative flair; some dishes are knock-outs. 1177 Melville St., 604-669-5060.
West » One of the finest restaurants in Vancouver. 2881 Granville St., 604-738-8938.

ITALIAN
Campagnolo Hard-edge neighbourhood. Step inside, though, and it's Slow Food Italy. 1020 Main St., 604-484-6018.
Cibo » Italian food with a seamless blend of fine and rustic, delicate and emphatic. 900 Seymour St., 604-602-9570.
CinCin » Ristorante and Bar Seasonal menu with wood-fired dishes. Notable desserts. 1154 Robson St., 604-688-7338.
Cioppino's Mediterranean Grill » Finest Italian cuisine with a light touch. 1133 Hamilton St., 604-688-7466.
Don Francesco Ristorante » Romantic, classic Italian restaurant with heart. 860 Burrard St., 604-685-7770.
Il Giardino » "New Italian" food, light with exotic elements. Big on game. 1382 Hornby St., 604-669-2422.
Italian Kitchen » The spaghetti with truffle cream and Kobe meatballs here is luscious. A modern Italian restaurant. 1037 Alberni St., 604-687-2858.
La Buca » A neighbourhood restaurant serving quality food, backed up by great service. 4025 McDonald St., 604-730-6988.
La Quercia » The two chef owners offer great quality Italian soul food. 3689 West Fourth Ave., 604-676-1007.
La Terrazza » Knock-out looks, intelligent and friendly staff, traditional Italian food. 1088 Cambie St., 604-899-4449.
Nook » Lively spot with a streamlined menu of good pizza and pasta. 781 Denman St., 604-568-4554.
Q4 » An Italian restaurant with flair. 2611 West Fourth Ave., 604-734-4444.
Trattoria Italian Kitchen » Good food, great service, everyday prices, busy and loud. 1850 West Fourth Ave., 604-732-1441.

CHINESE
Bao Bei » Harbinger of hip and modern in Vancouver's Chinatown. Small plates. 163 Keefer St., 604-688-0876.
Hon's Wun-Tun » House Slurp noodles and chomp on delicious potstickers. Huge menu. 1339 Robson St., 604-685-0871.
Imperial Seafood » Fine Cantonese food, (expensive) in the lovely Marine Building. 355 Burrard St., 604-688-8191.
Lin Chinese Cuisine » Cheap and cheerful. Good dumplings. 1537 West Broadway, 604-733-9696.
Kirin Seafood » Exquisite Cantonese food. City Square, 555 West 12th Ave., 604-879-8038.
Legendary Noodle. » Handmade noodles, made to order. Funky. 1074 Denman St., 604-669-8551.
Peaceful Restaurant » Northern Chinese with spicy, bright flavours on the lengthy menu of dishes. 532 West Broadway, 604-879-9878.
Sun Sui Wah » Cantonese cuisine with light, finely tuned flavours. 3888 Main St., 604-872-8822.
Szechuan Chongqing » An institution for those who love the incendiary fare. 2808 Commercial Dr., 604-254-7434.
Wild Rice » Modern Chinese food in hip setting. 117 West Pender St., 604-642-2882.
Wonton King » Ambitious Chinese food, served with a smile, in stripmall. 620 S.E. Marine Dr., 604-321-4433.

JAPANESE
Ajisai Sushi Bar » Small neighbourhood spot with sushi that sings. 2081West 42nd Ave., 604-266-1428.
Gyoza King » Gyozas reign supreme. Open late. 1508 Robson St., 604-669-8278.
Hapa Izakaya » Young and stylish; great izakaya-style Japanese food. 1479 Robson St., 604-689-4272; 1516 Yew St., 604-738-4272; 1193 Hamilton St. 604-681-4272.
Japadog » Quirky hot dog stands with Japanese condiments at Burrard and Dunsmuir and Burrard and Pender, weather willing.
Kingyo » Wonderfully crafted interior, interesting izakaya dishes. A slice of Tokyo. 871 Denman St., 604-608-1677.
Lime » Creativity in the kitchen, good sushi, music and entertainment. 1130 Commercial Dr., 604-215-1130.
Miko Sushi » Dependably fresh sushi; a cheery place that for some reason, attracts a lot of NHL players. 1335 Robson Street, 604-681-0339.
Shuraku Sake Bar and Bistro » Modern sharing plates and good quality sushi, sashimi, great sake list. 833 Granville St., 604-687-6622.

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