New Vancouver Restaurants.
September 22 2021, Mercedes-Benz Vancouver
The leaves have fallen, the air is cooling off, and the days are shorter. It’s high time to treat yourself to some comfort food from some of the city’s hottest new restaurants.
Alimentaria Mexicana
Feels Like: Oaxaca, Mexico
Neighbourhood: Granville Island
Instagram: @alimentariamexicana
Reservations: Available, but walk-ins welcome
With a patio to die for and cuisine that feels like stepping into the heart of Mexico City, Alimentaria Mexicana is now open in the former Edible Canada location on Granville Island. Knockout dishes include Carne Asada con Queso and Golden Beet Ceviche. Mexican food fans can rest assured, this resto takes no shortcuts and serves up authenticity you can taste.
Alimentaria Mexicana
Land & Sea
Feels Like: Vancouver-meets-Tokyo
Neighbourhood: Kerrisdale
Instagram: @landandseayvr
Reservations: Online
Indulge in West Coast Japanese fare at Land & Sea, which softly opened in Kerrisdale in early September. If you’re a seafood lover, don’t miss its rich signature dish of flame-finished Ora King Salmon Soba; if you’re partial to vegetarian fare, the “Unagi” Don featuring molten eggplant kabayaki in a sweet miso glaze is a must-try.
Miantiao
Feels Like: Italy-meets-China
Neighbourhood: West End
Instagram: @miantiaorestaurant
Reservations: Book Online
Craving Chinese and Italian, but don’t want to choose? Look no further than Miantiao, situated on the third floor of the Shangri-La Hotel, Vancouver. This elegant new spot blends the two cuisines with a carnivorous menu of inventive dishes like Cumin Beef Lip with brown butter and Pork Belly with oxidized apple.
Miantiao
BLND TGER Dumplings
Feels Like: Xiahe, Gansu
Neighbourhood: Chinatown
Instagram: @blndtgerdumplings
Reservations: Walk-in
Chinatown’s BLND TGER Dumplings opened in July with a decadent dumpling menu; think Tibetan-style Bison momos, Single Malt Xiao Long Bao, and Vegetable Shaomai (there are also vegan options). This fall, you can get more than dumplings by stepping through the faux freezer door to find a sultry bar awash in emerald velvet walls and Prohibition-era vibes. That back-of-house bar is called Laowai, an Art Deco hidden lounge concept with a cocktail list inspired by historical figures. The kitchen serves up all the same tasty dumplings from BLND TGER Dumplings as well as larger share-plates.
BLND TGER Dumplings
Super Veloce
Feels Like: Sicily, Italy
Neighbourhood: Coal Harbour
Instagram: @caffesuperveloce
Reservations: Walk-in
For a quick bite on the run, when yet another coffee-shop croissant doesn’t quite cut it, stop by Super Veloce in the Shaw Tower’s lobby. This new nutrition-focused Italian coffee bar and cafè smartly fills a culinary gap in our coffee-obsessed city by packing their pastry case with energy-boosting superfoods and tasty protein-laden bites. Choose from the likes of Tofu Caprese Salad, Protein Chia Pudding, or protein-packed donuts called, charmingly, “Pronuts”. (And yes, they serve espresso, too.)
Super Veloce Eatery
Barbara
Feels Like: New York
Neighbourhood: Chinatown
Instagram: @barbararestaurant
Reservations: Online
Chinatown’s Barbara seats on a reservations-only basis in their cozy space and discourages patrons from taking too many photos or videos of their meals. Why? For the consideration of other diners, for one, but also so that customers enjoy the freshness of their food. It’s a rule we love. One of the owners used to work as a sous chef at New York’s Eleven Madison Park, so you know the cuisine is well worth savouring.
Barbara
DownLow Chicken
Feels Like: Nashville, Tennessee
Neighbourhood: UBC
Instagram: @dlchicken
Reservations: Walk-in
If you’re craving one of DownLow Chicken’s famous Nashville-style hot chicken burgers and find yourself at UBC, there is a new second location located on campus. DL Chicken UBC opened in early September, just in time for the new school year.
DownLow Chicken Eatery
Loula’s Taverna
Feels Like: Athens, Greece
Neighbourhood: Commercial Drive
Instagram: @loulastaverna
Reservations: Online
Two Greek families came together to open Loula’s on Commercial Drive this summer, and the cuisine is a nostalgic ode to their upbringings infused with modern flair. Mingle over spanakopita starters, then feast on a stellar selection of items from the grill (octopus, prawn souvlaki, lamb chops…) Just make sure to leave room for a dessert of baklava. Opa!
Loula’s Taverna
Hachiro
Feels Like: Chiba, Japan
Neighbourhood: Central Lonsdale
Instagram: @hachiro_van
Reservations: Online
The North Shore’s Hachiro Ramen has recently emerged as a brand new concept, with a new chef and menu to boot. Now named simply Hachiro, the menu boasts traditional Japanese dishes cooked with modern twists, as well as a weekend dim sum menu studded with faves like har gow (shrimp dumplings) and xiao long bao (soup dumplings).
Hachiro
giovane bacaro
Feels Like: Venice, Italy
Neighbourhood: Coal Harbour
Instagram: @giovanebacaro
Reservations: Online
Whisk yourself away to Italy—well, almost—by dining at the Fairmont Pacific Rim’s giovane bacaro, one of downtown’s coolest new gathering places. Dine on wine and inventive cicchetti (small-plate Venetian snacks) along with housemade pastas and main dishes that taste plucked out of Venice itself.
giovane bacaro
Whether you’re a patio person, a fan of take-out, or prefer an elegant meal inside, these new Vancouver restaurants are sure to satiate your palate this fall.
