Miku

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This beautiful restaurant overlooking the cruise ship dock at Canada Place serves terrific high-end sushi.

We had the Deluxe Shokai lunch. It included miso soup, three starters (scallop, salmon, and tuna sashimi; seared scallop in cream sauce; seared wagyu with Bernaise), ten pieces of sushi (rolls, nigiri, and Aburi Oshi sushi), and dessert. It was a lot of food for $75.

Our favorites were the scallop sashimi and seared scallop, but everything was delicious.

Service was very friendly, and the view can’t be beat. Outdoor seating is also available, but some of the subtleties of the food might be lost out there.

Full bar and extensive wine list. Maybe ask to not sit near the bar if you don’t like the sound of cocktail shakers!

https://www.yelp.com/biz/miku-vancouver-2

CinCin Ristorante + Bar

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Don’t be put off by the fact that this is an upscale restaurant in a tourist district. This is a great spot for local regulars, too. Accessed through a steep stairway, the space opens out into a large area with an expansive balcony overlooking Robson. 

The menu offers far more than traditional Italian food. 

The Hamachi Crudo was a spectacular dish of fish, flowers, scrumptious olive oil, and mild olive slices that didn’t overpower the fish.

The Parmesan Souffle was flavorful, light, and delightfully crusty.

Caesar salad is a good choice for sharing.

Wagyu Carpaccio came with a generous topping of freshly shaved truffle.

Perhaps my favorite dish was the Dungeness Crab Linguine, served in a cream sauce with just a hint of jalapeno.

The broccolini was an excellent side, fire-grilled with a touch of rosemary.

Pistachio gelato was the true essence of ground pistachios.

There’s a nice assortment of apertivos and amaros.

Service is friendly and well-paced.

https://www.yelp.com/biz/cincin-ristorante-bar-vancouver-3

Cardero Cafe

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This is a charming little cafe in a residential part of The West End. The menu includes coffee drinks, panini sandwiches, and tamals. If you are dining “in”, you order at a counter and they bring it to your table.

The LGBT (Lettuce, Guacamole, Bacon, and Tomato) was one of the best paninis I’ve ever had, with delicious ingredients and perfectly crisped. Avoid the tamals, which had almost nothing inside the corn meal, and were very dry.

There is a nice selection of Latin American sauces and canned goods, and a refrigerator full of drinks–although not a single diet drink.

There are just a few tables, located outside, so plan accordingly.

https://www.yelp.com/biz/cardero-cafe-vancouver-4

The Red Accordion

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I love the cozy ambiance of this charming restaurant. Divided into two dining rooms, two lounges, a bar, and two patios, there’s an ideal spot for everyone. Reservations are available on Tock for each separate area.

The cocktail list and wine menu are both extensive. I loved all the cocktails we tried; my favorites were the espresso-based ones. There’s something magical about a tiki drink with espresso, but the one with Licor 43 is even better.

We started with the Aint No Thang spicy chicken wings, which had a delicious sweet heat, especially if you got one of the red chili slices. The cheese plate was also delicious, and the accompanying sourdough toast was delightfully charred.

Entree standouts were the curry mussels and the Caesar salad (ask them to chop it up in the kitchen if you don’t want a whole head of iceberg).

Service was friendly and attentive. Note that it does take a while for cocktails to be prepared, as they are done individually by a single bartender, so plan ahead.

https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-red-accordion-vancouver

Hello Nori – Robson

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This is an original sushi concept where hand rolls are prepared to order from a fixed menu consisting mostly of pre-prepared fish tartares. We tried the five-roll lunch, and the standouts were the scallop roll and the yellowtail roll. I also had an eel roll that was excellent. It was the only roll that involved a more traditional preparation of sushi, where the fish was seared to order. Service was fast and friendly.

https://www.yelp.com/biz/hello-nori-vancouver-3

Bacchus Restaurant & Lounge

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There was a time when fine dining restaurants were intimate, romantically lit, and offered live music that still allowed for conversation. It’s been a long time since I’ve found one, so I was delighted to discover Bacchus. It’s everything I loved about dining back in the 70s, but with a modern take on food.

There were many highlights to our meal, but I’d have to list the two-tier seafood tower as the best. Unlike other seafood towers, there were a great variety of prepared dishes included along with the usual lobster, shrimp, and oysters–perhaps a dozen selections in total. We loved all of them. 

The wine list is extensive, and represents nearly every region of the world, although there is no depth to the vintages.

Service was friendly and precise. 

This place is a keeper.

https://www.yelp.com/biz/bacchus-restaurant-and-lounge-vancouver

Los Chavos Mexican Restaurant & Cantina

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Los Chavos is probably the best Mexican restaurant in the West End, but that’s a low bar. The tacos are authentic, although my Pastor was hardly the rich succulent marinated pork from the most authentic places. The quesadilla is non-traditional, but tasty, with its sautéed vegetables. Guacamole was excellent, chips okay. The highlight was the Classic Lime Margarita, which was expertly made, and about as good as it gets. Kudos to the bartender, who was also our server.

https://www.yelp.com/biz/los-chavos-mexican-restaurant-and-cantina-vancouver-3

Holy Guacamole Mexican Grill

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There’s nothing terrible about Holy Guacamole, but there’s also nothing great. It’s not really Mexican food, but more like someone read a description of TexMex and tried to make it without any first hand experience. Cheese sauce on Nachos is an example. It’s a shame, because Vancouver really lacks Mexican restaurants, especially in the West End. But with ordering at the counter rather than the table, this isn’t really a restaurant, either.

https://www.yelp.com/biz/holy-guacamole-mexican-grill-vancouver