Joey Burrard

I really enjoy the diverse menu at Joey. There’s something for everyone. There’s another Joey just a few blocks down Burrard. I like the ambience of that one slightly more, but otherwise they are very similar. Service at both is excellent. Appreciate the complementary sparkling wine at check in.

This time we had the Gyoza and the Hummus as starters. Both were good. I’d definitely have the hummus again. It was served with tzatziki, olives, currants, and lots of crispy fried pita.

The Farmer’s Salad was wonderful. A great mix of fruit, lettuce, veggies, and champagne vinaigrette.

The Chili chicken was okay. I loved the crisp wontons, but the chicken could have been a lot spicier.

Nice wine list, especially by the bottle.

https://www.yelp.com/biz/joey-burrard-vancouver-4

Lavidas

This cozy little place offers a wide-ranging menu and a short but well-curated wine list.

It’s reasonably priced, like a small plate concept, but everything we tried was a generous serving, more of an entree size.

We particularly liked the vegetarian chili, mussels in curry sauce, and the dumplings. The ceviche was also interesting, more about the corn than the fish, and nicely spiced.

Caesar salad was the only miss; please stop messing with this classic dish and stick with romaine and croutons!

Service seemed a bit overwhelmed on a busy Saturday night, but the kitchen had no trouble keeping up.

https://www.yelp.com/biz/lavidas-vancouver

España Restaurant

This cozy tapas bar offers an assortment of small plates that are interesting twists on traditional tapas. We particularly enjoyed the Spanish tortilla, the sautéed mushrooms on toast, and the cheese assortment. Be sure to try the churros, which are almost more like beignets, offered with two different dipping sauces. There’s a nice selection of appropriate wines by the glass. Reservations are needed on Friday and Saturday nights, even to sit at the bar.

https://www.yelp.com/biz/españa-restaurant-vancouver-2