Ladies and gentlemen, the votes have been cast, and the winners revealed. Vancouver Magazine has released their list of the best restaurants in the city for 2018.
Revealed online and in a special issue of the magazine, Vancouver’s dining scene is celebrated each year and the critics’ favourites are crowned victorious in several categories spanning cuisines and neighbourhoods.
The winners were announced and all of the nominees celebrated at a reception and ceremony held Monday, April 16 at the Sheraton Wall Centre in downtown Vancouver.
For 2018 the mag did a couple of things differently, however. They released the full list of nominees a month ahead of the event, and they opened up the tickets to the public. The result was still an industry who's who, with canapes from nominated restaurants, wine and cocktails, and a lot of excitement about the city's incredible dining scene.
So without further ado, here are the 2018 Vancouver Magazine Restaurant Awards winners...
BEST NEW RESTAURANT
St Lawrence Restaurant/Facebook
1. St. Lawrence
2. Botanist
3. Mak N Ming
Hon. mentions: Fayuca, Yuwa Japanese Cuisine
BEST BAR
1. Grapes and Soda
2. Campagnolo Upstairs
3. The Narrow Lounge
Hon. mentions: The Shameful Tiki Room
Uva
BEST BRUNCH
1. Burdock and Co.
2. Belgard Kitchen
3. Merchant’s Workshop
Hon. mentions: Café Medina, Au Comptoir
BEST CHAIN
1. Cactus Club Cafe
2. JOEY
3. Tacofino
Hon. mentions: Nuba, The Flying Pig
BEST CHINESE
1. Dynasty Seafood
2. Golden Paramount
3. Hoitong Chinese Seafood
Hon. mentions: Jade Seafood, Yue Delicacy
BEST NEW DESIGN
Botanist Dining/Facebook (@janicealida + @andyjohnjoseph)
1. Botanist
2. Fayuca
Hon. mentions: La Glace Ice Cream, La Tacqueria (Hornby Location), St. Lawrence
BEST DIM SUM
1. Golden Paramount
2. Dynasty Seafood
3. Kirin (Richmond)
Hon. mentions: Red Star Seafood (Granville), Yue Delicacy
BEST FRENCH
1. Le Crocodile
2. St. Lawrence
3. Au Comptoir
Hon. mentions: Bacchus, L’Abattoir
BEST INDIAN
1. My Shanti
2. Rangoli
3. Sachdeva Sweets
Hon. mentions: Swad, Apna Chaat House
BEST ITALIAN
Cioppino’s/Facebook
1. Cioppino’s Mediterranean Grill
2. Savio Volpe
3. Cinara
Hon. mentions: CinCin, Ask for Luigi
BEST JAPANESE
1. Masayoshi
2. Kishimoto
3. Tetsu Sushi Bar
Hon. mentions: Dosanko, Sushi Bar Maumi
BEST LATIN
1. Molli Café
2. El Santo
3. Fayuca
Hon. Mentions: Los Cuervos, Cacao
BEST OKANAGAN
1. Waterfront Wines
2. Raudz
3. Old Vines
Hon. mentions: Front Street Brassarie, Miradoro
BEST PAN-ASIAN
1. Longtail Kitchen
2. Torafuku
3. Kissa Tanto
Hon. mentions: Laksa King, Fat Mao Noodles
BEST PATISSERIE
Photo courtesy Thomas Haas
1. Thomas Haas
2. Chez Christophe Chocolate Patisserie
3. Temper Chocolate and Pastry
Hon. mentions: Beaucoup Bakery, Thierry
BEST PIZZERIA
1. Via Tevere
2. Nicli Antica Pizzeria
3. Pizzeria Farina
Hon. mentions: Bufala, Corduroy Pie Co.
BEST RAMEN
1. Marutama Ra-men
2. Hokkaido Ramen Santouka
3. Ramen Danbo
Hon. mentions: The Ramenman, Motomachi Shokudo
BEST SEAFOOD
Photo courtesy Boulevard Kitchen & Oyster Bar
1. Boulevard Kitchen and Oyster Bar
2. Blue Water Café
3. Ancora
Hon. mentions: Landmark Hot Pot House, Oddfish
BEST STEAKHOUSE
1. Hy’s
2. Gotham
3. The Roof
Hon. mentions: Joe Fortes, Black and Blue
BEST THAI
1. Maenam
2. Sen Pad Thai
3. Jitlada
Hon. mentions: Kin Kao, Sawasdee Thai
BEST UPSCALE
1. Boulevard Kitchen and Oyster Bar
2. Cioppino’s Mediterranean Grill
3. The Pear Tree
Hon. mentions: Hawksworth, CinCin
BEST VICTORIA
1. Agrius
2. Fishhook
3. Part and Parcel
Hon. mentions: Chorizo and Co., Pizzeria Prima Strada
BEST VIETNAMESE
1. Mr. Red Café
2. Chau Veggie
3. Bánh Mì Très Bon
Hon. mentions: Bun Cha Ca Hoang Yen, Hái Phong
Forage (Lindsay William-Ross/Vancouver Is Awesome)
BEST WEST COAST
1. Burdock and Co.
2. Forage
3. Mak N Ming
Hon. mentions: Royal Dinette, Bows x Arrows
BEST WHISTLER
1. The Grill Room at the Fairmont
2. Araxi
3. Alta Bistro
Hon. mentions: Bar Oso, Bearfoot Bistro
CHINATOWN
1. Bao Bei
2. Pizzeria Farina
3. Campagnolo Upstairs
4. Fat Mao Noodles
5. Jade Seafood
DOWNTOWN
1. Cinara
2. Royal Dinette
3. Tableau Bar Bistro
4. Café Medina
5. Heritage Asian Eatery
EAST SIDE
Merchant’s Workshop/Facebook
1. Merchant’s Workshop
2. Kishimoto
3. Bistro Wagon Rouge
4. Bows x Arrows
5. Burdock and Co.
GASTOWN
1. The Mackenzie Room
2. La Mezcaleria
3. Belgard Kitchen
4. Wildebeest
5. Tuc Craft Kitchen
BEST NORTH SHORE
1. Terroir Kitchen
2. Swad
3. Feast
4. Maru Korean Bistro
5. Zen Japanese
RICHMOND
1. Gudrun Tasting Room
2. Nine Dishes
3. Cocoru
4. Britannia Brewing Company
5. Lido
WEST END
1. Nook
2. Kingyo
3. Marutama
4. Amici Miei
5. Damso
WEST SIDE
1. L’Ufficio
2. Grapes and Soda
3. Bufala
4. Au Comptoir
5. Oddfish
YALETOWN
Provence Vancouver/Facebook
1. Provence Marinaside
2. Bistro Sakana
3. Homer Street Café and Bar
4. House Special
5. WildTale
BEST PRODUCER: Stoney Paradise - Milan Djordjevich aka The Tomato Man
PREMIER CREW (Hosts, servers, sommeliers, and bartenders): Eryn Dorman (Mackenzie Room), Jen Mansell (L'Ufficio), Jule Sopuck (Burdock & Co), Michael Ziff (St. Lawrence)
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT: Anthony von Mandl
SOMMELIER OF THE YEAR: Jill Spoor, Wine Director, Fairmont Hotels
BARTENDER OF THE YEAR: Satoshi Yonemori, Grapes & Soda
CHEF OF THE YEAR: Alex Chen, Boulevard Kitchen & Oyster Bar
RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR: St. Lawrence
