Vancouver’s dining scene always keeps us on our toes, and 2024 was no exception.
This year brought an influx of fresh ideas, talented chefs, and inspired menus, giving locals and visitors plenty of reasons to grab their forks and dig in.
From the breezy, sun-soaked vibes of southern Italy found at Elio Volpe to the bold, globally inspired flavours (and wicked good cocktails) of Good Thief, the city has been buzzing with exciting new restaurants worth checking out.
Ranging from splurge-worthy fine dining to a noteworthy new pizza joint, here’s a look at the most “Forking Awesome” openings of 2024—places that redefined what it means to dine out in Vancouver.
Elio Volpe
Drawing inspiration from the light, breezy, vacation vibes of southern Italy, Elio Volpe is a breath of fresh air in Vancouver's restaurant scene. The interior feels at once like you could come in still wet from a day at the lido (beach) with your sandals slapping the floor while experiencing touches of luxury, thanks to pops of marble, beautiful light fixtures, and an elegant atmosphere.
Dinner at Elio Volpe is a study in simple elegance with a healthy dose of the airy playfulness a day at the seaside might involve. There's a peppery rigatoni cacio e pepe, a refreshing tuna crudo, and pillowy Parker House rolls with a cheesy butter.
However, brunch manages to outshine dinner, thanks to Elio Volpe's exciting Italian-inspired menu of thick French Toast with amaro-infused syrup and berries, trays of enticing cornetti (Italian croissants), and breakfast pasta and pizza. What a way to start the day!
Address: 540 W 17th Ave
@forkingawesomevia One of Vancouver’s hottest new restaurants is Elio Volpe. They are now doing weekend brunch and it immediately has become my favourite in Vancouver. Breakfast pasta, chicken and waffles, pastry and french toast in an aesthetic space? Say less! #forkingawesome #vancouverbc #brunch ♬ Espresso - On Vacation Version - Sabrina Carpenter
Lila
After years of crossing paths and mutual admiration, moving into a business partnership seemed almost like an organic next step for Shira Blustein (The Acorn) and Meeru Dhalwala (Vij's), and the duo knit together their "unique strengths" to develop Lila. The modern Indian restaurant is veg-forward but does sneak a little seafood into the mix, serving up easygoing and eye-catching plates in a welcoming, inclusive atmosphere on Main Street.
Much of the menu changes with the seasons, but you can rely on dishes like the portobello mushroom and paneer with cumin rice and a creamy onion curry, samosas and pakoras, and a delightful mango custard for dessert. The food is perfect for sharing, paired with something tasty to sip on and great company. In the summer, head out into the back patio.
Address: 3941 Main St
Selene Aegean Bistro
Selene Aegean Bistro is a beautiful meld of past and present in the form of food, occupying a century-old repurposed East Vancouver residence and backed by the same award-winning crew that brought us Nammos, Loula's, and Ama.
The details are impeccable: Napkin rings spell out "Selene" in a wavy almost fairy tale font while the cutlery handles all have a snail-shell kind of curl. The room strikes a smart balance between elegant and easygoing, offering all kinds of guests the chance to enjoy Selene, from families with kids in tow to date night.
The menu, which features a variety of small and large format dishes all designed to share, reflects a foundation in the flavours and foods of the Aegean region, meaning coastal Greece and Turkey, on the Aegean Sea.
A quartet of honey-brushed rolls, a take on Greek sesame bread called koulouri, are served with a briny kalamata olive butter, presented in a perfect circle in a pool of olive oil. The Horiatiki is a next-gen Greek Salad. Cubes of feta are soaked in red wine vinegar, and amidst the olives, cucumber, green pepper, and fresh oregano leaves is a mix of raw cherry tomatoes and plump, juicy skinless marinated tomatoes. The contrast in textures is thrilling. The lamb ribs are meaty, tender, and kissed with sweet stickiness from pomegranate BBQ sauce.
Address: 360 Penticton St
@forkingawesomevia New Vancouver restaurant alert! 🚨 Selene Aegean Bistro is the newest hotspot in Vancouver for fresh Greek-Mediterranean flavours. From the team behind Michelin Guide-recommended restaurant Nammos, this exciting new spot is perfect for date night, an upscale family meal, or a special dinner out. Here’s a look st some must-order dishes on the menu. #forkingawesome #vancouverbc #aegean ♬ Feel Good - Tundra Beats
El Gato Gab Gab
The Main Street cocktail bar with snacks and share-ables is a fresh concept from Boxset Collective, the team behind Vancouver's award-winning Published and Bar Susu. The space is a warm rusty orange with cooling pops of turquoise. Playful touches include a luchador (masked Mexican wrestler) on the menu cover, cats everywhere (gato is cat in Spanish) and lots of artwork and decor that all give the feeling of being in an upscale cantina, seeking refuge from the blistering desert heat.
Drinks are most assuredly a focal point here, with Beverage Director Joe Casson's extensive cocktail menu showcasing the spirits and flavours of Mexico as well as the tropics in general. The Botanga, which features pisco, Amontillado sherry, chamoy cola, and lime, is an easy sipper without a lot of sweetness, perfect for enjoying with some bites.
Executive Chef Christian Chaumont's menu leans into traditional Mexican flavours, dishes, and ingredients, but takes a lot of creative liberty in their expression. You may recognize ingredients and dish names, but their actualization veers far from tradition. The Mexican Street Corn is presented as a slab of cornbread custard studded with bits of corn and draped in a kimchi queso, for example. The lamb shank birria is a build-your-own adventure of tortillas, salsa, and fall-off-the-bone meat swimming in broth.
Address: 2650 Main St
@forkingawesomevia Check out El Gato Gab Gab, Vancouver’s new modern Mexican cocktail bar and restaurant. From the creators of Published on Main and Bar Susu, this place blends chic design with a playful vibe. It’s a great choice for a relaxed date night or a fun evening with friends. #forkingawesome #vancouverbc #cocktails ♬ Mexican Hop - Marcio Nigro
Jinmi
Created by a chef in the kitchen of Vancouver's now-departed Black Rice Izakaya, Jinmi has been selling a variety of marinated seafood products, including crab, over the past four years, gaining thousands of fans on social media at the same time. This spring, Jinmi opened up a sit-down restaurant in the West End.
The dishes represent a popular style of preparation in Korean cuisine. The crab has two iterations, soy sauce marinated raw crab (ganjang-gejang) and spicy marinated raw crab (yangnyeom-gejang), both made using female crabs. The female crabs are considered more desirable, as they not only have sweeter meat but also roe, which itself is a delicacy.
At both lunch and dinner, meal sets, called bansang, are the central focus. These options feature either soy or spicy marinated crab and several small side dishes, called banchan. Side dishes include seaweed soup, rice, and items like a small seafood pancake or cold tofu with dressing, as well as a small sweet bite for dessert.
I tried the spicy raw marinated crab: The meat is sweet, tender, and juicy, and the texture is akin to a mash-up of spot prawn sashimi and raw oysters. The spice was clear-out-your-sinuses hot, but I loved every tingly, watery-eyed minute.
Address: 854 Denman St
@forkingawesomevia One of the most fun meals I’ve had lately in Vancouver was trying the specialty at a new-ish Korean restaurant in the West End: Raw marinated crab. 🇰🇷🦀 I got mine spicy 🌶️🥵 It was messy but so good! #forkingawesome #vancouverbc #koreanfood ♬ Make It Better (Instrumental) - Anderson .Paak
Casa Molina
Casa Molina is situated inside a converted Mount Pleasant heritage house, making it a cozy, intimate space that obviously feels homey, now boasting light, modern finishes with thoughtful decor sourced directly from Spain.
The menu reflects all the kinds of foods you'd enjoy inside a Spanish home at several points of the year, whether that's the casual Marcona almonds and slices of jamon a host would set out for nibbling or more elaborate holiday spreads. While "home" is the inspiration, the presentation is contemporary, like a pedestal-raised glass bowl holding manchego ice cream that receives a generous pour of cold tomato soup called Salmorejo.
Dinner menu highlights include golden-fried croquetas filled with your choice of spinach, shrimp, or ham with gooey cheese; Carrilleras de Res, a piece of marinated and slow-cooked beef so tender you can cut it with a spoon; and classic patatas bravas. And, of course, given that Casa Molina is the venture of Paella Guys founder Javier Blanc, you will find paella here, albeit scaled down from the jaw-dropping party pans to more reasonable portions for two or four (or more) people to share. There's a traditional Valencian chicken and rabbit paella, as well as a squid ink and seafood option and a vegan paella, however, you shouldn't miss the restaurant's unique offering of a seafood paella made with fideua, which are thin, short noodles.
Address: 2211 Manitoba St
@forkingawesomevia Hot new Vancouver restaurant: The Paella Guys have opened a modern homestyle Spanish restaurant in a heritage hous. Check it out! #forkingawesome #vancouverbc #spanishfood ♬ Passionate Spanish guitar melodious(880907) - Hanadayama Music Lab
Good Thief
Good Thief is the "rebellious" sibling to neighbour Anh and Chi, the acclaimed modern Vietnamese restaurant run by brother and sister duo Vincent Nguyễn and Amelie Thuy Nguyễn.
The room, designed by Vancouver's Ste. Marie Studio, is chic and playful, with hints of brass and Art Deco that give the room just enough hint of nostalgia to feel timeless. Screens partially obscure large photographs that each tell a story and set the mood.
Incorporating global ingredients and flavours and traditional and house-made spirits, infusions, and sodas, every drink has a backstory and at least one curious component. Innovation and sustainability are sibling driving forces on the ingredient list, too. For example, the Latok About It is a chilled martini served in an ice-cold glass that not only showcases latok (sea grapes) but also features something Good Thief calls "Tanqueray Wasted Citrus Distillate," which is the product of storing discarded citrus rinds after they're juiced for other uses in gin.
Good Thief also has a bold food program, which spans from snacks to larger mains, but everything is designed to share. The appeal of this kind of choose-your-own-adventure dining is undeniable, given its flexibility and adaptability when it comes to a guest's time, money, and preference. It also aligns with Good Thief's concept, which is that it is styled after a Vietnamese tradition called “món nhậu," which translates to eating and drinking with others just for fun.
Address: 3336 Main St
The Saigonville
Opened in late summer by chef Kevin Nguyen, a former Lunch Lady alum, this East Hastings gem brings “the spirit of Saigon” to the city. The compact yet inviting space emphasizes the food, where Nguyen serves Vietnamese dishes with a foundation in tradition but sometimes a playful, elevated twist like his DIY Sizzling Beef Banh Mi served on a sizzling skillet and decadent Truffle Crab Spring Rolls.
Standout dishes include the Fried Softshell Crab, encased in an ultra-crispy golden shell, and the aromatic Goat Noodle Soup with tender, fall-apart meat and vibrant broth. Lunch and dinner menus offer a mix of shareable plates and comforting mains, alongside intriguing fusion options like Vietnamese-inspired pasta at dinner.
Address: 2129 E Hastings St
@forkingawesomevia I refuse to gatekeep this one because I really enjoyed the food at this new Vietnamese restaurant in Vancouver! Saigonville celebrates the dishes and flavours of the vibrant metropolis in Vietnam. They have familliar favorites but also some notable specialty dishes. My favourite was the fried softshell crab…it was so delicious! #forkingawesome #vancouverbc #vietnamesefood ♬ Hiphop/Chill/Lo-Fi(850064) - HomeMadeGarbage
Just Pizza
Just Pizza brought creativity and bold flavours to Vancouver’s pizza scene in 2024. This indie spot offers pies on sourdough crust topped with “elevated classics” like Mr. Pep and adventurous creations like Chicken Tikka Masala and Filipino Breakfast. The latter, featuring garlicky white sauce, house-made longganisa, and a shareable egg, is a standout, while dips like Nashville Hot Chili Oil add extra flair.
Pizza lovers can customize their crusts with options like garlic and za’atar or the playful Nasty Crust, made with spicy honey and cheddar cheese powder. With its compact dine-in setup and takeout options, Just Pizza delivers inventive slices perfect for pizza purists and experimenters alike.
Address: 1629 Kingsway
@forkingawesomevia Pizza Chem? 🍕🧪I’m in a situationship with a new Vancouver pizza spot. Just Pizza is a must-try! They’ve got creative toppings and all the classic favorites. Be careful, things might get a little messy! @justpizzaplease #forkingawesome #vancouverbc #pizza ♬ Bed Chem - Sabrina Carpenter
Elem
Mount Pleasant’s Elem made a grand entrance in 2024, combining global flavours, local ingredients, and a sustainability-focused ethos. Helmed by Top Chef Canada alum Vish Mayekar and Zarak's Hassib Sarwari and Winnie Sun, the menu offers bold, globally inspired dishes like a Dungeness Crab Toast on milk bread with a lemongrass-ginger sauce and, my favourite, the Grilled Lamb Skewers with a medjool date glaze, ginger labneh, and buckwheat.
Sun’s “cocktail lab” showcases inventive drinks, often crafted to be in harmony with Mayekar's plates.
Elem’s 76-seat space reflects the theme of the four elements, featuring copper accents and a striking open kitchen. I could only try one of Sun's cocktails with my dinner during the soft opening, and I must admit I wouldn't order that one again. That said, I've loved her drinks at Zarak and look forward to tasting more of her menu as Elem settles in.
Address: 2110 Main St
@forkingawesomevia Here is a look at a buzzy new Vancouver restaurant called Elem. Now in “soft open” mode, this spot on Main St is a sibling of sorts to Zarak next door. There are super creative and unusual cocktails and globally insipred modern dishes with a local twist from a Top Chef Canada alumn. Here is a rundown of everything I tried, including all the hits (and a couple of misses). #forkingawesome #vancouverbc ♬ UNSTOPPABLE EVENING - finetune
Honorable mention: Le Crocodile by Rob Feenie
Fine, fine. This isn't new. But it isn't not new, either.
Stepping into the refreshed Le Crocodile space this summer was like a new experience. It's the same name (with its new chef/owner's name added on) and the same address, but the room is brighter - the curtains are open and the light is streaming in. There's a new energy, that's for sure.
When I visited in July, the menu was in its earliest iteration, reflecting a gentle transition into Le Croc (Feenie's Version) ahead of a few more nudges towards something a bit more evolved than before. You will still find some classics, like veal medallions with a velvety morel sauce and Dover sole deboned tableside. But you can also see that it is becoming something else, with dishes like cured hamachi with white soy, yuzu, stone fruit, chili, and cucumber ice and Fraser Valley duck breast with caramelized stone fruit, sweet soy duck jus, and seared foie gras.
It's hard to look back on 2024 and not see Le Crocodile under its new banner as being something nearly new; it's certainly back in my list of top fine dining spots in the city, so I will make its case for an "honourable mention" and raise a glass to it as one of many excellent places that (re)joined the ranks of great places to eat in Vancouver.
Address: 909 Burrard St #100
@forkingawesomevia Rediscovering Le Crocodile in Vancouver 🍽️✨🐊 After many years, I had the pleasure of revisiting this iconic restaurant under new ownership with Chef Rob Feenie at the helm. The essence of Le Crocodile's legacy is being preserved but it is clear the restaurant has entwred an exciting new chapter. While it leans towards special occasions with its pricing, the experience is worth it. #forkingawesome #vancouverbc ♬ La vie en rose (Cover Edith Piaf) - 田东昱
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