There's an easy association with pricy menus when the name Michelin Guide comes up; after all, the longstanding French-based publication has a legacy of awarding some of the world's most prestigious high-end restaurants with one-, two-, or even three-star distinctions.
However, it's not all caviar, foie gras, wine pairings, and big cheques when it comes to what the Michelin Guide endorses. They have some other categories designed to spotlight several kinds of worthy dining establishments, including those that offer real bang for your buck.
The Guide calls these their "Bib Gourmand" picks, and in Vancouver, the 2024 edition has 16 such restaurants, ranging from hand-made udon noodle bowls to a veteran Indian restaurant favoured by visiting celebs.
What does 'Bib Gourmand' mean?
"The restaurants recommended within the Michelin Guides aren’t all about expensive ‘fine dining,'" the publication explains. "Since 1997, our best value for money restaurants – offering a three-course meal at a reasonable price – have been pointed out using a special award: the Bib Gourmand." The price amount varies from country to country, but for Canada, the cap was set at meals of two courses plus wine or dessert for under $60.
Now in its third year in Vancouver, the Bib Gourmand list saw a few adjustments in 2024 as it welcomed Gary's to the roster but said goodbye to Nightshade (due to closure) and Fiorino (no explanation provided).
That said, two of the 16 won't be around as we know it for much longer: Chupito must close at its current location in October due to redevelopment, however, the plan is for owners to seek a new location and resume operations as soon as possible in the new year. For its part, Say Mercy! announced in mid-October it would be closing permanently; the last day of business will be Nov. 2, 2024.
Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand restaurants in Vancouver
Anh and Chi
Amélie and Vincent Nguyễn built Anh and Chi based on the notion of taking their family recipes and traditions into the next generation and creating a gathering place where all are welcome around the table. Their parents ran Pho Hoang at the same location (3388 Main St) for over 30 years.
Though their father, Hoang, passed away in 2010, their mother, Ly, is still very much in charge of the food at Anh and Chi. "The menu is a love letter to Vietnam," says the Michelin Guide. "Chạo tôm bánh hỏi is prepared in a classic way, with grilled prawn mousse served with an array of fresh herbs, and there is pho, of course."
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To ensure you get a table at Anh and Chi, you can use the buzzy Mount Pleasant spot's Reservation by Donation program to skip the line. Launched in 2020 as a way to give back to the community, guests can make an online reservation and opt to donate $10 per person to a charity. The restaurant gives 100 per cent of the donations in lump sums quarterly.
If you don't mind waiting, you now have to option to pop into Anh and Chi's sibling cocktail bar, Good Thief, which opened this summer next door.
Anh and Chi has been a Bib Gourmand pick for three consecutive years.
Chupito
Accessible through a Gastown alley, the Mexican drinks and share plates spot has called the tiny zone behind the original La Taqueria restaurant home since 2021, using a shipping container as a bar and working diligently year to year to get all their City of Vancouver paperwork to operate.
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"It is with a heavy heart that we announce this will be Chupito’s last season in its current space," operators Tara Davies and Marcelo Ramirez shared in August.
Chupito's walk-in-only cocktail bar with an emphasis on Mexican flavours, local ingredients, and sustainability, sprung - in part - from Vancouver's loosened pandemic-era patio rules.
Cocktails on the Chupito menu spotlight Mexican flavours, local ingredients, and sustainability. To pair with the sophisticated sips are share plates that centre on regional dishes from Mexico, including a roster of fresh seafood items as well as tacos, chips and guac, and more.
Davies shared with V.I.A. in September the plan is to secure a new location and re-open (ideally in an indoor-outdoor format) in the new year. Stay tuned!
Fable Kitchen
Fable Kitchen is a bit of a dark horse on the list; it's the third-oldest spot on the inaugural Bib Gourmand selection for Vancouver, opened a decade ago in Kits with Top Chef Canada competitor Trevor Bird at the stoves. Bird has since stepped away from the business, and the chef life in general, and currently the kitchen at Fable is led by head chef Matthew Villamoran, who oversees its approachable, seasonally-driven menu.
"During daytime hours, the team turns out hollandaise-slicked eggs Benedict (and variations), Johnny cakes topped with pulled pork and tomato jam and thickly sliced challah French toast plated with caramelized apples and whipped mascarpone," lauds the Michelin Guide, adding that dinnertime also offers cozy, comforting farm-to-table fare.
Make reservations for Fable Kitchen online, but note the restaurant abides by a pledge to never overlook the dining room to give anyone who wanders in a good shot at scoring a seat
Farmer's Apprentice
Farmer's Apprentice is known for its commitment to seasonal, local ingredients and inventive dishes. It joined the Bib Gourmand list in 2023 and retained its status in 2024.
The kitchen team, led by Top Chef Canada alum Alden Ong, curates a menu that changes regularly to highlight the best of regional produce, often with an Asian twist. The restaurant’s cozy, unpretentious atmosphere makes it a welcoming spot to enjoy thoughtfully prepared meals, offering exceptional quality at a great value.
Look for fun events, like Ong's Basta BBQ, which run as pop-ups out of the South Granville restaurant, too. You can opt for a $125 tasting menu, or order a la carte; dishes range from $6 for house-made forbidden rice bread with seaweed butter to $60 for a roasted hanger steak rendang.
Reservations for Farmer's Apprentice can be secured via OpenTable.
Gary's
The newest addition to the Michelin Guide's Vancouver picks is a charming, intimate South Granville bistro with a seasonally-driven menu of share plates and a European sensibility.
Gary's - described by owners Bailey Hayward and Matthew Bishop as "a nice place for nice people" - opened near the end of 2023 and swiftly found a place in the hearts of locals thanks to its unpretentious vibe, ever-changing menu showcasing local produce, and great drinks.
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Hayward also nabbed the Guide's 2024 nod for outstanding hospitality, adding to Gary's already significant appeal.
Bookings are encouraged, though owners note due to its small space, they try to keep tables to five diners max. Walk-ins can also be accommodated when possible.
Karma Indian Bistro
Kitsilano's Karma Indian Bistro is a casual bistro with cocktails and happy hour specials to boot. The restaurant opened in 2022, and offers a menu that "focuses on fusion and authentic dishes as well," a restaurant rep told V.I.A. at the time.
"The food is as pleasing as the surroundings, and the chef's serious vision is outlined on a menu of wonderfully delicious traditional dishes interspersed with bold, innovative plates," says the Guide, which put Karma on its Vancouver Bib Gourmand list in 2023 and 2024.
"Expect richly spiced favourites such as chicken Madras, a fragrant specialty of South India. Coconut rice is the perfect sidekick to sop up all of that delicious, creamy sauce."
Reservations for the lively spot on West 4th Avenue are available via Tock.
Little Bird Dim Sum
Call them the rebels against tradition - with some serious cred. Little Bird is a Kitsilano restaurant serving up dim sum on weeknights and all day and into the night on weekends, too. They pair it with craft beer, and even do vegan dim sum. As it happens, the aptly named Little Bird is an offspring of Vancouver's veteran Flamingo Chinese restaurant.
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"Of course, there must be dumplings, and Little Bird's run the gamut from traditional (ha gow) to surprising, with sweet corn, cilantro and shrimp," the Michelin Guide spotlights. They first designated Little Bird as a Bib Gourmand pick in 2022 and it retained the honour in both 2023 and 2024.
Reservations for Little Bird are available online via OpenTable.
Lunch Lady
"Much like a grandmother who has prepared a feast for her family, chef Nguyen Thi Thanh exudes a warm, loving presence as she looks over her bustling dining room," begins the Michelin Guide. Indeed, Commercial Drive's go-to for modern Vietnamese fare has deep roots with a modest food stall in Vietnam made famous by a celebrity chef and travel raconteur.
Here you'll find deeply flavourful bowls of noodle soup (go on Sundays to get the slow braised duck soup), steak luc lac, and crispy chili salted prawns.
Lunch Lady can be experienced at brunch/lunch, with its own menu, or at dinner, when both a la carte and popular "family-style" menus are available. The family-style options run $50 per person for groups of two or four. Book online for groups of up to four diners; larger groups must contact the restaurant directly.
Motonobu Udon
Expect to stand in line before the doors open at Motonobu Udon, as this unassuming and busy East Van spot for soulful bowls of springy, chewy hand-made udon in flavourful broth with tasty toppings has been a draw since it opened. The restaurant does not take reservations, however, so plan accordingly.
Motonobu Udon joined the ranks of the Guide's Bib Gourmand selections in 2023 and remained on the list for 2024. The bustling open kitchen turns out a family recipe for traditional noodles that are boiled to order and worth the wait.
Magari by Oca
When Magari by Oca joined the Guide in 2022, it was Oca Pastaficio. While it remains at the same location and a humble, cozy, and feels-like-your're-home hangout, the operation was forced to temporarily close in mid-2023 and regroup following the sudden death of its founding co-owner and chef, Gregory Dilabio.
The restaurant's sensibility has always been the same though: It's a welcoming, laid-back spot for pasta you can watch being made by hand with a chalkboard menu (or an affordable tasting menu option) with great wines.
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Magari doesn't take reservations, however. Your best bet is to arrive at 5:30 p.m. and put your name down for a table; the restaurant will give you a time and text you when your table is available.
Phnom Penh
What hasn't been said about this humble - but wildly popular Chinatown eatery offering Cambodian-Vietnamese eats - that hasn't been said already since it launched in the early 1980s? It's also the oldest restaurant on the Bib Goumand list. The tables are tightly packed and the din is non-stop, but the dishes are a massive and enduring draw.
"The menu is massive, offering nearly 100 rice, noodle and soup preparations, but everyone knows to lean on the classics. You could almost make a meal out of #71, thin slivers of nearly raw beef soaking in a tangy mix of pureed pineapple and fish sauce," praises the Michelin Guide.
This enduringly popular casual spot always draws a line and does not take reservations (except for large parties) though you can use the OpenTable app to join the waitlist.
Say Mercy!
The food at Say Mercy! reflects a harmonious co-mingling of Italian fare and American BBQ, with crowd-pleasing pastas, mains, salads, and some gloriously buttery Parker House rolls served up in their bright, cozy dining room.
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"Don't even think about passing over the BBQ Bolo—it's non-negotiable. Short for "bolognese," it's a distinctive dish of house-made spaghetti tossed with pancetta, smoked pork butt and Grana Padana," raves the Michelin Guide. (We agree!)
At Say Mercy! you can easily tap into the value indicated by the Guide's Bib Gourmand distinction (for three consecutive years) by opting to tell your server you'd like to let "Jesus take the wheel." The result: A multi-course meal that will fill you up (likely with leftovers) until you have no choice but to say "Mercy!"
Say Mercy! will have its last dinner service on Nov. 2, 2024.
Reservations are available online.
Seaport City
Joining the Guide's Bib Gourmand picks in 2023 and retaining its distinction in 2024, Seaport City specializes in contemporary, high-end dim sum and other Chinese dishes.
In addition to raving about the black truffle rice, the Guide says of Seaport City's food: "Bubbling congee is the ultimate comfort dish; steamed pork ribs are crispy-creamy with irresistible umami; and baked barbecue pork pastry is a winner. Stir-fried cumin lamb shank is a can't-miss meal, and if you still have room left for dessert, choose the durian mochi or sponge cake with taro paste."
The restaurant is open for lunch from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and for dinner from 5 to 10 p.m., but they serve dim sum at both meals, and, as the Guide notes, those dishes offer diners the best value. Reservations for Seaport City can be made online.
Song (by Kin Kao)
The sibling spot to the much-loved Commercial Drive restaurant Kin Kao opened in November 2021, and is now enjoying a third consecutive year as a Bib Gourmand pick.
Song's Terrence Feng says guests can expect a different menu from the original Kin Kao on The Drive "with a big emphasis on approachable but unique-to-Vancouver Thai food." And Michelin says the restaurant's "fare is driven by a creative spirit and the region's bounty. The lemongrass wings are a special surprise." (Also: get the Pad Thai, it's "best in class" here.)
Reservations for Song must be made online and tables can be booked up to two months in advance. Guests are encouraged to manage their reservations online, which are subject to a $25 per person no show or late cancellation fee. Diners should read the restaurant's policy page about automatic gratuities on groups of five or more, as well as time limits on tables (and what you're on the hook for if you booked them but showed up to Kin Kao on The Drive instead).
Sushi Hil
Sushi Hil, the venture of acclaimed chef Hilary Nguy (aka "Chef Hil"), has been a Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand pick for two years now, joining the Guide in 2023.
The intimate Mount Pleasant sushi bar put Hil in the spotlight after he earned a loyal following at Cactus Club and Temaki in Vancouver. His intimate Main Street restaurant is a tribute to expertly sourced and crafted sushi. With just a few coveted bar seats and tables, reservations for lunch and dinner are in high demand. The menu features nigiri, maki, sashimi, small plates, and an omakase option, where Chef Hil crafts a personalized tasting menu, highlighting his exceptional technique and top-tier ingredients.
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Use Tock to book seats at the sushi bar or a table. Take note that you may wish to do omakase at lunch for fewer bucks and a dialled-back roster of dishes, if you're looking to save a little money.
Vij's
The veteran Vancouver Indian restaurant founded by former spouses Vikram Vij and Meeru Dhalwala has seen a lot of growth and changes over the years. Take its move a couple of years back to Cambie Street, the pandemic, and Dhalwala's shift to Main Street's Lila restaurant this year. But Viji's remains wildly popular, drawing loyal regulars alongside world-famous faces, like Mick Jagger, Prince Harry and Megan Markle, and Michael Bublé (to name a few).
"When it opened back in 1994, this local staple was at the vanguard of Indian fine dining in North America, and it continues to make a compelling case for the gastronomic riches of the subcontinent," points out the Michelin Guide. And, yes: Always order the "lamb popsicles" (don't worry, they aren't frozen).
It is easy to splash out at Vij's, which might make it seem like an odd pick for Bib Gourmand, but you could do well getting a few dishes and sharing. Reservations can be made via Tock - remarkable still for a spot that used to not take reservations at all!
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