As the new year dawns, there is already so much to look forward to when it comes to fresh additions to Vancouver's always-changing restaurant scene.
From a new Cambie Village sibling to the popular Italian hot spot Savio Volpe to the much-anticipated debut of Vancouver's first Hello Kitty Café, there is a wide range of curious ventures in the works as we turn the calendar to 2024.
Here's a glimpse at some of the most exciting restaurant openings to look forward to in 2024. Opening dates are estimates and may change. Be sure to bookmark V.I.A.'s Food & Drink section and subscribe to our weekly Forking Awesome newsletter to stay up-to-date on Vancouver's exciting restaurant news.
Marugame Udon
Opening: January 2024
It's been over a year since Marugame Udon's journey to launching its Vancouver flagship - and first Canadian location - got underway, but not long after 2024 begins we will be able to experience the global brand's signature udon dishes and tempura.
The restaurant is known for its "theatre-like atmosphere where noodles are hand-cut and boiled on the spot," in full view of the guests, according to media materials. In particular, Marugame serves Sanuki-style udon. Keep an eye out for this spot likely in mid-January.
Address: 589 Beatty St
Ramen One
Opening: January 2024
A bowl of ramen for $10? That seems impossible these days unless you're boiling water and emptying the packet yourself in your kitchen. Ramen One will serve "Hakata-style" noodles with their "signature soy milk soup base" in a former Subway location at Broadway and Cambie - with bowls at an appealing price tag. At last word, Ramen One was hoping to be up and running in January.
Address: 433 W Broadway
Casa Molina
Opening: Winter 2024
From Vancouver's acclaimed Paella Guys, Casa Molina is the forthcoming restaurant venture taking over the Mount Pleasant heritage home that was previously Mangia Cucina. Casa Molina will focus on the flavours of Spain, which happens to be the home country of Paella Guys' chef/owner Javier Blanc.
In addition to their signature paella, expect to find "dishes that highlight the brilliance of simple, quality ingredients" offered through a regular menu accentuated with daily specials. Alongside the Spanish food, Casa Molina will have "a robust cocktail program" which will feature Spanish classics and creative new drinks designed to be enjoyed with the food.
Address: 2211 Manitoba St
Hello Kitty Cafe
Opening: Early 2024
Sugar and spice and all things kawaii and nice await at Vancouver's first Hello Kitty-branded café set to open in early 2024 on Robson St. A former bubble tea shop has been undergoing renovations to turn into a very pink, very cute cafe, styled like other Hello Kitty cafes in the U.S. and Japan.
Address: 1274 Robson St
Nook - Downtown
Opening: TBD in 2024
We've had our eye on this one since earlier in 2023: Nook is set to occupy a sprawling 5,000-square-foot space on the first floor of The Stack, the architecturally interesting new build downtown that will have the distinction of being Vancouver's tallest office building. Nook's expansion comes courtesy its new ownership, LFG Growth Partners, aka Richard Jaffray (former Cactus Club leader).
LFG's portfolio includes The Chase Restaurant, Hawksworth Restaurant Group (comprising Hawksworth Restaurant at the Rosewood Hotel Georgia, Nightingale, and Bel Café), Nook, Oddfish, Radish, PLANTA, Shelter Restaurant, and Shed.
Address: 1133 Melville St
Nightingale - Yaletown
Opening: Spring 2024
You can thank LFG (see above) for being one of the driving forces behind this expansion, as David Hawksworth's Michelin Guide-recommended Nightingale doubles down on its Vancouver presence in 2024. It's going to occupy the former Distillery space in Yaletown, which seems like an ideal location for this pizza, pasta, share plates, and cocktails spot.
Address: 1131 Mainland St
Saba Foods
Opening: Spring 2024
Saba Foods is a Yemeni restaurant operating on Main Street out of humble digs, but a big move is in the works for 2024 as the business takes over the storied South Granville address formerly home to West for nearly 20 years. Visit them at 509 Main St before they debut their new space in 2024.
Address: 2881 Granville St.
Saijo Handroll
Opening: Spring 2024
Saijo Hand Roll & Kushiyaki is a new offering from Jinya, the U.S.-based Japanese restaurant group that brought its Ramen Jinya to downtown Vancouver several years ago. Vancouver will be home to the first location of this concept under the Jinya umbrella. Saijo's roots stem from one of its enduring L.A. restaurants, Robata Jinya, which has been serving up Japanese charcoal-grilled skewers alongside sushi bar selections on 3rd Street since 2010. "Kushiyaki" is a term for skewered and grilled foods.
Address: 2036 W 4th Ave.
Osteria Elio Volpe
Opening: Winter 2024
One of Vancouver's most popular Italian restaurants, Savio Volpe, is going to have a new sibling dining destination in 2024. Osteria Elio Volpe is moving into a former mechanic shop in Cambie Village, with plans to open in the winter. Elio Volpe will boast 115 seats in a 4,200-square-foot space with an open-air dining room with a bar with wrap-around seating.
Culinary director Phil Scarfone is working on guiding a menu of "bold and briny flavours" featuring dishes such as squid ink linguine al granchio e vongole (crab and clams) or a lemony risotto with sea urchin alongside crispy-crust Roman-style pizza.
Address: 540 W 17th Ave
Aburi Hana
Opening: Winter/Spring 2024
Aburi Restaurants Canada - known locally for its Miku, Minami, Wa! Curry, and Aburi Market concepts - has teamed up with developer Westbank for Aburi Hana Vancouver, which will occupy 3,000 square feet of Alberni by Kengo Kuma.
Aburi Hana aims to redefine "washoku," the deeply-meaningful culture of preparing and eating traditional Japanese ingredients and dishes. Diners can expect the integration of "Japanese ingredients, seasonings, and cooking methods alongside local elements," according to a restaurant rep.
Given the Michelin Guide's affection for high-end Japanese restaurants in Vancouver (Okeya Kyujiro, Masayoshi) this could prove a very exciting debut in 2024.
Address: 1550 Alberni St
Hard Bean Brunch Co.
Opening: April/May 2024
Port Moody's Hard Bean Brunch Co. began with a simple mission to serve pancakes for dinner alongside creative cocktails and other dishes - in case everyone wasn't feeling like breakfast at night. Now they are expanding in Metro Vancouver; first up will be a new Hard Bean Brunch Co. restaurant in Langley, followed by one in Vancouver's Coal Harbour, in the former home of Don Francesco.
Address: 909 W Cordova St
Mishmish
Opening: Winter 2024
Mishmish is a Middle Eastern bakery cafe setting up in a retail space in a new build at Fraser and 19th (Rize's Comma mixed-use development). It is the venture of a trio of local industry pros: Pastry chefs Leah Christ and Marysol Lopez and business partner Dallah of Superbaba. Guests can expect an all-day experience reflecting the intersection of a traditional Middle Eastern bakeshop cafe and a Western coffee shop.
"All of the food will be based around baking that comes from Lebanon, Palestine, Jordan," describes Dallah.
Address: Fraser & 19th
Odd Burger
Opening: Early 2024
The Ontario-based vegan fast food burgers chain has been at work on its first Vancouver restaurant for about a year and a half now, and it's still "coming soon" as we begin 2024.
The Odd Burger menu offers several kinds of burgers, including riffs on high-profile fast-food classics (the Famous burger with its double meat and cheese, secret sauce, and shredded lettuce looks like something from the "Golden Arches," while the Vopper's name immediately calls to mind a royally popular burger). They've also got chicken alternative ( what they call "ChickUn") sandwiches and strips, breakfast, salads, wraps, and sides, along with shakes to drink - all totally plant-based.
Address: 2821 Main St
Per Se Social Corner - Coal Harbour
Opening: Winter 2024
Yaletown's popular Per Se Social Corner is set to open a second Vancouver location, moving into the former Chewies restaurant space in Coal Harbour. While a fall 2023 opening was the initial vision, delays have pushed back the restaurant's debut to 2024. It's a big space, so it will be interesting to see how it's set up.
Address: 1055 W Hastings St
Kalamish
Opening: Early 2024
The owners of Simit, a Turkish bakery with multiple units in Vancouver, are behind Kalamish, a sit-down Turkish-Mediterranean restaurant destined for the old Branas space on False Creek.
Address: 617 Stamps Landing
Din Tai Fung
Opening: TBD in 2024
The Taiwanese restaurant chain with over 170 locations worldwide and 13 in the U.S., is coming to Canada for the first time, and the debut is here in Vancouver. Din Tai Fung is essentially replacing Neptune Chinese Kitchen, though property renovations are planned to slightly reconfigure and improve the space, which will be a two-storey restaurant.
Din Tai Fung is best known for its Xiao Long Bao (XLB), aka soup dumplings, which they have, according to its legions of fans, mastered to perfection.
Address: 1132 Alberni St
Fogo de Chao
Opening: Spring 2024
Global Brazilian steakhouse chain Fogo de Chão will enter the Canadian market with its flagship location landing in the heart of Downtown Vancouver in 2024. Taking a whopping 7,778-square-foot space in the ambitious The Post development at 658 Homer St, Fogo de Chão joins the ranks of Amazon, and Loblaws City Market.
Fogo de Chão began in Brazil in 1979, and is known for its interactive dining showcasing churrasco - grilled meats presented tableside on skewers that are hand-sliced to order.
Address: The Post - 658 Homer St
Saan Saan
Opening: Early 2024
In the works since the summer of 2022, Saan Saan is a modern Hong Kong-style cafe that had initially hoped to be open some time ago. I checked in with one of its owners in late October, and was informed the project is still a go, but won't likely be open until the beginning half of 2024. Stay tuned!
Address: 227 Main St
Meo
Opening: TBD
We don't know much at this stage of the game about a project dubbed "Meo" (including if Meo is even going to be the name) but it seems plans are in motion for the Bao Bei/Kissa Tanto crew to reinvigorate the former Nancy Go Yaya space in Chinatown as a tapas-style bar. "The new restaurant will focus on small plates and tapas style dining that will pair well with our extensive cocktail program," read a job posting from back in October. Curious, indeed!
Address: 265 E Pender St
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