A ubiquitous name on menus in Vancouver, Two Rivers Meats has transformed the city’s dining scene with its laser focus on ethically raised meats. The Shop, set in an unprepossessing spot in North Van, is its first venture into offering its choice cuts direct to consumers. Along with a butcher shop that looks more like a gleaming designer fashion store (snap up the house-made charcuterie for a picnic), the Shop gives meat fans the chance to enjoy hand-cut, dry-aged steaks cooked to perfection on the wood and charcoal fire. The tallow fries are a must-have, and the burger is perfection. There are even a couple of items for vegetarians, but the view of all that full-animal butchery behind the glass panels may be a bit hard to swallow for some.

Vancouver’s first First Nations food truck can be tracked down on the Street Food app — make sure you check, as Mr Bannock often switches location — and is worth a trip over to North Vancouver on the seabus (actually a super-scenic trip) if Mr Bannock, aka Paul Hollywood, a member of the Squamish Nation, is dishing up on his home turf. On the menu, crisp fluffy bannock topped with slow-roasted, luscious meats with a hit of spice at incredibly affordable prices; for $5, his juniper-berry dry-rubbed chicken taco is likely the best — and tastiest — deal in town.

The latest venture from the acclaimed team behind Eater 38 mainstay L’Abattoir is a deep dive into seafood in the heart of touristy Gastown. The elegant room with its coral-pink clamshell booths, scalloped tiles, and subtle fish-scale accents matches the elevated prices and dishes, such as the delicately plated but pleasingly punchy kimchi hamachi and the sidestripe shrimp tostada. Check out the twice-daily happy hours for more affordable options: half-price oysters, on-tap negronis and Tommy’s Margaritas, and terrific crab and shrimp rolls.

What should be a teeth-grinding exercise in tolerating hipster sensibilities is actually a very lovely white-walled oasis of calm in the bustle of Mount Pleasant, with serene strummed music playing and a range of excellent on-tap house-brewed kombuchas. Try the delicately floral jasmine ’booch, and make like the locals and fill a growler of the stuff to enjoy on the beach. It’s occasionally home to other pop-ups, such as a bone-broth bar, so drop by to see what’s brewing.  

Bringing a splash of color to “Yeast Van” (East Van’s nickname, due to the number of craft breweries in the area) just a few doors down from established brew heroes R&B Ale, the Electric Bicycle Company can be spotted by its flapping inflatable tube man outside and wonderful rainbow-colored walls. On tap are unusual beers such as the Mermaid Man saltwater black kolsch, a thirst-quenching savory brew, and Sorbet IPA with coconut, mango, and pineapple notes. Sixties psychedelic music plays as happy drinkers fill up on grilled cheese sandwiches and snap selfies with the flower-power decor and fake fish tanks.

A lively room with a tiny patio makes for the perfect late-night pitstop to enjoy terrific Cuban-themed cocktails with high-carb snacks. The original creations include fruity numbers, such as a guava-infused Aperol with house-made geranium perfume charged with sparkling rosé, and the classics, such as the El Presidente, are done just right. After customer uproar, the team sensibly abandoned their efforts to re-jigger the classic Cubano pork sandwich with a weedy mayo-mustard mix, and happiness — and yellow mustard — is back on the menu. Non-pork eaters will appreciate the jackfruit Cubano; everyone will love the 11 p.m.-till-close and all-day Monday happy hours with discounted daiquiris and half-price oysters.

B&W ticks all the sports-bar boxes with foosball tables, hoops, skee ball in a back room, and vast TV screens. But it’s really more of a neighborhood pub, complete with funky playlist, two dozen rotating beer and cider taps, a wrap-around patio, and a thoughtful menu of pub classics done right from the local, sustainable, ethically raised food champs behind city faves such as Wildebeest and Bufala. Skip the burger and head for the ahi tuna grilled sandwich, and definitely leave room for the creamy soft serve ice cream.

The latest project from local Italian food guru Lucais Syme (Cinara, ex-La Quercia, La Pentola) is a small neighborhood pasta joint with an all-Italian wine list that’s well worth the trip to Riley Park to taste what made notoriously hard-to-please Globe and Mail critic Alexandra Gill swoon. Join the queues (no reservations) of locals eager to get their fill of the well-executed pasta mains, excellent meatballs, and thick, gooey slabs of dessert. Cocktail fans will love the five different takes on the negroni; everyone will adore the friendly service.