Chef Vikram Vij is a huge star in Canada, with a stint as an investor on the reality show for aspiring entrepreneurs Dragon’s Den, and a national range of pre-packaged gourmet frozen curries to his name. Everyone from ex-Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau to Harrison Ford has waited for a table while enjoying free snacks, thanks to Vij’s no reservations policy. Join the queues and feast on ambrosial curries paired with BC wines and funky cocktails. This is fine dining Indian-style, with local ingredients and painstakingly hand-ground spices. Don’t miss the lamb popsicles. [$$$]

Seasonal produce shines brightly in this softly-lit vegetarian restaurant that strums along happily to hipster beats in the heart of the city’s funky Main Street neighborhood. The menu switches up frequently (save for the show-stopping halloumi in a whisper-thin beer batter with minty smashed peas) and the vegan techniques employed are faultless — who knew that aquafaba (chickpea water) and coconut cream could make everything taste so delicious? The wine list has plenty of lesser-known biodynamic varieties to try and, impressively, the non-alcoholic drinks are given as much consideration as the excellent cocktails. [$$]

Head up to where Kingsway meets Fraser Street, and you’ll find a bright room full of happy locals scarfing down a very North American take on rustic Italian with big, bold flavors. A roaring apple wood fire grills generous cuts of meat to share, and the pasta is made in-house. Thoughtful touches — like the perfect pre-bottled Negroni poured at the table, the bar top meat slicer that conjures up wafer-thin salumi and other house-cured treats, and pleasingly deft service — make this destination dining. [$$]

The critics’ rave of 2016, this pitch-perfect pairing of Japanese and Italian cuisine comes together in a funky second-story space in Chinatown, a few steps away from its sister crowd-pleaser, Bao Bei. Although the menu is small, the urge to eat it all is huge: the exquisite pasta made in-house; the show-stopping wow of the whole fish served fins and all, puffed hot and crisp from the fryer; the fusion of flavors such as kombu dashi and pecorino dancing seamlessly together in a simple but oh-so-complex salad. Reservations are essential. [$$$]

Chambar alumna Tannis Ling combined forces with chef Joël Watanabe, who brings his Corsican-Japanese heritage to this popular Chinatown restaurant. It may look like a hipster take on a Chinese brasserie, but the sound of woks crashing in the kitchen speaks to its traditional techniques. Sharing plates are pleasingly well-sized and the cocktails thoughtfully crafted, and — because it’s Vancouver — all meat is local and ethically raised, hormone and chemical-free. Don’t miss local legend Helen’s delicate hand-made potstickers and dumplings — she makes hundreds of perfect dumplings each day — and the appropriately named Kick Ass House-Fried Rice. [$$$]

In the heart of Gastown, there are so many reasons why L’Abattoir needs to be part of your dining plans: it’s open for dinner and weekend brunch, with one of the city’s most innovative cocktail menus and an excellent happy hour. Make a reservation to enjoy impeccable French technique combined with superb west coast produce in a beautiful room. The sweetbreads are fantastic, and scallops roasted with brown butter a delicate delight. [$$$]

If you thought German cuisine was heavy-handed then prepare to be dazzled by the deft light touch chef Stefan Hartmann (former owner of the one-Michelin-starred Hartmanns Restaurant in Berlin) has with seasonal organic west coast ingredients at this hit Gastown restaurant. The tasting menu offers excellent value (go nuts and have it with the excellent wine pairings), but if you’re on a budget, the weekly Friday schnitzel and Früh Kölsch $22 combos is one of the best deals in town. [$$$]

Drawing inspiration from the bounty of Pacific Northwest and seamlessly blending that with French techniques and Asian influences, Pidgin’s cuisine unerringly reflects the blurring of the line between East and West in Vancouver. Although perfect for bar snacks — the gochujang chicken wings are the best in the city — and genuinely thrilling for the creative cocktails with ingredients such as toasted rice rum and gunpowder tea gomme, Pidgin’s prix fixe is an exceptional value with eight mini courses of pure inventive delight for $55 per person. Whisky and sake fans will love the selection, and the wine list offers global gems too. [$-$$$]

Enjoy a next-level coffee nerd-fest at one of the city’s best cafes, which rejoices in a dizzying array of brewing paraphernalia and a rotating menu of North American roasters like Victoria’s Bows & Arrows and Ritual from San Francisco. Each cup will be weighed and expertly prepared by the barista team, so if you want speedy, go elsewhere. But, you’ll be missing out on one of the city’s most joyful experiences when you take that first sip of Revolver’s finest. [$]

Master of the art of picking just one thing, perfecting it, and then consistently doing it better than anyone else, Meat & Bread makes the most divine porchetta sandwich. Sure, there are daily specials too, but if you’ve only got one chance to visit, you’d be a fool to miss out. Juicy tender pork and crunchy skin (ask for extra crackling) comes spangled with a judicious slick of house-made salsa verde then stuffed into a fresh-baked ciabatta roll. Heaven. [$]

After a stint at the Savoy in London, cooking for Mick Jagger, Prince, and a host of other glitzy celebs, Belgian chef Nico Schuermans has created the archetypal Vancouver casual fine dining restaurant. It offers an elegant room, faultless service, and a no-nonsense menu of French/Belgian-influenced classics made with Pacific Northwest ingredients, which you'd be more than welcome to enjoy coming straight from yoga class still in your Lululemons. [$-$$$]

Even Vancouverites — who truly wear yoga pants everywhere — dress up when they dine at chef David Hawksworth's excellent restaurant. Everything from the Damien Hirst art on the wall of its outstanding cocktail bar to the gleaming oversized crystal chandelier in the main dining room sets your expectations high for what’s to come. Fortunately, those expectations are effortlessly met with this pitch-perfect exploration of west coast cuisine threaded through with Asian flavors and modern techniques. Unmissable. [$$$$]

Tucked away in the basement of the Rosewood Hotel Georgia is a speakeasy-style bar with live music, swagged velvet drapes, and one of the city’s most creative cocktail lists thanks to head bartender Robyn Gray. Pony up to the handsome bar and order an Inception Negroni, a drink that has boozehounds flying in from as far as London just to try — a stunning drink-within-a-drink of a red Negroni captured in an ice sphere served in a white Negroni. Daily punchbowl specials start at $6 and on-tap cocktail deals soften the price of staying longer. [$]

In this bright room, spread across two levels, a custom-made pizza oven turns out divine thin-crust pies with a hint of char and creative toppings such as ‘nduja, guanciale, and charred rapini on a San Marzano and fior di latte base. Cal-Med small plates are the order of the day with a hefty selection of vegetable options and crowd-pleasing dishes such as fried chicken and meatballs too. The surprise? This is chef David Hawksworth’s (of the city’s best fine dining restaurant) second spot: casual, good service, and pretty damn wonderful. [$-$$]

Head to Tacofino's Twitter feed to track down this sustainable seafood taco hero and scarf down one of the city’s cheapest — and most delicious — treats for under $10. The Baja fish taco is a crunchy delight with juicy local Pacific cod, crisp cabbage, and spicy chipotle mayo all wrapped up in a soft tortilla. You will need many napkins. Also up for grabs: a tasty array of gringas, burritos, and famous cayenne-spiked Diablo cookies. [$]

There are hotel restaurants and there are restaurants in hotels and Boulevard is definitely the latter. Pedigreed chef Alex Chen and team’s inventive take on west coast seafood brings diners into some excitingly experimental territory but never strays far from harmony and balance. It’s a bright, beautiful room to enjoy crowd-pleasing seafood towers or steak-frites, while the service, cocktails, and wine list are all on point. All that plus there's a great daily happy hour from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. with cocktails on tap, oysters, and an insanely good wagyu beef Korean galbi dog. [$$$]

In the summer, there are few places lovelier than CinCin’s tucked-away patio above busy Robson street, but year-round this is simply some of the most elegant and restrained Italian cooking you’ll find in the city. Silky pastas gently kissed with uncomplicated sauces and butter, sustainable and organic meats and fish cooked on a dazzling wood-fired Grillworks Infierno, and seasonal light bright salads — essentially harmony and happiness on a plate, with one of the city’s best wine lists. One warning, try not to fill up on the exceptional bread basket, tempting though it may be. [$$$]

Vancouver is blessed with some exceptional Chinese restaurants and Kirin offers a unique perspective by showcasing the very best local ingredients through a Northern Chinese lens — meaning with big, bold flavors. There’s a daily fresh menu (each of Kirin’s four locations does something different) and they also serve dim sum from 11 a.m. to 2.30 p.m. Don’t miss the spring rolls, which are light, small, and delicate with fillings that change seasonally, and check out the often unusual dumpling combos. [$$]

A photo posted by Gloria Lai (@gl_lai) on Sep 2, 2016 at 10:18pm PDT

If you’re looking for the ideal eco-friendly locavore Vancouver dining experience, you just found it. Few walk the sustainable walk like chef Chris Whittaker and his team, who conjure up locally farmed, seasonal, and foraged menus to pair with all-BC wine, beer, and cocktails served up with sincere hospitality. The energy-efficient gizmos and zero landfill waste records are impressive, but so too is the Turtle Valley Bison bone-in sirloin and the delicate annual treat of Whittaker’s nettle farro grain risotto. There’s also a killer weekend brunch. [$$]

The lower end of Robson near Denman is a hotbed of ramen shops offering everything from deeply layered broths to simple soups with plump noodles or slender curly sprigs. The Ramenman offers up something a little different in a hip minimalist space with a gloriously silky chicken broth, sous-vide pork and chicken, and bright chewy house-made noodles. Vegetarians are catered to with a shiitake mushroom and smoked kombu broth, which can be made vegan by request. On-tap, try the Granville Island sparkling sake and craft beers. [$]

After a brisk walk, run, cycle, or paddle around the seawall, make for this modern gem nearby on Robson Street for a comprehensive rundown of some of the city’s tastiest Taiwanese cooking. The xiao long bao, soup dumplings which you can watch being made if you’re waiting for a table, have clean bright flavors, and the whole menu is easily accessible to those who may be unfamiliar with this style of cuisine. [$]

Perfect for a quick lunch after checking out Stanley Park and English Bay, arrive early to bag one of the Deluxe Bento Boxes (only 10 made each day) to eat your way through the menu’s high points. At nighttime, enjoy the exuberant atmosphere and over-order from the far-too-tempting daily changing fresh menu. Seafood favorites such as tuna tataki shine alongside sizzling stone-grilled beef tongue and crisp chicken karaage served up with three kinds of salt. [$$]

Maestro James makes some of the world’s best gelato, and that’s not opinion it’s a fact — he’s won a brace of awards including the 2014 International Gelato Master of the Year in Italy. The Coal Harbour location has insane queues; here, you can grab a table, eat creamy gelato (the delicate rosewater-infused Akbar Mashti, and black sesame are incredible), try the boozy “gelatinis,” and snack on excellent Neapolitan-style pizzas, too. Open till 11 p.m. daily, it’s the ideal spot for late-night dessert after a stroll along the seawall. [$]

Raw from the sushi bar or cooked from the open kitchen, seafood is the star at this Yaletown institution. Widely acknowledged as one of Canada’s leaders on responsible seafood, chef Frank Pabst and team push the culinary envelope a little each February with their Unsung Heroes festival, which celebrates lesser-loved species, encouraging diners to broaden their palates and try more sustainable seafood such as poached periwinkles and red sea urchin trifle. Year-round, the service is superb, the wine list dizzyingly wonderful, and the BC seafood towers a splurge meal you’ll adore. [$$$-$$$$]

If you’ve never tried Peruvian-Japanese food, then here’s your chance in one of the city’s most picture-perfect locations on the seawall overlooking False Creek. The early bird prix-fixe menu offers excellent value and a chance to sample some of the restaurant’s high points, but the real star is the Ancora Glacier: a funky take on a seafood tower. You’ll swoon over the creamy whipped cold causa topped with juicy Dungeness crab and spicy Salt Spring Island mussel escabeche. [$$$]

There’s little point in naming must-have dishes at chef David Gunawan’s cozy room on W. 6th as the menu changes daily according to what his suppliers bring. Serving set omnivore and herbivore menus, even in the heart of winter his dishes glow brightly with a sense of the seasons. Vegetables are elevated to the star turn here; pickled and fermented or roasted and smoked, with rare breed meats such as Tamworth pork used sparingly but to elegant effect. Dive into the natural wine pairings and ask if they have the amazing velvety unfiltered Little Farm Cabernet Franc. [$$$]

One of the city’s most exceptional (and hardest working) chefs, Angus An has three other spots dotted across the city, including the noodle bliss of Fat Mao and Freebird Chicken Shack which excels in Asian-style rotisserie. But if you only have time for one, go to Maenam to experience An’s deft flavor-balancing act of sweet, aromatic, citrus, heat, and spice, which creates plate-lickingly great Thai dishes with a BC-twist. With terrific value, attentive service, and a killer cocktail and wine list, the restaurant is open for lunch and dinner — and is even good for take away to nearby Kitsilano beach. [$$]

You’ll find plenty of cheffy technique on display at Michael Robbins’ neighborhood restaurant, where the shelves groan with Best New Restaurant awards next to Lego art and Star Wars figurines. On the menu, modern Canadian cuisine draws its influence from the diverse mosaic of the country’s immigrant culinary traditions and flavors by way of home-grown ingredients. Sip on the excellent food-friendly cocktails from Kevin Brownlee, one of the city’s star bartenders, and don’t miss the chocolate-covered fried chicken skin for dessert. [$$-$$$]