Dining out in this city can sometimes require serious hoop-jumping. Parking. Concrete. Construction – oh, the construction. We’ve selected a few places where you’ll find a slightly more, shall we say, holistic experience. Some of these gems require a drive (or a ferry) and some are right under your nose. Either way, you’ll feel a lot less like you’re lunching in a battle zone once you get there.
The Salmon House
High above the glittering city sits this West Van specialty. Spectacular salmon, all-local ingredients and dishes paired with the best of B.C. wines accompany the finest views of any restaurant in the area. 2229 Folkestone Way, West Van., (604) 926-3212.
Seasons in the Park
Sometimes we forget there’s a world outside the downtown core, but there is. Floating atop the city in Queen Elizabeth Park, Seasons serves distinctive regional West Coast cuisine in a glass-encased room with a seriously green view. Try the weekend brunches, but be sure to make a reservation. Queen Elizabeth Park, West 33rd Ave. and Main Street, (604)-874-8008.
The Pear Tree
Sitting serenely on The Heights in North Burnaby, overlooking Deer Lake, The Pear Tree focuses on Continental cuisine made with the freshest local ingredients and has won Vancouver Magazine’s Best of the Suburbs every year for the past decade. It’s also been rated in Zagat’s top ten. Try the olive-oil-poached sablefish. 4120 East Hastings St., Burnaby, (604) 299-2772.
Tuscany
For this one you’ll need to catch a ferry. It’s a rustic Bowen Island gem with an ivy-covered outdoor patio, perfect for an escape from the city. Authentic Tuscan cuisine with perhaps the best wood-fired pizza in all of Vancouver. 451 Bowen Trunk Road, Bowen Island, (604) 947-0550.
