10 Best Restaurants in Yaletown, Vancouver

In a city filled with hundreds of sushi spots, it can be hard to pick one to try. Look no further than Minami—the Japanese restaurant's space and menu is just as stylish as the neighborhood it's in. This upscale eatery specializes in Aburi ("flame-seared") sushi, and all their fish is sustainably caught. Try the Oshi Sampler. It comes with two pieces each of their salmon, prawn, and saba Aburi sushi, as well as the Aburi lobster with green onion and yuzu ginger salsa.

Executive Chef Frank Pabst focuses his menu on both popular and lesser-known local seafood at his fashionable fish restaurant. You can dine in the warmly lit interior or outside on the former loading dock that's now a terrace. You might start with scallops with a parmesan crust; Dungeness crab salad with shrimp, mango, and pumpkin seed; or a seafood tower (ideal for sharing). Main dishes are seafood-centric, too—perhaps sablefish with a miso sake glaze, or Arctic char with braised leeks and fennel. Ask the staff to recommend wine pairings from the BC-focused list. The sushi chef turns out both classic and new creations. They're pricey but among the city's best.

Cioppino, the eponymous seafood stew, is the signature dish at this lofty candlelit room. Chef Pino Posteraro impresses with homemade pastas and Italian-Mediterranean dishes such as Haida Gwaii hailbut with confit garlic and Sicilian capers, and roasted rack of lamb with a candied garlic-lemon reduction. More rustic Italian fare, such as veal osso buco and braised beef short ribs, is also an option. In good weather, you can dine on the street-side patio. Note to oenophiles, the wine list runs more than 60 pages.

Serving small plates designed for sharing, this spirited Japanese tapas bar is known for the seared mackerel sashimi. Also worth trying are the ebi mayo (tempura shrimp with spicy mayonnaise), the ishi-yaki (a Korean-style stone bowl filled with rice, pork, and vegetables), and anything on the daily fresh sheet. Sake and Japanese beer are the drinks of choice.

Chicken is the specialty at this classy bistro where the juicy rotisserie-roasted birds are served with potato salad, coleslaw, and biscuits. Other creative comfort foods include Arctic char with an annatto seed crust and lamb shank with cauliflower ragu. And save room for dessert—they always have something worth ordering. The space is interesting, too. Half the restaurant is in a restored historic structure (with details like mosaic tiles and a tin ceiling), while the other side of the dining room is set in a new condo building.

Because Vancouverites don't live by coffee alone—they're also tea drinkers—look for this tiny Yaletown tea bar that serves 60 of its own blends, including rich, milky "Lat-Teas." If you're feeling under-the-weather, order the "Cold Blaster," a rejuvenating blend of tea, orange juice, honey, ginger, and cayenne pepper.

You can imagine yourself on the Provençal seaside at this airy, modern, Mediterranean-style bistro on Yaletown's waterfront, where the focus is on French and Italian takes on seafood. Among the specialties are a delicious bouillabaisse, grilled halibut, and garlicky wild prawns. The rack of lamb is also popular. The sunny marina-view patio makes this a nice spot for breakfast, lunch, or a summertime dinner. You can enjoy the views over a glass of wine (with both British Columbian and European choices) and a light bite at The Wine Bar next door.

This cozy Italian restaurant in the heart of Yaletown is a fan favorite, thanks to the homemade pastas and tapas menu. Try the lobster and crab ravioli, the braised veal shank with saffron risotto, or the four-cheese gnocchi. They have plenty of Italian wines and classic cocktails on the menu, too. There are two other locations in Gastown and the West End as well. The West End location also serves brunch.

This faux fishing shack in Yaletown has one of the city's widest selections of oysters (up to 18 varieties), from locally harvested bivalves to selections from Ireland, New Zealand, and beyond—they're all laid out on ice behind the bar. Or try the clams, mussels, and other mollusks from the steamer kettles. If you're fishing for an afternoon snack, come in between 3 and 6 pm when a light menu of raw oysters, steamed clams, garlic prawns, and a few additional seafood nibbles are served. There's a second location in Gastown.