[Dine Out Vancouver 2022] My Suggestions for Lunch, Dinner, Take Out & Special Offer #DOVF

Click here if you are looking for 2023 suggestions

Dine Out Vancouver is back and it’s celebrating its 20th anniversary! Running from January 14-31, 2022, over 300 restaurants are offering prix fixe menus for dine-in or take-out priced between $20 and $59 (side note: this was up from $15-$54 last year). It was very exciting to be able to dine in again when things opened up last year. Things may be a bit iffy now but you can still enjoy Dine Out Vancouver whether it’s dine-in or take-out.

As per previous years, I took the time to review the menus and here are what caught my eyes, based on past experiences (Dine Out or not) as well as menu attractiveness (e.g. value for the money, choice of ingredients, creativity in the menu, enough options for two people, etc.). Also keep in mind that I curated the list based on my preference (as you know, I’m a meat lover and I’m biased against chicken and salmon) and my way of thinking, so it may not necessarily suit your taste. But hopefully this gives you a place to start.

Same as last year, with the varied price points, I have organized my list into Lunch, Dinner, Take Out, and Special Offer. I’ve included a link to the menu, as well as listed price, to make it easier for you. Remember, my recommendations are for that specific menu and specific location(s) only, even though the restaurant may have other locations and menu options. If you have been to any of them, let me know what you think!

Lunch

• Banana Leaf Broadway, Davie, Kitsilano, Robson ($25)
• Bells & Whistles Dunbar and Fraser ($27)
• Bin 4 Burger Lounge ($30)
• Blue Canoe Waterfront Restaurant ($39)
• Bombay Kitchen + Bar Commercial Drive and South Granville ($15)
• Bovine Rice Bowls ($26 – but looks to be enough for 2 people)
• Britannia Brewing Company Steveston ($29 – also check out the $20 weekday breakfast)
• Bruno ($29)
• The Cannibal Cafe ($20)
• Ember Indian Kitchen ($17)
• Frying Pan Kitchen & Bar ($20)
• Fufu Cafe ($26)
• Gurkha Himalayan Kitchen ($29)
• Honey Salt ($32)
• Izakaya Gon’s ($24)
• Kinton Ramen ($20.99)
• Maenam ($45 for 2 courses only, but even if you add a dessert it’s still cheaper than dinner, which is the same menu)
• MILA Plant Based ($25 brunch menu)
• Minami Restaurant (saves $14 at lunch for a very similar menu to dinner)
• P2B Bistro & Bar ($25)
• Palate Kitchen ($27 brunch menu)
• Popina Canteen ($19)
• Potluck Hawker Eatery ($25)
• Water Street Cafe ($29 – complimentary bread!)
• West Oak Restaurant ($29)
• Yuu Japanese Tapas ($25)

Dinner

• The Acorn (7-course family style tasting menu for $59)
• Acqua Restaurant & Bar ($39)
• Alimentaria Mexicana ($31)
• Ancora Waterfront Dining and Patio – Ambleside ($45)
• Ask for Luigi ($49)
• Bacaro ($49)
• Bacchus Restaurant & Lounge ($59)
• Bartholomew ($45)
• Bayside Lounge ($35)
• Bells & Whistles Dunbar and Fraser ($27)
• Bin 4 Burger Lounge ($30)
• Bistro Sakana ($55)
• Blue Canoe Waterfront Restaurant ($39)
• Bombay Kitchen + Bar Commercial Drive ($25)
• Bombay Kitchen + Bar South Granville (all you can eat $50 for 2)
• BREWHALL ($25)
• Britannia Brewing Company Steveston ($29 – also check out the $20 weekday breakfast)
• Bruno ($59)
• Bufala Kerrisdale ($35 – $1 cheaper than Edgemont for a very similar menu)
• Burdock & Co. ($59)
• Cazba Restaurant ($30)
• Chambar Restaurant ($49)
• Chewies Oyster Bar Coal Habour ($35)
• Cuchillo ($42 for 4 courses)
• Fable Diner & Bar ($26)
• Fable Kitchen ($39)
• Fanny Bay Oyster Bar ($49)
• Feast The Neighbourhood Table ($36)
• Fishworks ($45)
• The Flying Pig Gastown, Olympic Village, Yaletown ($45)
• Forage ($45)
• Glass House Estate Winery ($59)
• Gurkha Himalayan Kitchen ($29)
• Gyoza Bar ($25)
• Hendricks ($39)
• Honey Salt ($45)
• Jamjar Canteen ($35 – multiple courses tapas style)
• Kinton Ramen ($20.99)
• The Kitchen Dada Sushi Bar & Grill ($45 for 6 courses)
• Les Margaritas ($27)
• Luppolo Brewing Company ($28 for 3 courses + beer)
• The Mackenzie Room ($59 for 5-course family style tasting menu – they are one of our favourite restaurants)
• Maria’s Tavern ($27.99)
• Max’s Restaurant ($30)
• Notch8 ($49)
• Pacifico Pizzeria & Ristorante ($36)
• Pat Quinn’s Restaurant & Bar ($37)
• Paul Bakery, Cafe & Restaurant ($39)
• Popina Canteen ($19)
• Prestons Restaurant + Lounge ($39)
• Riverway Restaurant ($39)
• Robba da Matti Gastown, WestEnd ($49)
• Romer’s Kitsilano, Port Moody, River District ($30)
• Saiwoo ($39)
• Salmon n’ Bannock Bistro ($49)
• The Sandbar Restaurant ($49)
• Say Mercy! ($59 for a 5-course tasting menu)
• Seaside Provisions ($49)
• Shaughnessy Restaurant ($42)
• The Shoestring Cafe ($45)
• Stanley Park Brewing Restaurant & Brewpub ($49)
• Tacofino Ocho ($25)
• The Pawn Shop YVR ($20)
• The Rise Eatery ($48)
• Torafuku ($59 for 5 courses shared family style)
• Trading Post Fort Langley ($35)
• The Victor ($59 – complimentary bread!)

Take Out

• Acqua Restaurant & Bar ($39)
• Bayside Lounge ($35)
• Bin 4 Burger Lounge ($30)
• Bombay Kitchen + Bar Commercial Drive ($25)
• Bovine Rice Bowls ($26 – but looks to be enough for 2 people)
• Cazba Restaurant ($30 dinner)
• Ember Indian Restaurant ($17 lunch or $49 dinner for 2)
• Maenam ($110 for 2-3 people, cheaper than $57 per person for dinner)
• Meinhardt Fine Foods ($29)

Special Offer

• AnnaLena ($68 for 5-course tasting menu; not cheap but seems interesting)
• Burgoo Downtown, Lonsdale, Main Street, Point Grey ($10 fondue and drinks at happy hour pricing from 11am to close)
• Laduree ($37 afternoon tea)
• Rocky Mountain Flatbread Company Kitsilano, Main Street ($22-35 take-home pizza or cocktail kit)
• Tap & Barrel Convention Centre, Olympic Village, Shipyards ($15 kids Dine Out menu – cute!)

After going through the menus, just like last year, I was yet again shocked at some of the price tags! I certainly understand that food costs have gone up and restaurants are still struggling to survive, but to offer a 3-course dinner menu at $59 per person, for a less attractive (in my opinion) menu, when in the past it was only $49, or offering a 3-course menu with only 1 option each with no thought put into it whatsoever, or listing bread as one of the appetizers, I thought it’s a bit unfair to diners. While there are new ones to the list, I also noticed that some restaurants who participated in the past did not return. You may realize that my suggestions tend to be on a cheaper side; once it gets to a certain price point, I honestly think you would be better off to visit those restaurants at another time, ordering from their a la carte menu. Those pricey menus aren’t that interesting to me, anyway.

What are your thoughts? Don’t forget, if you don’t feel comfortable dining in, you can order for take-outs (many of them offer take-out as an option) and continue to support our local restaurants. Or, visit those who are not part of Dine Out and spread the love!