[Dine Out Vancouver 2025] My Shortlist of Restaurants to Check Out #DOVF

Dine Out Vancouver, Canada’s largest food and drink celebration, is back for another year! Running from January 22-February 9, 2025, they have the largest number of restaurants participating to-date. More than 430 restaurants are offering prix fixe menus, mostly between $20 and $65. This year, we even have MICHELIN-starred restaurants participating with a $100 menu. The cost of dining out continues to go up but luckily this year we don’t have to pay GST for the food portion of the bill. I wonder if that would change people’s perception of value, and make them more inclined to participate.

As per previous years, I reviewed all prix fixe menus and here are what caught my eyes. This is based on past experiences (Dine Out or otherwise), Google reviews (if it’s a restaurant that I’ve never been), 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 this list based on my own preference (for example, I’m a meat lover and I don’t usually order chicken and cooked salmon at restaurants), so it may not necessarily suit your taste. But hopefully this gives you a place to start.

Since the restaurants can name their price anywhere within the price ranges, I have categorized my shortlists in three categories: 1) For those who want a MICHELIN experience for less, 2) For those who want to save even more by going for lunch/brunch, and 3) For those looking for budget-friendly and/or interesting dinners. To make it easier for you, below includes a link to the menu, as well as the listed price (of that category). 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!

For those who want a MICHELIN experience for less

These restaurants are either a one-MICHELIN-Starred restaurant, or they are Recommended on the MICHELIN Guide or have a Bib Gourmand designation:

• The Acorn ($65) – MICHELIN Recommended, eight-course menu served family style
• Archer ($65) – MICHELIN Recommended, I previewed their menu and the food was solid quality. More on that in another post.
• Bacchus Restaurant & Lounge ($65) – MICHELIN Recommended
• Burdock & Co. ($100) – one MICHELIN star, their regular tasting menu is $150 per person
• Carlino ($65) – MICHELIN Recommended
• Delara Restaurant ($35-55) – MICHELIN Recommended, the lunch menu is similar to the dinner menu but $20 cheaper
• Fable Kitchen ($29.99-55) – Bib Gourmand, the brunch menu is very reasonable and the dinner menu looks good too
• Fanny Bay Oyster Bar ($59) – MICHELIN Recommended
• Gary’s ($65) – Bib Gourmand, six items served family style
• The Lobby Restaurant & Lounge ($45) – MICHELIN Recommended
• The Mackenzie Room ($65) – MICHELIN Recommended, five-course shared tasting menu – and I can’t say enough good things about The Mackenzie Room
• Maenam ($45-65) – MICHELIN Recommended, the lunch menu is the same as the dinner menu, minus the dessert, but it’s $20 cheaper
• PiDGin ($65) – MICHELIN Recommended, six-course menu with multiple items
• Published on Main ($100) – one MICHELIN star, their regular tasting menu is $165 per person
• Torafuku ($27-65) – MICHELIN Recommended, their lunch menu includes tasty items from their former food truck Le Tigre and they’re so good!

For those who want to save even more by going for lunch/brunch

• Afuri Ramen ($25 brunch)
• Agra Tandoori Vancouver and Burnaby ($20)
• Ancora Waterfront Dining and Patio – Ambleside ($39)
• ARC Restaurant + Bar ($55 – their bottomless brunch is really fun)
• Baci A Taste of Italy ($45 – same as the dinner menu but $10 cheaper)
• Banana Leaf Broadway, Davie, Kitsilano, Robson, Surrey ($25 for a 7-course tasting menu)
• Best Fortune ($20)
• Birdies Eats + Drink ($30) – similar to the dinner menu but $12 cheaper
• Bombay Kitchen + Bar Commercial Drive ($16.95 All You Can Eat)
• Bravo Cucina Ristorante Italiano ($35) – similar to dinner menu but $14 cheaper
• Cazba Restaurant ($24)
• Forecast Coffee ($22)
• Fufú Soufflé Pancake Café ($26-29)
• House of Dosas ($20)
• Kinton Ramen Marine Drive, North Vancouver, Robson, Surrey, UBC ($20.99)
• Little Karp Seafood Restaurant & Bar ($35)
• Mumbai Masala Indian Restaurant – North Vancouver ($19.99)
• Palate Kitchen ($50 afternoon tea)
• Paul Bakery, Cafe & Restaurant ($29.99)
• Tasty BBQ & Beer Bar ($20)
• Yuu Japanese Tapas ($20)

For those looking for budget-friendly and/or interesting dinners

• 2nd Floor Gastown ($20-49 – I quite love the $49 endless tapas idea especially if you’re going there for the live music)
• Addah ($59 for eight items)
• Acqua Restaurant & Bar ($45 for five items)
• Ajishou Brentwood Japansese Restaurant ($29.99)
• Baci A Taste of Italy ($45-55 – $10 cheaper if you go on Sunday to Thursday nights)
• Bells & Whistles Fraser ($32)
• Best Fortune ($28)
• Bimini’s ($28.95)
• Blue Canoe Waterfront Restaurant ($45.95)
• Bombay Kitchen + Bar Commercial Drive ($24.95 all you can eat Thali)
• Bombay Kitchen + Bar Denman ($24.95)
• Bombay Masala Indian Restaurant ($24.95)
• Burnaby Mountain Restaurant ($42 for 5 courses)
• Cafe One ($49)
• Cardero’s Restaurant ($55) – I previewed this menu and the portion size is big!
• Chewies Oyster Bar ($35)
• Collective Goods Bistro & Grocer ($50 for 5-course shared tasting menu)
• Dahlia Restaurant & Bar ($55)
• District Eleven ($45)
• Dockside Restaurant ($45)
• Fishworks ($50)
• Five Roads Brewing ($50 for two)
• Grace of India ($28.99)
• Gurkha Himalayan Kitchen ($35)
• Haven Kitchen + Bar ($45)
• Hook ($45)
• House of Dosas ($20)
• Kinton Ramen Marine Drive, North Vancouver, Robson, Surrey, UBC ($20.99)
• Kozak Ukrainian Restaurant ($49)
• LIFT Bar Grill View ($65)
• Liuyishou Hot Pot Burnaby, Richmond, Robson ($29.95-35.98 for all-you-can-eat hotpot)
• Locus Restaurant & Lounge ($46)
• Milltown Bar & Grill ($37.50)
• Mintara on Burnaby Mountain ($65)
• Momo Hut ($23.95)
• Mount Pleasant Vintage & Provisions ($20 all-you-can-eat hot dogs – I thought it’s a fun concept!)
• Mumbai Masala Indian Restaurant – North Vancouver ($24.99)
• The Observatory, Grouse Mountain Resorts ($65) – includes the ride up the gondola
• Papi’s Seafood and Oyster Bar ($49)
• Portuguese Club of Vancouver ($45)
• Potluck Hawker Eatery ($28)
• Provence Marinaside ($49)
• Restaurant Yugo ($49)
• Riverway Restaurant ($49)
• Saba Foods (I’m eyeing the $95 menu for two)
• Salmon n’ Bannock Bistro ($60)
• The Shoestring Cafe ($54)
• Sidebar Grill ($49)
• Six Acres ($39)
• Steveston Seafood House ($49)
• Tamaly Shop ($24.50)
• The Watson ($49)
• Time and Place ($49)
• The Vancouver Fish Company ($59)
• The Victor ($65)
• Yo-Bones BBQ Catering Ltd. ($26)
• Yuu Japanese Tapas ($20)

Final Thoughts

Overall, I think the menus are more interesting this year. It was rather boring and uninspiring last year that I could barely pick out something I like. I also find it interesting that I have gravitated towards the non-west coast / European finer dining menus, and I think it’s because those menus are more interesting and affordable. I usually take this opportunity to discover new restaurants or experience a new cuisine, so my selection would align with that as well. You may also notice that most of my selections, especially in the lunch and dinner categories, are below $50. Once you hit $50+, you may be better off going for a la carte outside of the Dine Out period because I would consider that a healthy budget even for two people. My parents and Mr. and I would go for Dine Out dinners; and with the four of us, I really question if I should go during this time or wait till later.

So what do you think about this year’s offers? Do you plan on doing any Dine Outs?