Eat it up
Joanne Sasvari
Sun
Mary Ann Masney and chef Wayne Martin have opened West Vancouver’s Fraiche restaurant, which offers a beautiful view of downtown Vancouver. This bisto serves ‘North Shore comfort food.’ Photograph by : Ward Perrin, Vancouver Sun
Greg Nelson serves a frosty drink at Burnaby’s Hart House Restaurant, a Tudor-style historic mansion with a pretty patio. Photograph by : Bill Keay, Vancouver Sun
Christine Wilson delivers some first aid (in the form of cold draught beer) on a hot summer afternoon on the deck of Cardero’s Restaurant in Coal Harbour. Photograph by : Mark van Manen, Vancouver Sun, Files
Walking into Fraiche, the luxe new bistro perched atop the British Properties, you could easily be seduced by the sleek decor, the opulent art or the upscale-but-comforting West Coast cuisine.
But if you’re like most Lower Mainlanders, chances are your eyes will be drawn straight to the stunning view from the floor-to-ceiling windows and you’ll think, “Great! Someplace cool to bring the rellies when they come to visit.”
Yep, it’s April, and the beginning of the annual deluge of Calgarians and Torontonians desperate to shake the slush from their boots.
They want a taste of the West Coast fine life, and Vancouverites know there’s plenty to savour in Canada‘s most dynamic dining scene.
But your guests won’t want to experience your fave hole-in-the-wall tapas bar or strip mall dim sum joint. No, they want fine food and a fine view.
Trouble is, many view restaurants have a bad rep for focusing on the scenery and ignoring what goes on in the kitchen.
So we’ve done the work for you. We’ve checked out more than 25 great places where the food is as fab as the view. Your guests can thank us later.
NORTH SHORE
For the city’s ultimate view restaurants, look up, way up, to Grouse Mountain, where guests have two delicious options for enjoying the scenery. Altitudes Bistro offers casual fare, cool cocktails and a truly spectacular patio, while The Observatory offers high end West Coast cuisine. Note that Skyride tickets are complimentary with advance reservations to The Observatory. Call 604-980-9311 or visit www.grousemountain.com for more info.
Don’t want to squeeze onto a swaying, vertigo-inducing tram? West Vancouver has a couple of options with views almost as grand as those from the top of the mountain.
The chic newcomer is Fraiche, a much-needed addition to West Van’s tried-and-true restaurant lineup. It features what chef Wayne Martin (also of Crave on Main) is calling “North Shore comfort food,” which seems to mean West Coast ingredients with Mediterranean influences. It also has a spectacular wine list and creative cocktails. And oh, that view! Fraiche is at 2240 Chippendale Rd., West Vancouver, 604-925-7595, www.fraicherestaurant.ca.
Just down the road, Salmon House on the Hill has been serving up great seafood and even greater views for three decades. If you haven’t been in a while, it’s definitely time for another visit. There is some serious excitement going on in the kitchen these days, especially with the new “Uniquely B.C.” menu featuring locally sourced ingredients such as alder-grilled Hecate Strait coho salmon and Whistle View Farms veal chop. Salmon House is at 2229 Folkestone Way, West Vancouver, 604-926-8539, www.salmonhouse.com.
DOWNTOWN
Downtown Vancouver has an abundance of great restaurants, but only a handful of them have great views. Among them are longtime faves C and Raincity Grill, Milestones and the Sylvia Hotel. But two relative newcomers stand out in the bunch.
In 2006, NU landed on just about every best new restaurant list (including En Route, Where and Vancouver Magazine). Since then, this False Creek eatery has settled into its waterfront location as a super-stylish place for great brunches, cocktails, parties and patio action. NU is at 1661 Granville St., 604-646-4668, www.whatisnu.com.
Across the peninsula on Coal Harbour, Lift gazes out over Stanley Park and the North Shore mountains. Watch the seaplanes take off as you enjoy a glass of vino and a signature “whet plate” on the upstairs patio. Lift is also a multiple award winner, and its kitchen turns out consistently excellent cuisine. It’s located at 333 Menchion Mews, 604-689-5438, www.liftbarandgrill.com.
WEST SIDE
Kitsilano has always been a bit of puzzle for the visitor hungry for a view. The community looks out across sea and mountains, yet few of its myriad restaurants have a view. Luckily, there are two great exceptions to that rule.
The first is Watermark, that coolly modern building down on Kits beach. With its spectacular location and 180-seat beachside patio, Watermark could get away with serving just about anything and guests would still eat it up. It’s to the credit of executive chef Lynda Larouche that the restaurant serves such excellent West Coast cuisine. Watermark is at 1305 Arbutus St., 604-738-KITS (5487), www.watermarkrestaurant.ca.
Then there’s the place no one wants to tell you about because they want to keep the secret to themselves: The Galley Patio and Grill at the Jericho Sailing Centre, where the wind whips up both waves and hearty appetites. The beer is cold, the burgers done just right, the prices super-low and the view unbeatable. Note that, except in summer, The Galley is only open on weekends. It’s at 1300 Discovery St., 604-222-1331, www.thegalley.ca.
RICHMOND/STEVESTON
Nothing beats a sunny afternoon spent sitting on the Steveston pier, enjoying a beer and watching the fishing boats bring home the daily catch. If you like fresh seafood with your view, one great place to enjoy both is the Shady Island Seafood Bar & Grill, which offers a wide variety of oceanic delights as well as live entertainment on weekends. It’s at 112 3800 Bayview St., Richmond, 604-275-6587, www.shadyislandseafoodbarandgrill.com.
Bored with mountains and oceans? Then how about jazzing things up with some seaplane action? The Flying Beaver Bar & Grill is located by the No. 2 Road Bridge, where you can watch Harbour Air planes take off and land on the Middle Arm of the Fraser River. This brew pub offers a selection of craft beers and pub fare, and the best patio in town for plane-spotting. The Flying Beaver is at 4760 Inglis Dr., Richmond, 604-273-0278, www.markjamesgroup.com/flyingbeaver.html.
BURNABY
If you prefer a garden view, then make your way out to Burnaby, where two of the area’s most romantic restaurants are nestled among the trees and flowers.
Hart House Restaurant is a Tudor-style historic mansion offering casual West Coast elegance on the shores of Burnaby‘s Deer Lake. Its pretty patio is a big hit with the brunch and garden weddings crowd, and it’s well worth the visit for chef Dennis Peckham’s exquisite West Coast cuisine. Hart House is at 6664 Deer Lake Ave., Burnaby, 604-298-4278, HYPERLINK “http://www.harthouserestaurant.com/” www.harthouserestaurant.com.
For views of gardens and mountains, totem poles, Indian Arm inlet and more, you simply can’t beat Horizons on Burnaby Mountain. It’s an elegantly modern-looking room, but you’ll be hard-pressed to tear your eyes away from the lush views outside to notice anything else around you — not even the inventive West Coast-style cuisine by chef John Garrett. Horizons is at 100 Centennial Way, Burnaby, 604-299-1155, www.horizonsrestaurant.com
COQUITLAM
For some of the best dining — not to mention the most spectacular setting — in the Tri Cities area, pack your clubs and head out to Westwood Plateau Golf Academy. Of course, we’ll understand if you decide to leave the clubs in the car and go straight to the 19th hole, that is, Hazards Restaurant on the Plateau. Each seat has a perfect view all the way from the Fraser River to Mount Baker. Expect casual-elegant fare like spicy noodles, steaks and easy-to-share plates. Hazards is at 1630 Parkway Blvd., Coquitlam, 604-941-4219, www.westwoodplateaugolf.com.
LANGLEY
Sometimes, nothing can beat the old-school way of doing things, and that’s just what you’ll find at the charming, historic Bedford House Restaurant and Lounge in Fort Langley. This lovely old home looks out across beautiful gardens and the Fraser River, and offers such classic dishes as lobster bisque, beef Stroganoff and seafood crepes. Bedford House is at 272 Glover Rd., Fort Langley, 604-0888-2333. For more info, go to www.fortlangleyvillage.com and follow the links.
From the windows of Bacchus Bistro, you can gaze out across peaceful vineyards while enjoying delicious French fare. It’s a perfect spot to watch the sun set and pick up a bottle or two of award-winning Chaberton wine to enjoy later at home. Bacchus Bistro is at Domaine de Chaberton Estate Winery, 1064 216th St., Langley, 604-530-9694, www.domainedechaberton.com.
WHITE ROCK/SOUTH SURREY
You can’t go wrong with either the food or the views from any of the restaurants along White Rock’s Board Walk.
Two we especially love are the remarkable, award-winning Pearl on the Rock and, for more casual fare, the Washington Avenue Grill. Both offer spectacular views of Semiahmoo Bay and wonderful West Coast cuisine. Pearl on the Rock is at 14955 Marine Dr., 604-542-1064 www.pearlrestaurant.ca and Washington Avenue Grill is at 5 – 15782 Marine Dr., 604-541-4244, www.washingtonavenuegrill.com, both in White Rock
CHAINS WITH A VIEW
Look around the Lower Mainland’s for the very best view locations, and you will likely find a restaurant belonging to one of two local chains. Both offer good, though rarely outstanding, West Coast cuisine with a strong focus on seafood. More importantly, they have attractive rooms, reasonable prices, decent wine lists and unbeatable views, which is why they are such favourites with both visitors and locals.
The Boathouse has six locations, each with a better view than the last: English Bay (1795 Beach Ave., 604-669-2225), Richmond (8331 River Rd., 604-273-7014), New Westminster (900 Quayside Dr., 604-525-3474), White Rock (14935 Marine Dr., 604-536-7320), Horseshoe Bay (6695 Nelson St., 604-921-8188) and the newest location, Port Moody (2770 Esplanade Ave., 605-931-5300). For info, visit www.boathouserestaurants.ca.
The Sequoia Group has four locations with equally stellar views: The Sandbar on Granville Island (1535 Johnston St., 604-669-9030), Cardero’s Restaurant in Coal Harbour (1583 Coal Harbour Quay, 605-669-7666), Seasons in the Park (Queen Elizabeth Park, West 33rd Avenue and Main Street, 604-874-8008) and Sequoia Grill at the Teahouse in Stanley Park (Ferguson Point, Stanley Park Drive, 604-669-3281). For info, visit www.vancouver.dine.com.
© The Vancouver Sun 2008
