The 17 most exciting new Vancouver restaurants of 2023 (2024)

Another banner year for Vancouver restaurants has left me spoiled for choice when it comes to narrowing down my favourite debuts of 2023.

From an "unfussy" South Granville bistro to the flashy fast-food fever dream of a high-concept downtown burger spot, the range of culinary experiences Vancouver's best new restaurants of 2023 offer diners covers an impressive spectrum of cuisines, styles, and budgets.

Pop into the homey, no-frills Takenaka cafe for humble Japanese combos showcasing onigiri (rice balls) or look for an alluring neon "Pet Psychic" sign in Gastown to uncover one of the city's most fun new bar-restaurants. This year also brought us a Toronto venture from a team of pals who are Palestinian and Israeli, working together in delicious harmony.

Here are my picks for the most exciting new restaurants that opened in Vancouver in 2023. I narrowed it down to 17, including one in North Vancouver and three "bonus" selections I hope to visit very soon (but stillwant to note).

Bar Bravo

With its emphasis on seafood and a cozy dining room that manages to be both come-as-you-are kick-back and elegant, Bar Bravo has handily emerged as one of Vancouver's best new restaurants of 2023.

The oysters are freshly-shucked and come with housemade condiments, the seafood is treated with reverence and is paired with seasonal ingredients from the region, and they're turning out fantastic pasta specials to round things out. There are great co*cktails and a wine program that features pours from wineries all located close to water.

Address: 4194 Fraser St

• Watch: Checking out Bar Bravo, a new Vancouver seafood restaurant

Gary's

One visit and I was smitten with this intimate modern European bistro in South Granville. They have an ever-changing menu showcasing local products (I particularly loved a wedge-style salad as well as chicken liver and foie grason thick, buttery toast) and a tight menu of co*cktails and wine. This is one to watch in 2024 as Gary's hits its stride, for sure.

Address:1485 W 12th Ave

• Watch: Amazing new Vancouver restaurant: Gary's

The Watson

Can I say lamb ribs? Trust me, I eat a lot of incredible dishes, but it takes a lot for one to imprint so fully on my memory it's the first that comes to mind when I think of the best Vancouver restaurant foods I tried in 2023. The Watson is sexy, polished, and just what Mount Pleasant needed. It's the work of the same folks behind Yaletown's Bartholomew, only here they get to really lean into being a two-level co*cktail bar with lots of natural light pouring in and some terrific food coming out of the kitchen.

Address: 3080 Main St

• Watch: New Vancouver restaurant & co*cktail bar: The Watson

Bar Haifa

When I mentioned Bar Haifa to a friend in Toronto, she immediately said "best falafel ever." While so far I've only tried lunch dishes at the new Vancouver restaurant from the folks behind Toronto's Haifa Room, I did enjoy the falafel, loaded onto a pita with tangy pickled veg, creamy sauces, and just the right amount of zing. Paired with za'atar dusted fries, and lunch downtown is perfectly sorted. Looking forward to trying their dinner dishes very soon. Also noteworthy: Bar Haifa's ownership team represents a harmonious collaboration between people who are Israeli and Palestinian.

Address: 410 W Georgia St

• Watch: New Middle Eastern restaurant in Downtown Vancouver

Ama

Shhh. This new Japanese-inspired raw bar with co*cktails slid in quietly atop Michelin Guide-recommended Greek restaurant Nammos. Look for the clever sign and the orange gate and head upstairs to a sexy, intimate room with seafood-centric share plates and libations.

Address: 3980 Fraser St (second floor)

• Watch: New hidden co*cktail and raw bar

WildlightKitchen + Bar

What a banner year for Chef Warren Chow, whom I first met when he headed up the kitchen at Juniper. That's when I first noted Chow's skills with seafood and he's only gotten better in the ensuing years. Now, at Wildllight, he is harnessing the bounty of the West Coast with globally-influenced dishes in a lovely space with easygoing vibes. Chow also caught the Michelin Guide's attention, earning its first-ever Young Chef awardfor Vancouver in 2023. Don't miss the seafood charcuterie board, which is so fun to share.

Address: 5380 University Blvd

• Watch: What's on the menu at Wildlight

Zab Bite

This new addition to Fraser Street showcases the tangy, spicy, lively flavours of Northeastern Thailand. One of the region's most well-known dishes isnam tok, sliced grilled meat that's essentially presented as a salad. Zab Bite's extensive menu featuresNam Tok Crispy Grilled Pork, which is grilled slices of pork served in a spicy sauce with fresh herbs, rice powder, and dried chilis. Zab Bite's Tum Corn salad was another highlight, with chunks of cherry tomatoes, fresh corn, dried shrimp, shredded carrot, peanuts, and the addition of hard-boiled egg wedges.

Though Zab Bite makes its menu available at lunch and dinner, its"Lunch O'Clock" menu narrows down a few items offered at lowered prices to make a midday meal a bit more affordable.

Address: 4197 Fraser St

• Watch: Buzzworthy new Thai restaurant in Vancouver

Monzo Burger

A fast-food restaurant that's also kind of fancy? Yeah, it's a little weird, but it works for the space it's in and the clientele it wants. This is not your childhood burger and fries spot, but it is definitely fodder for your grown-up tastebuds (and bank account). The ingredients are high-quality here, and you can get booze in your gelato-based shake. Monzo is styled after an Italian trend in the 80s of romanticizing U.S. fast food, paired up with fast cars and fashion (because why not?). It's a little insane, but it's worth a visit - it's a flashy fast-food fever dream.

Address:1401 Granville St

• Watch: New spot for fancy burgers

Arcana Spirit Lounge

I am not sure I'm a believer in the occult, but I am a believer in the fact that Arcana is FUN. Yes, all caps fun. From the creative and nerdy minds behind the departed Strom Crow bars in Vancouver comes this restaurant/bar in Gastown that is all about...well, the departed. From the many real candles to the light-up Ouija board that spells out secret messages to the tarot cards that come with your drinks, the attention to detail is marvelous here, and it never strays into the kitschy zone. The food is not to be missed - elevated share plates that are interactive (lots of dips!) go with excellent co*cktails that do things like light up or "smoke." See? It's FUN. And Vancouver needs fun.

Address: 238 Abbott St

• Watch: New speakeasy bar/restaurant hidden in a Pet Psychic biz

Black Walnut

This section of Cambie Street is one to watch as 2024 gets underway, but the buzz began in earnest this year as Black Walnut opened its doors. From first-time restaurateurs (hailing from the construction industry) Black Walnut isa great fit for the area, giving locals something a little upscale for co*cktails and Pacific Northwest-style seafood and steak, with smart touches like excellent house-made sauces and happy hour deals.

Address:3456 Cambie St

• Watch: New Vancouver restaurant: Black Walnut

Street Hawker

This casual spot on Main Street takes burgers and infuses them with bold Southeast Asian flavours, resulting in some innovative eats with fun sides like seasoned fries and ube shakes. Street Hawker is a sibling to Potluck Hawker, so you know the food is going to bend the notion of comfort eats in a big, vibrant way.

Address: 3088 Main St

• Watch: This new Vancouver restaurant has SE Asian-inspired burgers, fries, and shakes

Takenaka - Onigiri Cafe

Takenaka has turned its food truck and commissary ops into a charming cafe featuring breakfast and lunch combo plates and onigiri, traditional Japanese rice balls. The food is humble and the atmosphere very casual, but this is a great spot for authentic Japanese fare made with quality ingredients.

Address: 1370 E Georgia St

• Watch: New onigiri cafe in Vancouver

Jungle Room

Filled with lush greenery, a myriad of seating options, excellent co*cktails and inventive dishes that blend the cuisines of Indonesia and Japan, the West End's Jungle Room is a fun addition to Vancouver's food and drink scene. The decor details here on on point (of course I took a photo of the bathroom wallpaper) and some of the dishes, like my favourite, the Laksa Bombs, offer a fresh and modern culinaryperspective.

Address: 961 Denman St

• Watch: Welcome to the Jungle Room

Sushi Mahana

While I typically keep my parameters tight to Vancouver proper, I would be remiss to not include North Vancouver's Sushi Mahana, which opened at the start of 2023. The restaurant is a high-end omakase sushi bar in a modern space with traditional touches, and the experience an absolute delight. Definitely worth a visit to the North Shore and a splurge if you can swing it and if you love sushi.

Address: 175 3rd St W, North Vancouver

• Watch: 26-course omakase sushi experience near Vancouver

The following three spots are worth noting,though they are going to have to be on my visit list for January 2024 as I didn't make it in before the year ended. Soon!

Dovetail

Dovetail is the California-inspired concept that slipped into the space that Nightshade unexpectedly exited this fall. Given I'm 50/50 Californian/Canadian, I'm intrigued by how this restaurant posits itself, and am looking forward to popping in soon. They just opened up at the start of December, with dishes like mushroom toast, pasta, steaks, a burger and chicken parm, and lemon tiramisu for dessert.

Address: 1079 Mainland St

Dear Gus Snack Bar

If you haven't seen a TikTok video from someone raving about this charming wine bar with share plates on the edge of Mount Pleasant yet, well, you aren't on Vancouver food Tok, that's for sure. Named for the owner's own pet rabbit, this venture is a first for the restaurateur and offers an aesthetic atmosphere that seems impossibly cozy, given it's on the ground floor of a modern high-rise.

Address: 2040 Quebec St

co*ckney Kings Fish & Chips - Vancouver

What can I say, I have a soft spot for the Burnaby fish & chips shop of my childhood. This year, a longtime co*ckney Kings employee franchised the brand and set up the seafood spot's first-ever Vancouver location, opening its doors this fall in Kitsilano.

Address: 1935 Cornwall Ave

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