What's Happening

Tips to Make the Most out of Dine Out Vancouver 2016

With brunch, lunch, and dinner options this year, you can dine out all day at the city's biggest annual food festival

By N Jawanda /

Credit: Glowbal

How to get the most out of Dine Out Vancouver 2016

The largest food and drink festival in Canada is back for its 14th year. Tourism Vancouver’s Dine Out Festival 2016 is happening from January 15 to January 31 and includes a record-setting 288 participating restaurants. The event features $20, $30, and $40 menus and has expanded to include over 100 food-themed events. This is the best time of the year to score a delicious bargain, so be sure to get a reservation before seats fill up.

Click through our tips to make the most of the tastiest time of the year.



Credit: Prado Cafe

Try out a brunch crawl

If you’re a brunch person, you’re in luck. This year’s Dine Out Festival features six brunch crawls in various Vancouver neighbourhoods: Gastown, Olympic Village, downtown, North Vancouver, Yaletown, and Main Street. Each crawl costs $60, which will get you a passport to visit various restaurants in your chosen neighbourhood. Crawls take place from 10:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m.

Gastown, January 16 – Participants include Bao Down, Prado Café, Rodney’s Oyster House, Zero Zero Pizzeria and more.
 
Olympic Village, January 17 – Participants include Aqua Juice & Sushi, Milano Coffee, Solly’s Bagelry, Whole Foods and more.
 
Downtown, January 23 – Participants include: Marquis Wine Cellars, Meinhardt, Saj & Co., Truffles Fine Foods and more.
 
North Vancouver, January 24 – Participates include: Cook Culture, Bowen Island Pizza Co., Rosemary Rocksalt, Two Daughters Bakery, and more.
 
Yaletown, January 30 – Participants include: Bella Gelateria, Lime and Moon Pie Co., Small Victory Bakery + Coffee, Zend Conscious Lounge and more.
 
Main Street, January 31 – Participants include: Radicle Juice, Rosemary Rocksalt, The Honey Shoppe and more.
 

And no Vancouver brunch list is complete without mentioning Medina Cafe. Although not participating in a crawl, the restaurant is hosting Breakfast for Dinner event taking place on January 21.



Credit: WildTale Coastal Grill

Step out of your comfort zone

Yaletown’s WildTale Coastal Grill is making its Dine Out debut this year, featuring a $40 menu. Enjoy three courses at this popular and relaxed restaurant. WildTale prides itself on seafood that’s been grown, raised, and caught in coastal regions of the world. This is the perfect opportunity for novice seafood eaters to try out some new dishes.

Hapa Izakaya is offering a three-course taste of their delicious Japanese menu for just $20. Hapa was voted one of the top five izakayas in North America by Bon Appetit magazine and has won many local food awards, making them a great place to try out izakaya-style dining for the first time.



Credit: Off the Eaten Track
 

Check out a food tour

Three unique food tours showcasing Vancouver’s culinary scene will take place during Dine Out thanks to Off The Eaten Track, a local food tour company. These tours are a great way for locals to explore food in their own city and for visitors to be introduced to it.

Let’s Get Baked and Buzzed Tour
This tour celebrates sugar and caffeine. Featuring a coffee tasting, a tea tasting, and a variety of baked goods, this event will take you to the best coffee shops and bakeries in town. The tour runs every Saturday and Sunday starting on January 16th and costs $45.

Food-Tography
This event is part food tour, part photography lesson—participants will eat and drink at three locations in Yaletown, while getting tips on taking pictures of food from the pros at Vancouver Photowalks. The tour runs every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday starting on January 16th and costs $70.

How It’s Made Tour
This tour will visit a brewery, a distillery, and a winery to get you better acquainted with Vancouver’s booming craft scene. You’ll get a behind-the-scenes look at some of Vancouver’s premier drinking spots and be able to sample beverages along the way. The tour runs every Thursday and Sunday starting on January 17th and costs $70.
 



Credit: Perch

Eat sustainably

Perch, located at UBC’s Student Nest, is a non-profit restaurant that features sustainable, organic ingredients from a variety of local producers, including UBC Farm. They believe in lessening environmental impact by using less energy, minimizing waste creation and have their own composting program. If you’re interested in sustainable dining options, or want to support local food producers, this is the place to check out during Dine Out. For $30, you’ll get an upscale dining experience complete with three courses. The menu includes gluten-free and vegetarian options.



Credit: Perch

Learn the process behind your Mouth-watering meals

Follow Me Foodie is presenting 6 Course Discourse, a talk featuring six Vancouver chefs. They’ll discuss their experiences, their industry and much more. Tickets are $50 and include a food and wine reception, the chef panel discussion, and a talk-back session. 

The lineup of world-renowned chefs includes: Jen Peters (NextJen), Quang Dang (West), Chris Mills (Joey’s), Robert Belcham (Campagnolo), Bruno Marti (La Belle Auberge), and Gus Stieffenhofer-Brandson (Perch). Listen in on this exciting panel of chef speakers on January 19th at Stadium Theatre, Edgewater Casino.



Credit: Banana Leaf

Lunchtime Deals

Although the focus of Dine Out may be dinner, don’t underestimate the lunchtime options available this year.

Chambar, for instance, is offering a lunch menu for $28 from 11:20 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The menu includes favourites like their Salade d’Hiver and Pates du Jour.

Another great lunch option is Banana Leaf. They specialize in Malaysian cuisine and are offering a $20 lunch menu that includes lettuce wraps, fish fillet and much more.