Restaurants

New Vancouver Restaurants for the Fall Season

Take a chance on a dish from a recently opened eatery tonight. You may just find your new favourite spot in town.  

By Liane Salo /

Credit: Flickr / Are You Gonna Eat That

Good Wolfe Kitchen and Bar – opened September

Good Wolfe is a welcome addition to the Yaletown neighbourhood, opened by longtime restaurateurs Richard Goodine (past manager of Black and Blue) and Josh Wolfe (chef of famed food truck Fresh Local Wild). Their room is sophisticated but casual, confirmed by a fun chalkboard wall showcasing their wine list with clever sayings drawn around each bottle. They smoke all their own meats in their in-house smoker, and make everything else from scratch, including their breadsticks. The European and West Coast-influenced menu is full of high-end food that is creative but not too pretentious and rich in flavour. And given the high quality of the dishes, the restaurant has a surprisingly lower price point than some of its nearby neighbours.

Good Wolfe
1043 Mainland Street, Vancouver



Credit: The Emerald

The Emerald – opened September

The Emerald is bringing a little Vegas to Vancouver. A previously run-down 5,000 square-foot space in Chinatown has been transformed to resemble a 1960s version of Sin City. It’s complete with gold leaf walls, sparkly chandeliers and drinks poured from crystal decanters on portable martini carts. Co-owners David Duprey and Rachel Zottenberg (also of Rumpus Room, Narrow Bar and the Rickshaw Theatre) have divided the space up into a main dining room, private dining room, lounge area, bar and cabaret room, making it work for a large range of occasions. The dinner menu is full of comfort food items, and on the weekends The Emerald offers a full brunch buffet complete with tableside Caesar cocktail service (choose your own garnish and spice amount.) Perfect for a fall staycation.

The Emerald
555 Gore Street, Vancouver



Credit: The Burgundy

The Burgundy – opened October

According to their Twitter account, The Burgundy is a restaurant “built by two girls who aren’t afraid of butter.” Entrepreneurs Erica Kosciuk and Lisa Skelton have opened a new intimate Gastown eatery with a French-inspired menu that isn’t light on the calories but is sure to satisfy tastebuds. Chef Nitzan Cohen (of Seasons in the Park) prepares typical French dishes like escargot and beef bourguignon, but there are a few surprises too, including Dungeness crab ravioli and ‘oyster shots’. Reviewers have endorsed the savoury porcini mushroom brulee as a menu highlight. The Burgundy is open for dinner Tuesday to Sunday, with brunch on the weekend, and best of all nothing on the menu is over $20.

The Burgundy 
47 W. Hastings Street, Vancouver



Credit: The Blackbird

The Blackbird Public House and Oyster Bar – opened October

The Donnelly group’s latest addition to their downtown Vancouver chain (of, count ‘em, 19 establishments now) is their biggest yet at over 8,000 square feet. Some city dwellers have scorned Donnelly in the past for its monopoly of bars with a reputation for high prices, lack of lighting and only catering to a very young crowd. The Blackbird is intended to help them veer away from this reputation and be a more “mature” space located in the business district. The new two-floor venue has a restaurant downstairs serving lunch and dinner offerings created by Chef Alvin Pillay (previously of Campagnolo and the Irish Heather), including fresh daily oysters and creative pizzas. Upstairs there are 24 beers on tap, an endless wine list, a scotch bar with over 70 brands, billiards and snooker tables, and live music every night of the week.

The Blackbird Public House and Oyster Bar
905 Dunsmuir St., Vancouver



Credit: Le Wagon Rouge Bistro

Le Wagon Rouge Bistro – opened October

Le Wagon Rouge Bistro is the French cousin of chef Brad Miller’s infamous East Hastings Red Wagon diner. While breakfast food is still a favourite, Miller has ample experience in French fine dining. Before he worked in some of Vancouver’s most upscale restaurants (Bistro Pastis, West and Au Petit Chavignol), Miller apprenticed at a Michelin-starred kitchen in Paris, and his newest bistro reflects that but with a more casual twist. Le Wagon Rouge serves chic French dishes minus the fussy draped tablecloths and high prices. Bistro classics on the menu include steak frites, French onion soup, escargot, steak tartar, duck confit, and cassoulet. And If Miller’s new space is anything like his first one down the street, expect there to be lineups out the door every night.

Le Wagon Rouge Bistro
1869 Powell Street, Vancouver



Credit: Craft Beer Market

Craft Beer Market – opened November

The opening of Craft Beer Market in the revamped old red salt building in Olympic Village has been met with much anticipation. And with good reason. The pub will boast the largest on-tap menu in Canada with 140 beers to choose from, at least 50 of them from B.C., and 12 wines on tap. To accompany their pub food and drink menu, Craft will be hosting cask nights, brewmaster tours and creating special collaboration beers with local breweries. The team behind the Vancouver restaurant (and its two Alberta locations) is as passionate about sustainability as they are about their beer – at 13,000-square-feet with 400 seats, Craft is the largest restaurant in Canada to receive its Leaders in Environmentally Accountable Foodservice (LEAF) Certification. They take every effort to source food locally, use Ocean Wise seafood, use biodegradable disposable products and the renovated building has been LEED certified.

Craft Beer Market
85 West 1st Ave, Vancouver