A rundown of our food critic’s favourites for patio dining, offering good eats, good drinks, a view and the occasional overhead bug zapper
Mark Laba
Province
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It’s that time of year where we like to dine in our flipflops and underwear, but it’s best to wear a shirt and shorts or pants to these joints and avoid showing up on an episode of Vancouver‘s Top Cops. Quaff an ale, sip some wine, slurp some mussels or gnaw a steak and enjoy the great outdoors with overhead bug zappers for good measure. Here’s a bunch of my favourites — some old, some new, all with either a view or enough good food and libations to brighten any patio perspective. SAVORY COAST CUCINA MEDITERRANEA A view over the Robson Street shopping coastline from a walled-in patio with Tuscan garden touches and some very tasty pasta dishes. The Penne Amatraciana with house-smoked pork cheeks in tomato sauce is excellent, and for heftier fare, try the veal chop with chestnut noodles or the osso bucco and hope a crow doesn’t swoop down and steal the meat. 133 Robson St., Vancouver, 604-642-6278 BRAVO BISTRO Comfortable Adirondack-style wood chairs, opera on the stereo and an amazing view of Coal Harbour and the bustling Spandexed seawall culture. They do some pleasing seafood dishes, like the braised escolar spiced with Moroccan chermoula or a potato-wrapped halibut with ratatouille roasted-corn salsa. 550 Denman St., Vancouver, 604-688-3714 GO FISH A simple wooden patio fronts this fish shack by the docks, looking out at sailboats bobbing merrily in the marina and the chug of fishing vessels delivering fresh catches of marine life. And whatever fish they’re pitching off the boats is gonna end up on your plate minutes later. One of the best halibut or cod ‘n’ chips in town, plus a great oyster po’ boy sandwich and a daily fresh sheet of grilled fish species such as char-grilled Pacific sockeye or a medium-rare albacore tuna sandwich. Not licensed, but who cares when the food and atmosphere are intoxicating? 1504 West 1st at Fisherman’s Wharf on False Creek, 604-730-5040 LIFT BAR GRILL VIEW They include the word view in the name of the place and they ain’t just whistling Dixie. An upper-deck patio with two fireplaces to warm the cockles on cooler evenings looks out over Coal Harbour and all its trappings, and this newly built edifice itself is a bit of a swanky facelift for the shoreline. There are 230 wines up for grabs and a kitchen creating some spiffy dishes along with a separate sushi chef experimenting and taming the raw flavours of Pacific sealife. Crowd here looks like a million bucks to match the millions poured into building this restaurant. 333 Menchion Mews, Vancouver, 604-689-5438 SOCKEYE CITY GRILL Dining at Sockeye is “pier pleasure” goes their motto and, with a patio nestled next to the Steveston docks, the atmosphere couldn’t be better. The whiff of sea air is a prelude to all your fresh finned friends being cooked up in the kitchen. Great fish or oysters and chips, fire-grilled wild salmon with prawns or blackened halibut, seafood tagliatelli brimming with the best of the Pacific Northwest, plus some toothsome steaks on the menu if fish ain’t your thing. Sample a pint of the Sockeye City lager or sip a Sandhill Pinot Blanc and digest to the gentle rhythm of boats rocking in the harbour. 108-3800 Bayview St., Steveston, 604-275-4347 HART HOUSE A recently expanded patio plunks you down in the peaceful pastoral setting of Deer Lake. Greenery abounds and surrounds this heritage house and estate and you’ll feel to the manor born after chowing down on Executive Chef Carol Chow’s eclectic dishes. Try rockshrimp and shiitake mushroom springrolls to start, followed by ostrich in a red-wine demi-glace, a beef shortrib cabbage roll or seared halibut with a prawn-and-tomato salsa. It’s a touch of elegance tucked into casual pants. 6664 Deer Lake Ave., Burnaby, 604-298-4278 KINGSTON TAPHOUSE AND GRILLE Not just one but two patios help this joint live up to its billing as an urban oasis in the heart of the urban jungle. A garden patio on the second floor and a rooftop space gaze out to the city, lush with palm trees and other shrubbery. Great ahi tuna springrolls or calamari for starters before hitting the entree listings that roam the seven continents. From chorizo penne to Kung Pao chicken, baby back-ribs brushed with chipotle sauce to a red-curry prawn bowl. The toothsome chuck-steak burger is a winner, as are the savoury thin-crust pizzas and the Flat Iron steak sandwich on gorgonzola-imbued bread. 755 Richards St., Vancouver, 604-681-7011 THE FLYING BEAVER BAR & GRILL It’s a very good thing our national rodent can’t fly. Imagine 60 lbs. of divebombing flapjack tail smacking you upside the head and teeth that could open a can of beans grazing your hair transplant. The place is named for the famed Canadian floatplane — which you can watch take off and land while sitting on the deck of this great river spot. Incredible burgers to be had along with other pub grub done up a notch like chicken wings, nachos and a fuselage full of tongue-flapping appetizers, not to mention the many microbrews on tap. 4760 Inglis Drive, Richmond, 604-273-0278 MONK MCQUEEN’S A longtime favourite in Vancouver patio history with two deck levels to choose from offering a spectacular panorama of False Creek and environs. Gaze across the water to distant bridges spanning the horizon and admire health nuts in neon sports attire sweat the seawall below you. As usual, more seafood than a Jacques Cousteau special. Hit the oyster bar and cancel your Viagra prescription. From panko-crusted soft-shell crab to a plate brimming with bivalves, tiger prawn linguine to a grilled lamb trilogy, Monk’s, unlike me, just gets better with age. 601 Stamps Landing, Vancouver, 604-877-1351 MILL MARINE BISTRO This joint wears the crown for the largest patio in Coal Harbour, with views of all the usual scenic suspects plus the waterworks fountain nearby so the kids can play while the parents drink. Check the daily BBQ specials and see what meat or seafood they’re tossing on the coals, plus plenty of classic pub fare such as nachos, chicken wings, quesadillas, pizza and paninis along with larger plates of fish done up in a whackload of sauces. The new summer menu is kicking into gear so belly up to the patio table and let nature take its course. 1199 West Cordova St., Vancouver, 604-687-6455 SANDBAR Nuzzle up to this patio spot beneath the Granville Bridge support struts, check out the seismic updating and enjoy a sunset between the girders. If the big one hits, you and your martini should be safe. Appetizer listings are especially tasty, with offerings like scallop kabobs with chili lime aioli, Korean-style BBQ ribs or sweet and sour wok-flipped poultry. Larger dishes include pizzas, burgers, cedar-plank salmon, daily pasta specials plus an extensive sushi menu. If you’re crazy about the aquatic life try one of the many pincer- and claw-filled chilled seafood platters that’ll feed two or more people. Swanky crowd, so wear your best polyester. 1535 Johnston St., Granville Island, 604-669-9030 TERRACE BAR AT THE PAN PACIFIC The venerable place with the five pointy things opens their Terrace Bar all day for a stunning view of ocean, mountains and seasick cruise-ship tourists disembarking from their vessels. A great setting for West Coast lazing over some excellent signature dishes like the Cobb salad with fresh crab meat, coconut jumbo shrimp lolling in citrus yogurt sauce or a Dungeness crab burger if you like crustacean on a bun. 300-999 Canada Place, Vancouver, 604-895-2480 GALLERY CAFE Uber-urban gazing overlooking the concrete jungle thrumming with throngs of shoppers and the sound of skateboard punks biting pavement. Do the cafeteria shuffle with the art crowd and Shaughnessey social-tea set with delectable paninis like barbecued chicken, Californian with pesto, chicken and brie, the Caprese with roasted red peppers, bocconcini and roma tomatoes or the sunny veggie Mediterranean, plus nicely dressed sandwiches from roast beef to tuna and everything else trapped between land and sea. Also great salads, quiches and amazing desserts, including the luxurious bread pudding topped with caramel sauce. 750 Hornby St., on the second floor of the Vancouver Art Gallery, 604-688-2233 BRIDGES RESTAURANT Twenty-five years old and still kicking, packing them in on the patio like a Tokyo subway. The view of city and mountains is always impressive and the grub is always tasty. Sink your molars into a cornmeal-crusted oyster burger, linguini studded with clams and pancetta, roast halibut swimming in a coconut, ginger and sweet chili sauce, a variety of pizzas with inventive toppings and some equally intriguing cocktail concoctions. 1696 Duranleau St., Granville Island, 604-687-4400 JOHN B. NEIGHBOURHOOD PUB A garden oasis lush with shrubbery and patio furniture at this 20-year fixture in the Coquitlam beer-enthusiast community. Wine weenies aren’t neglected either, with a vast list of crushed grapes by the glass. The scarfing gets serious with grilled offerings from steaks to ribs to seafood along with the usual pubgrub of burgers, nachos and chicken wings. Every Saturday, weather permitting, there’s a barbecue on the patio with a cheeseburger, chicken or bratwurst special for $5.95 between 2 and 5pm. Nothing like the smell of sizzling wiener skin wafting on a summer breeze to start your summer rolling. 1000 Austin Ave., Coquitlam, 604-931-5115 BEACH SIDE CAFE Near Ambleside Beach with all the tranquil trappings implied in the name and a panoramic schlimazel for the senses of oceanside atmosphere and saltwater sniffing. Traditional Italian dining done with flair and fresh ingredients and you can’t go wrong with any dish you order. For starters some albacore tuna carpaccio or escargots, if you want to get revenge on all those gastropods making hay in your garden, and for mains merlot-braised lamb shanks, Spaghetti alla Norcina with black truffles or crispy duck breast quacking its last under a wild lingonberry glaze. And with dishes like this, you know the wine snozzling’s going to be good. 1362 Marine Drive, West Vancouver, 604-925-1945 FIDDLEHEAD JOE’S Tucked away on a curve of seawall with a great view of the water and the Burrard Bridge in the near distance, close enough for atmosphere without hearing the rumble of Goodyears plus the thrill of the odd rollerblader bouncing off the seawall concrete barriers. Casual by day, fancypants at night, though the price is always right. The patio has been renovated and Fiddlehead Joe, who earned his nickname flogging the strange veggie as a boy in New Brunswick, is cooking up some summery delights. Pan-seared soft-shell crab, ahi tuna and tiger-prawn ceviche, maple-, hoisin- and ginger-glazed salmon or beef tenderloin wrapped in phyllo with portobello fungus and havarti cheese. The lunch menu offers PEI mussels in a variety of enticing sauces from a chipotle pepper to a chorizo shindig, and the gourmet sandwiches would make even Dagwood Bumstead smack his lips in anticipation. 1A-1012 Beach Ave., Vancouver, 688-1969 5 great patios on which to smoke a stogie with the bigwigs
1. Joe Fortes: Great rooftop patio with its own bar, where you can light up a Cuban with a twenty and maybe impress the oyster-fuelled stockbrokers on the make for a second wife or looking to sell investments in an imaginary gold mine. 777 Thurlow St., Vancouver, 604-669-1940 2. Diva at the Met: Award-winning place with all the swanky accolades and, after your stogie on the patio, you can always join the after-dinner businessmen’s rush at the Swedish Touch down the street. 645 Howe St., Vancouver, 604-602-7788 3. Smoking Dog: Dogs don’t smoke except in those canines-playing-poker paintings or in Paris, I think. On that note, this French bistro with a sidewalk patio probably wouldn’t mind if you fumigated the toy dogs in the neighbourhood. 1889 West 1st Ave., Vancouver, 604-732-8811 4. Gotham Steakhouse: Chew steaks and stogie ends like the bigwigs do, covering all your vitamin bases on this dazzling fireplace bedecked deck where the well-heeled show-off face peels and laser-whitened teeth. 615 Seymour St., Vancouver, 604-605-8282 5. La Terrazza: Puff a little smoke toward those dot-com millionaires munching Subway sandwiches on the sidewalk nearby, as you digest some spanky eats and swish some fine fermented grape juice. 1088 Cambie St., Vancouver, 604-899-4449 5 great People-watching patios
1. Havana Restaurant: Enjoy pseudo-Cuban food while taking in the spectacle of pseudo-hippies and the heavily tattooed in this great passing parade of Old World meets counter-culture. 1212 Commercial Dr., Vancouver, 604-253-9119 2 .Cactus Club: Watch the bold, the beautiful and the surgically altered amble along the busy Robson Sreet thoroughfare as you sip a big-assed martini and throw down some chicken wings. 1136 Robson St., Vancouver, 604-687-3278 3. Chopstick Cafe Shiru-Bay: from the designer meshback trucker-hat-clad to the Porsche-driving crowd angling for parking space while you relax with some intriguing izakaya-style eats. 1193 Hamilton St., Vancouver, 604-408-9315 4. Provence Marinaside Seafood Bar & Grill: Fancypants folk in their trendsetting attire, part yachting crowd, part Yaletown condo canyon-dwellers and great Mediterranean cuisine, especially the antipasti listings. 1177 Marinaside Cr., Vancouver, 604-681-4144 5. Caribbean Breeze Tapas Bar & Grill: Shoot the breeze with drinks and jerk chicken and watch the semi-clad beachbum lads and lassies shuffling the strip in their flipflops and George Hamilton tans as collector autos cruise the street. 14945 Marine Dr., White Rock, 604-536-0877 5 great Sea-To-Sky patio views
1. Galley Patio & Grill: Offers an unobstructed view usually only seagulls can enjoy, as you take in Locarno Beach and beyond and sip R&B ales and enjoy some great nachos or burgers. 1300 Discovery Ave., Vancouver, 604-222-1331 2. Cardero’s: Effusive nautical views of the Eastern Burrard Inlet bustling with the shipping news while you crunch into cornmeal-crusted pan-fried oysters 1583 Coal Harbour Quay, Vancouver, 604-669-7666 3. Saltaire: Sweeping views of Stanley Park and Howe Sound on this third-floor patio, a whiff of sea air complementing a menu that wanders the global tidal pool. 235-15th St., West Vancouver, 604-913-8439 4. Pacific Crab Co. Oyster Bar & Grill: Spectacular view of English Bay from the thin patio of this second floor eatery so that the heads of the maddening hordes don’t get in the way while you glug back oysters and wine. 1184 Denman St., Vancouver, 604-633-2722 5. The Boathouse: Besides a streetlevel patio, this joint also boasts a rooftop shindig to give you an unimpeded view of Semiahmoo Bay. 14935 Marine Drive, White Rock, 604-536-7320 5 great courtyard patios
1. Il Nido: A Tuscan setting tucked into the courtyard of the Manhattan Apartments for true global meshing and atmospheric and digestive tranquillity, exemplified by the new summer menu and pleasant wines. 780 Thurlow St., Vancouver, 604-685-6436 2. Brix Restaurant & Wine Bar: A veritable vino and food grotto with one of the most enticing inner-city patios, the sky outlined by surrounding brickwork walls and terrific West Coast tapas and entree offerings. 1138 Homer St, Vancouver, 604-915-9463 3. El Patio Spanish Restaurant: Secluded patio with creeping ivy that’ll make you feel like you’re on a Spanish backstreet, and some great seafood tapas with a particular panache when it comes to prawns and sardines. 891 Cambie St., Vancouver, 604-681-9149 4. Sapori Italian Restaurant: Secreted away in a spiffy cobblestoned mews with homey Italian food and live jazz every Friday and Saturday night. #106-12 Water St., Vancouver, 604-682-8272 5. Cassis: A small patio is tucked into the ancient alleyway, decaying brick contrasting with fresh flower arrays and, of course, some savoury slow-cooked French country fare. 420 West Pender, Vancouver, 604-605-0420 5 great places to practise chip shots between drinks
1. Westward Ho Public House & Grill Room: Pastoral setting with golfers swearing and searching the shrubbery while you watch from the patio chowing down on great food, or try the fine beer and hotdog stand on the 10th green. University Golf Club, 5185 University Blvd., Vancouver, 604-224-7799 2. Hazards Restaurant: Expansive view of the Fraser Valley and Mount Baker, beautiful patio jutting out over the greenery and dishes spanning everything from eggs benedict to salmon to ribs to sandwiches. Westwood Plateau Golf, 1630 Parkway Blvd., Coquitlam, 604-941-4219 3. Eagle’s Nest Bar & Grill: Nestled amongst mountain scenery, just think of savoury chicken wings, burger offerings or a wide array of wraps while you’re hacking divots on the back nine. Golden Eagle Golf Club, 21770 Ladner Rd., Pitt Meadows, 604-460-1111 4. Creekside Grill: Play the course or hit the driving range to work up an appetite. Plenty of food and drink specials afterwards to soothe the soul and keep you from breaking your putter. Eaglequest Coyote Creek Golf, 7778 152nd St. Surrey, 604-597-4653 5. Northlands Restaurant: Doesn’t get more scenic than this, surrounded by mountains and old-growth forest. Between the breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner and pub menus, this restaurant doesn’t miss a shot. Northlands Golf Course, 3400 Anne Macdonald Way, North Van, 604-924-2950 2611 West 4th Ave., Vancouver, 604-734-4444 5 great patios for margarita-sipping
1. Las Margaritas Restaurante and Cantina: What’s in a name? asked Shakespeare, and though he might not have been down Tijuana way, this place wouldn’t call a margarita a rose no matter how many you drink. Sidewalk patio for street-gazing and some tasty California-Mexican border-crossing eats. 1999 West 4th Ave., Vancouver, 604-734-7117 2. Little Mexico Cantina: This patio almost has a view of the Fraser, but you can certainly sniff the sea air and see the ships in the distance as you slurp a slushy tequila creation and sample some classic Mexican dishes. Homemade salsas are excellent. #150-3131 Chatham St., Richmond, 604-272-5123 3. Bichos Mexican Taste: After a few of the margaritas here along with some authentic Mexican food you just might mistake the Semiahmoo Bay view for the Gulf of Mexico. 15077 Marine Drive, White Rock, 604-542-5191 4. Cincin: When I asked a regular of this place what makes the margaritas so good she replied, “The bartender, of course.” A beautiful patio to match the beautiful people who frequent this joint. The margarita doesn’t look too bad itself, and that’s without the botox. 1154 Robson St., Vancouver, 604-688-7338 5. Andales: Insanely vibrant place, much like the Kits street parade you can savour on the patio as you suck back one of the many margarita specials. 3211 West Broadway, Vancouver, 604-738-9782 5 great romantic patio enclaves
1. Parkside: Old World meets modern cuisine and design, and the whole place seems rather secretive, just like the foliage-filled courtyard patio. The food could romance the pants off a snarling warthog, it’s that good. 1906 Haro St., Vancouver, 604-683-6912 2. Circolo: If music be the food of love, then pan-seared foie gras and a good bottle of wine can’t be far behind. A treat for all the senses in this garden patio setting as you nuzzle up to your loved one and some goose liver. 1116 Mainland St., Vancouver, 604-687-1116 3. Beach House at Dundarave Pier: Hunkered away in a setting so quaint it’ll make your eyes ache with the beauty of it all, from the ocean view to the snazzy summer menu to the wine list for massaging the limbic system. 150 25th St., West Vancouver, 604-922-1414 4. Fish House in Stanley Park: You can’t help but be romanced by the surrounding gardens and woods unless you’re a zombie, and if that doesn’t work, the wine list and inventive food should do the trick. 8901 Stanley Park Drive, Vancouver, 604-681-7275 5. Quattro on Fourth: The Italians are renowned for whispering sweet nothings in your ear while offering something more substantial for the belly. This patio is lush with food, wine and atmosphere, sending the senses into overdrive and the tastebuds to heaven. 2611 West 4th Ave., Vancouver, 604-734-4444 © The Vancouver Province 2005 |
