Summer Arts Guide 2023: Vancouver patios to while away the hours
Outdoor dining is where it’s at, whether at an East Van brewery, a historic hotel with an ocean view, or anywhere in between
Reflections Terrace.
THERE ARE TOO many to count: Sun-dappled patios at Vancouver’s restaurants, breweries, and lounges are the place to be right now. Here’s a mere handful to hit this summer—and consider this an extension of Stir’s 2022 outdoor-dining guide, which features hot spots such as Burdock & Co., Chupito, 1931 Gallery Bistro at Vancouver Art Gallery, Hart House Restaurant, and many more. (Sadly, Dock Lunch from that list is no longer.)
¿CóMO? Taperia X The Paella Guys: Patio Paella Series
¿CóMO? Taperia and The Paella Guys are bringing their super-popular Patio Paella Series back this summer.
Chef Javier Blanc will be cooking up fresh paella mixta outside in a 60-person steel pan, while ¿CóMO? Taperia’s signature drinks, tapas, and conservas will be available during the hour-long process. The mixta version includes chicken, shrimp, jumbo prawns, red peppers, onions, mushrooms, tomato, olive oil, garlic, and saffron, with a side of housemade garlic aioli.
Last year, Blanc represented Canada at the World Paella Day Cup in Valencia, Spain, placing fourth in the top 10 finals.
The Patio Paella Series runs June 18, July 2, July 16, July 30, and August 27, with seating options being 12 pm, 2 pm, and 4 pm.
Stanley Park Brewing.
Superflux Beer Company
Located in the heart of Yeast Van, Superflux’s new 67-seat 780-square-foot patio came about under the City of Vancouver’s recent bylaw change allowing outdoor spaces at breweries. The covered outdoor area comes complete with group-friendly picnic tables and propane heaters for people to park themselves and enjoy cold craft beer. The season’s brew-fuelled events include Industry Nights on Mondays, when everyone gets $5 beers and snacks from 5 pm and Tequila Tuesdays, featuring all-day half-price nachos and margaritas. With a mandate to “Do Cool Shit and Bring Happyness”, the brewery is also bringing back boozy soft serve in rotating, to-be-announced flavours.
Vancouver breweries, continued
Strathcona Brewing.
Whether you seek sun or shade, nothing says summer than a cold pint on a hot day, and there are tons of cool breweries that are making this happen with outdoor seating. Here’s just a handful of them: Yaletown Brewing (which opened in 1994 and has been racking up awards ever since); Main Street Brewing (try the Stone Gold Fox, its flagship pour that won gold at the inaugural Canada Beer Cup); the spunky Electric Bicycle Brewing (with grass umbrellas, colourful picnic tables, and rotating food trucks); Stanley Park Brewing (with its idyllic setting in the heart of the urban forest); the family-owned 33 Acres (which offers weekend brunch and its own adaptogenic sparkling water); Faculty Brewing (which shares its recipes openly and serves up Oddity Kombucha, from right across the street); East Van Brewing Co. (check out its beer cocktails); Powell Brewery (try the Mango Madness Berliner Weiss); Strange Fellows Brewing (a long-time supporter of local artists, it’s home to the Charles Clark Gallery); Strathcona Beer Company (we love its Milkshake beer, fruit-forward styles, Berliner Weiss-style sour—and its gourmet pizza); Parallel 49 Brewing (take a tour through the vat room or plunk down by the food truck parked outside); experimental North Van knockout House of Funk Brewing Co; La Cervezeria Astilleros (also in North Van, it’s a gem of a Mexican brewery that happens to serve killer margaritas and not just on Margarita Mondays, with flights); BREWHALL (find brunch here too along with head brewer Kerry “Kerebere” Dyson’s excellent sours); and Red Truck Brewing Company (which hosts packed summer concert series).
Across the pond at The Victor
There’s a new pond patio at The Victor at Parq Vancouver. Placid pools reflect the light off the roof of GM Place, which you can nearly touch with your fingertips, in any number of dazzling hues. The rooftop hot spot has a new summer menu to boot, extending beyond its playfully elevated take on surf ’n’ turf for fresh, bright plates meant for sharing.
Vij’s Restaurant.
Vij’s Restaurant
The secret is no longer: the one and only Vij’s has a rooftop patio bedecked with beautiful tiles, string lights, and big plants. It’s the perfect al fresco spot for dining on spicy chicken curry (which will cool you down), lamb kebabs, rockfish cakes, mogo fries, and the like. Save room for mango kulfi for dessert, and wash it all down with a Spice Route Spritz, Up in Smoke (Oaxacan mezcal, Aperol, lemon, passionfruit and smoked saffron salt), or Nice Guy Chai (spiked with cardamom infused Hennessy VS Cognac, Glenmorangie 10-Year Original Scotch, Diplomatico Mantuano Rum, or 1792 Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon).
Lift Bar & Grill.
More Vancouver rooftops
If the idea of being on top of a building for outdoor dining suits, there are plenty of solid options. They include classics like Joe Fortes Seafood & Chop House—with its colourful garden, living green wall, outdoor fireplace, and horseshoe-shaped bar, a great spot for freshly shucked oysters—and Reflections Terrace at the Rosewood Hotel Georgia, where celebrities like to sip cocktails and snack on tapas. The Roof at Black and Blue has recently been revamped, gorgeous with a hanging garden (especially pretty at night when all lit up) and hanging baskets, glass-encased fireplace, and comfy booths. D/6 Bar and Lounge at Parq Vancouver’s DOUGLAS hotel is mind-bendingly close to BC Place, relaxing with water features and views and at other times pumping with a DJ on site. LIFT lays claim to the city’s only waterfront rooftop deck, with stunning views of the Vancouver Harbour, marina, Stanley Park, and North Shore mountains and so much succulent seafood. Coming soon is the Parker Rooftop in the luxe Parker Hotel (formally Vintage Park Hotel) by the Executive Table Group; it promises to be “grand”.
River District x 3
The River District has a slew of new dining options, with several restaurants opening this year in the burgeoning family-friendly, walkable neighbourhood along the banks of the Fraser River.
Bufala River District is bringing its classic and contemporary Napolitana-style pizzas to the waterfront ‘hood, blistered in its 800-degree Woodstone oven, along with a selection of Italian-inspired small plates (try the Tuscan bean dip and the burrato with candied beets, spicy granola, orange oil, and toasted sourdough), salads, pasta dishes, risotto, and desserts. The 3,300-square-foot space has 45 seats outside.
The Italian-inspired resto is from Gooseneck Hospitality, which also runs Lucky Taco River District. The Mexican-style cantina with 25 outdoor seats features tacos, nachos, grilled corn, and other small plates prepared with ethically source meats, sustainable seafood, and seasonal local produce. At the bar, guests can choose from a wide selection of Mexican and local beers, as well as an selection of tequila and mezcal served straight up, in flights, or with freshly pressed juices a range of margaritas. This is where you can kick back under large palapas and be surrounded lush greenery, neon colours, and a hand-painted mural. (Both restaurants are designed by Ste. Marie, the leading local company that’s been behind the beautiful looks of Homer Street Café, St. Lawrence, Kissa Tanto, Pepinos, Ask for Luigi, and more.)
LOCAL Public Eatery is pouring 16 types of beer on tap (think Superflux, 33 Acres of Sunshine, Parallel 49, and Parkside alongside staples like Guinness); cocktails (we love the sound of mango bubble tea with Earl grey-infused gin and mango popping boba and crush cocktails like a sassy sangria) on its wrap-around patio; other sippables range from a tipsy tea party to a porrón– a party pitcher of wine or rosé shots. The mezzanine Trophy Room, best for groups, teams, and big celebrations, features premium tequila and spirits. On the food menu by chef Garrett Ruesen are items like fried chicken ramen, Thai crispy chicken sandwich, wagyu hot dog wrapped in bacon, truffle burger, and Calabrian-chili spiked Caesar salad).
Also coming soon to the riverfront community: District Noodle House, which will serve up Vietnamese cuisine.
El Camino’s cantina
The Mount Pleasant cantina has opened a streetside patio just in time for summer, with new food and drink features to boot, for prime people watching on Main Street. Chef Argelia Diaz Cabral—formerly head chef and co-owner of Mexico City’s El Secreto—has introduced Latin American-inspired dinner dishes like the vegan palmito ceviche (hearts of palms, cucumber, tomatoes, onions, jalapeños, lime, and Arbol chile furikake); xinxim de bacalhau (cod, prawns, and red peppers in a creamy coconut-milk-and dendê-oil sauce with white rice); and mole negro con pollo (chicken thighs, almonds, sesame seeds and radish in a mole served with white rice). Then there are bar manager Mike MacIntyre’s fresh cocktails, like Pisco Fever (Pisco Capel, Aperol, grapefruit, lime, sugar, and egg white) and Rosemary’s Bevy (Altos reposado, cassis, blackberry coulis, rosemary, lemon, and ginger beer). Check out the weekly staples: Margarita Mondays ($4 off all house Margaritas), Taco Tuesdays (25 percent off all taco orders), Wine Wednesdays (50 percent off select bottles), weekend brunch every Saturday and Sunday starting at 10 am, and daily happy hour.
The Narrow.
The Narrow
Eclectic, lively, bright, and fun: This is the covered patio with colourful picnic tables at East Vancouver’s The Narrow. An undersung jewel, it serves Taco Kat, the name of its Mexican-inspired fast-food menu.
ARC at the Fairmont Waterfront
There are several standout dishes to be savoured on this bustling patio in the heart of downtown Vancouver, but we’re especially keen on executive chef Adam Middleton’s Give Bees a Chance pollinator menu. The ingredients come from the hotel’s own rooftop garden, where chief beekeeper Julia Common oversees the hives. Fairmont Waterfront has been the home to over a quarter million honey bees since 2008, producing more than 200 pounds of honey annually from the rooftop apiary. In 2014, the property was the first Fairmont hotel to introduce mason bees to its garden. It teamed up with Hives for Humanity to place 27 mason bee houses across Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside through the Pollinator Corridor Project. In 2015, it added a pollinator hotel, which is are designed to attract, support, and protect native, lost and solitary bees by replicating their natural nesting sites and creating much-needed habitat. The three-course menu starts with burrata salad then comes with a choice of halibut (with ricotta gnudi, pickled hakurei, turnips, peas, carrot + ginger purée, grapefruit beurre blanc) or cauliflower steak (harissa spice, curried cashew ketchup, sautéed kale, caramelized onion, and chickpea cake). To finish is an almond coconut cake with berries and burnt honey ice cream. Plus: there’s live music Thursday through Saturday nights.
Slim’s BBQ
Chicken wings for days, fried bologna sammies, low-and-slow Texas-style locally sourced meats, and more; this is the kind of place where you go to pig out. But it’s not just for carnivores: vegans have lots to love, from a no-cattle burger to jackfruit tacos to spicy mac ’n’ cheese. It all goes down nicely with house-made southern style sweet tea with or without Jim Beam Bourbon on the sun-splashed patio.
Papi’s Seafood and Oyster Bar.
Papi’s Seafood and Oyster Bar
The sun-splashed patio is steps from English Bay and Yue Minju’s A-maze-ing Laughter bronze sculpture, and the menu is quintessential coastal, from west to east. Rockfish or halibut and chips, mussels and fries, pan-fried lingcod, fried-smelt, lobster rolls, New England-style clam chowder (with salmon, rockfish, and halibut), and a daily selection of freshly shucked oysters served with lemon, horseradish, and mignonette are all on the menu.
Sylvia’s Restaurant and Lounge.
Sylvia’s Restaurant & Lounge
It’s the city’s best unkept secret: every single seat at the historic Sylvia Hotel’s breezy beachside bistro has a view of English Bay. Also at Vancouver’s first cocktail bar is live music Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays from 7 to 9 pm. There’s everything from breakfast to happy hour to late-night dining, with the all-day menu featuring items like tuna tataki salad, B.C. salmon greens, Baja fish tacos, steamed mussels, and a daily oven-roasted flatbread.
Ancora Waterfront Dining and Patio
Rose-coloured glassses at Ancora Waterfront Dining and Patio
Right in the heart of False Creek, the restaurant is celebrating National Rosé Day (June 10) all summer long with Rosé Mondays. It comes complete with a special rosé-inspired menu. The pink wines being featured are from Italy, France, Spain, Canada, and the US, perfect for sipping while watching so many SUPs, sailboats, and little ferries float by.
Pac Rim Patio Pop-up
Fairmont Pacific Rim’s urban oasis isn’t just a beautiful outdoor space with lounge seating, picnic tables, and live music; it’s also home to a series of dinners with Michelin-recognized chefs this summer.
Published on Main chef Gus Stieffenhofer-Brandson is in the house from June 1 to 4. Burdock & Co chef Andrea Carlson rocks it June 15 to 18; Anh & Chi chefs Lý Nguyen and Vincent Nguyen are cooking June 29 to July 2; Botanist chef Hector Laguna helms the kitchen from July 13 to 16; L’Abattoir chef Lee Cooper comes in from August 10 to 13; and Bacaro chef Michael Zafirian August 24 to 27.
Along with the weekly rotation of guest chef dishes, Fairmont Pacific Rim executive chef Damon Campbell’s food truck will be on-site serving a fresh summer menu, and creative beverage director Grant Sceney will be making Malfy Gin cocktails, including G&Ts, spritzes, and other summertime sippers alongside craft beers, local, and international wines.
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