Two new North Shore wine bars join Metro Vancouver's easy-going dining scene
16 West and The Modern Pantry add to the growing number of small spots focusing on share plates and curated wine lists
16 West. Photo by 16 West
IT’S A POST-PANDEMIC pivot: North Vancouver’s Hachiro Ramen has been reborn as 16 West, a wine and tapas bar. The throughline? A focus on simple, nourishing ingredients; a warm, relaxed space; and the belief that food brings people together.
While wine bars are nothing new, 16 West is the latest in a string of such spots to take off in Metro Vancouver in the last little while. Also on the North Shore is The Modern Pantry, which recently opened its wine bar. Then there’s buzz-worthy Bar Susu from the team behind Published on Main; Bar Gobo, by ever-lauded Burdock & Co; Is That French in Gastown; and North Vancouver’s Winston. They’re among the local places honing in on the kind of easygoing dining option that gives people a chance to linger, try new wines, and share several different dishes.
Taking its name from its location just off Lonsdale in North Van (140 16th Street West), 16 West is run by North Shore native Brooke Campbell’s Naito Hospitality and led by head chef Addy Gowe. The culinary artist’s experience includes roles at Hachiro, Torafuku, Quattro, Wildebeest, and Bufala Edgemont as well as a decade at various Okanagan wineries. Also part of the team as special events sommelier is Si Man Lee, former vintage room consultant at Everything Wine and Hart House Restaurant wine director.
There’s an eclectic collection of wines by the glass, many from smaller B.C. makers; think Pentâge Winery, Winemaker’s CUT, Roche Wines, Arrowleaf Cellars, Emandare Vineyard, and 1 Mill Road Winery.
16 West. Photo by 16 West
You won’t find tweezers in 16 West’s open kitchen or modernist foam on its plates; pulling flavours from the Mediterranean, the menu consists of unfussy dishes that are familiar but created with care.
Confit garlic mellows a roasted-red pepper cannellini-bean dip; Gowe swaps out citrus for red-pepper-and tomato vinaigrette in tuna tartare with sweet onion and cucumber (Lee likes to pair the latter with crisp Blue Mountain Sparkling Brut); and grilled squash and roasted tomatoes make a bed for burrata. Blue cheese bumps up a roasted-beet salad, the beets pickled in white balsamic vinegar, the arugula tossed in citrus vinaigrette; it also gives everyday cheesecake character, the dessert bedecked in seasonally changing fruit pieces and sauce.
There’s always freshly made pasta—perhaps butternut squash ravioli in browned butter sauce or braised-duck pappardelle tossed in red-wine-and-crushed-tomato-herb sauce with seasoned breadcrumbs and fresh Parmesan. Come winter, these styles will likely shift to stuffed or rolled noodles.
A standout dish not seen on too many local menus is porchetta: with characteristic crackling, it’s comfort food to savour, served with cauliflower purée and salsa verde.
Closed Mondays, 16 West is open from 4 to 10 pm the rest of the week, with happy hour from 4 to 5:30 pm daily.
The Modern Pantry. Photo by The Modern Pantry
The Modern Pantry. Photo by The Modern Pantry
Over in West Vancouver is the new wine bar at The Modern Pantry (102 - 2232 Marine Drive). (The original location is in North Van on Old Dollarton Road.) Then Ambleside outpost recently introduced evening service and has two patios, including the hidden gem at the back with its peekaboo view of the ocean. Ever-changing selections of organic, natural, and biodynamic wines can be paired with light bites like charcuterie and cheese boards; warm olives; and freshly baked sourdough focaccia with roasted beet hummus and caramelized onion feta dip. Then there’s chef/co-owner Kendall Parslow’s signature roasted-tomato Gruyère tart.
While the evening service runs from 4 to 8 pm from Thursday to Saturday, wine is available at lunchtime, too; look for labels like Yarrow’s Whispering Horse Winery, Oregon’s DuckPond Cellars, and Château du Cèdre from France. There are straightforward cocktails and a unique mimosa set for two: the latter features rosé Prosecco served with orange juice made from Loop Morning Glory Juice’s rescued fruits. Read more about The Modern Pantry Ambleside (open Tuesday to Saturday from 7:30 am to 4 pm and Sunday 8 am to 4 pm) here.
The Modern Pantry. Photo by The Modern Pantry
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