Restaurant food in Vancouver is diverse, sophisticated and so good it's worth visiting just to eat. As a general rule, we shy away from the brand new restaurants that are getting all the press and, instead, go with restaurants that have been around a few years and have proven themselves over time. At the moment, our favourites are West, CinCin, Pied-A-Terre, Vij's and Rangoli.

None of these restaurants is inexpensive, but some are more affordable if you go for lunch. Some are only open for dinner. Vij's is only open for dinner, and they don't take reservations so unless you want to wait in line, arrive at 5:15 PM.

Don't miss The Observatory at the top of Grouse Mountain for some of the best food and best views anywhere. The entrees here are $39 per person. However, if you are planning to visit Grouse Mountain, and it's well worth a visit, you'll discover that tickets on the SkyRide to the top of the mountain are $37 each.

If you make a reservation at the Observatory, the SkyRide is FREE, so you are either getting the Skyride for free or your entree for $2. To make reservations at the Observatory, call Grouse Mountain at 604-980-9311.
 

For more modest fare and prices, try Moderne Burger on Broadway and Jolly's Indian Food on 4th. Avenue. Moderne Burger has fantastic retro architecture with great hamburgers, milkshakes and malts in metal glasses and crisp, hot fries. Jolly's offers really good Indian food that is perfectly balanced. It's not over spiced and not greasy at all.

If you just want coffee and a snack, Vancouver is a coffee mecca. You can hardly go a block without running into one or more coffee places. Try two local companies: Blenz and Delany's. There are several of each around town. Both are local coffee companies. After all, you don't want to settle for Seattle's Best or Starbucks when you could go with a local company.