Occupying a waterfront spot with a huge outdoor patio by the sea wall, Ancora blends Peruvian and Japanese cooking traditions with west-coast sustainable seafood and produce. Whether you're savouring South American grilled steak, Canadian scallop ceviches or barely cooked steelhead trout, this high-end eatery is a great people-watching spot.

Housed in the late-19th-century Boulder Hotel building, Bauhaus Restaurant is an upscale eatery headed up by Michelin-starred chef Stefan Hartmann. The menu features classic German dishes with a modern twist, such as Wiener schnitzel, meatballs and cheese spatzle, accompanied by buttermilch margaritas and German draught beer.

Chef Nico Schuermans serves up Belgian-influenced cuisine in a smart, yet relaxed setting with outstanding service. Schuermans creates elaborate dishes using local produce; the moules frites in particular are a must-eat. The bar is all part of the Chambar experience, with handpicked Belgian beers, the restaurant's own Chambar ale, and imaginative handcrafted cocktails.

Lego art and colourful teddy figurines add a quirky touch to this stylish Kitsilano eatery. The food presentation is as fun as the décor, with a menu focusing on local seafood like scallops and mussels plus meaty dishes such as slow-cooked pork jowl with goat-cheese polenta.

If you're looking for snacking, sharing plates and drinks, Hapa Izakaya's Japanese tapas is a good choice. Regularly changing menus might include arubi saba (marinated mackerel sashimi), gindara (baked sablefish with a sake-miso marinade) and chipotle beef curry, washed down with chilled sake and Hello Kitty cocktails.

Chef David Hawksworth is already known for his eponymous fine-dining restaurant in the Hotel Georgia. His latest venture is less formal, but the menu is equally thrilling, with creatively cooked veggies, gourmet pizzas and seafood small plates like Pacific rockfish, plus a tempting list of fruity cocktails.

Local, seasonal produce is the key ingredient to Field & Social's inventive (and filling) salads. Chutney marinated chickpeas spice up the Bombay Bowl, while fried capers add a little fizz to the Farmer's Crop. A popular lunchtime spot with the office crowd, this eatery fills a bright space with shared wooden tables. Weekday lunch only.

You can't miss the glowing pig on the outside wall of this retro diner. The sign is one of the few survivors of Vancouver's 1970s anti-neon sign laws. Inside, you can choose from a stool at the bar if you're eating alone, or cram into a booth and tuck into corn beef hash, Belgian waffles and eggs benny.

This 24-hour restaurant has been attracting veggie diners since the 1960s. Seated within the casual wooden interior, guests can choose from a range of foods that include salads, soups, Mexican dishes, stir fries and vegetarian burgers - ideally accompanied by sesame fries with miso gravy. The atmosphere is casual and relaxed.