Where to dine out on Christmas in Metro Vancouver, Whistler

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For some folks, cooking Christmas dinner is not a Hallmark movie or an easy-peasy Jamie Oliver experience. It’s more thriller, plotted with kitchen chaos, excessive eating and drinking, badly behaved guests, multiple dietary needs, food sensitivities, likes and dislikes.

Hang on. Why not let a chef deal with it? Go where there are menu choices and a certain level of decorum. And there are places to go for Christmas dinner. Hotel restaurants are a sure thing, and if you opt for a getaway, most of the restaurants are open in Whistler and the town is electric with holiday spirit.

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There are non-hotel related restaurants open, too. Water Street Cafe, for instance, has been open on Christmas since an ownership change in 2017.

“We found that big family dinners at home were not as common,” says general manager and operating partner Sandy Grant. In fact, the ownership group’s Vancouver Island restaurants, Nanoose Bay Cafe and Qualicum Beach Café, are also open. “Families are smaller, there are a lot of couples, and situations where expected family gatherings don’t happen. It’s a treat to be taken care of instead of having to do all the work and clean up.”

It works out for her staff, too, she says. “I put up a sign-up sheet and it always fills up. A lot don’t have families in Vancouver and we’re the family. We have a team dinner.”

And one of the advantages of living in Metro Vancouver is its global influences because many cultures don’t celebrate Christmas in the North American tradition and you’ll find many Chinese and Indian restaurants open. Here’s a roundup of some places to consider. And if they’re booked up for this year, pencil it in for next year.

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Bacchus

The Wedgewood Hotel

845 Hornby St., Vancouver

604-608-5319 wedgewoodhotel.com

This is the place for a storybook Christmas in a lush, elegant, old-world setting where experienced staff will guide you through the evening. No offhand “How’re your first few bites?”  You can try out newly installed chef Stefan Hartmann’s food.

The Boathouse

https://www.boathouserestaurants.ca/event/christmas-dinner/

1305 Arbutus St., Vancouver

604-738-5487

900 Quayside Drive, New Westminster

604-525-3474

14935 Marine Drive, White Rock

604-536-7320

2770 Esplanade Avenue, Port Moody

604-931-5300

The Boathouse restaurants — all water-hugging — will be open and offering a three-course Christmas menu. The second-storey view from the Kits Beach location is especially comely.

Boulevard Kitchen & Oyster Bar

Sutton Place Hotel

845 Burrard St., Vancouver

604-642-2900 boulevardvancouver.ca 

An A-list restaurant where you can expect precision cooking. Chef Roger Ma will have surprises on the plate and pastry chef Kenta Takahashi’s desserts might make you gasp.

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Braidwood Tavern

Four Seasons Hotel

4591 Blackcomb Way, Whistler

604-966-5280 braidwoodtavern.com

Of course, most Whistler restaurants will be open and at The Four Seasons, you might just run into someone such as actor Hugh Grant as I did recently in Braidwood Tavern. On Christmas Day, there’ll be a buffet, including turkey and expected trimmings. Or, if you prefer, the adjoining Sidecut Steakhouse offers a four-course steak-centric menu.

Bruno

Versante Hotel

8499 Bridgeport Rd., Richmond

604-242-2750 clubversante.com/bruno

A lot of Chinese restaurants will be going gangbusters in Richmond on Christmas, but Bruno offers a Western-style buffet with carving stations, roast turkey and a multitude of sides. Close to the airport, should you experience family overload.

Hart House

6664 Deer Lake Ave., Burnaby

604-298-4278 harthouserestaurant.com

The heritage Tudor house transports to another time and place — like Elizabethan England, perhaps? Hart House has done Christmas for over three decades and it’s their busiest day of the year with four seatings on several floors.

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 H2 Kitchen and Bar

The Westin Bayshore

1601 Bayshore Dr., Vancouver

604-691-6966 h2restaurant.com

H2 is open for a Christmas lunch buffet or dinner. Strong hints that a guy from the North Pole will crash the lunch buffet. It’s mere steps to the Stanley Park seawall walk — highly recommended if you opt for the buffet. Dinner is à la carte.

Hawksworth

801 West Georgia St., Vancouver

604-673-7000 hawksworthrestaurant.com

Have yourself a pampered Christmas dinner. Hawksworth’s menu on that day, I note, doesn’t offer turkey and fixings, but even better, there’ll be Fraser Valley goose with fig terrine and mulled wine jus.

Honey Salt

Parq Vancouver

39 Smithe St., Vancouver

778-370-8200 https://www.parqvancouver.com/food-drink/honey-salt/

The spacious, cheerful and comfortable room lends itself to big gatherings. On Christmas, they’ll be open for brunch and dinner buffets.

JJ’s Kitchen

5775 Marine Dr., West Vancouver

604-926-4523 jjskitchen.ca

Deep in West Vancouver, across from Thunderbird Marina, JJ’s  is offering Christmas brunch and dinner in the capacious, timber room. It’s the regular menu with turkey as a feature dish.

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Moltaqa Moroccan

1002 Mainland St., Vancouver

604-841-1182 moltaqarestaurant.ca

No belly dancer in deference to Christmas but you can have lunch and dinner here. A new pastilla specialist will be creating duck and lobster versions. And there’ll be snake cake. Relax! It’s just phyllo, rolled with almond paste and flavourings, coiled into a circle.

Mott 32

1161 West Georgia St., Vancouver

604-861-0032 mott32.com/vancouver

It’s one of many Chinese restaurants that’ll be open for Christmas for lunch or dinner but you’ll find the most refined service and food in a luxurious setting with themed private rooms if you prefer. Oh, the crunch of their applewood-roasted Peking duck skin.

Tayybeh

2836 West Fourth Ave., Vancouver

604-363-2602 tayybeh.com

Inflation? Not here where $30 will get you a Christmas dinner with halal turkey and Syrian dishes including mhallabeya, a milk pudding with rosewater, mastic and ground pistachio. Recently opened, it began as a successful catering company run by Syrian refugees. Takeout is available for the same price.

Teahouse in Stanley Park

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Ferguson Point, Stanley Park

604-669-3281 vancouverdine.com/teahouse

A place where memories are made in a gorgeous park setting. And speaking of memories, the mushrooms stuffed with crab, shrimp and cream cheese live on, even Christmas day.

The Victor

Parq Vancouver

39 Smithe St., Vancouver

778-370-8600 parqvancouver.com/food-drink/the-victor

Normally, this sixth-floor room with a view is a haunt for premium steak and seafood, but on Christmas it’s turkey and prime rib time. Dinner starts warmly, with a glass of Victor’s signature mulled wine.

Water Street Cafe

300 Water St., Vancouver

604-689-2832 waterstreetcafe.ca

This place is across from the Gastown steam clock, so will tourists gather for the hourly steam whistle, even on Christmas? There are several seatings, starting as early as 2 p.m. They plan to have live music, as is common here.

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