World Cup Vancouver: 20 restaurants within a 10-minute walk of B.C. Place
If fans need of food and drink before or after the FIFA World Cup games in Vancouver, we’re here to say we got you covered with suggestions for restaurants which are a 10-minute or less walk to or from B.C. Place.
Parq Casino, for instance, is so close that with parkour skills, you could vault onto the B.C. Place rooftop from terraces at some of their venues. They’re prepped for onslaughts at The Victor, Honey Salt and D/6 Lounge venues, courting soccer fans with extra TV screens, soccer decor, sporty menu additions, customized soccer jerseys and welcome mats for canine soccer fans. They’re braced for impact thanks to previous human tsunami experiences, like the Taylor Swift quake.
On Robson Street, Domenico Morra, who runs Dante Italian Sandwiches and Straight Outta Brooklyn pizza shop, says they’ve been World Cup planning for a couple of months with staffing the major challenge.
“We’re just all hands on deck with everyone contributing. We usually close at 7 p.m. but we’ll be open an extra couple of hours.” His Italian DNA makes him a super soccer fan. “Italy’s not playing, so thankfully I won’t feel conflicted,” he says. “I’ll be rooting for Canada.”
Here’s a roundup of 20 places where soccer fans can find a meal and a drink or two. I’ve included the time, by foot, to walk to B.C. Place, according to Google Maps:
Bam Bam
160 West Georgia St. (four-minute walk)
A newbie from the lit company that dropped Nemesis and Dope Bakery. This one offers primo chicken sandos, and primo doughnuts accessorized with mind benders such as gochujang, black garlic and pork belly. Or simple maple syrup.
Chambar
568 Beatty St. (seven-minute walk)
Belgian-inspired food, consistently sharp for 22 years. Mussels come three ways. Order it with fries for the moules frites experience. The braised lamb shank with honey, figs, cinnamon, almond, and couscous is a winner.
D/6 Lounge
39 Smithe St. (four-minute walk)
The indoor/outdoor D/6 Lounge sits under the eaves of B.C. Place, close enough to take in live action molecules. On offer are light bites like chicken karaage and bigger ones like the wagyu burger and herb-brined half chicken. And, of course, great cocktails.
Dante Italian Sandwich
360 Robson St. (four-minute walk)
Elbows in! It’s cramped but the Morra brothers pile a lot of Italian love between schiacciata Tuscan bread. For soccer, the hot and spicy Inferno revs up fire power. But I’m cleaved to the Mortazza with mortadella, cheese, basil spread and pistachio.
Devil’s Elbow Smoke and Ale House
562 Beatty St. (seven-minute walk)
Craft beers, cocktails and BBQ dishes, like pork back ribs, beef brisket and sliders. Meat sourced from Jackson’s Butcher in Kits.
Dirty Apron Deli
540 Beatty St. (eight-minute walk)
From Tuesday to Friday, Dirty Apron offers impressive lunch-time sandwiches (like Montreal smoked meat, crab and shrimp) and bowl foods. It’s in a cool, textured heritage building.
Fanny Bay Oyster Bar
762 Cambie St. (three-minute walk)
Great shellfish selection and other seafood dishes from a five-generation family of shellfish growers. There’ll be watch parties for all seven games, with extended hours. Their happy hour, from 2 to 6 p.m., is legendary.
Glowbal
590 West Georgia St. (nine-minute walk)
Go big with the Tuesday table-side prime rib carvery or the Thursday 34-oz grilled porterhouse. Or not. At lunch, $20 gets you a statuesque burger and beer.
Honey Salt
39 Smithe St. (four-minute walk)
Billed as a neighbourhood spot, it’s bright and warm with a menu for every need — breakfast, lunch, brunch, dinner, kids, happy hour. There’s even a yappy hour for dogs (patio only), where they’ll chomp 10 per cent off your food bill. And, oh ya, there’s a wee menu for Rover.
Jam Cafe
556 Beatty St. (seven-minute walk)
A fulsome breakfast menu that keeps on giving until 3 p.m. This squeeze box of an eatery has a permanent lineup composed of very patient people.
Kinton Ramen
420 Robson St. (five-minute walk)
Pick a pork, beef, chicken or veg broth, then add flavour (creamy, shoyu, miso, spicy), then noodle (thin, thick, shirataki), more add-ons, and you have yourself a personal ramen bowl. And there’s always specials, like the Burnt Shoyu ramen. Open to midnight. A chain with more than 50 locations in North America.
Koi Noodle Bar
39 Smithe St. (four-minute walk)
Unpretentious Asian comfort food. Build-your-own noodle soup or rice bowls along with main dishes like bulgogi, kung pao chicken, and pad krao pao. Open to 1 a.m.
Medina Cafe
780 Richards St. (seven-minute walk)
It’s a little bit Middle Eastern (tagine), a little bit Belgian (waffles), a little bit French (cassoulet), cherrypicking delicious bites from here and there. A charming place I never tire of.
Moltaqa Moroccan Restaurant
1002 Mainland St. (eight-minute walk)
Soul-satisfying dishes, aromatic with herbs and spices, like pastilla, tagine and kebabs. Such a deal on the tasting menus — $49 for four courses at dinner and $29 at lunch. Music and belly dancing in the evening.
Social Corner
891 Homer St. (seven-minute walk)
Mostly Italian, with pastas and pizzas but Spain snuck in the back doo with a couple of paella dishes. Vibrant, casual spot with patio.
Straight Outta Brooklyn
350 Robson St. (four-minute walk)
Another spot by the Morra brothers, and these pizzas are New York style — thin and crispy, wide wedgies, good for a grab and go. Wouldn’t you know, despite 15 choices, the Margherita’s the hot seller.
Tutto Italian Restaurant and Bar
901 Homer St. (seven-minute walk)
Classic Italian dishes in a modern setting with Renaissance style ceiling murals. Lunch, dinner and happy hour.
Valoroso Foods
1155 Pacific Blvd. (10-minute walk)
Order scrumptious Italian-style sandwiches or charcuterie at the counter. Add tiramisu. Grab a table amid the grocery shelves and have yourself an Italian moment.
The Victor
39 Smithe St. (four-minute walk)
This rooftop restaurant specializes in steaks but it shows a lot of love for seafood and sushi, too. The expansive and handsome room has a BBQ station, burrata bar and a personalized cocktail “atelier.”
Wren Cafe
280 Nelson St. (seven-minute walk)
“French-inspired” casual dining with healthy salads, brunchy bennies, wraps, flatbreads, croissant sandwiches and pastas. Desserts include sculpted fruit showpieces, encased in chocolate shells, like the one with Amalfi lemon mousse.
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