Dine Out Vancouver: Top family-friendly restaurants
Tourism Vancouver’s Dine Out Vancouver Festival is back this winter from January 19th to February 4th. The 17-day culinary event will see some of the city’s top restaurants serving mouth-watering prix-fixe menus for lunch and dinner. If you’re looking for a kid-approved spot with a casual atmosphere and plenty of choices for picky eaters, book a table at these family-friendly restaurants. [Photo courtesy of Bufala]
Pizzeria Bufala
5395 W Boulevard, Vancouver, BC V6M 3W4This Kerrisdale gem might be off the beaten path, but that hasn’t stopped in-the-know foodies from making the trek to the ’hood – especially after it received a Best Pizza nod at the 2016 Vancouver Magazine Awards. The community-centric pizzeria is offering two Dine Out lunchtime menu options: $20 for two courses or $25 for three. To start, opt for salad (Bufala’s infamous kale Caesar is a must-try) or bison carpaccio and then move on to your choice of one of 10 Napolitana-style pizzas topped with artisanal ingredients like fennel sausage and Castelvetrano olives or English peas and truffle oil.
Edible Canada at the Market
1596 Johnston St, Vancouver, BC V6H 3S2Need a break after a busy afternoon at the Granville Island Kids Market? Grab a table and fuel up at Edible Canada. Farm-to-table is much more than a catchphrase here; it’s a true mission statement. Seasonal dishes are prepared with fresh ingredients that are sourced from ethical, sustainable Canadian suppliers. The $30 dinner menu will take you and your family on a culinary journey from coast to coast – think crispy oysters, bison tartare and much more. Wine pairings are available for grown-ups who want to sip vintages from B.C.’s vineyards.
Sea House Restaurant Ltd
1089 Marinaside Cres, Vancouver, BC V6Z 2Z4It might be the depths of winter, but we think gelato is always a good idea, especially when it’s from this award-winning gelateria in Yaletown. Bella Gelateria serves sweetness by the scoopful and is renowned for its handcrafted Old World gelato, which comes in creative flavours like black sesame, banana bread, and lavender and Earl Grey. This year’s three-course $30 Dine Out menu features an appetizer, dessert and three entrée choices: pizza, lasagna and ravioli. If the kids end up with a sugar high, get them to burn off their excess energy on the nearby seawall.
Tap & Barrel
1 Athletes Way, Vancouver, BC V5Y 0B1Vancouver is home to plenty of boutique microbreweries where you can indulge in craft beer snobbery. Unfortunately, not all of them offer a family-friendly atmosphere if you’ve got underage kiddies in tow. You can have the best of both worlds at Tap & Barrel in Olympic Village; the casual tap house offers waterfront views, a laid-back vibe, seasonal comfort foods and 24 brews on tap. The $30 Dine Out lunch and dinner menus include kid-friendly finger foods like fried pickles, hummus flatbread and chocolate cake! After your meal, drop in for playtime at nearby False Creek Community Centre.
Rocky Mountain Flatbread
4186 Main St, Vancouver, BC V5V 3P7Rocky Mountain Flatbread Co is a weeknight staple for Vancouver families. For this year’s Dine Out Vancouver festival, the beloved pizzeria (with locations in Kits, Mount Pleasant and at Park Royal) is offering a $20 three-course menu for lunch and dinner, as well as a special vegetarian menu. Select salad or soup to start followed by a traditional wood-fired flatbread pizza or a chef-prepared pasta. Desserts range from a double chocolate brownie to baked cheesecake to house-made sorbet. As an added bonus, gluten-free crusts are available and the kitchen is nut-free, making it a safe spot for those with allergies.
The Flying Beaver Bar
4760 Inglis Dr, Richmond, BC V7B 1W4Got a budding pilot in your family? Airplane buffs will get a kick out of watching the Harbour Air seaplanes taking off and landing from the windows at Flying Beaver Bar & Grill. The riverfront pub in Richmond is located on a well-travelled flight path along the Fraser River, while the kitchen serves West Coast seafood and upscale pub fare that’s exponentially better than any in-flight meal service – we’re talking glazed salmon, blackened barbecue chicken, grilled pork chops and more. With $20 Dine Out lunch and dinner menus on offer, this scenic spot delivers great value with a view.
The Old Spaghetti Factory
53 Water St, Vancouver, BC V6B 1A1There’s a reason the Old Spaghetti Factory screams family-friendly dining. This Gastown standby offers generous portions of reasonably priced Italian fare in a colourful – if somewhat cheesy – dining room. The crowd-pleasing spot is offering a wide-ranging three-course dinner menu during the Dine Out festival, with plenty of options to accommodate picky eaters. Opt for soup, salad or fries to start followed by your choice of entrée (spaghetti, linguine or chicken alfredo) and finish with a scoop of cake, tiramisu or cheesecake. Bonus: all meals come with complimentary bread plus tea or coffee.
Top of Vancouver Revolving Restaurant
555 Hastings St W, Vancouver, BC V6B 4N4Give the kids a meal to remember with a special night out at the Top of Vancouver Revolving Restaurant. The Dine Out dinner menu is on the pricier side at $40 per person, but you can’t beat the panoramic views of the city skyline and North Shore Mountains from 553 feet above the downtown core. The upscale continental menu – featuring options such as pan-seared duck breast, arctic char and barbecue back ribs – will challenge the kids to broaden their culinary horizons and give parents the opportunity to indulge in a refined family meal together at an iconic Vancouver landmark.
Trattoria Italian Kitchen
1850 4th Avenue W, Vancouver, BC V6J 1M3Part of Vancouver’s ubiquitous Glowbal restaurant group, Trattoria has all the makings of a homey neighbourhood gathering spot: the room is loud and lively, servers are friendly and accommodating, and the rustic Italian pastas are deliciously comforting on a cold winter’s day. The cuisine here is a little more elevated than your average cheap-and-cheerful family fare, but it’s definitely worth the extra cost. The $30 Dine Out dinner menu is bursting with sumptuous Mediterranean flavours: think mussels, clams and ling cod picatta.
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