A longtime proponent of seasonal, local cuisine, John Bishop was a chef before opening his namesake restaurant in 1985. The walls of this light-filled 40-seat restaurant are adorned with contemporary and First Nations artwork and the tables are draped with crisp white linens. Bishop's is a Vancouver institution—both for the friendliness of its host (Bishop is the slight, gray-haired man with glasses warmly greeting diners) and for its fresh, inventive menus, which change weekly. Executive chef Andrea Carlson's haute-barnyard menu is almost 100 percent organic; the kitchen even butchers whole animals and makes charcuterie. Petite Kumamotos and a sake-pear granita take the oyster experience to a whole new level. Other standouts include spotted shrimp, a local prawn with a delicate flavor and firm texture; mussels with noodles and tarragon butter; and a tender duck breast paired with a duck confit empanada. All the desserts are impeccable, but don't miss the elegant apple-rhubarb galette with salted butter caramel. The wine list is eclectic, with local and imported choices and an emphasis on half bottles. On the way out, pick up a copy of one of Bishop's five user-friendly cookbooks.—Kasey Wilson

Open daily 5:30 to 11 pm. Closed two weeks in January

Super-slick C (a play on "sea") is dramatically designed, with a mezzanine level overlooking a white-on-white main dining room, theater-style spotlights, and enormous two-story windows with views over False Creek and the outdoor terrace. Executive chef Robert Clark and chef de cuisine Quang Dang's sustainable and creative seafood dishes measure up to the setting. The fresh B.C. oysters are served with an array of unusual sauces, such as Gala apple mignonette and red pepper and horseradish jelly; crispy trout is paired with seared Bayne Sound scallops and wrapped in the restaurant's signature octopus bacon. The potato-crusted sockeye salmon, paired with Dungeness crab in a fir emulsion (yes, the tree), is just about perfection. Whatever the special is, order it. The seafood-friendly wine list focuses on sparklers and whites with crisp acidity, mostly from France, Germany, and North America.

Open Mondays through Fridays 11:30 am to 2:30 pm and 5 to 11 pm; Saturdays and Sundays 5 to 11 pm.

Belgian-inspired and perpetually packed with hip, youngish locals, Chambar has the feel of a Prohibition-era speakeasy. The dimly lit lounge area, with its exposed brick walls and dark leather sofas, is a scene unto itself; the bar serves 18 Belgian beers, including the custom-made Chambar Ale, as well as some very creative cocktails (try the Blue Fig—vodka infused with oven-roasted figs and served martini-style with a side of Danish blue cheese). In the dining area, where the walls function as a gallery space for local artists, the menu includes starters such as the deservedly popular moules frites, Madeira-braised rabbit cannelloni, and pan-seared scallops with chorizo and roasted hazelnut vinaigrette. If you order the braised lamb shank tagine entrée, which comes in a spicy sauce made with honey, figs, cinnamon, and cilantro, make sure you get some extra bread—you'll want it to mop your plate. For Vancouver's best breakfast, period, visit their Café Medina next door (556 Beatty St., 604-879-3114).

Open daily 5:30 pm to midnight.

Come early to score a table for lunch on the deck at Go Fish!, a humble seafood hut tucked into False Creek Fisherman's Wharf, where you can watch the daily catch being hoisted from fishing boats. Cod, halibut, and salmon are beer-battered in Granville Island lager, then snatched from the deep fryer at the instant of just-cooked perfection and served in bamboo steamers with fries and Asian slaw. The oyster po'boy—stuffed with three grilled Cortes Island beauties—and the cone-shaped fish tacones are irresistible. If you're planning to go after 5 pm, call ahead: Once the supplies are gone, so is the kitchen crew.—Kasey Wilson

Open Tuesdays through Fridays 11 am to 6:30 pm, Saturdays and Sundays noon to 6:30 pm.

Early 2009 saw two big New York chefs land in Vancouver: Daniel Boulud, who courted the press for months promoting the opening of his DB Bistro Moderne and takeover of Lumière, and Jean-Georges Vongerichten, who opened Market at the new Shangri-La Vancouver Hotel but kept the hype—and prices—relatively low. In an elegantly understated dining room dressed in taupes and grays, executive chef David Foot keeps the focus on purity of flavors, ably executing Vongerichten's dishes, many of them signatures from his other restaurants: black truffle and Fontina pizza, crispy Parmesan-crusted organic chicken, soy-glazed short ribs with apple-jalapeño puree, pavlova with passion fruit sorbet. All entrées are in the $20 range; the wine list, which emphasizes British Columbia wines, is also reasonably priced. But there's no compromise here, neither in the quality of ingredients nor the professionalism of the staff. The restaurant also comprises the Market Bar for light snacks and the Market Café for burgers and pizzas.—Kasey Wilson

Open Mondays through Fridays 11:30 am to 2:30 pm and 5:30 to 10:30 pm, Saturdays, 5:30 to 10:30 pm.

No kitchen, no chef, and a location in a scuzzy back alley in Gastown—Salt Tasting Room is an unlikely destination on Vancouver's culinary map. But this wine bar is a popular spot with local foodies, particularly chefs and kitchen crews. The room, with its zinc-topped bar, communal seating, and festive air, is dominated by a chalkboard listing local and international cheeses and cured meats, with a focus on excellent local producers like Granville Island's Oyama Meats. Order a trio of cheese and charcuterie, elevated with specialty sweet and lively condiments (honeycomb, grainy Guinness mustard, cipollini onions, Marcona almonds), and pair it with appealing sherries and (mostly red) wines; tasting flights educate the indecisive. The portions are small, so you might want to add an extra trio.—Kasey Wilson

Open daily noon to midnight.

The place to be at the Sandbar, a boisterous 300-seat Granville Island seafood spot, is the rooftop patio. Literally tucked beneath the Granville Bridge, it has gorgeous views of the city—plus heat lamps, a roaring fireplace, and blankets to wrap up in during the winter. No reservations are accepted on the roof, so if you can't come early to get a spot, grab a table in the beamed, lodgelike indoor dining room. Here, a crowd of tourists and locals tucks into small plates like crispy wok-fried squid and grilled scallop kebabs—average at best. Better bets include lobster pulled live from the tank, fresh-harvested mussels, and the house specialty: salmon fillet baked on a cedar plank and glazed with brown sugar, soy, and lemon. But the best-kept secret is the sushi bar downstairs run by Chef Hoshi, a contemporary of Tojo's, where the sushi prices start at $2.50.—Kasey Wilson

Open Sundays through Thursdays 11:30 am to 10 pm; Fridays and Saturdays 11:30 am to 11:00 pm. Sushi bar open Tuesdays through Saturdays 5:30 to 10:30 pm.

Hands-down the best sushi restaurant in Vancouver, Tojo's (named for owner-chef Hidekazu Tojo, known here as "Tojo-san") occupies a misleadingly industrial-looking space. The stark blue walls, warehouse-high ceilings, and enormous open kitchen are almost antithetical to the delicate, meltingly subtle dishes served. The menu of sushi rolls includes some deliciously local variations: The Great B.C. roll pairs barbecued salmon skin with cucumber slices, while the Pacific Northwest roll incorporates real crabmeat, scallops, avocado, and herring roe. Of the sashimi choices, the Tai Usuzukuri (thin slices of red snapper served with spicy daikon radish and ponzu sauce) is top-notch. To truly taste Tojo-san's culinary genius, though, reserve a seat at the omakase bar, where menus are banned. You'll discuss your likes and dislikes, any allergies, and budget ($50 and up) with the chef—who will then surprise you with an array of sashimi, sushi, and cooked dishes. The wine list needs some work, which may be why cold Masukagami sake is the hottest bottle to order.

Opens Mondays through Saturdays at 5 pm.