We recently perused the latest "Restaurant Awards Vancouver" and it tells the tale of superb diversity and world class culinary status. The awards included categories such as:

Best Formal Italian, Best Casual Italian, Best Other European, Best Formal French, Best Casual French, Best Formal Japanese, Best Casual Japanese, Best Seafood, Best Formal Chinese, Best Casual Chinese, Best Dim Sum, Best Indian, Best Korean, Best Thai, Best Vietnamese, Best Other Asian, Best of the Americas, Best BBQ, Best Steakhouse/Chops....and there are more such as Restaurant of the Year which by the way, is Cioppino's/Enoteca on Hamilton Street.

What really is mind boggling is that the runner-ups included resto's with world class reputations such as Blue Water Cafe, West, C and Vij's. The roster of chefs in these restaurants reads like an all star culinary team. How can you possibly go wrong when the people crafting your meal include the likes of Robert Belcham (Chef of the Year 2009), Rob Clark (Champion of Sustainable Seafood), Hidekazu Tojo (Grand Master of Sushi), Rob Feenie (of TV and Culinary Fame) and the trail blazing Umberto Menghi to name just a few. The tradition of excellence in Vancouver continues to impress.

Excellent food is just the start. Wine pairings determine the true success of a gourmet meal and Vancouver restaurants meet and exceed expectations when it comes to the expertise of the sommelier and the selection of wines from every esteemed wine making region in the world including the pride of British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley. In fact, a gold medal is sometimes insufficient to describe the strength of the wine lists involved. At the Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival, a platinum medal was awarded to the world renowned Blue Water Cafe! Gold medals were awarded to such well respected resto's as C-Restaurant, Cioppino's, Chambar, Fuel and Vij's.

You can find exactly what you want in this beautiful city in your price range or beyond and enjoy the culinary treats from anywhere in the world. Check it out.