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Sophie's Cosmic Café
With its museum of garage sale kitsch lining the walls, local legend Sophie's is a cheery diner with burgers, club sandwiches and big-ass milkshakes dominating the menu. There are also a few off-message gems such as BC oyster burgers. A highly popular breakfast and brunch spot - expect to queue on weekends - it's also worth dropping by mid-afternoon for some truck-stop coffee and a slice of pyramid-sized apple pie.
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Stanley's Park Bar & Grill
Overlooking the gardens and close to the Malkin Bowl outdoor theater, this new casual bar and restaurant in the Tudor-style pavilion building has the park's biggest patio. The interior is all about rustic chic and the menu is a smorgasbord of high-end comfort food such as prime rib burgers and salmon ciabattas. Equally good for an end of day beer, the bar's regional microbrews include the recommended Red Truck Lager.
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Sushi Aoki
A tiny restaurant with and extensive menu, Sushi Aoki is a fancy-free, recommended nook that knows exactly how to do the business. Using only the freshest fish (it flies in what it can't source locally), the chefs artfully craft rolls such as the signature shrimp with mayonnaise and apricot sauce and the fab rainbow roll of salmon, clam, tuna and sea bass. Ask for menu recommendations from the friendly owners.
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Templeton
A funky chrome and vinyl '50s diner with a twist, Templeton chefs up plus-sized organic burgers, addictive fries, vegetarian quesadillas and perhaps the best hangover cure in town - try the 'Big Ass Breakfast' and you won't need to eat for days. Sadly, the mini jukeboxes on the tables don't work, but you can console yourself with a waistline-busting chocolate ice cream float. Beer here is of the local microbrew variety.
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The Mouse And The Bean Café
Tucked under the rust-colored heritage Dominion Building, you'll find this great-value family-run Mexican joint. Everything - including the salsa and refried beans - is lovingly made in-house and the prices are eye-openingly low, which probably explains why the floor is still unfinished concrete. There are lots of vegetarian options - ask at the counter for tips on what to try. The feast-like Plato Mixteco is ideal if you want to share.
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Tojo's
Hidekazu Tojo's legendary skill with the sushi knife has created Vancouver's most revered sushi restaurant. Among his exquisite dishes are favorites such as lightly steamed monkfish, sautéed halibut cheeks and fried red tuna wrapped with seaweed and served with plum sauce. Seats at the sushi bar are more sought after than a couple of front-row Stanley Cup tickets, so reserve as early as possible.
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Tomahawk Restaurant
A blast from Vancouver's pioneering past, the family-owned Tomahawk has been heaping local diners' plates with comfort food since 1926. An excellent weekend breakfast spot - if the giant Yukon bacon and eggs grease-fest doesn't kill your hangover, nothing will - it's also great for lunch or dinner, when chicken potpies and organic meatloaf hit the menu. As you waddle back out the door, check out the First Nations artifacts lining the walls.
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Vij's
Sleek modern Vij's is the high-water mark of contemporary East Indian cuisine, fusing regional ingredients, global flourishes and classic ethnic dishes to produce an array of innovative flavors. The unique and highly popular results range from wine-marinated 'lamb popsicles' to halibut, mussels and crab in a tomato-ginger curry. Reservations are not accepted, so if you don't want to line up, there's Rangoli, Vij's own take-out café next door.
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Waazubee Café
One of the Drive's most popular hangouts, bohemian WaaZuBee outfits itself with huge painted murals, velvet curtains and recycled metal sculptures - check out that spoon chandelier. An equally eclectic menu (including plenty of vegetarian options) runs from sesame tuna sashimi to grilled portobello mushroom burgers and maple-soy wild salmon. There's also a good selection of regional beers, including Storm Scottish Ale, made just down the road.
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West
This multi-award-winning favorite - a regular winner in local 'Restaurant of the Year' contests - combines crisp, friendly service with the kind of exquisite dishes that make you happy to unleash your credit card. While Pacific Northwest treats such as bison and pork cheeks are delicately prepared and architecturally presented, it's the seafood that wins the day: try the blackened lingcod with tiny chanterelles and you'll be in foodie heaven.
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Wild Rice
East meets west here in a loungey, minimalist reinvention of the traditional Chinese restaurant. Fusing classic dishes with unexpected culinary influences from around the world - think tuna tataki (lightly seared tuna) lettuce wraps or wild boar with jasmine rice and plantain chips - this is a popular late-night hangout on weekends. Once you're done stuffing your face, you can work your way through the comprehensive martini list.
