Restaurant suggestions in Vancouver

December 18, 2009 1:40 AM

I'm turning 16 this weekend, and decided to get together with some friends for dinner. Problem is, I have no idea where to go. Suggest a Vancouver restaurant for five 16-18 year olds on a Sunday night?

A few requirements:

-The absolute max. budget is $30 per person, preferably lower
-Some choice for vegetarians
-Preferably in either kits or downtown (gastown, maybe?)
-Cuisine/atmosphere usually described as American/Lounge would work best, I think. If you have any other suggestions, though, shoot!

I hope that there's at least somewhere out there which matches my specifications!

posted by csjc to Food & Drink (7 answers total)

Brown's Social House in Yaletown or Kitsilano? The Yaletown location is not listed on their website for some reason but it's at 1165 Mainland, near the new skytrain station in Yaletown.
posted by sadtomato at 6:20 AM on December 18, 2009

Brown's in Yaletown is now called The Hub. It's still fairly similar, though...
posted by Jon Mitchell at 6:40 AM on December 18, 2009

This doesn't exactly fit what you are asking for, but hands-down the best restaurant I went to in Vancouver was Vij's.

I was there for a few days recently and had a chance to try out many of the spots. Vij's had the ambiance we were looking for. Although, not a lounge, they do not take reservations. So, the area where you are waiting is effectively a lounge atmosphere. There you can sit, order beverages, and nosh on free appetizers.

Also, the restaurant itself is pretty loud, with nice music, and open late.

Food is spectacular and of course there should be plenty of vegetarian choices.
posted by copernicus at 7:35 AM on December 18, 2009

The Foundation, at Main and 7th.
posted by jokeefe at 10:02 AM on December 18, 2009 [2 favorites]

Or, also in Mt. Pleasant (in fact right across the road) is Wallflower. They do a great line in reasonably priced comfort food, with updated diner decor. It's comfortable and run by a local young couple. Foundation is hipper, with (sometimes too loud but then I'm old) music and tattooed/dreadlocked waitstaff and a full range of vegan/vegetarian options. It's very popular; expect a line on weekends and even some weekday evenings. Both places are within a couple of blocks of Main and Broadway and so are very easy to get to.

If you want to stick downtown and are interested in Asian food, there's a hundred places to get big cheap bowls of soup and/or sushi; for upscale Japanese, try Robson Street.

On Granville, there's the The Templeton-- another retro diner-ish place with superb garlic mashed potatoes.
posted by jokeefe at 10:13 AM on December 18, 2009

I would avoid Gastown, to be honest-- too much a tourist trap, and unless you're into eating at the Spaghetti Factory (or spending a lot of money at the expensive restaurants in the neighbourhood) I'd give it a miss. (Also, and this is my maternal side talking, even in a group, as a young person you probably don't want to venture too close to that part of Hastings Street.)

There are a variety of Asian places on Broadway in Kits; one place I do not recommend, and which seems to be inexplicably popular, is the Naam. It's open 24 hours, and the place itself is funky in the best way, but the menu hasn't changed since 1975 and they put alfalfa sprouts on everything.
posted by jokeefe at 10:17 AM on December 18, 2009

And my last post, honest-- I think The Templeton is your best bet.
posted by jokeefe at 10:18 AM on December 18, 2009