Recently Recommended In URBAN DINER

CIBO TRATTORIA

900 Seymour, 604-683-4251, ModaHotel.ca

With award-winning sommelier and restaurateur Sebastian Le Goff running the show, and U.K. ex-pat chef Neil Taylor in the kitchen, this Moda Hotel jewel defies Italian-eatery conventions in terms of interior design, but on the plate there’s nothing but authenticity and skill. Taylor lets his impeccably fresh and local ingredients do the work — there seem to be no more than two or three dominant flavours per dish, and each one we tried shone brilliantly. Uva Wine Bar next door ensures there’ll always be something good to drink.

GO FISH!

1504 West 1st, 604-730-5040

It’s just a little corrugated-tin shack, tucked away next to Granville Island, but Go Fish! has been praised around Vancouver — and even by the New York Times — for its elevated take on fish and chips (fresh, beer-battered cod, halibut, and salmon). There are plenty of other draws, including the oyster po’ boy sandwich, albacore tuna burger, and salmon tacones. The chips, by the way, are addictive.

PING’S CAFE

2702 Main, 604-873-2702, PingsCafe.ca

Although its low-key exterior virtually begs you to ignore it, this izakaya — the first in the neighbourhood — deserves plenty of attention. Once inside, Ping’s dreamy interior and smart menu, in which Japanese ingredients play up decidedly American themes, prove a welcoming combination. Try the Ping Dog bratwurst (with citrus soy and spiced daikon) and fries with yoshoku sauce and nori-flecked mayo, or black cod sweetened with a miso-teriyaki sauce.

TRATTORIA ITALIAN KITCHEN

1850 West 4th, 604-732-1441

TrattoriaKitchen.ca

The Glowbal Group, which opened the original Italian Kitchen on Alberni Street in 2007, knows which way Vancouver’s restaurant winds blow like few others, so it opened this namesake eatery in the midst of West 4th’s bustling restaurant renaissance. The atmosphere and value at this sexy space are as good as it gets, and the food — usually solid but rarely transcendent in the Glowbal domain — exceeds expectations: from the starters to myriad pastas and pizza, you’ll find reasonable facsimiles of Mama-esque authenticity.

REVEL

238 Abbott, 604-687-4088

RevelRoom.ca

Revel has a lot going for it: a great Gastown location, just outside Blood Alley; a lovely interior; and co-owners who share considerable experience in the city’s restaurant scene. While the menu trots around the globe, this isn’t fusion fare — most dishes are inspired by one particular part of the world. Small plates seem to have a leg up on the mains: “Chinatown” fried rice came heaped with veggies, “Hawker Style” satays offered a pleasing combination of chicken and prawn, and shrimp-and-jalapeño fritters proved addictive. Well-constructed beer, wine and cocktail lists seal the deal.

HY’S ENCORE

637 Hornby, 604-683-7671

HysSteakhouse.com

There is an older demographic still clinging to a Vancouver dining scene that’s long gone and never coming back — and Hy’s is its last redoubt. With its wood-paneled walls and gold-framed portraits, this steakhouse is an exercise in time travel, but the place still draws the crowds (old and young) by doing what it’s always done, and doing it very well: Caesar salad, French onion soup, plenty of beef, and carb-heavy sides. Service is as pro as it gets.

CONNIE’S COOK HOUSE

2135 West 4th, 604-738-0980

This easy-to-miss spot in Kitsilano specializes in Cantonese and Szechuan cuisines, with a menu groaning under the weight of over 100 items. The room is almost cartoon-like in its efforts to put guests at ease (worn hardwood floors, forest-green beams and arches, a soundtrack of classical music mixed with birdsong), and while the food is far from exemplary, it’s similarly comforting — especially given the prices. Good bets include Kung Po squid, Chinese sausage with snow peas, and shaved beef with black-pepper sauce. Owner Connie Su is a constant — and charming — presence.