Caffe de Medici
109-1025 Robson St.
604-669-9322
Credit cards accepted: American Express, Diners Club, MasterCard, Visa
Price range: Expensive
Cuisine type: Northern Italian
Contemporary elegance and Old World charm blend here to form a setting that makes any meal seem like a special occasion. Seasonal fare might include tartar of salmon served with lemons, chives, and Dijon mustard and finished with Russian caviar; rabbit stewed in red wine served over noodles; or lamb braised in red wine and roasted garlic served with rosemary polenta. Reservations are advised.

CinCin Ristorante
1154 Robson St.
604-688-7338
Credit cards accepted: American Express, Diners Club, MasterCard, Visa
Price range: Expensive
Cuisine type: Italian
Warm Mediterranean colors and a heated dining terrace create an alluring ambience. The menu ranges include antipasto, pasta, pizza, alderwood-grilled seafood and meats, breads, pastries, and ice cream prepared in-house. For something a little different, try the rotisserie game hen with sun-dried cherry and grappa sauce. Reservations are advised.

Delilah's
1789 Comox St.
604-687-3424
Credit cards accepted: American Express, MasterCard, Visa
Price range: Expensive
Cuisine type: Continental, Asian, Fusion
By candlelight, the decor resembles an expensive bordello with dark velvet draperies and golden cherubim. Delilah's has a reputation as a place to have fun and enjoy good food. Begin with a selection from the extensive martini menu. Reservations are not accepted for parties under six.

Farrago
1138 Homer St.
604-684-4044
Credit cards accepted: American Express, MasterCard, Visa
Price range: Moderate
Cuisine type: French, Italian, Spanish, Mediterranean
Farrago means melange, which is an appropriate description of a menu that includes dishes of French, Italian, Spanish, and Mediterranean influence. If weather permits, have tapas or pizza in the pleasant courtyard or feast indoors on cranberry-glazed roasted salmon on wild rice tossed with pecans, grilled osso buco (braised veal shanks in white wine) on herb and parmesan risotto, or slow-roasted duck stuffed with red onion and pickled figs. Reservations are advised.

The Fish House in Stanley Park
8901 Stanley Park Dr.
604-681-7275, 877-681-7275
Credit cards accepted: American Express, Diners Club, Discover, MasterCard, Visa
Price range: Expensive
Cuisine type: Seafood
This is in a cozy, Cape-Cod-style house overlooking parklands and English Bay. Emphasis is on seafood, with lunch offerings such as fish bowls, fresh oysters, and flaming prawns. The menu also includes non-seafood selections. A favorite dessert is the chocolate lava cake. Reservations are advised.

Hermitage Restaurant
115-1025 Robson St.
604-689-3237
Credit cards accepted: American Express, Diners Club, MasterCard, Visa
Price range: Very Expensive
Cuisine type: French
Owner Herve Martin, once chef to King Leopold of Belgium, continues to treat his guests like royalty. His meals combine traditional and innovative elements: goat-cheese salad, lobster terrine, duck breast with Armagnac sauce, and rack of lamb with Dijon-mustard crust. His intimate restaurant is reminiscent of a French country home, with brick walls, a fireplace, and antique furnishings. Reservations are advised.

Hy's Encore
637 Hornby St.
604-683-7671
Credit cards accepted: American Express, Diners Club, MasterCard, Visa
Price range: Moderate
Cuisine type: Steakhouse, American
For more than 35 years, Hy's has been serving charcoal-broiled steaks and prime rib in an atmosphere of comfortable elegance. Caesar salad is prepared tableside and is paired with the restaurant's signature cheese bread. Reservations are advised.

Imperial Chinese Seafood Restaurant
355 Burrard St.
604-688-8191
Credit cards accepted: American Express, Diners Club, MasterCard, Visa
Price range: Expensive
Cuisine type: Chinese, Seafood
Elegant dining rooms of various sizes offer views of Burrard Inlet. Shark's fin soup is a good or pan-fried scallops deep fried and flavored with coconut milk. Non-seafood and vegetarian dishes also are available, and dim sum is served at lunch. Reservations are advised.

Liliget Feast House and Catering
1724 Davie St.
604-681-7044, 888-681-7044
Credit cards accepted: American Express, Diners Club, MasterCard, Visa
Price range: Expensive
Cuisine type: Northwest, Native American
Liliget is inspired by the interior of a Coast Salish long house, with cedar tables and benches and First Nations art. The menu features traditional native dishes adapted for today's palates, including alderwood-grilled salmon, smoked candlefish, steamed ferns, juniper-berry sauce, and plum and rosemary compote. Reservations are advised.

Mangiamo Ristorante
1116 Mainland St.
604-687-1116
Credit cards accepted: American Express, MasterCard, Visa
Price range: Expensive
Cuisine type: Italian
The refined decor is classical with a modern twist: terra cotta-tile floors, dark wood fittings, stained-glass lampshades, and white linen. The food suits the decor. There is beef tenderloin with candied orange, chili and roasted garlic glaze on pancetta and mashed potatoes; or braised monkfish with spicy Italian sausage and vegetables. Weather permitting, a garden patio is open. Reservations are advised.

Mulvaney's Restaurant
1535 Johnston St.
604-685-6571
Credit cards accepted: American Express, Diners Club, MasterCard, Visa
Price range: Moderate
Cuisine type: Pacific Northwest, Cajun, Creole
In the ambience of an old southern mansion, diners can sample Creole and Cajun variations such as Jumbalaya Jackson, rack of lamb Lafayette, and Pacific-Northwest staples such as crusted Arctic char. Reservations are advised.

The Old Spaghetti Factory
53 Water St.
604-684-1288
Credit cards accepted: American Express, MasterCard, Visa
Price range: Inexpensive
Cuisine type: Italian, American
This is the original Old Spaghetti Factory, started by the Pulos brothers in 1970. They placed tables inside a 1904 streetcar, which is in the center of a former warehouse, surrounded the tables with antique furnishings, and started serving up uncomplicated meals. Entrees (all combined with a green salad, sourdough bread, spumoni ice cream, and coffee or tea) include pasta, lasagna, veal, chicken, and steak.

The Raintree at the Landing
375 Water St.
604-688-5570
Credit cards accepted: American Express, Diners Club,MasterCard, Visa
Price range: Expensive
Cuisine type: Seafood
The Raintree at the Landing is one of Vancouver's award-winning restaurants. In addition to the sumptuous seafood, they offer a fabulous wine list.

Romano's Macaroni Grill
1523 Davie St.
604-689-4334
Credit cards accepted: American Express, Diners Club, MasterCard, Visa
Price range: Moderate
Cuisine type: Italian
The setting is a 100-year-old Gabriola Mansion, with such features as wood paneling, stone fireplaces, and stained-glass windows. Yet amidst this entire heritage, the atmosphere is lively and casual. Cooks prepare meals in an open kitchen, and opera-singing servers deliver the pasta.

Seasons in the Park
Cambie St. and 33rd Ave.
604-874-8008, 800-632-9422
Credit cards accepted: American Express, MasterCard, Visa
Price range: Moderate
Cuisine type: Pacific Northwest
A glass-surrounded gazebo with wall-to-wall windows and tiered seating in the main dining room ensure a panoramic view of downtown Vancouver and the North Shore Mountains beyond. Entrees such as rack of lamb, fresh salmon, and maple-roasted free-range chicken convey the flavors of the region. Reservations are advised.

Steamworks
375 Water St.
604-689-2739
Credit cards accepted: American Express, MasterCard, Visa
Price range: Moderate
Cuisine type: Pizza, International, Brew Pub
Steamworks is a combination brewpub and restaurant with the comfortable ambiance of a home recreation room complete with fireplace, pool tables, leather sofa, and easy chairs. Beer is brewed on site (with the same steam line that operates Gastown's steam clock heating the mash tun and brew kettle) and pizzas are baked in a wood-burning oven. Entrees range from Santa Fe chicken to Hawaiian swordfish.

The Teahouse Restaurant
7501 Stanley Park Dr.
604-669-3281, 800-280-9893
Credit cards accepted: American Express, MasterCard, Visa
Price range: Moderate
Cuisine type: Pacific Northwest
Perched on a bluff between the park's towering evergreens and English Bay, the heritage Ferguson Point Teahouse has been remodeled and a conservatory added to accommodate gracious dining with a view. Carrot soup is a popular starter. Entrees include salmon tournedos, rack of lamb, and Asian duck. And to finish, don't miss the torta Milano, the Belgian chocolate truffle torte, or the almond mascarpone mousse. Reservations are advised.

The William Tell Restaurant
765 Beatty St.
604-688-3504
Credit cards accepted: All Major
Price range: Moderate/Expensive
Cuisine type: American, Continental
Situated in the core of Vancouver's entertainment district, The William Tell has been home to pre-show dinners and fine dining for more than 35 years. Two rooms, the Crossbow and the Club, are both available for larger groups and private functions.

Yaletown Brewing Company
1111 Mainland St.
604-681-2739
Credit cards accepted: American Express, MasterCard, Visa
Price range: Moderate
Cuisine type: Pizza, Pacific Northwest
This bright, lively restaurant--complete with an open kitchen--serves freshly made breads and pastas, pizzas cooked in a wood-fired oven, and large portions of grilled meats. A brick terrace in front is a popular place to people-watch while dining al fresco in the summer months. Reservations are advised.