56 VANMAG.COM MAY 2017
CINCIN: ARIANA GILLRIE; HAWKSWORTH: MARTIN TESSLERBest Upscale
Hawksworth
801 W Georgia St.
hawksworthrestaurant.com
CinCin
1154 Robson St.
cincin.net
Bauhaus
1 W Cordova St.
bauhaus-restaurant.com
HONOUR ABLE MENTIONS
The Pear Tree, Cioppino’s
Mediterranean Grill and Enoteca2
3One might imagine that in a year that
saw many key individuals spending
time at chef Dav id Hawkswor th’s
upstart Nightingale, the chef’s
namesake restaurant might slip just
a bit. Not a chance. Hawksworth,
this categor y’s reig ning champ (it’s
won Best Upscale every year since it
opened in 2011) continues to perfect a
mélange of imaginative food, an amaz-
ing wine list and note-perfect service
that make it the obvious choice when
the occasion—be it a 50th wedding
anniversary or an impromptu Tuesday
night—demands that everything be
just so. Silver goes to the resurgent
CinCin, which proves that a dedicated
team can turn any room around, while
bronze goes to the often-overlooked
Bauhaus, a restaurant that’s working
hard to bring an elevated experi-
ence to uber-casual Gastown.Le Crocodile
909 Burrard St.
lecrocodilerestaurant.com
L’A b a t t o i r
217 Carrall St.
labattoir.ca
Au Comptoir
2278 W 4th Ave.
aucomptoir.ca
HONOUR ABLE MENTIONS
Bistro Wagon Rouge,
Les Faux BourgeoisBest
French
2
3French food was once the forgot-
ten cuisine in our town, but the
last few years have seen a great
resurgence in a more ca sua l ta ke on
Gallic fare. Yet when push comes
to shove, the judges still bow to
the classical perfection practised
by Michel Jacob and his team
at the superlative Le Crocodile.
Silver goes to L’A b a t t o i r’s decid-
edly more modern ta ke on French,
whereas the bronze will go nicely
with Au Comptoir’s zinc-topped
bar in the excellent brasserie.Best
Italian
CinCin
1154 Robson St.
cincin.net
Cioppino’s Mediterranean
Grill and Enoteca
1133 Hamilton St.
cioppinosyaletown.com
La Quercia
3689 W 4th Ave.
laquercia.com
HONOUR ABLE MENTIONS
Cinara, Giardino2
3Well, this is a surprise. This year we
combined the best upscale Italian and
best casual Italian categories, and
the end result is that neither defend-
ing champion triumphed. Instead
it’s CinCin, a Vancouver institution
that most judges agreed was only a
few years ago verging on tourist-trap
territory. Chef Andrew Richardson
has reinvigorated the Robson Street
room w ith a combo of open fl ame and
attention to detail. Runner-up Ciop-
pino’s still for many sets the standard
for classically prepared Italian dishes,
while the regional La Quercia (Bronze)
continues to r ule the west side w ith
its mixture of rustic and refi ned.