Gold: Annalena
Extra-special occasions call for extra-special restaurants, and our Best Upscale winners are happy to take on the responsibility of hosting your most important meals. AnnaLena, a west side treasure and a usual suspect on our annual list of awardees, takes gold. But the win didn’t come easy—one judge was quick to point out that it’s not past accolades that make AnnaLena extraordinary, it’s that the restaurant “continues to impress time and time again.” The dry-aged lamb saddle with ajvar and cauliflower, and the sweet onion and bacon tart with Munster cheese are recent favourites, and the so-good-they-couldn’t-dare-take-it-off-the-menu torn bread has earned icon status. It’s obvious that chef Michael Robbins doesn’t rest on his laurels (like winning both a Michelin star and our Restaurant of the Year award two years in a row), he runs farther and faster: AnnaLena’s dessert is, fittingly, served on the sole of a shoe.
1809 W 1st Ave.
annalena.ca
Silver: Okeya Kyujiro
While our gold recipient embraces a quirky charm, silver winner Okeya Kyujiro leans into honest grandeur. Most omakase experiences could be considered dinner and a show, as each small plate is prepared right in front of diners, but this spot takes the entertainment up a notch with interactive theatrical experiences like live music, Buddhist chanting and demonstrations of traditional art. In the hands of a less-knowledgeable team it could be gimmicky, but this show is just as authentic as the ingredients are: nearly all the 20-plus courses are made with fish and produce straight out of Japan. The menu changes often, but the delicate chawanmushi, meticulously prepared nigiri and hot ramen bowls are always on point.
1038 Mainland St.
okeya.ca
Bronze (tie!): Published on Main and Elisa
Bronze is a tie, awarded to both Published on Main and Elisa, the former a rich and rebellious eatery with dishes like Dungeness crab with green grapes and koji and the latter a stalwart steakhouse grilling grass-fed rib eyes and 40-day dry-aged striploin.
Published on Main
3593 Main St.
publishedonmain.com
Elisa
1109 Hamilton St.
elisasteak.com
Honourable Mentions
St. Lawrence
269 Powell St.
stlawrencerestaurant.com
Mott 32
1161 W Georgia St.
mott32.com
