Eaters Gotta Eat: Chupito Owner-Operator Tara Davies’ Fave Eats in Vancouver

“Apparently I don’t dine anywhere with more than 30 seats,” realizes Tara Davis with a laugh. We’ve quickly discovered that her go-to list of spots largely taps into the “comfort and service found in the flow of a small room,” and we simply can’t argue with that. Read on to find out where the owner-operator of Michelin-recognized Chupito (which turns five this year), brand director of La Taqueria, and our crowned 2025 Bartender of the Year is eating and drinking around town right now.

Gary’s on Twelfth

1485 West 12th Ave.
“Gary’s is a forever favourite, I just went last night. My go-to is always the chicken liver pate,” says Davies. “The toppings always change but generally it has a compote, and is served on their sourdough. That, paired with a nice white wine as per yesterday, is a really nice time.”

Nomo Nomo

1268 Commercial Dr.
For cocktails you may well find Davies at this small-room, Izakaya-vibe spot with The Keefer alums mixing it up behind the bar. She orders a Tonka, made with vanilla rooibos-infused Suntory Toki whisky. “It’s a forced-carb highball [a method used to force-carbonate a cocktail in its entirety instead of adding soda water] and if Lucas is feeling extra-nice he’ll make me a mezcal cocktail because we have an equal love for mezcal.”

Cindy’s Palace

1796 Nanaimo St.
“Cindy’s Palace is the elite dumpling maker, honestly. For some reason her steamed shrimp dumplings are so good, the glutinous rice, the calamari. Also she is such a queen—she’s always there. She really runs that room.” It’s also nostalgic for Davies, who grew up going for dim sum with her family every Sunday. They’d then hit Granville Island after to buy ingredients for dinner that night. 

Niwa

1875 Powell St.
“That’s been a hot block lately,” says Davies of the Powell Street corridor that’s popping off with exciting restos. “Visiting Niwa was the first time in a long time I was blown away by a meal.” The personalized service, the martinis, the humble chef (Darren Gee) and the seasonal plates and drinks—sake infused with sakura, a dish with edible magnolia petals—had her hooked. “One really memorable dish was rice with egg three ways: poached eggs, salmon eggs and mayonnaise made with eggs.” Chef’s kiss.

Nero Tondo

1879 Powell St.
On that same block is Nero Tondo run by Acorn alums Devon Latte and Lucas Johnston. “Any salad they touch will be gold—they made me fall in love with salads again. They also forage most of their ingredients and work with local farmers and producers, and that’s a very cool thing especially in this current climate we are in. It’s also a tiny space, so they cook right in front of you. It’s so personalized.”

Cowdog

Various Locations
“Their frozen matcha with strawberries is just next-level,” says Davies, who also applauds their stance in the community. “It’s so refreshing as a small business owner to hear somebody talking about things so openly [like finances, on their Instagram account]. Plus the staff there seem to thoroughly enjoy the model, and their workspace, which is obviously showing a properly run space.”

Fife

64 East 3rd Ave.
Conveniently nearby Chupito, Fife is her latte go-to and Davies just started working with the team to reuse their beans, infusing them into one of Chupito’s clarified negronis. “The bread is also so good, and my PR team likes the matcha.”

Mortadella

915 Main St.
“I went for the mortadella sandwich, and it was amazing, but the meatball sandwich really blew me away. They make their focaccia right there too. It’s also intimate, and their branding is so eye-catching.”

Dynasty Seafood Restaurant

108-777 W. Broadway
“I tried their Weekend Buns for the first time recently and they reminded me of the concha buns I used to eat while living in Mexico—you know, those sweet buns with a hard-ish top baked on. These are similar, but with BBQ pork inside.”

Sushi Hil

3330 Main St.
“Their oysters are amazing, but also any of their sashimi. I usually get their Chef Sashimi Platter, but it’s all good. Chef Hilary is amazing.”

Chupito

2450 Yukon St.
What’s she ordering at her own establishment, we had to ask? “When I stay for dinner and take a seat—which is rare, usually I’m, like, eating a taco over the garbage can—but when I stay I get the whole fish, six cold oysters, and the featured tostado. Right now it’s jaiba, which is like a stewed crab. As for cocktails, we really focus on low-waste cocktails. So, for example, if our chef used blood orange, we’ll take the rest and make a blood orange cocktail.” Myriad delicious techniques abound behind the bar: fat-washing, forced-carbonation, quick-infusions with iSi whips, and sous-pression. Yes, we had to Google a couple of these terms after the interview, and we’re glad we did. Cheers!