April’s Best Food Events in Vancouver—Where to Dine This Month

Our favourite season at Vancouver magazine is nearly upon us—and no, we don’t just mean “spring.” Next month, our 37th annual Vancouver Magazine Restaurant Awards take shape and everyone (that includes you!) gets to find out which Vancouver restaurants take Gold, Silver and Bronze across 50-plus culinary categories in the city. That said, while you can totally read up on the finalists before the big reveal (tickets are selling out fast, so if you want a front-row seat, you’d better get on it!), there are also tons of fab foodie collaborations, special menus and tastebud-tantalizing events to check out in April so you can experience the best meals in the city and see for yourself if our judges get it right next month.

First thing’s first—cherry blossom season is still going strong from the end of March, and you can find plenty of sakura-themed treats and bento boxes across the city.

Suyo con Amigos: Suyo X Pluvio

Chef Ricardo Valverde and the Suyo team welcome Chef Warren Barr of Ucluelet’s Pluvio restaurant and rooms to create an inspired West Coast-meets modern Peruvian menu in a one-night-only event. Only 40 seats are available per seating. The menu (including wine and cocktail pairings) will reflect a harmonious merge of Barr’s West Coast cuisine with the contemporary Peruvian fare that has earned Suyo multiple accolades (including Best Latin American in last year’s Restaurant Awards) and a solid reputation as one of Vancouver’s top spots.

Suyo (3475 Main St.)
Tuesday, April 7; 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. seatings
Tickets are available for purchase via OpenTable, here.

The House at Pooh Corner Afternoon Tea

We can’t get enough of dining activations inspired by timeless children’s stories, so H2’s afternoon tea based on the universe of Winnie the Pooh and the friends inside the Hundred Acre Wood has us looking forward to (delicious) whimsy. Adults and kids alike will relish in honey-filled eats, crafted bites and sips of tea set in the whimsical world of Pooh during an afternoon tea ($79 adults, $50 kids). 

H2 Kitchen and Bar at the Westin Bayshore (1601 Bayshore Dr.)
Saturdays and Sundays starting April 11
More details and reservations are available here.

Lee’s Donuts x Junbi Pop-Up

Vancouver donut stalwart Lee’s Donuts teams up with L.A. and Seattle-based matcha brand, Junbi, for a three-day pop-up. Junbi will be serving a curated menu of their signature matcha drinks (sourced directly from Japan), while Lee’s will have the full lineup of fresh donuts available.

Lee’s Donuts Gastown (199 Water St.)
April 3 to 5; Friday 12 noon to 4 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Hot Chefs and Cool Jazz

Talk about a star-studded collaboration! Twenty (yes, you read that right!) of B.C.’s most lauded chefs come together to create dishes for the Hot Chefs and Cool Jazz event in support of Culinary Team Canada, including 2025 Restaurant Awards Chef of the Year Angus An and Five Sails’ Chef Alex Kim. Enjoy live chef cooking stations and event exclusive dishes paired with award winning wines—all set to live jazz music.

 

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Fairmont Pacific Rim (1038 Canada Pl.)
April 10, 6:30 p.m./7:15 p.m.
Tickets Here

Kinton Ramen Celebrates 2 Year Anniversary

Move over, free Slurpee day! To celebrate two years in service,  Kinton Ramen Robson Street is offering their signature ramen all day for just $9.99. You’re probably going to have to line up for this one.

Kinton Ramen Robson (420 Robson St.)
Saturday, April 11, 11 a.m. to midnight

Chupito x Bar Bravo One Night Collaboration Dinner

For one night only, Bar Bravo and Chupito collaborate on a five-course dinner focused on Mexican coastal cuisine, cocktail pairings by 2025 Restaurant Awards Bartender of the Year Tara Davies along with Erick Vazquez and Bar Bravo’s Dani Hackenberg. The menu ($135 per person) highlights seafood-driven dishes with citrus, chiles and herbs, offering a focused and contemporary take on regional flavours by Bar Bravo’s Chef Erick Iniquez Bar and Chupito’s Chef Maria Ponce.

Bar Bravo (4194 Fraser St.)
Monday, April 13, 5 p.m.
Tickets here

Bodega Garzón Winemaker’s Dinner

Uruguay’s celebrated LEED-certified sustainable winery, Bodega Garzón is about to make a splash at Hydra for an intimate five-course winemaker’s dinner. A five-course Mediterranean menu (including scallop ceviche, grilled octopus and braised lamb) are paired with standout bottles from Bodega Garzón’s catalogue.

 

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Hydra Estiatorio Mediterranean and Wine Bar (825 W Pender St., 2nd Floor)
Wednesday, April 15;  6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Tickets here

Botanist’s Exploration of Microclimates Cocktail Series

When you think of a cocktail night with girlfriends, your mind may not jump to shells, apples, mushrooms and the forest floor—but Botanist does with their Exploration of Microclimates cocktail series, a new multi-sensory drink experience. Creative beverage director Grant Sceney and lead bartender Justin Powell invite guests on a journey through the Pacific Northwest’s diverse landscapes… “each carrying the story of their ecosystem into liquid form through a glass vessel,” such as the Under the Sea and Kinopio cocktails.

Botanist (1038 Canada Pl.)
Any day after 5 p.m.
Reservations can be made online.

Italian Kitchen Regional Menu

For the entire month of April, Italian Kitchen explores Trentino with regional dishes such as cajinci ricotta and beetroot, spinach-infused half-moon ravioli with gorgonzola cream, tagiloini porcini e speck, spruced tip-infused egg pasta with smoked pork shoulder, or bistecca di cervo, grilled venison stripling with parsnip puree.