Locanda dell’Orso Has a New Chef—and a New Chance to Make a Mark on the City’s Italian Scene

We strive for honesty in our food reporting over here at Vanmag HQ, but we also take care not to drag anyone (these days, at least). We’re here to celebrate, not tear down! Which is why this is sort of a tricky story to write, because in order to celebrate a restaurant’s triumphant ascent to greatness, one has to acknowledge that resto’s less-than-great origins.

So, with apologies to Locanda dell’Orso, we’ll admit that when we first went last year (back when they took over the old downtown Autostrada spot in May 2024) we found the experience to be… fine.

We were rooting for the family-run business to succeed in its awkward location on Pender and Howe, but the fact of the matter was that the casual Italian scene in Vancouver was (and is) a competitive one. With rooms like Di Beppe, Ask for Luigi, Pepino’s, Elio Volpe, chef-fave Magari and the like also jostling for the best-pasta crown, Locanda was in for an uphill battle from the jump. Sure, it was a perfectly pleasant spot to grab some burrata and a spritz, but we wouldn’t have called it destination dining in its first iteration. (Sorry!)

But that was then. With acclaimed chef Jefferson Alvarez behind the wheel now as culinary director (straight off a stint at the Michelin-recommended Acquafarina), it’s a whole different experience. He brings a deft touch to the tightly curated menu, and puts a subtle Pacific Northwest spin on the Italian classics. Satin-y B.C. steelhead is served on a bed of toothsome, saffron-kissed fermented barley; elk is the hero of the tartare dish; Hokkaido scallops anchor a beautifully balanced crudo.

And with the food menu now dialled up from “perfectly pleasant” to “2025 award-season contender,” the room magically feels cozier, too, with its bistro tables, warm lighting and wood panelling: the sort of place that makes you want to order one more round of irresistibly sweet-and-tart Aperol sours. Tucking into Alvarez’s pillowy, housemade gnocchi just makes everything better, it seems, in the same way that his earthy, pickle-y beets enhance an artful dollop of house burrata. (Rosé-sauce-coloured glasses, if you will?)

Dinner service is just part of the new and improved Locanda, of course: a new lunch menu just dropped—including pizza!—and tickets for a six-course Nikkei Experience dinner with Alavarez and Chef Masayoshi Baba are on sale now.

Since it opened, Locanda had just been waiting for that perfect finishing touch—now, the underdog of a room is finally ready for service.