Praise
AWARDS
Four Diamond Award
AAA, 2010
(second consecutive)
Best Service, Gold
Restaurant of the Year, Bronze (second consecutive)
Best Last Course, Bronze
Best Regional, Honourable Mention
Vancouver Magazine Restaurant Awards, 2010
'Best of' Award of Excellence
Wine Spectator, 2010
(eighth consecutive)
Wine List Award, Platinum (Best Overall)
Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival, 2010
(third consecutive)
Best West Coast
WHERE Magazine 'To Dine' Awards, 2009
Ranked No. 1 in BC for Food & Service
Vancouver Zagat Survey, 2009
(fourth consecutive)
‘Four Star Award’
Mobil Travel Guide, 2008
Restaurant of the Year, Gold (fourth consecutive)
Best Service, Gold (inaugural winner, second consecutive)
Bartender of the Year, David Wolowidnyk
Vancouver Magazine Restaurant Awards, 2008
Best Formal Restaurant
Best Service
Bartender of the Year, David Wolowidnyk
Urban Diner Restaurant Awards, 2008
Best Overall, Best Service
Georgia Straight Golden Plate Awards
Readers’ Choice, 2008
West: The Cookbook - Most Innovative Cookbook in Canada
Gourmand World Cookbook Awards, 2008
REVIEWS
“Unfailingly gracious, flawless service, right down to the smallest detail and service is all about the details.”
Vancouver magazine, 2010
“The most memorable meal on this Vancouver visit was lunch at West."
Seattle Times, 2010
“Every dish is magical and certainly distinctive to the seasonal offerings of Vancouver. Gremolata's picks? We love the "West" Seafood Chowder with its innovative lemon cleansing finish and the filet of smoked sablefish "en papillote" with fresh uni shitake mushroom salad and smoked tea broth. Both dishes are truly divine for their ability to provoke discussion at the table. The clear signs of a creative chef executing brilliance.”
Gremolata.com, 2010
"The fare at this definitive West Coast room, with its open kitchen and expansive bar, complements its clean and minimalist lines. The ingenious menu changes with the seasons, based on available, local ingredients such as Pemberton Meadows strip loin with espresso-schented celeriac puree or Queen Charlotte Island halibut with Road Island clam chowder."
WHERE magazine, 2009
“The culinary highlight of the entire region.”
Frommer's Guide, 2009
“The best fine-dining experience in Vancouver.”
Concierge.com (New York City), 2009
West's kitchen “coaxes the ultimate essence from dishes that require the diner to get involved not only with the taste, but with the sheer artistry of dramatic presentation.”
DINE magazine, 2009
“Vancouver's top restaurant, West gets everything right. The warm, russet colours, temperature controlled wall of wine and cherrywood bar are the backdrop for long lunches, even lengthier dinners and perfect martinis, courtesy of a stellar team of staff.”
Explorer: The Complete Resident's Guide, 2008
“Large and idiosyncratic, dominated by a library of wine bottles. Another superlative purveyor of imaginative, fresh and tasty West Coast cuisine, regularly cited as one of the city's best.”
Footprint: Western Canada Guidebook, 2008
“For the jet-setting fans of Canadian restaurants, West is one of Vancouver’s hottest restaurants.”
Calgary Herald, 2008
“West is the hottest resto spot in Vancouver.”
Canadian Living magazine, 2008
“A leader and an inspiration to the area’s restaurant scene, as well as a consistent gauge of how far BC’s local cuisine has come.”
EAT magazine, 2008
“Currently the best restaurant in the city, delivering flawless food...”
Oasis magazine, 2008
“An ideal choice for gourmets in search of an inventive, eclectic meal, as well as those who crave local flavor and seasonal ingredients.”
Mobil Travel Guide, 2008
“Dining at West is a culinary adventure that never fails to surprise and satisfy." "With one of Vancouver’s best wine cellars and an excellent staff, West delivers an unforgettable dining experience.”
Donald Olson, Frommer’s Vancouver & Victoria, 2008
“There definitely were a lot of Wow! moments and some ‘best yets’...I have never tasted better octopus in a restaurant.”
Vancouver Sun, 2008
“The meal itself started with handmade Yukon-Gold-potato gnocchi, roasted tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, and basil. If they don’t have this on the menu in heaven, I’m not going.”
“West (Gold) under Brian Hopkins, gets highest praise: ‘So smoothly executed,’ one judge remarked, ‘you don’t even know how they did it until you realize you’re not walking out of the restaurant – you’re floating’.”
“It’s not just that his knowledge of booze is encyclopedic. His palate borders on the extra-sensory; his sixth sense for what his guests are looking for, extraordinary.” on Bar Manager David Wolowidnyk
Vancouver magazine, 2008
“The entire front-of-house crew at this South Granville institution runs it with an admirable level of professionalism and attention to detail, lifting it just enough above the rest to remind other restaurants what to strive for without going to far.”
Westender, 2008
Guest Chef Dinner @ James Beard House
Two sold out events at the prestigious James Beard Foundation.
New York City, 2006 + 2002