Destination Restaurants With Great Views

Aqua Riva: Wood Roasted Rack of Lamb

Vancouver has long been known for its culinary scene and restaurants with breathtaking vistas. I recently visited three established eateries that have contributed to the city’s reputation for fine cuisine combined with stunning views.

The famed Salmon House, which has graced the hills of West Vancouver for over 30 years, has adapted well to the contemporary food scene. I remember walking into the restaurant for the first time in 1977, struck by its breathtaking views and West Coast interior studded with The Salmon House: BC Oysters in the half shell with
lemon, shallot & pear sauce (Jason McRobbie)First Nations artwork, and inhaling the smoky scent of the Alderwood used for grilling the restaurant’s now infamous salmon. The original menu was certainly classic West Coast indigenous fare with its creamy seafood chowder, smoke perfumed salmon, oysters and apple cobbler (for which I still have the recipe!).

The Salmon House has evolved from a high-volume tourist-driven casual restaurant into a relaxed fine dining establishment, dedicated to serving seasonal and regional ingredients prepared with contemporary presentations. Its monthly changing Uniquely BC menu showcases some of the province’s best offerings, from Ucluelet Side Strip Shrimp and Nass River Sockeye Salmon to local Fraser Valley berries and cheeses. Overall the food is consistently pleasing to the palate. And the ocean views can’t be beat.

Horizons Restaurant‘s Chef Garrett holds the wild BC Salmon
against the backdrop of Japanese totem poles and the stellar
city view (Jason McRobbie)Tucked into bustling Coal Harbour lies Aqua Riva, a popular spot for tourists and corporate clientele, and a hidden gem among locals. The interior simulates a classic art deco cruise ship salon with panoramic views of the Vancouver cruise ship dock and the magnificent white sails of Canada Place. I was pleasantly surprised by the knowledgeable service as well as the quality and execution of dishes coming from this high-volume kitchen. A starter of local clams and mussels is gently cooked with a delicate Thai-style lime and coconut broth, accompanied by perfect Kennebec fries and a garlic aioli. Then tostadas made of soft white corn tortillas, brimming with fresh Dungeness crab, tomatoes and avocado, followed by a main of perfectly cooked tagliatelle in a delicate cream sauce kissed with pesto and tossed with generous amounts of fresh lobster. To finish, the sublime Banana and Toffee Tart is a wonderful combination of simple banana slices, woven with caramelized toffee and whipped cream set in a crisp sweet pastry shell. What could be more divine?

Horizons Restaurant, hidden among the trees on Burnaby Mountain, features a dramatic view of Vancouver. This brilliant culinary oasis offers a well-prepared and focused menu, simply prepared with fresh, seasonal ingredients and executed with skill and passion. Of the three destination restaurants I visited, the dishes that came from Chef John Garrett’s kitchen ranked as my favourite. A starter of succulent Moroccan spiced lamb-sickles come paired with a delicate mint-scented couscous while a superb grilled Sockeye salmon, tinged with a hint of alder smoke, is kept perfectly moist and delicately flavoured with a fresh tomato and basil sauce verge. Desserts include classics such as crème brûlée and cheesecake, but the innovative house-made ice creams are a real treat with whimsical flavours such as Turtle (pecan and caramel), and the crowning achievement: the superb Chocolate Mousse Cake—a decadent study of chocolate textures, from delicate mousse to dense ganache all atop a pecan-hazelnut crust. Horizons is worth the trek out to the suburbs, not only for excellent food but also the eagle’s nest view!

Nathan Fong is a trained chef, food journalist and consultant, television and radio culinary host, and one of Canada’s premier food and props stylists for culinary print and film advertising. He is a regular contributor to Global BCTV’s Saturday Morning Chef and Fong on Food segments, contributing editor for EAT magazine, consulting food specialist for CBC Radio One and new food columnist for The Vancouver Sun.