Restaurant Graveyard

The ever-evolving Restaurant Graveyard series looks back at the countless, long-shuttered establishments that helped to propel Vancouver’s food and drink forward. May they never be forgotten!

Restaurant Graveyard / Gastown

Remembering the Gastown Restaurant That Elevated Vancouver’s Pizza Game

Located at 62 East Cordova St. in Gastown, Bill McCaig's Nicli Antica Pizzeria made AVPN-certified pies for nine delicious years.

Restaurant Graveyard / West End

Remembering the West End’s ‘South of the Border’ Shrine to Margaritas and Good Times

Located at the top of Davie Street's west slope, Lolita's served an industry crowd for a dozen years before closing in 2017.

Restaurant Graveyard / South Granville

This Long Gone Vancouver Wine Bar Would Be Packed if It Was Still Around Today

Located at 1459 West Broadway from 2003 to 2012, the award-winning Cru was an inspiration for our Restaurant Graveyard.

Restaurant Graveyard / Gastown

RESTAURANT GRAVEYARD // Remembering a Gastown Original With a Mirrored Ceiling

The first Boneta was famed for its well-tended bar, industry-friendly atmosphere and French-inspired fare.

Restaurant Graveyard / Downtown

The Beautiful but Haunted Vancouver Restaurant That Never Lived Up to Its Potential

Century was a 'Modern Latin Cowboy' themed restaurant located in the old Lola’s/Ballantyne’s address at 432 Richards Street.

Restaurant Graveyard / South Granville

This Was Once Upon a Time Vancouver’s Most Popular Restaurant Chain

The Aristocratic was well known for its cheap burgers, neon signage and 'Risty' character sporting a top hat and monocle.

Restaurant Graveyard / Gastown

Remembering the Tiny Gastown Sushi Restaurant That Was ‘Delicious for You’

Cheffed by Keith Allison, Sea Monstr Sushi was connected to the Sharks + Hammers clothing and lifestyle shop on Alexander St.

Restaurant Graveyard / False Creek

This Was One of the Most Influential Restaurants in Vancouver’s History

Harry Kambolis' "C" Restaurant was a game-changing icon that helped put Vancouver’s emerging food scene on the map.

Restaurant Graveyard / Downtown

Remembering One of Vancouver’s Longest Running Restaurant Institutions

La Bodega was a Howe Street fixture from 1971 to 2014, serving up Spanish classic like albondigas and pitchers of sangria.

Restaurant Graveyard / Downtown

This Long-Gone Restaurant Was Key to the Development of Vancouver’s Craft Beer Scene

The list of brewers who developed their skills at this restaurant speaks to the evolution of the Lower Mainland's craft beer scene.

Restaurant Graveyard / West End

Remembering Coal Harbour’s Short-Lived ‘High Priced Jewel Run by Amateurs’

Chef Liam Breem's promising, 74-seat, French and Mediterranean-inspired Verre lasted less than two years at 550 Denman St.

Restaurant Graveyard / Gastown

Remembering Gastown’s Ambitious but Doomed Modern German Restaurant

The 2015 arrival of film director Uwe Boll's Bauhaus restaurant was met with deafening quiet from the community it sought to join.

Restaurant Graveyard / Downtown

The Most Cursed Location in Vancouver Spat This Fine Restaurant Out In Only a Year

Previous to Ensemble, the space ate Piccolo Mondo, Saveur and Corner Suite Bistro De Luxe. After Ensemble, it swallowed others.

Restaurant Graveyard / Commercial Drive

Remembering the Commercial Drive Restaurant Where All the Cooks Liked to Hang Out

While it did attract many off-duty cooks, bartenders and servers, to the neighbourhood at large is was like a second living room.

Restaurant Graveyard / Mt. Pleasant

Remembering East Broadway’s Peruvian-Inspired House of Good Times and Pisco Sours

It's been a year since the closure of Mt. Pleasant's Chicha restaurant, but its memory persists for good reason.

Restaurant Graveyard / Gastown

This Dark and Sexy Restaurant With a ‘Nuevo Latino’ Theme Was Once a Gastown Hotspot

Cobre enjoyed a five-year run before shutting down in 2012 with the chef launching Cuchillo a few blocks east on Powell Street.

Restaurant Graveyard / Gastown

This Acclaimed Gastown Restaurant Will Be Remembered as One of the Best of Its Generation

The city - and most immediately the 100 block of West Hastings - is so much the lesser for the loss of Wildebeest.

Restaurant Graveyard / Downtown

After a Six-Year Run, This Impressive Hotel Restaurant Was Replaced by Something Even Better…

Oru Cuisine was the fine dining establishment that operated where Botanist currently excels in the Fairmont Pacific Rim Hotel.

Restaurant Graveyard / Gastown

This Shuttered Gastown Restaurant May Have Been Tiny, But It Sure Left a Big Hole

The Sardine Can was a small and subtly stylish restaurant that turned out classic shareables like patatas bravas and albondigas.

Restaurant Graveyard / Downtown East Side

Remembering Old Country Fish & Chips, an East Hastings Fixture for Over 25 Years

Opened by Bert Love and John Dobson, the long-serving restaurant's slogan was "From the sea to the pan."

Restaurant Graveyard / West End

Remembering the Original ‘Hapa’ on Robson Street, a Dark and Sexy Game-Changer

The modern Japanese concept thrived for years in a dark space that made guests feel like they were being let in on a secret.

Restaurant Graveyard / West Side

Remembering a Legendary West Side Cal-Mex Restaurant That Burned to the Ground

Launched by a family of American ex-pats that missed the food of their native LA, Topanga was a rare, irreplaceable institution.

Restaurant Graveyard / Kitsilano

Remembering One of the Better Restaurants to Ever Rise and Fall in Kitsilano

The Oakwood Canadian Bistro was a beloved casual eatery on West 4th that enjoyed an eight-year run from 2011 to 2019.

Restaurant Graveyard / Chinatown

Chinatown’s ‘Bestie’ Is Closing, Will Serve Final Plates of Currywurst This Weekend

Clinton McDougall and Dane Brown's 25 seat restaurant at 105 East Pender St. is closing after a seven-year run.

Restaurant Graveyard / Downtown

The Vancouver Restaurant That Promised a ‘New Service Idea’ and Was Open All Night

Located at 608 West Pender Street, the mysterious Central Cafe was a fixture of downtown dining for decades.

Restaurant Graveyard / False Creek

Remembering the Beloved Tex-Mex Restaurant That Joked About Cheating ‘Tourists & Drunks’

Launched in 1988, Carlos 'n Bud's was defined by its affordable Tex-Mex menu, relaxed attitude and sun-soaked patio.

Restaurant Graveyard / Downtown

They Don’t Make Art-Deco Lunch Counters in Vancouver Like They Used To…

Located between the Commodore and the Orpheum, the 1930s/40s Hollywood Cafe offered 30 cent lunches and an on-site palmist.

Restaurant Graveyard / Main Street

Award-Winning Italian Restaurant Permanently Closes After 12 Years on Main Street

We can't blame greedy landlords or property developers for this one. Campagnolo was closed by Covid-19, plain and simple.