There’s always something to do in Vancouver…but first we eat.
If you like to make food the focal point of fun, we’ve got 27 delicious food and drink events happening in and around Vancouver in May 2018.
Check back in, because we’ll keep adding to the list.
Au Comptoir dinner
Au Comptoir's Chef Daniel McGee welcomes Chambar’s Chef Nico Schuermans and The Mackenzie Room’s Chef Sean Reeve for a four-course collaborative Guest Chefs’ Dinner. The one-night-only event will see Schuermans, Reeve and McGee trade courses throughout a service that will also feature a dessert course courtesy Au Comptoir Pastry Chef Julien Salomoni.
When: Tuesday, May 1 at 7 pm
Where: Au Comptoir - 2278 West 4th Avenue, Vancouver
Cost: $85 per person plus tax and gratuity; reserve by calling the restaurant at 604-569-2278.
Great British Tea Party
For the Great British Tea Party, Notch8 is pulling out all the stops: Vintage décor, bunting, Union Jacks, and a red telephone booth can be found in the restaurant’s Private Dining Room. There’s Coronation Chicken, roast beef and stilton, and egg salad tea sandwiches; Eton Mess; scones and Devonshire cream; and plenty of house-made UK-inspired pastries.
When: Now through September 3, 2018. Seatings at 11 am, 1 pm, and 3 pm
Where: Notch8 – Fairmont Hotel Vancouver, 900 West Georgia Street
Cost: Adults $65, Children $32.50 (ages 12 & under). Reservations are strongly encouraged and can be made by phone at 604-662-1900, or online.
Shipyards Night Market
Running May 4 to September 28, 2018, the Shipyards Night Market will once again liven up Shipbuilders’ Square in North Vancouver’s lower Lonsdale with over 100 vendors, including food trucks, and a 19+ beer garden. With a “hot food alley” stacked with dozens of food trucks, the Shipyards Night Market is one of the summer’s most delicious pop-up weekend eats destinations. Plus sip on craft beer and cider in the beer garden, shop from the many vendor stalls, and enjoy live entertainment.
When: Fridays from 5 to 10 pm, May 4 to September 28, 2018
Where: Shipbuilders’ Square – 15 Wallace Mews, North Vancouver
In My Kitchen dinners
In My Kitchen
Each dining experience, curated by In My Kitchen’s creator Paula Mohammed, is an immersive culinary adventure where diners learn the family recipes, participate in traditional cooking techniques, and share a delicious multi-course meal in the host cook’s home.
- Traditional Middle Eastern Family Meal with Suha: May 5, 6 (Surrey)
- Exploring Japanese Flavours with Naomi: May 26, 27 (Mount Pleasant, Vancouver)
- Farm to Table Swiss Family Favourites with Celine: May 26, 27 (The Drive, Vancouver)
Eating Local in the Fraser Valley book launch party
Celebrate the release of Eating Local in the Fraser Valley at author Angie Quaale's store, Well Seasoned. Angie and select producers from the beautiful new cookbook will be onsite for book signing.
When: Sunday, May 6 from 1-4 pm
Where: Well Seasoned - 20353 64 Ave #117, Langley
Cost: Free
Cider Week Tap Takeover at Bells and Whistles
As part of BC Cider Week, Fraserhood beer hall Bells and Whistles will be hosting a number of local and international cideries for a one-day-only tap takeover on Sunday, May 6. The event will feature handcrafted ciders from B.C.’s own Bricker Cider Co. in West Sechelt, Naramata Cider and Nomad Cider in Summerland as well as three special, new-to-B.C. pours from Graft Cider based in Hudson Valley, New York. The all-day event is free to attend and ciders are available on a first come, first poured basis.
When: Sunday, May 6
Where: Bells and Whistles - 3296 Fraser Street
Cost: Whatever you drink
A Long Table Dinner presented by West OAK & Bridge Brewing
Bridge Brewing Company/Facebook
Feast on four courses prepared by Head Chef Adam Coppell of West OAK, paired with craft beer by Bridge Brewing. The beer will be served by Brewmaster Sean Kellock from Bridge; he'll be on hand to talk about how each of the brews is made and their distinct flavour profiles.
When: Monday, May 7 at 7:30 pm
Where: West Oak - 1035 Mainland Street, Vancouver
Cost: $100; tickets available online
Food Talks Vol. 16
Vancouver Foodster and Food Talks presents an all women line-up of speakers. This edition's theme is: “Crushing it in our Food Community."Enjoy appetizers and a welcome cocktail, followed by a wonderful line-up of speakers who will talk about our themselves and our theme. Speakers are: Chef Lynda Larouche (Co-owner of the Argo Café); Chef Parinya Lopston (Founder and owner of Ban Chok Dee Thai); Chef Barb Finley (Founder of Project Chef); Chef Shobna Kannusamy (Founder of Soirette Pastry Boutique); and Dana Lee Harris (Executive Director of BC Hospitality Foundation).
When: May 8 from 6pm-9:30pm
Where: Dockside Lounge in the Granville Island Hotel - 1253 Johnston Street, Vancouver
Cost: Early-Bird Tickets: $18 per person (before May 1, 2018); Regular Tickets: $21 per person (after May 1, 2018). Tickets available online.
Tasting Plates Kitsilano
Explore the Kitsilano neighborhood centered on Broadway and tantalize your taste buds at selection of restaurants, and cafes. Each restaurant/cafe will be serving up Tasting Plates and Tasting Cups for guests to enjoy and you will have a chance to visit many different types of restaurants and food establishments throughout the event, meet some new food loving friends, meet the chefs, and learn about each of the participating places.
When: Wednesday, May 9 from 6-10 pm
Where: Meeting place TBA
Cost: $29-60; tickets available online
Dish N Dazzle
The BC Hospitality Foundation hosts its seventh annual Dish N Dazzle fundraiser on Thursday, May 10. This year’s event pays homage to the theme "Argentina: Breaking New Ground. Argentinean wines will be paired with canapés from some of Vancouver’s top restaurants, including Cibo Trattoria, Joe Fortes, Edible Canada and Mamie Taylors.
When: Thursday, May 10 from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m
Where: Vancouver Convention Centre
Cost: Tickets are available for $89 each (plus tax, gratuity and service charge).
Tequila Dinner at Tacofino Yaletown
Tacofino Yaletown
Where: Tacofino Yaletown - 1025 Mainland Street, Vancouver
Cost: $75; tickets available online
Richmond Night Market
Midway games, vendor booths, live entertainment, and an insane amount of food will once again draw crowds at the Richmond Night Market. The market consistently offers an impressive quantity of options for shopping and eating–they have over 100 food stalls and 200 vendors.
When: May 11 to October 8, 2018. 7 pm – midnight Fridays and Saturdays, 7 pm – 11 pm Sundays and holiday Mondays
Where: 8351 River Road, Richmond
Cost: $3.75 admission, free for children 10 and under and seniors 60 and up (with ID)
Spot Prawn Festival
Photo courtesy: Spot Prawn Festival
To celebrate the short-lived span when this oceanic delicacy can be found in B.C.’s waters, the Spot Prawn Festival will return to Fisherman’s Wharf for a day of feasting and fun. This year, the Chefs' Table Society's event has reinvented itself, and you now have three ways to enjoy it: FREE – access to the docks, view cooking demos and more; Spot Prawn Chowder – to go if you want! ($10); or Spot Prawn Brunch – grazing style with a tasting menu of 6 delicious spot prawn dishes ($60).
When: Saturday, May 12 from 11 am - 3 pm
Where: False Creek Fishermen's Wharf - 1505 West 1st Avenue, Vancouver
Cost: Free/$10/$60; tickets available online
TEALEAVES x Boulevard #LanguageOfAroma Tasting Inspired by Tea & Aroma
This is an aroma-themed tasting experience from the TEALEAVES’ #LanguageofAroma Collaboration, hosted by 2018 Canadian Culinary Champion Chef Alex Chen of Boulevard Kitchen & Oyster Bar. Explore how AROMA affects taste and design thinking behind this tea + color + mood + AROMA-inspired entreé.
When: Saturday, May 12 from 3-4 pm
Where: Boulevard Kitchen & Oyster Bar - 845 Burrard Street, Vancouver
Cost: $30; tickets available online
Silk Road Vancouver - Learn to Make Tea Infused Chocolate Truffles
Learn how to make chocolate truffles infused with the flavor of real tea. Receive a fool proof recipe that is dairy-free, vegan & gluten-free. Better yet, this recipe tastes really decadent, and you’d never know it is vegan, say organizers.
When: Sunday, May 13 from 11:30 am - 12:30 pm
Where: Silk Road - 2066 West 4th Avenue, Vancouver
Cost: $10-15; RSVP online here
Juice Truck x Virtuous Pie Community Dinner
Two of Vancouver’s most popular plant-based food spots want you to eat your veggies. So they’re holding a collaborative Community Dinner to fill your belly with delicious vegan eats. Enjoy a four course meal with a selection of The Juice Truck cold-pressed juice cocktails, along with the option of beer and wine on tap at Virtuous Pie’s shiny new UBC Wesbrook location. Plus attendees each get a copy of The Juice Truck Cookbook.
When: Tuesday May 15 at 7 pm
Where: Virtuous Pie - 3339 Shrum Lane, Vancouver
Cost: $60; tickets available online
Balvenie After Hours Series: Marine Building
Join hosts Jamie Johnson (Balvenie’s National Brand Ambassador), John Atkin (Vancouver civic historian), and Brad Turner (designer,2017 Carter Wosk Award Recipient )for an exclusive tasting event accompanied by talks on the crafted interiors of two beloved Vancouver buildings and the design process behind Brad’s glass work and the whisky glasses you will be tasting from.
When: Tuesday, May 15 from 7-9 pm
Where: Marine Building - 355 Burrard Street, Vancouver
Cost: $175; tickets available online
Pink Links’ Sausage and Rosé Party at Wildebeest
Photo by Jonathan Norton/courtesy Wildebeest
A laidback stand-up-style mingler, the event will feature an assortment of sausages made in house by Chef Ian McHale to kick-off the Top Drop wine fest. McHale has collaborated with Wildebeest Wine Director Justin Everett to pair the meats, served canapé-style, with a selection of their favourite boutique wines from the Top Drop festival.
When: Wednesday, May 16 at 8 p.m.
Where: Wildebeest - 120 West Hastings Street, Vancouver
Cost: $39; tickets available online
National Caesar Day
Did you know that Canada’s unofficial official drink has an unofficial official celebratory day? National Caesar Day was first launched in 2015, and it happens annually now on the Thursday before Canada’s May Long Weekend–which means in 2018 we can observe National Caesar Day on May 17. Some Vancouver and other B.C. venues are participating in National Caesar Day promos tied to the event sponsor, Iceberg vodka; those place include The Cascade Room, UVA, and Score on Davie (home of the city’s most outrageous Caesar). You’ll find a list here.
When: Thursday, May 17
Where: Various locations (or DIY!)
Napa: Past, Present, Future at Boulevard Kitchen & Oyster Bar
Napa Valley will take centre stage at Boulevard Kitchen & Oyster Bar when the restaurant hosts a pair of celebrated California wineries for an exclusive ‘Napa: Past, Present, Future’ wine dinner on Thursday, May 17. Presented as part of Top Drop Vancouver , the five-course feast will feature Boulevard’s signature West Coast-inspired cuisine paired with current and back vintages from Spottswoode Estate Vineyard and Blackbird Vineyards.
When: Thursday, May 17
Where: Boulevard Kitchen & Oyster Bar - 845 Burrard Street, Vancouver
Cost: Tickets are $160 per person plus tax and gratuity and may be purchased by calling the restaurant at 604-642-2900
Top Drop - Main Event
Wine/Shutterstock
Top Drop, a unique two-day wine festival, will bring wineries from around the globe together, along with craft breweries, cideries, delicious eats, and much more. The centrepiece of Top Drop is The Main Event, a tasting event that pairs pours with food and one-on-one interaction with winery reps in an intimate festival atmosphere at Yaletown’s Roundhouse.
When: Friday, May 18 from 7-9:30 pm
Where: Roundhouse Community Arts & Recreation Centre - 181 Roundhouse Mews
Cost: $75; tickets available online
Flavours of Hope: Taste of the Sea and Spanish Stories
Flavours of Hope
The social enterprise Flavours of Hope provides refugee women who are passionate about food an opportunity to cook for members of their new community. This month, a pop-up dinner event at the new YVR Prep commissary space will showcase the culinary talents of Angeles Canedo, celebrating the flavours of pacific coastal Mexico.
When: Saturday, May 19 from 6-9 pm
Where: YVR Prep-A6 – 5279 Still Creek Avenue, Burnaby
Cost: $50; tickets available online
Bells and Whistles: Dip Into Summer Patio Party
The team at Bells and Whistles invites friends, neighbours and beer lovers alike to join them to their Dip into Summer patio party to kick off the restaurant/bar's first official summer season. The Fraser Street spot will need your help to christen its new heated, wrap-around patio, and B&W will be serving up plenty of food and drink specials — including large-format punchbowls of Pink Sangria — while special guest DJs The Super Amigos provide live entertainment.
When: Sunday, May 20 from 2-7 pm
Where: Bells and Whistles - 3296 Fraser Street, Vancouver
Gastown Chicken Fight VII
Photo courtesy The Lamplighter
Things are going to get pretty heated again this May Long weekend as the Gastown Chicken Fight once again has chefs and wings lovers all fired up for a day of hot action. Now in its seventh year, the fun 19+ event finds area eateries offering up their take on the chicken wing cooked using the sponsor’s spirit. The restaurant teams will show up to The Lamplighter to finish their wings on the outdoor grills. A panel of judges will vote to crown the winners, with the help of the audience, who get the chance to sample all of the wings, too.
When: Sunday, May 20 from 4 pm to late
Where: The Lamplighter Pub – 92 Water Street, Vancouver
Dockside Restaurant Spring Patio Tasting
Guests at the 2018 Spring Patio Tasting will be able to enjoy wines from all over the world along with carefully selected local craft spirits and beers, all served on Dockside's spectacular patio. The event ticket includes all wine tastings--no further tasting vouchers are needed! Tapas will be served from the Dockside's kitchen, and the ticket also include a voucher good for $10 off any purchase at Coal Harbour Liquor Store. Ticket holders can take advantage of a free shuttle to the event from the Coal Harbour Liquor Store.
When: Thursday, May 24 from 5-8 pm
Where: Dockside Restaurant - 1253 Johnston Street, Vancouver
Cost: $49.95; tickets available online
Vancouver Craft Beer Week
This one's for the beer (and cider!) lovers. Vancouver Craft Beer Week is now in its ninth year, and comes with 10 days packed with sudsy programming and lots and lots of opportunities to taste beer. From the kick-off party to satellite events taking place around Metro Vancouver, then culminating in the two-day VCBW Festival on the PNE Grounds (June 203), this is the ultimate event for local beer fans. Get your tickets to crush it!
When: May 25-June 3, 2018
Where: Various venues
Cost: Tickets for all events available online
Superbaba The Falafel Pop-Up
Falafel from Superbaba (Photo by @thetreatlife via Superbaba/Facebook)
Victoria’s Superbaba is hitting the streets of Vancouver soon in food truck format, and to give locals a taste of their Middle Eastern eats, they’re popping up at the end of the month with a one-night event focused on falafel. Superbaba will take over Tacofino’s downtown “Oasis” location for their only Vancouver appearance before they roll out the new truck. On the menu will be some signature Superbaba stuff, like fresh falafel, fried cauliflower, hummus, fries, and turmeric cookies, served alongside maragaritas and more in the beverage department from Tacofino.
When: Saturday, May 26, 2018 from 6-11 pm
Where: Tacofino Oasis – 122-1050 West Pender Street, Vancouver
