Despite being located near the food court in Minto Place, El Toro offers a full take out menu, catering (even on Saturday and Sunday) and delivery. The printed menu includes subs, full-size pizzas and pasta meals including canneloni, ravioli and lasagna. After 3 pm, take home a full-size pizza and the second pizza is half price.
Best French restaurants
Bistrot Bistro
Located at 1961 West 4th Avenue, this is one of Vancouver’s favourite destinations for traditional French comfort food. Combined with an unpretentious atmosphere and great service, Bistrot Bistro provides a little bit of France in west-side Kitsilano. Fans say the Sunday-to-Thursday 3-course menu combines great French food at very affordable prices.
The Smoking Dog
Yet another neighborhood bistro in friendly Kitsilano, The Smoking Dog offers a heated outdoor patio where you can sample classic French Onion Soup and Steak Frites. The menu offers a wide variety of options from appetizers to entrees and welcomes families. It’s only 5 minutes from Kits Beach.
Elixir Bistro
This 154 seat bar and restaurant is located in the Opus hotel in the Yaletown neighborhood of Downtown Vancouver. Elixir's award winning Executive Chef Don Letendre has created a truly international dining experience. Specializing in classical French fare he assembles his creations using the freshest regional and seasonal ingredients. Popular with both international tourists and trendy locals.
DB Bistro Moderne
French traditional cuisine meets the Pacific Northwest. Located in Kitsilano’s West Broadway area, DB Bistro has a warm, casual atmosphere accompanied by great French bistro-style cuisine. The menu focuses on seasonal, fine ingredients.
Le Crocodile
Impeccable, yet without fuss or pretense, Le Crocodile combines French tradition with a West Coast style. For 25 years it has been one of Vancouver’s best-known French restaurants.
Provence Mediterranean on 10th
Located in the cozy neighborhood of Point Grey, restaurant Provence has accumulated a large local fan base. The restaurant won Gold for Best Bistro in the 2002 Vancouver Magazine Restaurant Awards. Provence shares a love of French/Italian cuisine in a comfortable setting.
Pied a Terre
Another delightful neighborhood bistro, Pied-à-Terre has just 30 seats but the simplicity of the setting belies the crisp white walls accented by black leather chairs. The menu is classically inspired French and offers both à la carte selections and a traditional three-course table d’hôte served with red, white or rosé wine.
Lumiere
Located at 2551 West Broadway. Sophisticated and unique, Lumiere combines European modern French and West coast tones to create a style all its own. Chef Daniel Boulud and Executive Chef Dale Mackay are two of only 160 Grand Relais & Chateaux Chefs in the world – creating incredible dishes guaranteed to charm the palates of gourmands everywhere. An atmosphere – plush, intimate and incredible adds to its popularity as one of Vancouver’s much-desired culinary spot.
Bistro Pastis
Located at 2153 West 4th Avenue in west-side Kitsilano . Try their Steak Tartare and Steak Frites. Faithful fans say it’s like dining in Paris without actually having to be there! Pastis features French, French Bistro and French Nouveau cuisines.
Les Faux Bourgeois
Located in a not so chic section of East Vancouver [hence the name], Les Faux Bourgeois is becoming a popular French spot in a working-class neighborhood. But don’t be fooled by the location. The traditional bistro setting - both cosy and casual - showcases well-prepared classic French dishes at extremely affordable prices.
10 Best Italian restaurants:
Anducci's Cucina
Located at 6011 E. Hastings St in Burnaby, Anducci’s has a wide range of authentic, cooked-by-mom style Italian entrees. The gluten-free pasta is made-to-order and diners can choose their favorite pasta and home-made sauce. Reasonably priced with good service.
Trattoria Italian Kitchen
Located in the friendly neighborhood of Kits on West 4th avenue, Trattoria is a casual, family-style restaurant specializing in typical trattoria-style Italian food. The warm open room with its wrap-around wine wall makes for friendly gatherings while the white marble bar is a great hang-out for that pre-dinner drink.
Italian Kitchen
Situated in bustling downtown Vancouver, Italian Kitchen is a combination of old-world charm and modern atmosphere. The menu features simple yet delicious Italian food from all regions of Italy. This celebrated restaurant is great for family and group gatherings giving you an opportunity to sample a variety of dishes.
CinCin Ristorante and Bar
Note the address: 1154 Robson Street. After a day of heady retail therapy check out CinCin for its incredible Tuscan ambiance, great food and equally great service. CinCin is noted for masterful creations including incredible Italian dishes like the Dungeness Crab risotto and the free-range chicken fired in the wood-oven - made with the freshest local ingredients. The wine bar is an excellent hangout to meet friends and share a bottle of wine and a tasty appetizer.
Cioppino's Enoteca
Another favorite downtown Vancouver hangout at 1129 Hamilton Street, Cioppino’s Enoteca always comes in among the top Italian Restaurants. The homemade pasta and the accompaniments as well as the meat entrees are authentically Italian in taste and presentation.
DiVino Wine Bar
A new addition to Vancouver’s East side, DiVino is located at the corner of Commercial and Gravely. DiVino has developed a great reputation for its culinary offerings, fusing Italian, French and Mediterranean traditions. At DiVino the emphasis is on dishes prepared with fresh and locally available ingredients.
L'Altro Buca
L’Altro Buca is situated in Vancouver’s beautiful west end (1906 Haro St) and is owned and operated by the chef and business partner team of Andrey Durbach and Chris Stewart. The menu uses traditional and rustic Italian cuisine as its inspiration. A lush outdoor patio makes for that original al fresco feeling on warm summer evenings.
Il Giardino di Umberto Ristorante
This is owner/chef Umberto Menghi’s gift to Vancouver – authentic Tuscan cooking, the best Italian wines and pasta and seafood dishes that taste as if they just came out of a real Tuscan kitchen. Loads of charm, romance and the old-world Italian home feeling enhance the ambiance. Try the classic osso bucco and saffron risotto – delizioso!
Cibo Trattoria
Located at 900 Seymour Street in downtown Vancouver, the Italian creations focus on same-day, fresh local ingredients. Chef Neil Taylor’s culinary creations are rich and decadent yet light and tasty. Cibo offers a good wine selection and great service to make your dining experience a rewarding one.
Al Porto Ristorante
After a hectic day in delightful Gastown tourists stop off at their favorite neighborhood Italian ristorante at 321 Water St. Al Porto specializes in typical Italian cuisine including seafood creations. Try the wood-fired pizzas with your favorite pitcher of wine for a real Tuscan feeling.
By: Sheila LoGuisto
Images in order supplied by DB Bistro Moderne, Bistrot Bistro, Italian Kitchen and CinCin Ristorante and Bar
At this location, El Toro offers a breakfast delight: steak and cheese omelette, home fries, thick toast and coffee for $5.99. Soft serve ice cream is also available. There are dozens of round tables for patrons but the dining area is apparently shared with other restaurants.
Minto place and was starved so I decided to eat at a place called Eltoro Pizzeria IT WAS AMAZING The food was Excellent. I have never tasted anything better. They serve subs lasgana and killer pizza. If you are in a rush to eat somewhere in Minto Place go there. The staff were amazing and the food is the best pizza I have ever tasted. i had an ice cream sundae and that rocked too. The drinks were cold as ice. Everything was perfect! The prices are very reasonable! The kitchen was spotless. AMAZING IWILL BE bACK!
The four staff members at the restaurant were kept busy the whole time I was there. For late lunch, I had a foot-long pizza sub which includes pepperoni, mushrooms and green peppers by default. Before the open sandwich was toasted, I added lettuce, tomato, pickle, parmigiana and oregano. The sandwich maker would not allow me to pass up some Italian sauce, okay. The sandwich was more than I could eat. However, I note that the price on the printed menu is twenty cents less than the price on the menu board, take-out versus dine-in?
