Cinara

Cinara Restaurant Review:

Ordering the bread is a must, as it's surely the city's best loaf. It is made in-house by chef/co-owner Gill Book who runs Cinara (Latin for artichoke) with chef/husband Lucais Syme, also the executive chef at La Pentola in the Opus Hotel Vancouver. The open kitchen setting gives guests an up-close look at dinner preparation. Opt for the eight-plate Carte Blanche menu ($60) or choose from the short daily fresh sheet. Indulge in the baccala crostini, chicken liver parfait with pickled vegetables or tender octopus salad, if available. Mains have included speck-wrapped rabbit loin, seasonal nettle risotto, flat-iron steak with arugula salad, wild halibut and plump spot prawns. Orange almond flourless cake with burnt caramel sauce; rhubarb sorbet with yogurt, orange and pistachio; and a chocolate-hazelnut-quince tart have appeared as desserts. Several of the city's top sommeliers put their stamp on the Italian-leaning wine list, and it’s one of the most interesting in Vancouver. Well-informed servers will guide you to a “just-right” selection.