For a lucky few, taking a seat in the iconic domed car of the Rocky Mountaineer just got a whole lot more affordable. The high-end rail service is joining the Dine Out Vancouver Festival for the very first time when it pulls into its station for a two-day pop-up restaurant experience.



Media were invited to preview the experience on a rainy Thursday evening this past week. After arriving at the station in East Vancouver, one member of our group was chosen to operate a foot-operated train whistle followed by the command, “All aboard.”

For the first time, the Rocky Mountaineer is taking part in Dine Out Vancouver with a pop up restaurant in a Gold dome railcar.

After climbing aboard the Gold dome railcar our group was directed up a small circular staircase to the second floor where we were served a glass of bubbly and an opportunity to look around. We then headed downstairs for a sample of the award-winning menu to be served to diners lucky enough to score a reservation for dinner. And while the Rocky Mountaineer has not gone into the fine dining business, for the first time it is participating in the annual Dine Out Vancouver Festival. The Rail Car Pop-Up: All Aboard Rocky Mountaineer dining event has proved so popular it almost immediately sold out. In response the Rocky Mountaineer has added a second date, Feb. 1 from 8:45 to 10:45 p.m.

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Lucas Pavan, who heads up Dine Out Vancouver Festival on behalf of Tourism Vancouver, addressing the media at the launch of the 2018 event at the Westin Bayshore Jan. 12. Photo Sandra Thomas

The Dine Out festival began in 2001, when a group of food and wine enthusiasts got together with the team at Tourism Vancouver and pitched the idea of a fixed-price menu deal to get Vancouverites out and into restaurants during a normally slow time of the year. At the time, 57 restaurants jumped on board and since then Dine Out Vancouver has grown into Canada’s largest food and drink festival with more than 300 eateries taking part this year. (See list below) This year the festival runs from Jan. 19 to Feb. 4.

With so many restaurants to choose from, there is literally something for everybody and every budget. And if you’re still undecided, here are some of my recommendations to consider — places I’ve eaten at in the past and enjoyed the service and food.

The Cascade Room’s ($30) menu features roasted apple and parsnip soup, goat cheese salad, smoked bacon sausage, Alberta venison burger, chickpea tikka masala, and a honey mustard pork chop. Diners can finish with a double chocolate brownie or choose to add-on the artisanal cheese plate.

The Union makes its Dine Out Vancouver debut with a three-course menu with vegan and gluten-free options available as well. First course dishes include sweet and sour soup or (green papaya salad. Main options include a lamb curry, Malaysian seafood curry and an Indian thali with vegetables, rice and naan. For dessert, indulge in a slice of flourless chocolate cake served with coconut gelato.

Tableau Bar Bistro ($40) diners can choose from pâté de campagne or salade roquette, followed by boeuf Bourguignon or saumon grillé and an almond financier or pot de crème for dessert.

Mamie Taylor’s Low Country Pig Roast returns for two nights during Dine Out Vancouver, Jan. 23 and 24, and the $62 includes a three-course pig roast, welcome cocktail, all taxes, gratuities and ticketing fees.

H2 Rotisserie & Bar at the Westin Bayshore is offering a $30 option during Dine Out Vancouver 2018.

Westin Bayshore: H2 Rotisserie & Bar offers guests a three-course menu for $30, with an optional 'flight of local taps' for an additional $9. Start off with organic baby kale salad or mushroom bisque, move on to rotisserie chicken pot pie or winter squash ragu, and finish up with peanut butter panna cotta or cranberry apple crumble.

H Lounge ((HJU:Z) provides diners with their choice of heirloom tomato and cold-pressed avocado or ponzu seaweed salads, seared diver scallop or 28-day aged striploin entrées and tri-chocolate mousse cake or green tea passion fruit mousse for $40.

Also at the Bayshore is An Evening in Beijing Jan. 30 ($131), part of the World Chef Exchange presented by Aeroplan and Air Canada. This Beijing-meets-Vancouver collaboration combines the skills of H Lounge executive chef Alex Mok and visiting executive chef Jacky Fan from the Westin Beijing Financial Street. The Bayshore is offering complimentary valet parking and dine-and-stay packages during Dine Out.

This Instagram-worthy lobster bisque is on the Dine Out Menu at The Victor, the newest eatery to open at Parq Vancouver. Photo Sandra Thomas

The Victor ($40) is offering a three-course menus including lobster and crab bisque or Belgian and red endive salad or kappa roll as an appetizer choice, sirloin cap and Angus reserve potato gratin or grilled salmon or saffron risotto as an entree and, finally, the Eaten Mess, including raspberry, banana, vanilla, custard, sponge cake, cream and meringue; or a chocolate mousse dark chocolate cake.

Provence Marinaside is offering both a lunch and dinner deal for $40.

See below for a list of participating restaurants or visit Dine Out Vancouver:



$20 menu

Afghan Horsemen Restaurant

Afghan Kitchen South Surrey

Asylum: Hard Rock Casino Vancouver

Banana Leaf Malaysian Cuisine: Kitsilano, Broadway, Davie, Denman and Robson locations.

Big Rock Urban Brewery and Eatery

The Bimini Public House

The Blackbird Public House and Oyster Bar

Bottleneck Bar and Grill

Bridge Brewing Company

Bufala

Burnaby Mountain Clubhouse

Butcher & Bullock

The Cannibal Café

Cazba Restaurant

The Cheshire Cheese

Chutney Villa South Indian Cuisine

Cinema Public House

Clough Club

Deepwater Micro Eatery

The District Brasserie

Dosanko Restaurant Inc.

The Fish Shack

The Flying Beaver Bar and GrillGranville Room

Gyoza Bar Ltd.

Hurricane Grill: Yaletown

Juke Fried Chicken

Kaya Malay Bistro

The Lamplighter Public House

Library Square Public House

Lickerish Restaurant & Lounge

Lucky Taco

Mahony and Sons: Stamps Landing

Mahony & Sons Public House: Coal Harbour

Masa Japanese Restaurant

Max’s Restaurant: Cuisine of the Philippines

Monkey 9 Brewpub

Neptune Chinese Kitchen Coquitlam

The New Oxford

Old Spaghetti Factory

Park at English Bay: Best Western Plus Sands Hotel

Red Card Sports Bar + Eatery: Moda Hotel

Rocky Mountain Flatbread Co.: Kitsilano

Rocky Mountain Flatbread Co.: Main

TAPshack: Burrard Bridge

TAPshack: Coal Harbour

Tavern

The Three Brits Public House

Timber

Vaades the Indian Restaurant

Village TaphouseChewie's Steam and Oyster Bar

$30 Menu

Arms Reach Bistro

Arriva Restaurant

Avocado Bay Restaurant and Lounge

Baci Ristorante

Baggio Gelateria and Pizzeria

Ban Dao

Bay Moorings

Bayside Lounge: Best Western Plus Sands Hotel

B.C. Kitchen

Beach Bay Café and Patio

Bellaggio Cafe: downtown

Bellaggio Wine Bar: Convention Centre

Biercraft Bistro: Cambie

Biercraft Bistro: Wesbrook Village

Bistro Verde

Boathouse Restaurant: English Bay, Kits, New West, Port Moody, Richmond, White Rock

Bogart's Bar and Restaurant Ltd.

Bravo Cucina Ristorante

C Prime Italian Steak and Wine

Cactus Club Cafe: various locationsCafé Ça Va

Campagnolo Restaurant

Campagnolo Roma

Cardero's Restaurant

Carthage Cafe

The Cascade Room

Catch 122 Cafe and Bistro

Catch Kitchen + Bar

CAVU Kitchen Bar: Hilton Vancouver Airport Hotel

Chewies Steam & Oyster Bar: Coal Harbour

Chewies Steam & Oyster Bar: Kitsilano

Chi Modern Vietnamese Kitchen

Chicha Restaurant

Chickpea

Cibo Trattoria: Moda Hotel

Crowbar

The Distillery Bar + Kitchen

Dunn's Famous Restaurant B.C.

Earls Kitchen & Bar: Robson, Test Kitchen, Taletown

Ebisu on Broadway

Edible Canada at the Market

El Santo

Fable Kitchen

Fayuca

Feast Neighbourhood Table

Fishworks

Flying Pig Olympic Village

Forage

Frankie's Italian Kitchen & Bar

Fresh Restaurant & Lounge: Sheraton Vancouver Guildford Hotel

Gramercy Grill

Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ: Downtown

Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ Dining: Broadway

H2 Rotisserie & Bar

Hapa Izakaya: Coal Harbour, Yaletown

Harold's Bistro & Bar: Sheraton Vancouver Airport

Hendrick's : Westin Grand Vancouver

Hook Seabar

Horizons Restaurant

Kamei Baru

Kitanoya Guu Garden

La Cigale French Bistro

Las Margaritas Restaurante Y Cantina

Little Mexico Cantina

Lobby: The Pinnacle Hotel at the Pier

Milltown Bar & Grill

Mission Kitsilano

Moxie's Grill & Bar, various locationsNammos Estiatorio

Nicli Antica Pizzeria

Nonna's Table

Oakwood Canadian Bistro Olive & Anchor

Ouisi Bistro

p2b bistro & bar: Pinnacle Vancouver Harbourfront Hotel

Pasture to Plate Grill Broths & Deli

Pat Quinn's Restaurant & Bar

Peninsula Restaurant

Pier 7 Restaurant

Pink Elephant Thai Restaurant Ltd.

Prestons: Coast Coal Harbour Hotel

Prospect Point Cafe in Stanley Park

Rangoli

Reef Restaurant on Main

Reef Restaurant on the Drive

Reflect Social Dining + Lounge

Romer's, various locations

Sai Woo

Sandbar Seafood Restaurant

Scandilicious Foods

Seasons in the Park

Second Floor Eatery + Bar

Shady Island Seafood Bar & Grill

Shoestring Café

Showcase Restaurant & Bar: Marriott Pinnacle Downtown

Smoke And Bones BBQ

Spacca Napoli Pizzeria

Spade

Sports bar LIVE! At Rogers Arena

Stages Bistro & Lounge: Holiday Inn Vancouver Centre

Stanley Park Pavilion

Steel Toad Brewing Company

Sula Indian Restaurant

Sylvia Restaurant & Lounge: Sylvia Hotel

Tap & Barrel, various locations

Teahouse Restaurant

Tivoli’s

Torafuku

Trattoria: Park Royal

Trattoria: West 4th

Trump Champagne Lounge

Union

Urban Thai Bistro

UVA Wine & Cocktail Bar: Moda Hotel

Village Table Local Eatery

Water St. Cafe

Whiskey Six BBQ

WildTale Coastal Grill

WildTale Olympic Village

Yaletown Brewing Co.

Yokohama Teppanyaki Japanese Restaurant

Mak N Ming

$40 Menu

1886

Acorn

Al Porto Ristorante

American Grille: Vancouver Airport Marriott

Ancora Waterfront Dining

AnnaLena

ARC Restaurant: Fairmont Waterfront

Atlas Steak + Fish

Bacchus Restaurant & Lounge: Wedgewood Hotel & Spa

Baru Latino Restaurante

Bishop's Restaurant

Bistro Pastis

Bistro Sakana

Black + Blue

Blue Canoe Waterfront Restaurant

Blue Martini Jazz Cafe

Boulevard Kitchen & Oyster Bar

Bridges Restaurant, Bistro & Bar

Brix & Mortar

Burnaby Riverway Clubhouse

CACAO Vancouver

Cactus Club Cafe: Coal Harbour

Cafe II Nido

Cafe One: Sheraton Vancouver Wall Centre Hotel

Carver's Steakhouse

Central City Brewpub

Chambar Restaurant

Charcoal & Woodz: Holiday Inn Surrey Cloverdale

Chop Steakhouse & Bar

Ciao Bella Restaurant

CinCin Ristorante + Bar

Coast

Copper Chimney: Executive Hotel Le Soleil

Cuchillo

DIVA at the Met: Metropolitan Hotel, Vancouver

Dockside Restaurant: Granville Island Hotel

East is East Chai Lounge: Broadway

East is East Chai Lounge: Main Street

Ebisu on Robson

Fanny Bay Oyster Bar

Federico's Supper Club

Forkhill House Irish Bistro

Glowbal

Gyu King Teppanyaki

Hart House Restaurant

HJU:Z Lounge

Holy Crab

Homer Street Cafe and Bar

Honey Salt

House Special Vietnamese

Italian Kitchen

Joe Fortes Seafood and Chop House

Juniper

Kamei Royale Japanese Restaurant

Keg Steakhouse + Bar, various locations

Kobe Japanese Steak House

La Mezcaleria

La Pentola: Opus Hotel

La Terrazza

L'Abattoir Restaurant

LIFT Bar & Grill

Maenam

Mak N Ming Restaurant

MARKET by Jean-Georges

Minami Restaurant

Mosaic Bar & Grill: Hyatt Regency Vancouver

Neptune Seafood Restaurant Surrey

Notch 8 Restaurant & Bar: Fairmont Hotel Vancouver

Observatory: Grouse Mountain Resorts

Oceans 999 Restaurant

Pidgin

Poor Italian Ristorante

Portobello Ristorante

Provence Marinaside

Red Star Seafood Restaurant: Richmond

Red Star Seafood Restaurant: Sounth Granville

Reflections the Winter Terrace at Rosewood Hotel Georgia

Robba da Matti

Salmon House on the Hill

Salmon n' Bannock Bistro

Sorella

Spencer's: Delta Vancouver Suites Hotel

Tableau Bar Bistro: Loden Hotel

Top of Vancouver Revolving Restaurant

Tramonto: River Rock Casino Resort

Vancouver Fish Company Restaurant & Bar

The Victor

Vij's Restaurant

West Oak Restaurant

West Restaurant + Bar

Wild Fig

Wildebeest

YEW seafood + bar

Zen Japanese Restaurant

sthomas@vancourier.com

