Beatty Street Bar and Grill (765 Beatty Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada, phone: 604-688-3504) is one of my coworkers’ favorite lunch spots for Friday afternoons, and it’s also a great place to grab a beer or some food before (or after) a BC Lions football game at BC Place Stadium or a Canucks hockey game at GM Place. This restaurant / bar is located very close to both stadiums, and is decorated with sports memorabilia. The many TV’s tuned to the sports channels make it easy to keep an eye on the current games.

The Beatty Street food menu is fairly basic, but quite well executed, with daily specials such as Fish and Chips on Fridays, a soup and sandwich special, burgers, pastas, and the usual appies. Prices for lunch are in the $10 to $15 range, which are quite reasonable considering the downtown location. I especially enjoy their pastas, such as the Chicken Pesto Pasta ($13.99, click here for photo), and the Prawn Linguini ($14.99, pictured below). The Prawn and Mussel Linguini was prepared in a simple way, with a basic tomato sauce, lots of yummy cheese, several prawns that were hidden throughout the pasta, and some mussels which I quickly devoured. My only suggestion for this dish would be to add even more prawns, but I was quite satisfied regardless.

This restaurant is located in the Georgian Court Hotel, a popular downtown Vancouver hotel for tourists and business travelers alike. For some more photos of the Beatty Street Bar and Grill please view Part 1.

(above) Prawn Linguini pasta at Beatty Street Bar and Grill ($14.99)

Milestones (web site, 1109 Hamilton Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada, phone: 604-684-9111) is a trendy chain restaurant in the Yaletown neighborhood of downtown Vancouver. Pictured below is the very delicious Roasted Chicken Penne Asiago (around $17) which their menu describes as penne pasta with roasted Italian tomatoes, pulled chicken, fresh basil, spinach and asiago cream. View a map of their location in downtown Vancouver. View Part 4 for more photos.

Roasted Chicken Penne Asiago pasta from Milestone’s Restaurant in downtown Vancouver. (around $17)

Marmalade Kitchen and Bar (web site, #3 – 1010 Beach Ave, Vancouver, BC, Canada, phone: 604-689-7800) is a London-inspired casual waterfront restaurant with a great patio, overlooking one of the marinas at Vancouver’s False Creek. It’s located just east of the Burrard Street bridge, on the north side of False Creek downtown. You’ll find it in front of the Chilli House Thai Restaurant at the bottom of Hornby Street. Google Maps (click here for map) incorrectly places their address on the west side of the Burrard Bridge, when in fact it is just to the east.

Marmalade is a great place to go for cocktails or dinner, and the restaurant is also open for lunch, weekday breakfast, and weekend brunch. Visit their web site for their current menu and specials.

Enjoy dishes that bring out the best of London-style cuisine, such as the Chelsea Flair (sauteed wild sockeye salmon with red onion marmalade, served on a bed of sauteed potatoes, $17.95) or the Knightsbridge Chic (half garlic herb-roasted game hen served with tomato ragout and saffron rice, $16.95). Or if you’re looking for something a little more traditional, there’s always the comforting and satisfying Shepherd’s Pie ($12.50, served with mixed greens) which is a rich stew served with mashed potatoes, vegetables and a tasty gravy. Pictured below are some of the chef’s creations.

Mushroom at Marmalade Kitchen and Bar

Tuna at Marmalade Kitchen and Bar (photos courtesy of the restaurant)