Restaurant design

Good morning,

I visit a lot of restaurants, bars and coffee shops in Vancouver (and I write about it in our free restaurant newsletter, which you should subscribe to). And one thing I’ve noticed is how similar many restaurants look.

I suspect a big reason is what Filterworld author Kyle Chayka described as cultural flattening from social media. His example, and I’m sure you’d agree, is how you can walk into a coffee shop anywhere in the world and you’ll be met by the same beige, flat, wood and stone design. The algorithm reinforces a certain style which percolates into the real world.

This cultural flattening came to mind as I read Sara Harowitz’s story in today’s newsletter about restaurant design in Vancouver. While many places feel similar, there are a few breaking the mould in exciting new ways. 

Let’s get to today’s stories.

— Geoff Sharpe, Lookout managing editor and founder

PS - If you find this newsletter valuable, please consider forwarding it to your friends. New to the Lookout? Sign-up for free. 

WEATHER

Friday: 9 🌡️ 6 | ☁️

Saturday: 7 🌡️ 2 | 🌧️

Sunday: 6 🌡️ 2 | ☁️

Monday: 4 🌡️ 3 | ☁️

DESIGN

How Vancouver’s restaurants and cafes use design to create an immersive guest experience

Written by Sarah Harowitz. Read the story online here.

When Jess Reno was creating the look and feel of North Vancouver’s Dope Bakehouse — the first standalone offshoot of Nemesis cafe’s trendy and delicious in-house baking program — he found inspiration hiding in plain sight.

“We mirrored a lot of the elements of pastry in the design,” the founder says.

The bakery’s whole interior takes its cues from the world of its own sweets. Brown banquette seating is designed to look like rising dough; translucent orange curtains hang from the ceiling, giving off the effect of sugar glaze; curved, rounded elements evoke whipped mascarpone cream; a high-gloss bar is reminiscent of melted butter (“We call it the butter bar,” says Reno). 

Because Dope Bakehouse is located in a sleepy part of North Vancouver that is removed from the bustle of Lonsdale, Reno knew he wanted to use design to attract passersby. Those orange curtains in particular, visible through the windows, were a highly strategic element, reminiscent of the ones that mark the entrance to the refrigeration section at Costco, which Reno confirms was where the idea originated.

“It’s a really new neighbourhood, and there have not really been many eyes on it,” Reno says. “So we wanted to have something that could grab the attention of the people passing by and be a great statement piece.”

Reno is one of a growing number of business owners in Vancouver and the region who are putting as much emphasis on the design of their establishments as the products served within. 

In the past, Vancouver has been guilty of falling into repetitive design traps, more likely to emulate what’s working down the street than to try something new. These days, though, restaurateurs and entrepreneurs are recognizing the value of design that goes beyond industrial stools and exposed light bulbs. We’re finally, it seems, developing our own distinct design language.

“People are trying to come out for an experience,” says Reno. “I think the product is a massive piece of that. But also the space, the brand, how people greet you—all those elements tied together are what really separates you from the pack.”

At Main Street’s one-Michelin-starred Published, food also plays a central role in the design. The garde manger section of the dining room, where cold dishes are prepared, features a flagship backbar of preserved and pickled delights in see-through jars, like an edible rainbow.

Plants are another important feature, and they dot the dining room and adorn the ceiling; a nod to the celebrated restaurant’s focus on local, in-season, and foraged ingredients. (The menu changes often, but a recent visit included such excellent dishes as cold side-stripe prawns with cucumber and horseradish, and a standout beef tartare with melted barley.) 

And at the new day-to-night cafe Ellipsis, the natural world is also incorporated, albeit in a different way. Here, a light projection of an orb is meant to resemble the sun, slowly changing from soft sunrise yellow to vibrant sunset purples and oranges as the day goes on: perfect for admiring with a matcha or a tea-infused cocktail.

“I really believe that most people are quite perceptive of their environment, whether they’re aware of it or not,” says interior designer Janine Spartano. “So things like lighting, or even just the finish of a velvet—those are all things that bring us a memory of some kind, or spark some kind of feeling in us.”

Spartano is the designer and part-owner of Pax Romana: a swish and intimate Mediterranean tapas bar on Commercial Drive with excellent cocktails (the martini is a must) and high-end meats and cheeses sourced from Europe. Upon entering the space, guests are immediately enveloped in a dark-red universe of brushed walls, exposed brick, and soft, warm lighting. 

“I really wanted it to feel like it had been there for a long time,” she says. “Like your neighbourhood restaurant.”

The space’s anchor is a mural at the back depicting a series of whimsical, flowing-haired women who appear to be dancing or floating through space—the restaurant’s very own patron saints of a good time.

“We used artwork to bring in that sense of play,” explains Spartano. “It’s something that you do see a lot of in those Mediterranean countries: the old frescoes.” Leafy green plants, accents of yellow, and lush banquette fabric complete the scene: one of coziness and warmth, like an impromptu dinner party that lasts well into the night.

“The things that you choose to put in a restaurant often can make somebody feel at ease; they can make somebody feel comfortable; they can make the space feel romantic and intimate,” Spartano says. “And I think that good food is important for sure, but so is creating a space where people feel comfortable—or whatever you want them to feel.”

• We reviewed Pax Romana back in November of last year. The Lookout’s verdict? A welcome addition to the city’s Spanish restaurant offerings

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THE VANCOUVER NUMBER

54

That’s the record-breaking number of overdoses responded to by the Vancouver Fire Rescue Services on November 21st, more than double the 2024 daily average of 20-25 overdoses. Read more. [City News]

THE AGENDA

🇵🇭On Wednesday, council delayed a vote on a motion to establish a Filipino cultural centre. While there was overwhelming support for the motion, key stakeholders like the Mabuhay House Society - which has been working with the province on a similar proposal - and Filipino BC and the Filipino Seniors Club of BC expressed their concerns about the pace of the project and developer partners. Read more. [City News]

🎆 After running for 33 years, the Vancouver Fireworks Festival Society says that the Honda Celebration of Light will be cancelled indefinitely, due to a significant reduction in government and private sector funding. Read more. [Global BC]

🚒 After police and fire services responded to nearly 7,000 emergency calls in five years, Mayor Ken Sim and local businesses are calling on the province to close three publicly-owned Granville St. single room occupancy hotels. Read more. [BIV]

🏗️ The City of Vancouver is seeking public feedback about changes that could make it easier to build rental homes and small hotels in commercial mixed-use and residential rental zoning areas. Residents are asked to review the city’s proposals and provide comments until Dec. 18. Read more. [Vancity Lookout]

🚴 The money allocated to remove the Beach Avenue bike lane has been removed from the 2026 budget, which seems to indicate the bike lane will not be removed, though it’s still somewhat unclear. Read more. [Better Columbia]

⚽ The City of Vancouver estimates that the new PNE Amphitheatre will cost almost $184 million, nearly $120 million above the original budget. Despite across-the-board budget cuts, council has approved the new spending. Read more. [CTV]

📊 A new poll from Research Co. shows weak support for amalgamation of Metro Vancouver municipalities into a megacity. Instead, there was stronger support for the amalgamation of neighbouring municipalities like the Township of Langley and the City of Langley or Pitt Meadows and Maple Ridge. Read more. [BIV]

❄️ CBSA says that on the same day that it seized 560kg of methamphetamine and cocaine at YVR, it also confiscated 200kg of cocaine from a ship in Vancouver arriving from Panama. Read more. [CTV] 

👮 Vancouver Police seized a grenade launcher, as well as drugs, guns and other weapons from a rooming house in the Downtown Eastside. Read more. [Daily Hive]

WEEKEND EVENT GUIDE

Digital Media Youth Expo & Career Fair 2025 | Dec. 6th, 10 am-2 pm | Learn about educational and employment opportunities available in the Digital Media Industry. Meet representatives from Lower Mainland post-secondary schools | Free [Sponsored]

12th Vancouver Turkish Film Festival Pass | Vancity Theatre & venues, Vancouver | Nov. 28–30, various times | Festival pass for three days of Turkish feature films, shorts and documentaries | Tickets $49

Department of Silly Entertainment Sketch Show! | 524 Main St. | Nov. 29, 7:30–9:30 pm | Absurdist sketch comedy blending radio-style theatre with modern sketches and chaotic humour | Tickets $15

IndieFest | DigiBC Creative Tech Studio & The Annex | Until Nov. 29, various times | Festival of genre-defying performances including hip-hop opera and more | Tickets various prices

Heritage Hall Christmas Market | Heritage Hall, 3102 Main St. | Nov. 29, 11 am–4 pm | Local vendor market with handmade gifts, door prizes and festive community shopping | Free

Got Craft Holiday Market | Croatian Cultural Centre, 3250 Commercial Dr. | Nov. 29–30, 10 am–5 pm | Large craft fair featuring 100 makers, workshops, swag bags and family activities | Tickets $5–$8

Vancouver Game Expo | Roundhouse Community Centre, Yaletown | Nov. 29, 12–7 pm | Interactive exhibition showcasing indie video games, vendors, demos and an evening afterparty | Tickets $6–$32

Vancouver Creative Experience at VanDusen Botanical Garden | VanDusen Botanical Garden, 5251 Oak St. | Nov. 30, 2–5 pm | Exclusive creative-access afternoon with photo ops, gear testing and Festival of Lights backdrop | Tickets $10

Toque Craft Fair | Western Front, 303 E 8th Ave. | Dec. 5, 5–9 pm; Dec. 6–7, 11 am–5 pm | Curated craft fair with textiles, ceramics, jewelry and homewares by BC artisans | Donation

Riot Vancouver Sketch Comedy Holiday Spectacular | Dec. 7, 8-10 pm | A monthly live sketch show exploring local issues and events | Tickets $12

Winter Market at Vanier Park | Vanier Park, Vancouver | Dec. 7, 12 pm | Outdoor seaside market with artisans, cultural venues, entertainment and cozy holiday treats | Donation

Submit your event and it could appear here and reach 30,000+ Vancouver locals

HOUSING

Vancouver's new non-profit housing initiative could reshape the city's neighbourhoods

Vancouver is poised to transform its approach to regulating non-profit housing. The city’s Social Housing Initiative (SHI) would prezone select neighbourhoods all across Vancouver, outside of downtown, for non-profit housing. This could provide a boost for the financial viability of non-profit projects, while fundamentally altering where in the city these projects can be built. 

The idea behind prezoning is to shrink development timelines – it takes about a year off the permitting process according to the city – and save money, which can be particularly helpful to non-profits running projects on tight margins. It’s an approach the city has been favouring of late. Council recently approved a city-led rezoning of nearly 4,300 properties in the Broadway and Cambie Corridor plan areas.

“Definitionally with non-profit housing, there isn't a profit so everything [financially] is constantly on a knife edge,” Brendan Dawe, a real estate consultant and member of Abundant Housing Vancouver, told Vancity Lookout.

PHOTO OF THE DAY

Ever wondered whay Bentall One looked like before it was Bentall One? Heres’s a photo of the area from 1965.

COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS

• Protect what matters most for less. This Black Friday, get up to 30% off your legal will, only until November 30. Start your will today. [Sponsored]

• The company behind Labubus is opening its first Canadian store in Metro Vancouver. TBD if they’ll sell a 24 karat gold Labubu. [Curiocity]

• Just for Laughs announced the lineup for its 2026 festival.

• Looking to dance the night away? Here’s a handy list. [VanMag]

• The East Van Panto will extend the run of this year’s West Van Story, adding more performance dates in January. [Stir]

• The co-founders of Vancouver dance company Harbour Dance are being inducted into the B.C. Entertainment Hall of Fame. [Vancouver Sun]

• Want to have your announcement featured? Learn how here.

VANCOUVER GUESSER

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