VIP treatment in Canada’s hottest culinary destination
Over the past five years, the neighbourhoods of Vancouver’s Downtown East Side (DTES) — Gastown, East Hastings, Railtown, Chinatown — have emerged as the heart and soul of the city’s food and cocktail culture. Starting with the arrival of a few brave pioneers who took the leap by choosing to locate to the historic neighbourhood others had abandoned, the Downtown Eastside has been energized by a flood of new restaurants, many opened by first time owners drawn by accessible, interesting heritage commercial spaces and the growing community of restaurateurs.
Just far enough off the beaten track to be hidden from all but the most adventurous visitors, the culinary excitement of Gastown has so far been a locals’ phenomenon. The St. Regis Hotel is setting out to help change that with the city’s first Gastown Dining Package that combines a stay at the Vancouver premiere downtown boutique hotel with VIP treatment at a group of restaurants personally reviewed and selected by St Regis GM Jeremy Roncoroni.
When booking the Gastown Dining Experience, guests make their dining selections from the list of restaurants and the St. Regis Hotel makes the reservations and books a complimentary taxi ride to dinner. Once at the restaurant, guests will receive VIP treatment from some of the finest hosts in the city as they enjoy these exceptional dining experiences.
The three restaurants included in the inaugural Gastown Dining Experience are: Boneta, Two Chefs and a Table, and Cork & Fin, each of which shines a light on a different facet of the neighbourhood’s culinary excellence.
While it wasn’t the first new opening in Gastown, many credit Boneta as Gastown’s first destination fine dining restaurant. Like their airy space at the Corner of Cordova and Carrall, their menu effortlessly combined the contemporary and the classic to establish the Gastown model of superb food and drink without pretence. Their upcoming move around the corner to a new space in Blood Alley will be an exciting moment for their staff and customers. ( boneta.ca/)
Over 2 ½ years ago, Two Chefs and a Table brought classic French technique and a focus on local ingredients to the still-developing East end of Gastown. They’ve built a superb reputation and a loyal local clientele for their menu that balances complex multi-course tasting menus and hearty favourites made from scratch. Their country kitchen-like space transforms from bright brunch and lunch space to candlelit intimacy at dinner. ( twochefsandatable.com/)
As the name implies, the focus of Cork & Fin is squarely on fresh seafood and great wine selections. The bounty of local seafood options makes up the majority of the menu including a world-class oyster bar with selections pulled from the nearby waters of the Gulf Islands and Vancouver Island. The warm, exposed brick walls of Cork & Fin have stood for 125 years since the Alahambra Hotel was built immediately after the great fire of 1886. ( corkandfin.ca/)
“We’re extremely excited to launch this program,” said St. Regis Hotel general manager Jeremy Roncoroni. “We have been huge fans of the restaurants in Gastown and we’re looking forward to sharing them with our guests through the St. Regis Gastown Dining Experience. So often, it can be difficult for visitors to choose places to go but we have taken the work and risk out of the process by selecting restaurants that we love and where we can send our guests with complete confidence that they’ll have superb dining experiences.”
To book a St. Regis Gastown Dining Experience, email info@stregishotel.com.
About the St. Regis Hotel Vancouver
Named one of the “Top 10 Hotels in Canada” for service two years running since reopening after a complete $11 million renovation, The St. Regis Hotel Vancouver offers cosmopolitan boutique downtown accommodations and a unmatched set of included services and amenities. For more information on the St. Regis Hotel, visit stregishotel.com.
