Kitsilano’s Fable Kitchen Bestowed with Coveted MICHELIN ‘Bib Gourmand’ for Quality and Value, Ophelia, Fanny Bay Oyster Bar and Riley’s Fish & Steak Earn MICHELIN Recommended Status

Four restaurants on the roster at Vancouver’s Armstrong + Lan Communications were named to a list of 60 establishments to earn honours from The MICHELIN Guide at a gala ceremony held at the Vancouver Convention Centre.

Fable Kitchen was one of 12 spots singled out by MICHELIN for a coveted Bib Gourmand for value and quality in the ‘Contemporary’ category, while Ophelia, Riley’s Fish & Steak, and Fanny Bay Oyster Bar & Shellfish Market were among 40 local restaurants to earn a ‘Recommended’ status from MICHELIN, which also bestowed single stars to eight other local restaurants.

The newest kid on the block to earn a recommendation among the four, Riley’s Fish & Steak was opened in the spring and is the latest high-profile project for the Glowbal Restaurant Group that also owns and operates local hotspots such as its flagship Glowbal, Coast, Black + Blue and The Roof and Five Sails, among others.

The elder statesman of the group is Fable Kitchen, located in Kitsilano at 1944 West 4th Ave, and celebrated for its farm-focused fare since opening its doors in 2012. Fanny Bay has been the city’s only tide-to-table oyster bar and shellfish market since it set up shop in the Stadium District at 762 Cambie Street six years ago, and Ophelia has been lauded for its unique brand of authentic Mexican cuisine since it opened in 2020 at 165 West 2nd Ave.

“It’s been tough for the industry the past few years considering the pandemic restrictions, labour shortages and inflationary measures we’ve seen, and this is a welcome boost for our city’s restaurants, staff and guests,” says Tara Armstrong, Co-Owner of Armstrong + Lan Communications. “This celebrates the very best that Vancouver has to offer, and we’re thrilled to see our dining scene getting the international attention it rightly deserves.”

Seen as a benchmark of dining excellence the world over, the MICHELIN Guide first launched in 1889 when its namesake tire company began publishing a guidebook for European travellers. It was first awarded stars for fine dining excellence in 1926. Today, the guide annually rates more than 30,000 establishments across three continents.

Vancouver is the second Canadian MICHELIN Guide destination after Toronto joined the family earlier this year. Over the past year, MICHELIN inspectors anonymously rated restaurants in Vancouver on five metrics: food quality; harmony of flavours; mastery of cooking techniques; the personality of the chef; and consistency.

“Our teams of inspectors genuinely savoured their dining experiences in Vancouver,” said MICHELIN Guides International Director Gwendal Poullennec in a release. “They were really impressed with the city’s gastronomic dynamism. The selections — from Stars to Bib Gourmands to the Recommended spots — are all appealing in their own authentic DNA and very diverse offers. They can all be very proud of their entry in the MICHELIN Guide family, as we’re pleased to highlight them to our community of foodies and travellers.”