Michelin Guide awards Vancouver restaurant with city's first 2

Michelin Guide awards Vancouver restaurant with city's first 2-star designation

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Vancouver is now home to a two-Michelin-star-rated restaurant.

The famed culinary guide named AnnaLena, in the Kitsilano neighbourhood, as the city's first-ever restaurant to be honoured with the distinction, an upgrade from its previous one-star designation.

Michelin says the restaurant's effortless service and drinks are part of the "magic," but it's the "seasonally inspired tasting menu that really steals the show."

Chef and owner Mike Robbins says he was happy about the win, and shocked — even though it was an accolade he and his team have been working towards, going as far as to renovate and upgrade the restaurant.

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"I think it's a surprise because we're not doing a playbook," said Robbins. "My son writes the menu with crayon … it's not always going to be for everyone."

He says the restaurant is his creative outlet, and credits his team for their collective success.

Vancouver was one of two cities included in the Michelin Guide's first foray into Canada in 2022, along with Toronto. It was later introduced in Quebec.

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AnnaLena joins only two other Canadian restaurants with the coveted two-star distinction, including Ontario's Restaurant Pearl Morissette and Quebec City's Tanière³.

Since its inception, the list of Michelin-starred establishments in Vancouver has only grown, with restaurants retaining their single star from year to year.

However, this year, one restaurant has lost its star.

Barbara Restaurant in Chinatown is now among the guide's "recommended" list, along with 45 other eateries.

This year's one-star winners are:

The guide also deemed 16 other restaurants to be of good value as "Bib Gourmands."

Michelin says its inspectors are completely anonymous and evaluate restaurants using the same criteria around the world.