Vancouver, BC: There is no tastier time to visit Vancouver than during Dine Out Vancouver – the city's highly anticipated annual restaurant event where visitors can sample three-course dinner menus at over 200 restaurants at the delectable price points of $18, $28 or $38 (exclusive of taxes, alcohol and gratuity).
Tourism Vancouver's eighth annual promotion, presented by Visa, runs for 11 days, from Monday, April 26 to Thursday, May 6, dishing up great value and the opportunity to “taste-drive” a smorgasbord of Vancouver restaurants.
Participating Dine Out Vancouver restaurants and their menus will be revealed by Tourism Vancouver on Monday, April 19, at which point consumers can start making reservations online through tourismvancouver.com. Diners are encouraged to book early as spots at many restaurants are snapped up quickly.
Dine Out Vancouver 2010 hotel packages
As an entrée to out-of-town visitors, Tourism Vancouver and over a dozen partner hotels have created a series of Dine Out Vancouver hotel packages. Packages start at $169 per night and include a one-night stay plus a three-course Dine Out Vancouver dinner for two at the hotel restaurant or a partner restaurant. Booking one of these packages is the only way to make a Dine Out Vancouver dinner reservation in advance of April 19.
“The hotel community has been involved in Dine Out Vancouver for the past six years,” said Jean Luc Barone, chair of the Hotel Association of Vancouver. “The partnership offers an opportunity for visitors to experience both Vancouver's renowned culinary scene and our city's exceptional hospitality.”
A sample of participating hotels includes the Fairmont Pacific Rim (Oru Restaurant), the Georgian Court Hotel (William Tell Restaurant), and the Wedgewood Hotel and Spa (Bacchus Restaurant). Click here for the full list of hotel offers.
Dine Out Vancouver 2010 highlights
"¢ British Columbia wine pairings available with Dine Out Vancouver meals. Once again, Dine Out Vancouver restaurants will be offering British Columbia VQA wine pairings to complement their three-course menus, available at an additional cost. These wine pairings provide the perfect opportunity to sample and explore the outstanding wines of BC.
"¢ Best Bite awards. Diners can vote online for their favourite Dine Out Vancouver 2010 experiences and win great prizes. The 2010 Best Bite awards' grand prize is a nine-day luxury vacation for two aboard the Rocky Mountaineer train, valued at over $11,000. For more information on the Best Bite awards, click here.
Tourism Vancouver launched Dine Out Vancouver in 2003 as a way to drive business to local restaurants during the industry's low season. The promotion is normally held in January/February each year. However, this year's event was moved to the spring to accommodate for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. Despite the later dates, Dine Out Vancouver 2010 has set a new record with 207 restaurants registered, up from 194 restaurants in 2009, and just 57 restaurants in 2003.
Lucas Pavan, who coordinates the program, says that Dine Out Vancouver offers a unique opportunity to explore Vancouver's world-renowned dining scene. “Dine Out Vancouver has become one of Vancouver's most anticipated annual events,” said Pavan. “It offers the chance to sample some of the city's top restaurants at amazing price points. It truly is one of the tastiest times of year to visit Vancouver.”
Along with presenting sponsor Visa, other sponsors of this much anticipated event include the British Columbia Wine Institute, Rocky Mountaineer, Satsports, myCITYsmart, 96.9 Jack FM, KVOS TV, News 1130, Tourism Vancouver Television, WHERE Vancouver magazine, and Vancouver Magazine.