Boneta, a trendy restaurant and cocktail bar in Gastown

Beyond the high ceilings, busy open kitchen, and trendy vibe, Gastown's trendy Boneta (1 W. Cordova St., 604-684-1844) restaurant earns high praise for its creative, beautifully prepared contemporary BC cuisine - you might start with smoked bison carpaccio with sherry vinaigrette, quail eggs, and Pecorino cheese. The lamb shoulder and loin with polenta, and the roasted sablefish with Manilla clams and corn soup rank among the top entrees from this often-changing menu. Plenty of Vancouver A-listers drop by for cocktails - there's a very interesting list of specialties (like the Nicaragua, with lemon oil-infused white rum, alroso sherry, sweet vermouth, and Benedictine), plus a first-rate Manhattan and one of the city's best selections of small-batch bourbons. Boneta is very much a place to see and be seen in historic Gastown.