Vancouver restaurants with excellent cheese plates
Whether you choose to start or end your meal with a selection of cheeses, condiments, fresh bread and wine (or port), the cheese plate definitely deserves a place at your dinner table. These restaurants are offering up their creamy, salty, unctuous platters, ensuring your daily calcium dose is covered.
Salt Tasting Room Ltd
248 Georgia St E, Vancouver, BC V6A 1Z7With a menu comprised solely of meats and cheeses, you can be sure Salt Tasting Room knows what it’s doing with dairy. Choose three for a plate from their selection of a rotating 10. There is always brie, a bleu, cheddar of some kind and a chèvre. Countries of origin are listed beside the chalked menu and accompanying condiments — nuts, honey, olives, relishes, etc. — are suitably paired. The feast comes with ample toasted baguette. The wine list is to die for.
Chill Winston
3 Alexander St, Vancouver, BC V6A 1B2This Gastown patio favourite doesn’t skimp when it comes to their impressive cheese plate for a crowd. And at $32 they shouldn’t. But you do get large wedges of whatever’s in their larder that day, both local and international selections, and your wooden board is completed with mustard, house-made pickles, jam and large slabs of flour-dusted country bread. This is wonderful picnic-style sampling and the huge portion means you can have another glass of that wine that pairs so perfectly.
Notturno Paninoteca
280 Carrall St, Vancouver, BC V6B 2J1It’s hard to know what you’re going to get at Notturno, the inconspicuous, chef-driven restaurant on Carrall near Cordova. But that’s part of the charm of this tiny Italian bar and eatery. It doesn’t have a cheese platter listed on its menu (let alone prices for any of the fare) but ask for what’s good and you’ll be treated to a chef’s selection of a little of everything. Go on a Wednesday to take advantage of their $5 glass of wine. Salute!
Alibi Room
157 Alexander St, Vancouver, BC V6A 1B8The ever-friendly and knowledgeable servers at the Alibi Room will even tell you which of their impressive number of craft beers might go well with a cheese from their offering. Changing frequently based on availability and freshness, this nicely composed platter includes house-made condiments and a few different kinds of bread. Kick back with a couple of friends, a couple of pints and some amped up cheese and crackers and let the occasional rumble of the trains going by interrupt your conversation.
West Restaurant + Bar
2881 Granville St, Vancouver, BC V6H 3J4While not a French restaurant per se, everything at West, from the kitchen to the progression of the meal to the service is influenced by the culinary powerhouse that is France. Even down to the cheese plate they offer at the end of the meal. Intended as a pre-dessert or often served instead of dessert, it is a glorious way to finish dinner. West’s selection is primarily Canadian with a few international offerings and served with walnut raisin bread and seasonal compote. Divine.
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