Restaurant in Vancouver, Canada
Pacific Northwest tasting menu, serious wine list.
Botanist is one of Vancouver's strongest fine-dining cases: a Michelin Plate recipient with a plant-forward Pacific Northwestern tasting menu that changes seven to eight times a year and a 435-selection wine program backed by a cellar of 7,855 bottles. Book dinner for the full experience. Reservations are Hard — plan three to four weeks out for a weekend table.
Botanist is one of Vancouver's most complete fine-dining packages: a Michelin Plate recipient with a wine program serious enough to earn international recognition, a chef whose plant-forward approach to Pacific Northwestern cooking is genuinely distinctive, and a room that feels more like a considered dining destination than a hotel restaurant afterthought. Book it. If you're choosing between lunch and dinner, the decision hinges on what you want from the meal — more on that below.
Botanist sits on the mezzanine level of its Canada Place hotel, and the greenery-filled dining room creates a calm, enveloping atmosphere that keeps noise levels measured even when the room fills. This is not a loud, buzzy space — conversations carry at dinner, and the energy at lunch feels deliberately unhurried. For a first-timer, that's worth knowing upfront: if you're expecting the hum and crackle of a downtown restaurant at peak service, Botanist runs quieter and more composed. The room suits a business lunch as comfortably as it suits a celebratory dinner.
This is the key decision for first-timers. Lunch at Botanist runs Tuesday through Friday, 11:30 am to 1:30 pm, with Sunday brunch from 11 am to 2 pm (plus a Sunday morning service from 7 to 10:30 am). Dinner runs Tuesday through Saturday, 5:30 to 10 pm. Monday lunch is the lone exception, offered 11:30 am to 1:30 pm with no dinner service.
Dinner is where the full Botanist experience assembles. The tasting menu , which changes seven to eight times a year , is the format that leading expresses what chef Hector Laguna is doing: building dishes around plant-based ingredients and letting them set the terms for the accompanying proteins. In colder months that means pickled and root vegetables alongside dry-aged duck breast with red cabbage in brown-butter jus; spring shifts toward fava beans, peas, and radishes paired with local uni or spot prawns. The à la carte menu at dinner is no less deliberate , grilled octopus with hominy, shiitake, and leche de tigre, or lamb rack and belly with smoked carrots, grilled vegetable sauce, and mint jus reflect a kitchen that applies genuine technique to bold, Mexican-inflected flavours. Desserts, handled by pastry chef Kate Siegel, extend that standard rather than trailing off.
Lunch is a more accessible entry point to the same kitchen. The $$$$ price tier applies across both services, but lunch portions and format tend to be lighter and the meal shorter , useful if you're visiting Vancouver for work or want to experience Laguna's cooking without a full tasting-menu commitment. For a first visit focused on value-per-dish rather than the full arc of the tasting menu, lunch makes sense. For a special occasion or to fully understand what the kitchen is capable of, dinner is the right call.
Sommelier Matthew Jacobson oversees a list of 435 selections backed by a cellar of 7,855 bottles. Strengths run across France, California, Italy, and Canada, with pricing in the $$$ tier , expect a range with meaningful options above $100. The beverages are not an afterthought here. The cocktail program has earned its own international recognition; the Duck Duck Goose (bourbon fat-washed with foie gras) is the most-cited example of the kitchen's sensibility applied to drinks. For first-timers, pairing the tasting menu with sommelier-guided wine selections is worth the additional spend , this is one of the few Vancouver restaurants where the wine service is as considered as the food.
Booking difficulty is rated Hard. Botanist's Opinionated About Dining ranking , #548 in North America for 2025, up from #449 in 2024 , combined with the Michelin Plate recognition means demand consistently exceeds availability, particularly for dinner Friday and Saturday. Plan at least three to four weeks ahead for a weekend dinner reservation. Weekday lunch offers a more realistic short-notice window, and Sunday brunch is the most accessible service of the week without advance planning becoming critical. That said, Sunday brunch still fills, so booking ahead remains the sensible approach.
Botanist works leading for: diners who want a technically accomplished Pacific Northwestern tasting menu with a strong beverage program; first-timers to Vancouver's fine-dining scene who want a single restaurant that represents the city's current standard; and anyone for whom wine matters as much as food. It is less suited to large groups without private dining arrangements, or diners looking for an energetic, social atmosphere. The room's composed, measured character is a feature if quiet concentration on food and wine is what you're after , it's a drawback if you want the energy of a full dining room in full flight.
For broader context on dining in the city, see our full Vancouver restaurants guide. If you're visiting from elsewhere in Canada, Botanist sits comfortably alongside Alo in Toronto and Tanière³ in Quebec City as one of the country's most accomplished contemporary tasting-menu experiences. Internationally, it competes on technical grounds with 63 Clinton in New York City and Bastion in Nashville as a chef-driven restaurant where the à la carte and tasting menus are equally worth your attention.
Within Vancouver's contemporary dining scene, AnnaLena, Hawksworth, and Burdock & Co offer different takes on the same broad territory. Barbara and Elem round out the contemporary Vancouver shortlist for first-timers exploring the city's range. For context beyond food, our full Vancouver hotels guide, bars guide, wineries guide, and experiences guide cover the full picture.
Dinner delivers more of what makes Botanist worth the trip. The tasting menu , changing seven to eight times a year and built around seasonal Pacific Northwestern produce , is a dinner-only format, and the full beverage pairing program makes the most sense in that context. Lunch is a legitimate option if you want a shorter, lighter meal from the same kitchen, or if availability is the constraint. Sunday brunch is the most accessible service if you're visiting on a weekend and couldn't secure a dinner reservation.
Yes, if tasting menus are your preferred format. Chef Hector Laguna builds each menu around plant-based ingredients that then determine the proteins , a structurally different approach that produces genuinely distinctive results rather than the standard protein-led progression. The menu changes seven to eight times a year, so repeat visits aren't repetitive. Add the sommelier-guided wine pairing and this is one of the stronger tasting-menu propositions in Vancouver. If you prefer à la carte, the dinner menu holds up on its own terms , this isn't a restaurant that buries its leading work in the tasting menu exclusively.
Three things: book early (Hard difficulty , three to four weeks minimum for a weekend dinner), commit to the beverage program (the wine list runs 435 selections with 7,855 bottles in the cellar, and the cocktail program has earned its own international awards), and don't skip dessert. Pastry chef Kate Siegel's work is a genuine extension of the kitchen's ambition, not an afterthought. The room is quieter and more composed than most downtown Vancouver restaurants at the same price tier , factor that into the decision if energy and buzz are part of what you're after.
Smart casual at minimum; business casual or above for dinner. Botanist holds a Michelin Plate and sits in the $$$$ price tier, and the room's composed atmosphere sets a clear expectation. You won't be turned away for not wearing a jacket, but showing up in casual streetwear will feel out of step with the room. For Sunday brunch the standard relaxes slightly, but this is still a hotel fine-dining room , dress accordingly.
AnnaLena is the closest comparison for contemporary $$$$ dining with a strong culinary identity , worth considering if you want a room with more energy. Hawksworth competes on polish and occasion dining in the same price bracket. Burdock & Co offers a more casual but equally ingredient-focused Pacific Northwestern approach at a lower price point. If you want to compare across the broader contemporary Canadian fine-dining tier, Restaurant Pearl Morissette in Lincoln and The Pine in Creemore are relevant reference points for the same chef-driven, produce-led approach outside of Vancouver.
| Venue | Cuisine | Price | Awards | Booking Difficulty | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Botanist | $$$$ · Contemporary | $$$$ | Opinionated About Dining Casual in North America Ranked #548 (2025); Michelin Plate (2025); WINE: Wine Strengths: France, California, Italy, Canada Pricing: $$$ i Wine pricing: Based on the list\'s general markup and high and low price points:$ has many bottles < $50;$$ has a range of pricing;$$$ has many $100+ bottles Selections: 435 Inventory: 7,855 CUISINE: Cuisine Types: Pacific Northwestern Pricing: $$$ i Cuisine pricing: The cost of a typical two-course meal, not including tip or beverages.$ is < $40;$$ is $40–$65;$$$ is $66+. Meals: Lunch and Dinner STAFF: People Matthew Jacobson:Sommelier Sommelier: Matthew Jacobson Chef: Hector Laguna General Manager: Sandy Dixon; Ensconced deep within the mezzanine of the hotel, Botanist’s greenery-filled dining room and seasonal menus are tributes to the bounty of the Pacific Northwest — in particular, its fields and forests. Mexican-born executive chef Hector Laguna, whose parents have a farm in Veracruz, conceptualizes his dishes in the reverse order of most chefs, choosing plant-based ingredients and letting them dictate the accompanying proteins. During colder months, pickled and root vegetables dominate — say, alongside dry-aged duck breast with red cabbage in brown-butter jus. Spring is sure to bring the likes of fava beans, peas and radishes, on sharing plates with local uni or spot prawns. The tasting menu changes seven to eight times a year. À la carte options are no less a showcase for Laguna’s inventive Mexican-inflected cookery and his team’s finesse of execution. Flavours are bold — as in the grilled octopus with hominy, shiitake and leche de tigre, and the lamb rack and belly with smoked carrots, grilled vegetable sauce and mint jus. Technique-driven desserts by Kate Siegel are inspired and creative. Availing yourself of the wine and cocktail lists is highly recommended — Botanist’s ambitious beverage programs have been showered with international awards. Try the Duck Duck Goose, featuring bourbon fat-washed with foie gras. A journey through LOCAL and GLOBAL ingredients, crafted with CREATIVITY. Mijune Pak; Opinionated About Dining Casual in North America Ranked #449 (2024); Opinionated About Dining Casual in North America Recommended (2023) | Hard | — |
| AnnaLena | $$$$ · Contemporary | $$$$ | Michelin 1 Star | Unknown | — |
| iDen & QuanJuDe Beijing Duck House | $$$$ · Chinese | $$$$ | Michelin 1 Star | Unknown | — |
| Kissa Tanto | $$$$ · Fusion | $$$$ | Michelin 1 Star | Unknown | — |
| Masayoshi | $$$$ · Japanese | $$$$ | Michelin 1 Star | Unknown | — |
| Published on Main | $$$ · Contemporary | $$$ | Michelin 1 Star | Unknown | — |
Key differences to consider before you reserve.
Kissa Tanto is the go-to if you want OAD-ranked cooking in a more intimate setting with Italian-Japanese crossover rather than Pacific Northwestern. AnnaLena offers a comparable tasting menu format at a lower price point, making it the better pick if $$$$ feels steep for a first Vancouver fine-dining outing. Published on Main is worth considering for ingredient-driven contemporary cooking with a slightly more approachable room. Masayoshi is the call if omakase-style Japanese precision matters more than local produce-led menus.
Botanist sits on the mezzanine of the Canada Place hotel and runs both à la carte and a tasting menu that changes seven to eight times a year, so the menu you see reviewed elsewhere may not be what's served on your visit. Chef Hector Laguna builds dishes around plant-based ingredients first, letting them dictate the protein, which means the food reads differently from a conventional fine-dining menu. The wine list runs 435 selections across 7,855 bottles, with strengths in France, California, Italy, and Canada — budget accordingly, since wine pricing sits at the $$$ tier. Booking difficulty is rated Hard, so plan ahead.
The venue data doesn't specify a dress code, but Botanist holds a Michelin Plate, an OAD ranking, and a $$$$ price point inside a Canada Place hotel — business casual or smart attire is the practical call. Jeans are unlikely to draw problems, but trainers and casualwear would feel out of place given the room and occasion.
For diners who want a produce-led Pacific Northwestern menu with genuine technique, yes — the tasting menu changes seven to eight times a year, which means repeat visits hold up, and the Michelin Plate and OAD North America ranking (#548 in 2025, up from #449 in 2024) back the kitchen's consistency. It's less compelling if you prefer protein-forward fine dining or want a fixed, well-documented menu you can research in advance. The wine program, overseen by sommelier Matthew Jacobson, is strong enough to treat as a feature rather than an add-on, which pushes the overall value case if you're a serious wine drinker.
Lunch (Tuesday–Friday, 11:30 am–1:30 pm) is the better value entry point — you get access to Laguna's cooking at a format that typically costs less than a full dinner tasting menu. Dinner runs Tuesday–Saturday from 5:30 pm and is the right choice if you want the full tasting menu experience and time to work through the wine list. Sunday brunch (11 am–2 pm) adds a third option, with a distinct menu that suits a lighter occasion. First-timers on a budget should start at lunch; those who want the complete Botanist experience should book dinner.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
