Malones Bar & Grill
Christened after Cheer’s most frequent patron, Malones has become a neighbourhood staple where everyone (at one point or another) knows your name. Bouncing beach balls (and accompanying bouncing body parts) are typical fixations of Kits Beach volleyballers that patrons rarely detract their sight from. Women watchers and aficionados of the female physique will be delighted to discover you can’t beat the price of the ladies in bikinis here – free! Overlooking the always “mobbed in the sunshine” Kits Beach, the patio has more to offer than just brilliant beer specials: the traffic light/crosswalk at the patio’s tip provides the very best sunny day eye candy, regardless of your preference. A stone’s throw away from the sand, it’s sun decks like this one that make you wish you could order your beer to go. But being this close to the beach, you’ll be satisfied knowing that a romp in the sand is just a crosswalk away. - B.J. $$. 2210 Cornwall Street, 604-737-7777.



Milestones
I generally dislike chain-restaurants (due to the fly-lamp like attraction of 9-5 suit sporting, cubicle escapees) and have done my best to exclude them from my list, BUT (and this is a big BUT) this Milestones has situated itself on prime English Bay realty, thus solidifying their reputation as undoubtedly the most sought after place in the sun. It could be the outstanding sunsets that signal the end of another day for the world or the diverse sidewalk traffic that populates the area and keeps you mildly entertained as you sip away and get sauced in the sun. For me, it’s the drink that always pulls me back. Three words: Blood. Orange. Margarita. Try one and then try three. The sun honestly never felt so good and nor the burn so bad (but it was worth it). - B.J. $$. 1145 Robson Street, 604-682-4477.



Naam
This veggie resto is a funky place for omnivores and herbivores alike to rest their feet and eat some greens. Early risers are well educated about Naam’s 6am breakfast start that is light and fruity thanks to the lack of grease that results from bacon, ham and sausages at your typical greasy spoon. When lunch and dinner roll around, the menu offers reasonably priced Quesadillas, Nachos and Pita Pizzas. Their specialty is salads (they do specialize in vegetarian cuisine after all), but they also make a wicked veggie burger and delicious Thai dragon bowl. So for the health conscious, and late night eaters, try to remember Naam as a haven for healthy cravings. -E.J 2724 West 4th Avenue, 604-738-7151.



Nu
Harry Kambolis's third restaurant, discretely located under the Granville Street Bridge, next to C, is a seamless composition featuring an inventive seasonal menu that will please conservative and adventurous eaters alike. And if all that dining wears you out, the addictive patio and atmospheric side bar are the perfect repose for catching up with friends, sipping chi-chi cocktails, and lingering contentedly. Idle much? –R.B. $$. 1661 Granville Street, Vancouver, BC, 604-646-4668.



Room Eighteen
The space here finally feels like it looks, with just enough contemporary appeal to scale up its casualness. A back banquette lines the entire wall then wraps around, making tipping back a few all the more comfortable. A fireplace and window-front seating effuse an open and intimate vibe. Drenched in deep reds and blacks, Room Eighteen is small enough to feel intimate, and large enough (with thanks to some high ceilings) to still feel spacious. It’s a clever use of the floor plan, breaking up what could be a very monotonous space. - B.J. 2042 West 4th, 604-739-4674



Savory Coast Cucina Mediterranea
The patio at Cucina is reminiscent of old world high-class Italian dining where the ambiance was lively no matter the weather. The continual vibe could be attributed to the outdoor wood-fired grill that keeps the whole joint smelling of rich Italian flavours late into the night. Chef Romy Prasad keeps his fresh selection of seafood in live tanks. Guests can hand pick a Dungeness crab, Alaskan King crab, Atlantic lobster, or an ever-changing selection of shellfish to be thrown on the grill pronto. Bellissimo. –MBO. $$. 1133 Robson Street (upstairs), Vancouver, BC, 604-642-6278.



Watermark
Watermarks were often the validation of official royal documents that would leave an imprint on the paper only visible in the light. Much like that theory, this watermark will permanently be ingrained in your memory, especially when the light shines and views of the Kits beach bikinis are at their prime. The restaurant’s oh-so-grand deck, set against an undulating wall of white waves, is not only a fitting centerpiece for a restaurant bold enough to open on a beach (given Vancouver’s temperate weather conditions), it is also a voyeur's paradise. For all the precision that went into creating its glittery interior and stylistically design excess, you'd think that this resto was a museum on the beach. However, elitists requiring refinery (and no sand in their socks) when dining al fresco near the beach flock to this monumental patio to avoid the riff raff and painful sunburns (of course they all know better). And yet the menu is curiously downplayed by Chef Lynda Larouche. But be warned; on loud weekend nights, the restaurant can sometimes seem as if it is about 90 percent bar. - S.W. $$$$. 1305 Arbutus Street, 604-738-5487.