ROYAL DINETTE || Farm to Table Fare Keeping Great Tasting Food Simple
“Royal Dinette aims to captivate guests with our focus on fresh, quality driven food without complexity.” That’s the philosophy behind Royal Dinette, and they walk the talk by serving up simple, great tasting food.
Located in the heart of downtown Vancouver nestled in the city’s central business district, Royal Dinette’s lunch hour is packed with working professional guests catching up on business over lunch. It’s a great option for those looking for a casual yet tasty lunch focused on fresh, local and seasonal ingredients.
Grab a seat at the counter.
Though seemingly tucked quietly into the two-level complex of eateries on Dunsmuir, Royal Dinette is full of surprises, with an ever-changing seasonal menu prepared by Head Chef Amanda Healey, fresh pasta and pastry made daily, and butcher stations and a bar menu offering an array of local craft beer, sparkling wine and handcrafted cocktails by award-winning bar manager Kaitlyn Stewart.
We had the pleasure of meeting both Amanda and Kailyn during our visit, and it was evident to us that both have fun with their craft, resulting in innovative and tasty creations on the food and drink menu.
The chefs preparing for lunch service.
Amanda moved to Vancouver four years ago to work at Hawksworth and worked through all sections in the kitchen during her two and a half years at the restaurant. She has been cooking since the age of 14 in restaurants around Australia and Canada under Chefs Richard Ousby, Josue Lopez, Kristian Eligh and Rob Ratcliffe. For her, food is fun and the ability to connect with people through memories and emotions is a definite highlight to playing with food. You will see below what she nonchalantly refers to as her ‘festive thing’ is a delicious holiday dish you wouldn’t want to miss.
The walls are lined with jars of ingredients made in house.
Kaitlyn is a regular on the cocktail competition circuit, with impressive first place finishes in the Smirnoff Caesar Challenge and the second annual Canadian Whisky Competition, as well as taking the top West Coast placement in the Speed Rack Canada Female Bartending Competition. We love both the names and the flavours of her cocktail creations pictured below.
(Left) High & Dry. London Dry Gin, St. Germain, Campari, Orange Blossom Water & A Splash of Bubbles
(Right) Split Milk. Bulleit Bourbon, SOV Amaretto, Milk Liqueur, Fresh Citrus, Tart Cherry Shrub & Bitters.
Rainbow carrot, shaved apple, macedonian deta and marcona almond salad.
Keeping with the restaurant’s philosophy, you will find that the menu items emphasize the fresh ingredients rather than fancy plating or presentation. The salad features fresh vegetables and fruits, sliced thinly to make it easy to consume and to allow for experiencing multiple layers together in one bite.
Following the appetizing salad as a starter, the main dish, which Amanda refers to as her ‘festive thing’, is a scrumptious whole quail with orange and clove stuffing. We love how low key and down-to-earth the the chef is about their great food, because just the quail alone is worth you clearing an evening out of your holiday season to pay a visit to Royal Dinette.
Whole roasted quail with orange & clove stuffing, sunchoke, brussel sprouts, cranberry.
For our dessert, we had the the Honey Cheesecake with pumpkin and candied pecan, natural ingredients that separately would not catch your attention, but together create the perfect texture, with the candied pecan and pumpkin providing the crunchy texture and the honey adding a natural sweetness into the mix.
Honey cheesecake, 'sugar pie' pumpkin, and candied pecan combine to make a surprisingly simple yet delicious dessert.
If you want to have lunch where the menu is easy to comprehend with simple, tasty ingredients and great quality food, Royal Dinette offers a cosy dining atmosphere for any occasion.