Rodney's Oyster House, Vancouver

When it comes for a delicious meal, fine spirits and some fun maritime hospitality at its heartiest, you can always rely on Rodney’s Oyster House (ROH) in Yaletown – a serious oyster curation (but that’s about where the seriousness ends). This raucous establishment is the original ROH outlet, and has been entertaining seafood lovers and oyster aficionados from far and wide for over 20 years, offering freshest seafood fare for lunch and dinner on a daily basis. The vibe here is noisy and fun, with customers catching up with their go-to bartenders and enjoying life, Cape Cod–style (a.k.a. wearing boat shoes).

While Rodney’s does indeed offer an impressive selection of day’s raw oysters by the dozen (check out Royal Miyagi, Kusshi, and Raspberry Point) freshly sourced from the local waters and skillfully shucked by a team of very handsome men, the restaurant also serves up some old-school favorites, such as steaming bowls of New England clam chowder, shrimp cocktail, and crab cakes.

While here, you may also want to try their delightful steamed clams, garlic shrimp, wild sockeye or pan fried oysters, much as the Atlantic lobster, coco curry shrimp, potato crusted halibut and more. The scallop pasta and AAA rib-eye steak will have you coming back here time and time again all the same, rest assured. Also, in the late afternoons, guests are in for a special “low tide” treat brought to the restaurant during low tide for immediate freshness. To wash it all down, consider ordering British Columbian wine, like the crisp Burrowing Owl Pinot Gris, or a cup of grog or a glass of imported white or red wine to complement any dish.