When it comes to the world of haute cuisine, AnnaLena co-owners Mike Robbins and Jeff Parr definitely know their stuff. “We've practiced in restaurants at home and abroad,” says Jeff. “So we felt confident enough to strike out on our own.”
Both have been in the hospitality industry for more than half their lives, working as far afield as Australia, as well as for an impressive list of B.C. restaurants.
In fact, for this pair of East Vancouver-born restauranteurs, the connection to food and kitchens is in their blood; Jeff got his start when his father, a sous chef on Pender Island, had him work in his kitchen. And for Mike, the connection goes way back. “AnnaLena was inspired by his two grandmothers, Anna and Lena,” Jeff notes. “The decor, the playfulness of the room, it goes back to his childhood, playing in the kitchen with them. But with a modern, grown-up twist.”
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My wife and I had dinner at AnnaLena for the first time and we were pleasantly surprised by the oyster appetizer and the mussel dish. The mussel dish was absolutely incredible. The lemongrass and chili oil helped balance out the broth very, very well. However, the beef bavette was a let down. The steak itself was perfectly cooked, the broccolini was spot on and you can still taste its freshness, but the cipollini onions and sherry jus were over the top and masked everything. Disappointing.
One of our favorite neighborhood Resto’s Excellent Food, great Vibe and awesome Bar.
AnnaLena is a real hidden gem. The food is excellent & the service is attentive, friendly & unobtrusive. It has a good wine list too. The restaurant is cosy but if you are seated in the chair right behind the hostess desk you get a cold draft every time someone comes in or out. This is literally the only thing I have found lacking. A small detail really for such an excellent place.
Main course sized like appetizer and we are still hungry after the three course meal.
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Drop off the flip-flops and sarong, and dress up for the occasion at this upscale restaurant that’s considered to be one of the best in the city. Located a couple minutes from the eastern edge of Kits Beach, AnnaLena defies neat labels: it fuses global cuisines with French technique, and incorporates street art into its chic dining room. The chocolate-covered fried chicken skin dessert is just one example of chef Michael Robbins’s unorthodox approach to local cuisine.
View this Smart ListDespite a fierce reputation for brilliance, and inclusion on lists of Canada’s Best New Restaurants, AnnaLena still feels like Vancouver’s best kept secret. Whether you eating at a table, or propping up the bar on a weekday night, the restaurant’s drinks menu rivals that of its food. That’s thanks, in part, the work of bar manager Kevin Brownlee, an award-winning bartender who can speak knowledgably about any bottle behind the bar.
View this Smart ListTrue to their simplistic concept, AnnaLena’s Dine Out menu is small and to the point. Visit this award-winning Kitsilano gem to try executive chef Mike Robbin’s modern Canadian comfort food. The appetizer course offers your choice of fried chicken and chicken liver parfait or broccoli jalapeño soup. For your main, opt for seared sablefish or duck breast and roasted cauliflower. Be sure to leave room for dessert; the fried apple with cream cheese ice cream, matcha pecans and lemon curd promises to be divine!
View this Smart List