A well-timed makeover

In spring 2020, while other Vancouver restaurateurs panicked and pivoted, chef Pino Posteraro closed his 20-year-old Yaletown establishment for its long-promised, often-delayed $2-million makeover. Now Cioppino’s is back, with renewed elegance and a contemporary flair.

A 50-bottle by-the-glass wine-preservation and-serving system makes its famously deep wine cellar more accessible than ever. The menu still features the classics and is, notes Posteraro, “anchored to tradition but focused on evolution.”

Along with keeping regulars coming back, the buzz has also drawn a different clientele, thanks to a tasting-menu/wine-pairing-powered trend that provides monied young Vancouverites an opportunity to spend their idle nightlife dollars. Business is booming, Posteraro says. “We supply diners with an experience to be remembered. They keep coming [here]… It gives a sense of stability to patrons in these difficult times.”

—Charlene Rooke