Dinner Time: Topanga Cafe for Westside Beach Apres

Posted by Ryan Weal
Filed in Restaurants
June 13, 2008

The weekend is here folks and you survived the rain. With the sun back in style it is time to get out. So hit the beach and make your way to the Topanga Café for some après with your friends.

The Topanga Cafe is a little gem on the west side between Point Grey and Kitsilano that should not be missed. The menu is largely made up of Mexican dishes prepared with a Californian flare. The result is a flavourful mix of tastes and some great drinks that will make most anyone relax a little bit as they ease into the weekend.

My personal favorite menu item is the carne nortena which is available with your choice of prawn, chicken, pork and beef. Having tried a few variations now I can testify that you will have good luck with all of them as they are carefully marinated throughout the day. If they run out of the day's stock have no fear: this restaurant will not fake their way to get food on your plate, they would rather let you know so you can choose to order something else if such a thing occurs. That is a sigh of relief if you have high expectations for your restaurant fare.

The atmosphere of this place is something eclectic but definitely fun. Lighting and service are appropriate for a casual first date or a gathering of friends. The place is small though so I would recommend keeping your numbers down, six people would be a lot in this venue and eight would be over the top (though not impossible I'm sure).

Visitors to this Vancouver restaurant will admire the artwork on the walls, all made by past customers who have colored on the cover page of the menu. Sounds childish, I know, but the work is amazing. Some people have gone to great lengths to make their work stand out and it shows. One of my favorite variations is a "Nintendo" version of the cover which obviously took some serious modifications to make it happen. If coloring within the lines is not an option for you, feel free to much on the nachos that come when you order. They're free and if you're hungry they just keep on coming.

2904 West 4th Ave. Vancouver
604-733-3713

Photo: Ryan Weal