Capturing the essence of west coast dining with a refined and regionally driven experience
Coal Harbour, the magnificent North Shore Mountains, yachts and seaplanes, cyclists, joggers and people walking their dogs along the multi-use trail: the view from the large windows and expansive patio of H Tasting Lounge – a Vine Award winning restaurant for Best in Distinction – is quintessentially west coast Canada.
Located in the Westin Bayshore Vancouver, on the southeast edge of Stanley Park, the restaurant and bar is much more than simply a hotel lounge, according to wine director Mya Brown.
“It’s very comforting,” says Brown. “It invites you to relax with the outdoor elements brought inside for a Pacific Northwest experience that has been incorporated into the experience of the restaurant. We’ve built the menus, interactive cocktails and the wines around that.”
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With its total inventory at just over 3,800 bottles, H Tasting Lounge is a perfect locale to sit and sip and take in the view. Of their 380 labels, the wine cellar boasts roughly 15 percent Canadian wines (and growing). Brown describes the list as giving their diverse guests – travellers from around the country and around the world as well as the local community – the opportunity to sample the range of expression and terroir of the area’s winemakers. In fact, she refers to the Lounge wine cellar as having an “ambassador” role for those producers.
Mya Brown is Head Sommelier at H Tasting Lounge.
“We have a focus on the wines that are in our backyard, highlighting B.C. wines from the Okanagan, Similkameen, Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands. I can say that over the last decade, the quality of these wines has progressed tremendously. There’s a wealth of spectacular, world-class wines here.”
Brown says guests could enjoy a Rhone varietal that is a specialty of Le Vieux Pin in Oliver or a pinot noir from Kelowna’s Tantalus Vineyards. “I really like to be able to have a mix of both producers making more classic and traditional styles of wine like French Door and some producers that are slightly more experimental and forward-thinking such as Sage Hills Winery in Summerland,” she says.
An example that Brown has been pouring recently is a Sage Hills Syrah co-fermented with viognier; it’s not necessarily in and of itself unusual but she notes that winemaker and viticulturist Keenan Thrussell has used about 30 percent viognier primarily because the Summerland terroir of the winery allows for the grape to showcase “extremely well,” Brown says.
“It results in a completely different style of wine. In the glass you’ve got something that is vibrant, juicy, the tannins are silky and soft. You have this light style of wine but with some pepper and floral aromas. It becomes an entirely different and unique entity.”
Wine for food that tells a region’s story
The menu that is the purview of Westin Bayshore executive chef Steve Rutherford is what he describes as “modern coastal” – like the wines, it welcomes both guests from afar and local patrons with dishes that highlight sustainably sourced foods that are inspired by the seasons and the essential qualities of the West Coast.
“We work with the richness of British Columbia’s local ingredients and collaborate with local purveyors and neighbouring producers to craft a culinary experience that tells a story – one rooted in community, sustainability and regional excellence,” Rutherford says.
H Tasting Lounge Head Chef Steve Rutherford.
That often includes multi-course wine-pairing dinners that typically feature collaborations between Brown, Westin Bayshore chef Andrii Olshevskyi and local wineries. For example, a recent collab featured the South Similkameen Valley Upper Bench’s Clos du Soleil winemaker Michael Clark: the 2024 Chardonnay was served with cured halibut and lemon caviar, the 2024 Sangiovese rosé with beetroot dumplings and whipped ricotta, the 2022 Syrah with suprême de poulet and herbed butter followed by a palate-cleansing pear-fennel granita; the 2022 late-harvest Sauvignon Blanc with honey cake, cinnamon sponge and honey ice cream completed the meal.
Brown is excited by other innovative collaborations between kitchen, beverage program and producers, including an upcoming event that pairs sake with non-traditional Japanese cuisine, for instance, “highlighting our own style of menu in order to show the wide range that sake can cover,” she says.
Describing the wine program at the H Tasting Lounge as ultimately an invitation for guests “to discover,” Brown adds that whether they are global wine drinkers or interested in expanding their knowledge about wines specifically from British Columbia, they will find “a list that punches above its weight.”
“It blends classic styles and new styles. People can see the real diversity of what B.C. wines offer. We have something for everyone, but for us it’s a case of discovering what’s fabulous in our region and showcasing it so that guests can discover.”
– Andrew Coppolino is a restaurant reviewer, book author and food columnist advocating for local chefs, restaurants and food businesses
