Learn to shuck oysters, cook fresh pasta or mix Halloween cocktails, with harvest festivals and special dinners filling the calendar.
October brings plenty of reasons to book a table, and a few to put on an apron.
Visiting chefs from San Francisco, New York, Winnipeg and Atlanta are joining Vancouver kitchens, while local restaurants are teaching the finer points of oyster shucking, pasta making and cocktail mixing.
There are less elaborate outings, too: a $40 Mediterranean lunch buffet, a month of $22 burgers in Langley and an apple festival with plenty to taste. Here’s what’s coming up across Metro Vancouver, with a wine-tasting detour into the Fraser Valley.
Early October: a birthday, a kitchen party and an oyster lesson
Bar Tartare turns three
Bar Tartare celebrates its third birthday with rare cellar bottles, discounted staff picks and a birthday menu jointly created by Go Flying Squirrel, Stretch & Fold and Mak N Ming. The collaborative kitchen takeover and wine specials run from 5 p.m. until late. Come for dinner and a glass, or find a bottle to take home.
When: Sunday, Oct 4, 2026, 5 p.m. until late
Where: Bar Tartare, 54 Alexander St.
Details: Birthday announcement
From Farms to Forks
Growing Chefs’ annual kitchen party pairs local chefs with farmers and food producers for an evening of tasting plates and drinks at A-OK Commissary. The open kitchen puts the cooking in view, while the fundraiser supports food education and meal programs for children and families. Fred Lee and Margaret Gallagher host, with live music from Josephine Choi and the Raymundo Trio.
When: Oct 4, 2026, 5:30 p.m.
Where: A-OK Commissary at Aritzia, 611 Alexander St., Vancouver
Cost: $250 per person
Fanny Bay Oyster Master Class
This 14-person class in Fanny Bay’s private Kelp Room combines a seafood dinner with a practical lesson. Guests get 12 oysters to practise shucking, plus an oyster tasting, grilled oyster starters, a Sea’cuterie board and beverages. Gloves and an oyster knife go home with you.
When: Oct 7, 2026, 6:30 p.m.
Where: Fanny Bay Oyster Bar, 762 Cambie St.
Cost: $159 per person, all-inclusive
Thanksgiving week
Thanksgiving at Provence Marinaside
Provence gives diners six days to fit in a Thanksgiving meal. Chef-owner Jean-Francis Quaglia’s three-course menu begins with pissaladière topped with caramelized onions, olives, anchovies and arugula. Roasted turkey breast and leg roulade follow with mashed potato, carrots, turkey jus and cranberry sauce, before pumpkin and pecan cake finishes dinner.
When: Oct. 7 to12
Where: 1177 Marinaside Crescent
Cost: $69 per person, reservations at 604-681-4144
Minami’s Thanksgiving Bring Home Bento
Minami’s Thanksgiving bento combines shio koji duck breast, Butler steak, garlic butter jumbo prawns and miso garlic mash with a selection of sushi and sashimi. The $160 spread serves three to four, with a Green Tea Opera Cake available for an additional $40.
When: Pickup Oct. 9 to 11, pre-order before Oct. 9
Where: Minami, 1118 Mainland St.
Cost: $160, optional cake $40. Order at 604-685-8080 or [email protected]. Also available through Uber Eats and DoorDash Oct. 9 to 11
Fort Langley Cranberry Festival
Fort Langley’s annual harvest celebration offers a daytime outing built around the cranberry, with a vendor market and seasonal food. Visitors can also check the separate program at Fort Langley National Historic Site, where activities include cranberry bannock and demonstrations; regular admission applies at the historic site.
When: Oct 10
Where: Fort Langley
Details: Festival updates and historic-site activities
Published on Main welcomes State Bird Provisions and Deer + Almond
Three chefs and three cities meet at Published on Main when Gus Stieffenhofer-Brandson welcomes Stuart Brioza of San Francisco’s State Bird Provisions and Mandel Hitzer of Winnipeg’s Deer + Almond. The one-night collaboration takes the form of a multi-course tasting menu inspired by Vancouver, San Francisco and Winnipeg, with beverage pairings included.
When: Tuesday, Oct. 13
Where: 3593 Main St.
Cost: $300 CAD per person, plus tax and gratuity. Beverage pairings included
Three visiting-chef dinners with Visa Infinite
The Visa Infinite Dining Series has three Vancouver collaborations this month. Tickets are available to eligible Visa Infinite, Visa Infinite + and Visa Infinite Privilege cardholders. All three dinners begin at 6:30 p.m., with canapés, a multi-course meal, cocktail and wine pairings, and gratuity included. Taxes are extra.
Vij’s × Adda, Oct 15: Vikram Vij welcomes Chintan Pandya, the James Beard Award-winning chef behind New York’s Adda, for a menu exploring regional Indian cooking. Each couple receives a signed copy of Vij’s My New Indian Kitchen. $275 per person, 3106 Cambie St.
L’Abattoir × Island Restaurant Collective, Oct. 20: Jasper Cruickshank hosts Warren Barr of Pluvio, Ross Bowles of Fox & Monocle, Oliver Kienast of Wild Mountain and Corbin Mathany of Ugly Duckling. Pacific seafood, foraged ingredients and Vancouver Island wines guide the evening. $275 per person, 217 Carrall St.
Elem × Lazy Betty × Shokunin, Oct 27: Vish Mayekar cooks with Ron Hsu of Atlanta’s Lazy Betty and Darren Maclean of Calgary’s Shokunin. The dinner also celebrates Hsu’s Down South + East, with a copy for each couple. $300 per person, 2110 Main St.
Details and booking information: Visa Infinite Dining Series
Mid-month: whisky, pasta and the autumn harvest
The Dalmore Scotch Dinner
The Dalmore’s national brand specialist Emma Coady hosts a five-course dinner in Fairmont Hotel Vancouver’s Studio. A welcome cocktail precedes dishes including hamachi tartare, butter-poached lobster and venison, paired with whiskies including The Dalmore 35 Year Old.
When: Oct. 15, 6:30 to 10 p.m.
Where: Fairmont Hotel Vancouver, 900 West Georgia St.
Cost: $450 per person, plus tax and service charge, 19+
Italian Kitchen Pasta Class
Learn to make potato gnocchi, ravioli du dauphine and either fettuccine or spaghetti, then sit down to a Pasta Tower featuring the results. The afternoon includes a welcome Prosecco or non-alcoholic cocktail, wine with dinner, and an apron and pasta cutter to take home.
When: Oct. 17, 2 to 5 p.m.
Where: Italian Kitchen, 860 Burrard St.
Cost: $165 per person, plus tax and gratuity
UBC Apple Festival
UBC Botanical Garden’s annual apple celebration is a chance to taste beyond the supermarket varieties, browse fruit displays and buy apples and trees. Food vendors and children’s activities make it a full afternoon outing. Book the optional Tasting Tent separately from festival admission.
When: Oct. 17 and 18, 2026, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Where: UBC Botanical Garden, 6804 SW Marine Dr.
Cost: Online admission $15 for ages 8–64, $14 for ages 65+; children seven and under free with a ticket. Tasting tent admission is an additional $12 for ages eight and up. Onsite admission costs more
Swallow Tail Wild Mushroom Dinner
Swallow Tail’s communal supper brings mushroom season to a Mount Pleasant home kitchen. The multi-course wild mushroom dinner includes a mushroom talk, with guests bringing their own wine.
When: Oct. 17 and 18, 6:30 p.m.
Where: Swallow Tail Supper Club, 495 E 20th Ave.
Cost: $176.55 per person including fees, BYOB.
D/6 Halloween Cocktail Masterclass
D/6’s seasonal class covers three Halloween-inspired cocktails, each served with a themed canapé. Mixologists lead guests through the techniques, and recipes are provided for anyone planning to repeat the exercise at home.
When: Oct 18, 5 to 7 p.m.
Where: D/6 Bar & Lounge, 39 Smithe St.
Cost: Listed at $75 per person
Late October: radicchio, a lunch buffet and a little mystery
Bold Flavours at Burdock & Co.
Chef Andrea Carlson hosts FarmFolk CityFolk’s radicchio celebration at Burdock & Co., bringing farmers, guests and seven local chefs together over seasonal tasting plates. Inspired by Feast of Fields, the 90-minute experience invites guests to browse stations showcasing varieties of B.C.-grown radicchio. Sea Cider and B.C. wines are part of the lineup.
When: Tuesday, Oct 20, 5 to 9:30 p.m., 90-minute tasting sessions
Where: Burdock & Co., 2702 Main St.
Cost: $60 plus Eventbrite fees, according to the event listing
Penfolds dinner with Peter Gago at Mott 32
Penfolds chief winemaker Peter Gago joins guests at Mott 32 for a multi-course dinner paired with wines from the Australian producer. The evening offers a chance to explore the wines alongside the winemaker behind them.
When: Oct. 20
Where: Mott 32, 1161 W Georgia St.
Cost: $495 per person, plus taxes and gratuity
JJ’s Mediterranean lunch buffet
Vancouver Community College’s JJ’s Restaurant offers a Mediterranean lunch buffet for $40, a considerably smaller commitment than many of the month’s tasting menus. Reserve ahead and watch VCC Culinary Arts for the menu closer to the date.
When: Oct. 22, lunch. Choose a time when booking
Where: JJ’s Restaurant at VCC, third floor, 250 West Pender St.
Cost: $40 CAD per person, prepaid reservation
Miku × Suntory Whisky Dinner
Miku’s private Blue Sky Room hosts an evening of Japanese whisky pairings, moving from Toki with sashimi to Hibiki with wagyu and Yamazaki 12 with dessert.
When: Oct. 22, 7 p.m.
Where: Miku, 200 Granville St., #70
Cost: $200 per person, plus tax and gratuity
Castle Confidential
Fairmont Hotel Vancouver’s 14th-floor Heritage Suites become the setting for a 90-minute mystery created with Vancouver Mysteries. Guests follow clues and meet characters while enjoying three themed drinks, before a reception with canapés. Non-alcoholic options are available.
When: Oct. 22 and 23, timed bookings
Where: Fairmont Hotel Vancouver, 900 West Georgia St.
Cost: $160 per person, including tax and service charge, 19+
Haunted Cellar Afternoon Tea
Fairmont Hotel Vancouver gives afternoon tea a Halloween twist with roast beef and caramelized onion bites, smoked salmon croissants with apple and pumpkin seeds, and sausage rolls with beet ketchup. Themed sweets include the Sorcerer’s Cauldron and Black Widow, while seasonal teas and cocktails are available à la carte.
When: Selected dates through Oct. 18: Thursdays at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.; Fridays to Sundays at 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. Also available Thanksgiving Monday, October 12. Oct. 21 to November 1: Wednesdays to Sundays at 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.
Where: Fairmont Hotel Vancouver, 900 West Georgia St.
Cost: $75 per adult, $40 per child. Reservations recommended
All month: burgers and a Fraser Valley tasting route
Langley Burger Month
Nineteen independent restaurants are serving special $22 burgers throughout October. Collect stamps as you go and vote for your favourites, with a portion of proceeds supporting the Langley Food Bank.
When: Oct. 1 to 31
Where: Participating Langley restaurants
Cost: $22 per featured burger
Fraser Valley Wine Passport
The $30 passport covers tastings at 13 wineries, three cideries and one distillery across Langley, Surrey and Abbotsford. Non-alcoholic options are available at every stop, and half the passport price supports local food banks. Check each producer’s hours and tasting arrangements before setting out.
When: Oct. 1 to 31
Cost: $30 including tax, available from participating businesses while supplies last
A fixture in Vancouver’s food and hospitality scene for decades, Cassandra Anderton tells the stories of the chefs, producers, and places that define our city. She is the publisher and editor of Good Life Vancouver and a member of both the B.C. chapter of Les Dames d’Escoffier and the Chefs’ Table Society. Whether she’s exploring B.C.’s wine regions or scouting the best new table in town, Cassandra’s work is a love letter to the “good life” in the 604 and beyond.
Dining and Cooking