8 Secret Suppers for Vancouver Foodies

Looking for a new food experience with an air of mystery? With top-secret locations, chefs and menus, these secret suppers give a whole new meaning to mystery meal

From pop-up restaurants to underground dinner clubs, dining on the DL may be the secret ingredient to making food fun again. Highly hush-hush, these events see guests gather in a private home (or some other undisclosed location) for a delicious meal.

Though most secret sups are advertised only via word of mouth – and many require references to make a reservation – we’re disclosing juicy details on some of the city’s most furtive feasts. Oh, and though the level of secrecy shrouding each club varies, they all share one basic equation: good food + good company = good times.

Apartment 12B

Think of it as a private catering event – at a total stranger’s house. For a minimum donation of $65, Chef Todd will create a tantalizing multi-course meal for groups of between six and 10 diners. All you have to do is show up (the apartment is described as being “somewhere off Main Street,” possibly on East 3rd; you’ll receive an email with the exact address closer to your dinner date). Just remember to BYOB.

Anonymous review: “You get a group of people together, you call Todd, he sets you up with a night in his place, and he makes you an epic, epic six-course meal!”

More info: 12breservations@gmail.com

Bird’s Nest

Foodies flock to this club, “nestled in a Vancouver home,” to taste what a top-secret chef is serving for brunch, dinner or high tea. With a large communal table and double-digit place settings, strangers become friends over eggs benny, rhubarb-strawberry parfait, cornmeal shortcake and homemade bread – talk about killing two birds with one stone! Suggested donation for brunch: $20 per diner.

Anonymous review: “A little hidden treasure of a restaurant. The owner … has put together this space that is like walking into a beautiful Parisian apartment. Did I mention the place also boasts a pretty solid vinyl collection? I’m totally smitten.”

More info: www.birdsnestdining.com

Endless Meal

The only way to gain entry into one of this exclusive Gastown club’s “social suppers” is by making a reservation, i.e., buying a meal ticket online. For $50 plus tax, you’ll be treated to a four-hour, four-course dinner that includes five main dishes and a dessert – plus lots of locally and ethically grown goodies. Says Endless Meal’s not-so-secret creator, Kristen, “I believe that tomatoes and peaches should only be eaten in the summer and that pigs should lead nice lives before they wind up as bacon on my plate.”

Anonymous review: “I booked the Endless Meal Supper Club for my friend’s stagette in September. It was my first experience at a supper club (underground dining) venue and I was thoroughly impressed. Kristen was a great hostess and the food was fantastic for the price point.”

More info: www.theendlessmeal.ca

Farm-2-Fork

Elsewhere in Gastown, F2F’s philosophy is that food – besides being fun – should be grown and eaten as close to home as (secretly) possible. As such, dinner guests can expect fresh, local fare sourced from nearby farms. And, with a menu that “changes … with the seasons,” you’ll be able to visit this underground eatery often – or, at $75 per person per sitting, as often as your budget will allow.

Anonymous review: “Hands down the best ‘underground’ restaurant in the city of Vancouver, if not the country! Book as far in advance as you can, as spots fill quickly – but, you may be lucky enough to just call and get a reservation with a week’s notice if there is a cancellation.”

More info: www.farmtwofork.com

No Fixed Address

Join this secret supper club’s Facebook page for last-minute invites (and secret-location clues) to one of its elusive events. Whether you dine in a warehouse, down by the railroad tracks or at Chef Steve’s own Mount Pleasant home, about $50 will buy you one of the most mouthwatering “mystery meals” you’ll likely ever devour.

Anonymous review: “Tucked away in a non-descript apartment downtown, Chef Steve cooks everything from scratch.”

More info: nfavancouver.tumblr.com

Plate Invaders

Calling all vegans: this meatless dinner group, which gathers somewhere in “the Mount Pleasant area,” promises “cruelty-free palatal indulgences … far from the beaten path of rice bowls and curry.” Not that there’s anything wrong with rice or curry, it’s just that you might like coconut bacon, sunchoke soup and marinated sunburst squash better.

Anonymous review: “We started with a salad made with mixed spring greens grown at a Buddhist monastery in Burnaby – no big deal.”

More info: plateinvaders.tumblr.com

Swallowtail

Call them “flash in the pan,” but the one-of-a-kind pop-up dining events this club puts on are sure to leave a good taste in your mouth. Featuring celeb chefs like David Hawksworth, exclusive wine lists and a rotating roster of luxe locations (indoor jungle, anyone?), it’s no wonder these secret suppers always seem to sell out.

Anonymous review: “We dined family style at picnic tables beautifully set, each course more delicious than the last. The duck, the corn, the short ribs – every single thing I tasted was honestly one of the best things I have ever put in my mouth.”

More info: www.swallowtail.ca

Vegan Secret Supper

Another one for those who like to keep their diets animal free, VSS, which first launched in Vancouver and has since expanded to NYC and Montreal, offers “travelling pop-up suppers/brunches” with handmade in-house, local and organic (when possible) menu items. Limited seats can be claimed by e-mail after upcoming meals are posted online. Last one in is a rotten egg.

Anonymous review: “It was a rare and exciting dining experience. We met some great people and had really great conversations with them. It was also very surprising that most of the diners were not completely vegan.”

More info: www.vegansecretsupper.com