Best Italian

Chef Pino is now back in the very comfortable Gold Medal position thanks to some subtle tweaks to the menu.

1 Cioppino’s 1133 Hamilton St., cioppinosyaletown.com 2 Savio Volpe 615 Kingsway, saviovolpe.com 3 Cinara 350 W Pender St., cinara.ca HONOURABLE MENTIONS jCinCin, Ask for Luigi Everyone needs a vacation, and evidently that’s what last year was for Cioppino’s, because Chef Pino is now back in the very comfortable Gold Medal position thanks to some subtle tweaks to the menu and the fact that he’s the rare head chef who’s in the kitchen almost every night. Hot on their heels is last year’s Best New Restaurant— Savio Volpe— whose more casual approach to relaxed-but-focused Italian has kept its reservation books packed since day one. Rounding out the medallists is Lucais Syme’s Cinara, adowntown spot beloved by those in the industry that’s at risk of losing its reputation as a hidden gem.