Elisa is a MICHELIN-recommended steakhouse in Vancouver’s Yaletown neighbourhood. The restaurant is also currently ranked No. 32 on the World’s 101 Best Steak Restaurants list for 2026.
The menu includes Canadian beef, US Prime beef, American and Japanese Wagyu, seafood and vegetables. Much of the cooking happens over a custom Grillworks Infierno wood-fired grill.
The dining room is spacious, with warm wood, soft lighting and an open view of the kitchen. We could see the flames from our table and watch the cooks moving food around the grill.
Here’s what we tried on a recent feast with my family and friends.
We started with the Cured Hamachi. The fish had a clean, delicate taste, followed by some acidity from the preserved lemon. Celery leaves, micro cilantro, thyme and coriander added fresh herbal flavours.
Next was the Burrata from Puglia with heirloom, Sungold and artisan tomatoes. The tomatoes were sweet and juicy, and the burrata was very creamy. I spread everything onto the grilled bread with some arugula pistou and olive oil.
The Caesar Salad was made with gem lettuce, Parmesan, Cantabrian anchovy and croutons. The lettuce stayed crisp under the dressing. I could taste the anchovy, which gave it more depth than Caesars that mostly taste of Parmesan.
The Whole Branzino was served with cavolo nero and grilled lemon. The skin was crisp, and the fish remained moist underneath. I squeezed the grilled lemon over the top, which added acidity and and a little charred flavour.
We triedlessly tried three cuts of steak.
We shared the 50-Ounce Tomahawk from Double R Ranch in Washington. It arrived sliced with the long bone on the platter. The meat was juicy, and the pieces around the outside had more char. It was a lot of steak and enough for everyone at the table to try.
The Blue Dot Bone-In Tenderloin was a 10-ounce “Vancouver Cut” from the Maritimes. The cattle are grass-fed, then finished on corn and barley. The beef was very soft and juicy, with a charred exterior from the grill.
The CIB Bone-In Striploin was a 14-ounce cut from Prince Edward Island. It had been dry-aged for 40 days by Luigi & Sons, the sister butcher shop concept connected to Elisa. The striploin had a firmer bite and a more pronounced beef flavour than the tenderloin. Trying them together made the differences between the two cuts easy to notice.
The Mushroom Risotto was made with organic Carnaroli rice and a mix of wild and cultivated mushrooms. The rice still had some firmness, and the mushrooms gave it a deeper, earthy flavour. It was creamy without feeling too rich, and we enjoyed it with the steaks.
For sides, we had the Wood-Grilled Rainbow Carrots cooked with beef tallow and fresh herbs. The carrots were sweet, with caramelized edges and some flavour from the wood grill.
The Fries are cooked three times through braising, blanching and frying. They were crisp outside and very soft in the middle. We passed these around the table.
We tried the Roast Potatoes too. They had browned, crisp exteriors and fluffy centres. Between the two potato dishes, I preferred the roast potatoes with the steaks.
The kid’s had the Kid’s Spaghetti which simple and familiar.
There was also complimentary bread for the table.
The meal ended with some Petit Fours, including a caramel, fruit jelly and madeleine. The caramel was soft and chewy, the jelly added a fruity bitelessly bite, and the small madeleine was light and buttery.
I had the Yuzu Collins, made with Sobrii distilled non-alcoholic spirit, yuzu, honey and Fever-Tree cucumber tonic. It was citrusy and lightly sweet, with some freshness from the cucumber tonic.
Overall, we had a great experience dining at Elisa and would recommend them!
Elisa
1109 Hamilton St, Vancouver, BC