The 2026 Vancouver Magazine Restaurant Awards gathered chefs, owners, operators and hospitality teams who drive culinary innovation in Vancouver and beyond.
For Foundry Kitchens, this year’s awards carried a special kind of pride.
Foundry served as a Silver sponsor for the May 4th awards program, with Brian Zuzartee, sales associate at Foundry, attending and presenting an award. The true highlight was witnessing numerous Foundry clients honoured across the 2026 list.
From Best New Restaurant and Chef of the Year to Fine Dining, Omakase, French, Mediterranean, Victoria, Whistler, private rooms and neighbourhood favourites, the awards showcased the wide-ranging restaurants Foundry has supported in design, build and install.
“Being in the room and seeing so many familiar names called to the stage was a proud moment,” said Brian Zuzartee, Sales Associate at Foundry Kitchens. “These awards belong to the restaurant teams. They are the ones creating the food, the service and the experience. For us, it is meaningful to know that we played a small part in helping some of those spaces come together.”
Restaurant awards usually celebrate what guests experience: the food, the service, the room, the wine list, the energy and the care that brings people back.
Foundry’s work happens earlier and behind the scenes.
Depending on the project, Foundry may assist with kitchen design, equipment planning, custom stainless fabrication, installation, delivery coordination, or a fully integrated approach from concept to completion. Details vary, but the goal is consistent: help chefs, owners, and operators build spaces that survive the pace and pressure of service.
That behind-the-scenes support is critical in restaurants of every size, from fine dining rooms and hotel restaurants to busy casual concepts, neighbourhood gems and new ventures.
“We never want to take credit for a restaurant’s success,” said Foundry’s CEO, Luke Evanow. “The awards are about the talent, discipline and hospitality of the people running those restaurants every day. Our role is to help create kitchens and foodservice spaces that support their vision and give their teams the right foundation to do their best work.”
Among the Foundry clients recognized at the 2026 Vancouver Magazine Restaurant Awards were several major winners, honourable mentions and Editors’ Choice selections.
Elem received Gold for Best New Restaurant, with June and Sumibiyaki Arashi named as honourable mentions in the same category. Elem was also recognized in the Best Upscale Contemporary and Premier Crew categories.
Boulevard’s Roger Ma was named Chef of the Year, and Boulevard also received Gold in Best Fine Dining. Hawksworth was also recognized in the Fine Dining category.
Other Foundry clients and project partners recognized this year include Elisa, L’Abattoir, Marilena, Wild Blue, Anh and Chi, Sumibiyaki Arashi, Suyo, Selene, Zarak, Fat Mao, Seaport City, Oddfish, Blue Water, June, Nightingale, Good Thief, La Quercia, CinCin, Nammos, Como Taperia, Song, Maenam, Kissa Tanto, AnnaLena, Maxine’s, Mish Mish, Dear Gus, Bar Tartare, Reflections, Folietta and others.
Foundry has also worked with restaurant groups and operators connected to this year’s awards, including Wentworth Hospitality, Toptable Group, Joey, Nook, Sula and Tasty.
For Foundry, the list reflects the range of restaurant and hospitality projects the team supports across Vancouver, Victoria, Whistler and the Lower Mainland.
The Vancouver Magazine Restaurant Awards highlight the skill required for a successful restaurant. A great room relies on many factors. It requires a cohesive concept, intentional design, dedicated operators, skilled tradespeople, reliable suppliers, talented chefs, bartenders, servers, and back-of-house teams united in pursuit of the same guest experience.
“Our team sees what goes into opening and operating these spaces,” said Luke. “There are long days, tight timelines, troubleshooting on site and a lot of decisions that guests will never see. When restaurants are recognized like this, it is a chance to celebrate the full team effort behind them.”
Congratulations to all of this year’s Vancouver Magazine Restaurant Awards winners, finalists, honourable mentions and hospitality teams.
View Vancouver Magazine’s highlights from the event and the after-party.