We had a fantastic time here. I was able to snag a last minute reservation on a Friday at 8:30pm for a party of 3. Our waitress and the other hosting staff were personable and did a fantastic job with explaining all of our dishes to us. I always worry about going home on an empty stomach when we do tasting menus at Michelin restaurants, but the amount of courses within the meal more than makes up for the small portion sizes.
I love that the menu items change with the season and with the ingredients available. Each dish was thoughtfully curated both visually and in terms of taste. The crudo, charcoal pork, fried oyster, and duck were all fantastic and exceptionally presented. By the time we made it to dessert, most of our party was full, but I still enjoyed a few bites.
This is absolutely not an experience that you want to miss if you live in, or are visiting Vancouver!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Al
Outstanding restaurant. Food and service was great! Went here for my birthday and will make it a new annual tradition.
The dishes were all very interactive and delicious. They also paced each meal out well.
Highly recommend making resos and trying here at least once!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
olan s
The current tasting menu is not it; was genuinely disappointed in the flavour. They had great service though and presentation was good.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 2
Service: 5
Karen Steeves
*insert chef's kiss here*
It was a pleasure to celebrate my 30th birthday here to enjoy the ambiance, immaculate food, and great company!
It was such an amazing experience, from the Cheeseburger 2050 to the Not A Dessert Person, and maaaaan did I want to steal the bunny haha!
I would 1000% recommend eating here!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
April 1125
Honestly the food was a bit underwhelming for a Michelin star. I feel like everything could have been a bit more coordinated taste wise. Only a few certain dishes stood out and the rest were below average compared to the other Michelin restaurants I’ve been to I’m a bit disappointed… also quite a few dishes were overly salty..? but the service was excellent!!
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 4
John Xu
Annalena is an experience that goes far beyond just dinner. Their 8-course tasting menu ($154 per person) is playful, creative, and constantly reimagines what familiar foods could look and taste like in the future. Each dish takes something you think you know and upgrades it—through elevated ingredients, unique cooking methods, and surprising presentations.
The standout for me came right away with their opening dish, “Cheeseburger 2050.” It’s a futuristic deconstructed burger featuring wagyu tartare with a gentle sweetness, beautifully caramelized onions that had been slowly sweated to maximize flavor, and a velouté blended with cheddar for a delicate, savory finish. All this was paired with a house-made cornbread that was fluffy inside, crisp outside. Putting it together truly evoked the flavor profile of a cheeseburger, but refined and harmonious.
Another favorite was the charcoal pork pluma from “Violets in the Summer.” Perfectly tender (likely sous vide, then charred), it carried a Malaysian/Singaporean-inspired sweet seasoning that permeated every bite. Juicy, flavorful, and almost melt-in-your-mouth—like a pork “jelly” kissed with smoke.
The dish called “Don’t Steal the Bunny” offered cacio e pepe ramen (al dente and richly seasoned), smoked carrot with a Cantonese flair, and a delicate rabbit meatcake that was peppery and surprisingly tender with no gaminess. While the harmony between elements wasn’t quite perfect, every component was delicious on its own.
Dessert was just as inventive. “Not a dessert person” combined sour cream ice cream, charsiu cherries, and pork chicharron. On paper it sounds unusual, but together the sweet-sour balance and contrasting textures created a dessert that was bold, complex, and surprisingly cohesive.
Lastly, the service was phenomenal—absolutely seamless, professional, and attentive without being overbearing. A perfect 5/5.
Overall, Annalena isn’t just about eating—it’s about rethinking what food can be. Highly recommended if you’re looking for something unique, refined, and fun.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Brian Lee
hepful
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 3
White Panda
This Michelin-star spot serves up a creative, playful menu that puts a very Canadian spin on fine dining. The space is elegant, the décor modern, and every plate looks like it belongs in an art gallery. Some dishes hit beautifully, others are way too salty, like “don’t steal the bunny”.
Esme is friendly and on point, but a couple of the other staff give off a colder vibe. For a Michelin place, there’s zero extra gesture for special occasions, such as special plating for dessert, which feels like a missed beat.
All in all, AnnaLena is one of those places you visit at least once if you want to feel Canadian. Pulling off a set menu that’s truly Canadian (not American) isn’t easy, especially when we don’t have a huge roster of iconic national dishes. Somehow, they make it happen. It’s fun, it’s stylish, and the food is definitely a conversation starter.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 3
David Lawson
Nothing but love and appreciation for what this crew has been able to achieve here. Very impressive! I'll be back - telling everyone I know!
I’ve been coming here for special occasions whenever I get the chance, and I’m on a mission to try every course they offer. I’ve visited Annalena nearly ten times now, and each time the experience has been flawless—from the food to the service to the atmosphere.
Honestly, their dishes rival (and even surpass) the meals I’ve had at three-Michelin-star restaurants in Europe. Every course is executed with such creativity and precision that it feels extraordinary from start to finish.
And if you enjoy wine, their pairings are spot-on—perfectly matched to elevate each dish and bring out layers of flavour you didn’t know were there.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Sarah Holland
The best meal we have ever had. Things we don’t typically enjoy (olives and tomatoes for the gentleman, cherries for the lady) were shown to us in new and exciting forms that made us fall in love with the ingredients and vow to make better use of them in the future. The service was wonderful, each person we interacted with (even after the meal, during a surprise run in) was kind and funny and charming. Do yourself a favour and find a way to get to Anna Lena!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Peyton Bourree
Thank you for making my birthday special and having a spot open up. It was perfect! Amazing!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Davlynn Gundolff
The service at AnnaLena was impeccable. The food was also good, but what I’ll remember most about the meal was how much of it needed to be assembled and/or eaten with my hands. Of the eight dishes in the tasting menu, five were “hands-on,” which isn’t really what I expect from fine dining. It started with the deconstructed cheeseburger, which required tearing off pieces of a biscuit and slathering it with wagyu tartare, carmelized onion, and a cheese veloute. I thought it was a fun icebreaker and very delicious, but the biscuit was incredibly greasy and I worried about getting oil on my nice dress. While it felt whimsical at first, by the end it just felt a bit gimmicky – and I really wish that at some point I’d been given a warm towel or something to clean my hands. The dishes themselves were enjoyable enough and the mezcal cocktail I had was absolutely fantastic – and again, the service was phenomenal, but I wouldn’t rush to return.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Michael S
Great variety, original dishes, nice presentation, all with friendly service!
We had a fantastic time here. I was able to snag a last minute reservation on a Friday at 8:30pm for a party of 3. Our waitress and the other hosting staff were personable and did a fantastic job with explaining all of our dishes to us. I always worry about going home on an empty stomach when we do tasting menus at Michelin restaurants, but the amount of courses within the meal more than makes up for the small portion sizes.
I love that the menu items change with the season and with the ingredients available. Each dish was thoughtfully curated both visually and in terms of taste. The crudo, charcoal pork, fried oyster, and duck were all fantastic and exceptionally presented. By the time we made it to dessert, most of our party was full, but I still enjoyed a few bites.
This is absolutely not an experience that you want to miss if you live in, or are visiting Vancouver!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Outstanding restaurant. Food and service was great! Went here for my birthday and will make it a new annual tradition.
The dishes were all very interactive and delicious. They also paced each meal out well.
Highly recommend making resos and trying here at least once!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The current tasting menu is not it; was genuinely disappointed in the flavour. They had great service though and presentation was good.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 2
Service: 5
*insert chef's kiss here*
It was a pleasure to celebrate my 30th birthday here to enjoy the ambiance, immaculate food, and great company!
It was such an amazing experience, from the Cheeseburger 2050 to the Not A Dessert Person, and maaaaan did I want to steal the bunny haha!
I would 1000% recommend eating here!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Honestly the food was a bit underwhelming for a Michelin star. I feel like everything could have been a bit more coordinated taste wise. Only a few certain dishes stood out and the rest were below average compared to the other Michelin restaurants I’ve been to I’m a bit disappointed… also quite a few dishes were overly salty..? but the service was excellent!!
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 4
Annalena is an experience that goes far beyond just dinner. Their 8-course tasting menu ($154 per person) is playful, creative, and constantly reimagines what familiar foods could look and taste like in the future. Each dish takes something you think you know and upgrades it—through elevated ingredients, unique cooking methods, and surprising presentations.
The standout for me came right away with their opening dish, “Cheeseburger 2050.” It’s a futuristic deconstructed burger featuring wagyu tartare with a gentle sweetness, beautifully caramelized onions that had been slowly sweated to maximize flavor, and a velouté blended with cheddar for a delicate, savory finish. All this was paired with a house-made cornbread that was fluffy inside, crisp outside. Putting it together truly evoked the flavor profile of a cheeseburger, but refined and harmonious.
Another favorite was the charcoal pork pluma from “Violets in the Summer.” Perfectly tender (likely sous vide, then charred), it carried a Malaysian/Singaporean-inspired sweet seasoning that permeated every bite. Juicy, flavorful, and almost melt-in-your-mouth—like a pork “jelly” kissed with smoke.
The dish called “Don’t Steal the Bunny” offered cacio e pepe ramen (al dente and richly seasoned), smoked carrot with a Cantonese flair, and a delicate rabbit meatcake that was peppery and surprisingly tender with no gaminess. While the harmony between elements wasn’t quite perfect, every component was delicious on its own.
Dessert was just as inventive. “Not a dessert person” combined sour cream ice cream, charsiu cherries, and pork chicharron. On paper it sounds unusual, but together the sweet-sour balance and contrasting textures created a dessert that was bold, complex, and surprisingly cohesive.
Lastly, the service was phenomenal—absolutely seamless, professional, and attentive without being overbearing. A perfect 5/5.
Overall, Annalena isn’t just about eating—it’s about rethinking what food can be. Highly recommended if you’re looking for something unique, refined, and fun.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
hepful
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 3
This Michelin-star spot serves up a creative, playful menu that puts a very Canadian spin on fine dining. The space is elegant, the décor modern, and every plate looks like it belongs in an art gallery. Some dishes hit beautifully, others are way too salty, like “don’t steal the bunny”.
Esme is friendly and on point, but a couple of the other staff give off a colder vibe. For a Michelin place, there’s zero extra gesture for special occasions, such as special plating for dessert, which feels like a missed beat.
All in all, AnnaLena is one of those places you visit at least once if you want to feel Canadian. Pulling off a set menu that’s truly Canadian (not American) isn’t easy, especially when we don’t have a huge roster of iconic national dishes. Somehow, they make it happen. It’s fun, it’s stylish, and the food is definitely a conversation starter.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 3
Nothing but love and appreciation for what this crew has been able to achieve here. Very impressive! I'll be back - telling everyone I know!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The best as always!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
My absolute favourite spot in Vancouver! 💘
I’ve been coming here for special occasions whenever I get the chance, and I’m on a mission to try every course they offer. I’ve visited Annalena nearly ten times now, and each time the experience has been flawless—from the food to the service to the atmosphere.
Honestly, their dishes rival (and even surpass) the meals I’ve had at three-Michelin-star restaurants in Europe. Every course is executed with such creativity and precision that it feels extraordinary from start to finish.
And if you enjoy wine, their pairings are spot-on—perfectly matched to elevate each dish and bring out layers of flavour you didn’t know were there.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The best meal we have ever had. Things we don’t typically enjoy (olives and tomatoes for the gentleman, cherries for the lady) were shown to us in new and exciting forms that made us fall in love with the ingredients and vow to make better use of them in the future. The service was wonderful, each person we interacted with (even after the meal, during a surprise run in) was kind and funny and charming. Do yourself a favour and find a way to get to Anna Lena!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Thank you for making my birthday special and having a spot open up. It was perfect! Amazing!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The service at AnnaLena was impeccable. The food was also good, but what I’ll remember most about the meal was how much of it needed to be assembled and/or eaten with my hands. Of the eight dishes in the tasting menu, five were “hands-on,” which isn’t really what I expect from fine dining. It started with the deconstructed cheeseburger, which required tearing off pieces of a biscuit and slathering it with wagyu tartare, carmelized onion, and a cheese veloute. I thought it was a fun icebreaker and very delicious, but the biscuit was incredibly greasy and I worried about getting oil on my nice dress. While it felt whimsical at first, by the end it just felt a bit gimmicky – and I really wish that at some point I’d been given a warm towel or something to clean my hands. The dishes themselves were enjoyable enough and the mezcal cocktail I had was absolutely fantastic – and again, the service was phenomenal, but I wouldn’t rush to return.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Great variety, original dishes, nice presentation, all with friendly service!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
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