Cibo Trattoria

When your Vancouver-based Italian restaurant is given an official seal of approval from Italy’s chamber of commerce you know you’re doing something right. Awarded the Ospitalita Italiana in 2011, an honour given to only a handful of top Italian restaurants around the world, Cibo (pronounced chee-bow) tucked away downtown next to the Moda Hotel and Uva Wine and Cocktail Bar may be small, but since opening in 2008, it has certainly gained a big reputation.

Cibo’s general manager and wine director Robert Stelmachuk thinks it’s about getting the basics right, “Our pasta is made from scratch every day and it makes such a difference in how it tastes. You taste a bit more love with hand-made pasta.” He smiles, “Although maybe that’s the butter.”