Bruno in Richmond Is a Family-Style Paradise for Travellers and Locals Alike
Platters please.
<i> Photo by Andres Markwart </i>
Richmond, British Columbia, is well known for its enclaves of East Asian cuisines, but it’s not often a new restaurant can lure diners from downtown Vancouver. That won’t be the case with Bruno, in the stylish, recently opened Versante Hotel near the Vancouver Airport, making it perfect for visitors and locals alike.
The interior, by Box Interior Design, begins with a high-ceiling bar area with lounge chairs. This space provides a transition from the hotel lobby in which to enjoy fruity sips while waiting for friends or a table. But the showstopper is the dining room. Designed for family-style dining, there is a large high-top table front and centre. The room accommodates large parties yet the periphery is lined with dining spaces enclosed with glass to maintain privacy while remaining connected to the action.
Chef Will Lew of Bruno.
Chef Will Lew’s menu is designed to be sustainable, using responsively sourced seafood and meats from local producers. The B.C. ingredients and culinary heritages create a satisfying mix of flavours. “Bruno’s menu is meant to inspire and celebrate what is locally and seasonally around in our own backyard of B.C. from our oceans, mountains, forests, and farms to highlight our passion for sustainability and our communities through the canvas of cuisine,” Lew says.
A sea food arrangement with lobster and caviar.
Truffle lavender duck, with lavender from one of B.C.’s only organic lavender farms.
As well as share plates, the menu features platters, such as forno-roasted red seabream and lobster along with mussels, pink scallops, clams, prawns, and other accompaniments. Seafood lovers can select items such as fresh oysters and caviar from the Chill Bar Cart, and those who want to go all out can try the Bruno Board Experience, which is for a minimum of two people and includes a wide variety of items from the menu.
The family-style arrangements at Bruno. Photo by Andres Markwart.
Diners can also opt for small plates of items like Kurobuta pork belly or large plates of interesting dishes such as the fusion Matsutake tagliatelle.
“The menus are designed to be shared to bring each other together and create significance through the stories of our dishes in interactive and engaging ways,” Lew says, and he delivers. Diners will be talking about this fresh new location for some time to come.
