Vancouver is literally a city on the rise. In anticipation of the 2010 Winter Olympics, the Canadian metropolis tucked between the Pacific Ocean and the verdant Coast Range is engaged in a building boom: A new monorail and more than a half-dozen higher-end hotels will open in the next few years. Vancouver's restaurant scene is soaring too; innovative eateries are opening faster than Starbucks locations, and many foodies are hailing the city as the next coming of Montreal, long renowned as Canada's gastronomic epicenter.

Vancouver's cuisine is as diverse as the city itself. Chinese, Japanese, Italian, Indian—you name it, you can find it here. Most eateries offer small tables and bar-top dining to accommodate solo diners; a handful of newer establishments also boast communal tables that spark conversation by sitting individuals together like relatives at a family reunion. Whether you're there to expand the city or for some other business, here are six bets for dinner in Vancouver's most vibrant neighborhoods.

Downtown: Yew
791 West Georgia Street
604-689-9333

Located in the lobby of the Four Seasons, the newly renovated Yew is both hip and convenient. In the dimly lit bar area, where well-heeled locals gather after work, raw-bar appetizers are succulent and cocktails are an art form (try the Feng Shui, a blend of Absolut Ruby Red and Soho Lychee). For dinner, solo diners can grab one of 10 seats at the communal table, a slab of hand-hewn maple. Chef Rafael Gonzalez's menu features dishes such as slow-braised lamb shoulder and lobster paella. Celebrity-watchers, take note: Singers Diana Krall and Elvis Costello like this place a lot, and actor Keanu Reeves often eats here too.

Dress: Business/business casual
Prices: Expensive
Reservations: Recommended for table; not necessary for bar
Close to: Four Seasons Hotel Vancouver

Downtown: Italian Kitchen
1037 Alberni Street
604-687-2858

With dark wooden tables and earth-toned walls, this new offering puts a modern spin on traditional Italian cuisine. Downstairs, solo diners are best advised to grab a seat at the bar, where they can watch chef Ryan Gauthier and his fellow line cooks prepare fresh, thin-crust pizzas and pasta pappardelle blanketed with lamb sausage and cabbage. Upstairs, ask for a table with a view of Alberni Street so you can look down on the hipsters passing by. Be sure to sample wines from the Okanagan Valley, British Columbia's equivalent of the Napa and Sonoma Valleys.

Dress: Suits to khakis
Prices: Moderate
Reservations: Recommended; not accepted for bar
Close to: Metropolitan Hotel

Chinatown: Floata
400-180 Keefer Street
 604-602-0368

Vancouver's Chinatown is the second largest in North America, and Floata is one of the neighborhood's most popular dim sum joints. This cuisine doesn't exactly lend itself to solo dining, but nobody will raise an eyebrow if you show up by yourself. Start with dishes such as deep-fried shrimp and pork dumplings; when you've worked up the courage, move on to chicken feet in black-bean sauce or honeycomb tripe. Be sure to save room for dessert—the sweet red-bean balls are delicious and make for a great late-night snack at the hotel.

Dress: Casual
Prices: Inexpensive
Reservations: Not required
Close to: Not much, but worth the cab ride

Yaletown: Blue Water Café and Raw Bar
1095 Hamilton Street
604-688-8078

The raw bar is the spot for loners at this trendy new eatery in Yaletown, arguably Vancouver's coolest neighborhood. A semicircular counter enables you to watch chef Yoshi Tabo as he slices and dices fish and seafood pulled fresh from the ocean each day. The menu also regularly features 12 different oysters from up and down the coast of British Columbia. For landlubbers, favorites such as Kobe-style beef short ribs also are available. The award-winning wine list has over 300 options, making it one of the most extensive west of the Hudson Bay.

Dress: Fashionable
Prices: Expensive
Reservations: Recommended
Close to: Opus Hotel

Gastown: Salt Tasting Room
45 Blood Alley Square
604-633-1912

To call hard-to-find Salt a restaurant may be a stretch—the place has no kitchen and serves exclusively cheese, local charcuterie, wine, beer, and sherry. Still, with a bevy of two-tops and a classic bar, it's a great spot to eat at if you're on your own. Meats and cheeses change regularly, but on a recent visit, the smoked pork tenderloin from local purveyor JN&Z Deli made imported Italian prosciutto taste like Oscar Mayer. On weekends, head for Salt's cellar, which is only open Friday and Saturday nights and boasts a 24-seat communal table that overlooks a glass-enclosed closet full of curing meats.

Dress: Fashionable
Prices: Moderate
Reservations: Recommended during peak hours
Close to: Fairmont Waterfront Hotel

Robson: Zin Restaurant & Lounge
1277 Robson Street
604-408-1700

Robson Street is Vancouver's prime shopping strip, but the restaurants on this stretch are worth exploring too. At Zin, solo diners will love the chic 40-seat lounge, where chef Richard Tyhy prepares a limited menu featuring items such as smoked-bison carpaccio and seared squid steak. In the main dining room, a larger menu includes entrées such as seared black cod and zesty duck breast. On Thursdays, ask to sit at the Red Ribbon table, and Zin will donate 25 percent of your food and nonalcoholic beverage tab to two local charities.

Dress: Suits to khakis
Prices: Moderate
Reservations: Recommended for table; not accepted for lounge
Close to: Pacific Palisades Hotel