Nose-to-tail eating may have trickled over from St. John in London, but L'Abattoir goes whole hog on its name, too.

French for slaughterhouse, the new restaurant and bar sits just off Blood Alley (so-named for the butcher shops of yore) with a décor that features mason-jar lights hung off meat hooks.

But no butcher's whites here: staff wear dapper plaids, vests, ties and brogues with dark jeans, and the kitchen serves up fare from both field and stream.

Our meal in the light-filled atrium was a delight from start (sardine tuiles in the bread basket) to finish (lemon ricotta doughnut holes), with sous-vide Indian-spiced lamb in between.

Now we just need to go back for a Bloody Mary at the gorgeous, open-air bar. Chop, chop!

L'Abattoir, 217 Carrall St., Vancouver, 604-568-1701, www.labattoir.ca

Grab the girls and head to the mountains for a weekend of spas, steaks and sun. 

dine
The brand new Sidecut steakhouse at the Four Seasons Hotel boasts an infrared grill that creates the perfect crispy char. Customize your steak with a choice of dipping sauces and rubs, like the spicy and smoky Edison’s Medicine. Sit on the pretty patio and marvel at the serene views. Is that a bear up there? www.fourseasons.com/whistler

drink
The Bearfoot Bistro’s new Miami-style poolside patio opened officially on July 1. If you can’t take the heat, duck into the restaurant’s new Belvedere Ice Room, don a Canada Goose-down parka, and taste specialty vodkas stored in a wall of ice. Now that’s cool. www.bearfootbistro.com

recover
The new Scandinave Spa off the Lost Lake Trail is a self-contained hydrotherapy haven. Detox in the Finnish sauna and steam room then refresh in the hot and cold plunge pools. Relaxation rooms stocked with contemporary magazines and a policy of silence will help with your head, as will a restorative bowl of lemongrass-miso soup in the bistro. From $55, www.scandinave.com

relax
Consider taking the Rocky Mountaineer train to Whistler and arrive already relaxed after a spectacular 3-hour journey through valleys, rivers and waterfalls not seen from the highway. A complimentary drinks cart (remember those?) is a welcome retro touch. Now that’s our idea of “personal training.” From $129, www.whistlermountaineer.com

Located in the not-so-hallowed halls of high schools and hospitals, cafeterias don’t have the best associations. But put the concept in the capable hands of Pied-à-Terre’s proprietors and it’s made très cool.

The only reminder that you’re eating at a cafeteria is the name (Cafeteria, naturally) and a menu that changes every day. You won't find wet trays or soggy fries here, just a range of filling, flavourful mains like Rex Sole bathed in tomato, basil and olive oil ($18) alongside a good selection of wine by the glass. And the 30-seat space, with its silver table tops and a backsplash of bottles adorning the walls, is sexier than any communal dining hall of yore we dreaded eating in.

Food fight!

Cafeteria, 2702 Main St., Vancouver, 778-317-3783.

Vitamin Daily Vancouver reader Kristy wrote, “Hi! I would love your advice on some venues for my friend's stagette in Vancouver. Dinner and dancing, classy and fun but not over-the-top expensive. Thanks!”

Herewith, our picks for a special stagette sans Chippendales and heavy spending:

Keep the party all in one place at Calabash on the edge of Gastown. Dine upstairs on Caribbean fare then move your crew downstairs to its subterranean lounge for cocktails and cutting a rug. Pose for photos in the old elevator car situated conveniently close to the dance floor and DJ booth.

In Chinatown, three hip haunts are all within stiletto distance. Start with supper at Chinese brasserie Bao Bei, followed-up with a post-dinner drink at the Keefer Bar to really loosen your dance legs for a finish at Fortune Sound Club.

Do it a little differently on Commercial Drive by taking an evening Burlesque, Bollywood or Salsa class with the girls at Drive Dance Centre then head up the street to Havana for Nuevo Latino cuisine and pitchers of fresh strawberry mojito.

If we can’t have Caribbean weather, then bring us the gastronomy and groove.

Offering both is Calabash, a laid-back Jamaican bistro inside a 1906 building on the border of Chinatown that serves up a full flavourful menu, including Jamaica’s national dish Ackee and Saltfish ($13) and jerk chicken ($12.50). The beat-filled basement lounge offers some of the same, but with a full bar, dj and dance area, not to mention the old, original elevator cab equipped with a vintage hanging microphone.

While they wait for their permanent liquor license, it’s best to head downstairs Thursday, Friday or Saturday when special events permit them to spike their homemade ginger beer.

Calabash Bistro, 428 Carrall St., Vancouver, 604-568-5882, www.calabashbistro.com

As you pedal along the Yaletown seawall on a sunny Saturday, a hunger pang hits. Dismount your saddle and wrestle up a sandwich at Sweeney’s.

The new counter-service spot specializes in fresh fare, so get a Tuna Tataki ($8.50) with slices of Ahi and avocado in Togarashi sauce, or Chicken Waldorf ($8.50) with apples and walnuts and stuffed with greens and take it to go.

At David Lam, park yourself and see how discreet you can be sipping those Sofia mini blanc de blancs you brought along in your saddle bag.

Sweeney’s, 1091 Hamilton St., Vancouver, 605-689-4505, www.sweeneysyaletown.ca

You probably won’t eat all your meals at the Everything Cafe, but you could.

Sean Heather’s latest spot, a cool and quaint coffee shop-cum-diner in Chinatown, serves up breakfast, lunch and dinner in a setting of shiny bar stools, red leather banquets and bleached wood. We came in famished to late lunch with the ladies. We left positively stuffed from a yummy Reuben ($8) made with local corned beef, and a potato salad ($3.50) tossed with frisée, Dijon and a tangy dressing.

Located next to the new Rennie offices, you’re bound to get a side of real estate too.

Everything Cafe, 75 E. Pender St., Vancouver, 604-681-3115.

L is for Love, Lebanese and Lunch.

And at the newest Café Nuba it’s manger à trois. While smaller than the restaurant’s West Hastings street spot, the latest location is no less romantic. Decked in marble and muted hues, it takes its design cues from a 1970s roadside café you might have found in Morocco. Meet your Main Street man there for falafel ($7) and a fresh smoothie ($5) from the juice bar then take some pistacho baklava ($2.75) to go.

Café Nuba on Third, 146 E. Third Ave., Vancouver, 604-568-6727, www.nuba.ca

Let’s face it—after Friday’s stuffy 9-course dinner party, all you really want is simplicity on a plate.

Club sandwiches, quiche, crepes and meatloaf are the type of down home cooking you’ll find at the new Acme Café, located so close to the new Woodward’s building, it’s effectively its lunch counter.

Big booths, high ceilings, friendly staff in an open kitchen, and a long, curving bar attract an eclectic mix, and you can guarantee people will have much more interesting things to talk about than real estate.

Acme Café, 51 W. Hastings St., Vancouver, 604-569-1022, www.acmecafe.ca

To justify splurging on those extremely high Louboutins, you wear them everywhere. But when your pals want to go for pizza, you feel a little too Posh.

No need to de-Loub for Charlie’s. The new Yaletown resto-lounge serves up gourmet slices in a slick setting. Seat your posse at the long communal table with deliberately mismatched chairs and order three 14-inch pizzas to share: the short rib topped with horseradish cream, smoked salmon sprinkled with goat cheese, and duck drizzled with truffle oil (all $25).

Major slices and major shoes—that’s amore.

Charlie's, 1265 Hamilton St., Vancouver, 604-568-6685, www.charlielovespizza.com