Thanks for the tips on Calgary restaurants, it makes me want to return there now. I must have visited River Cafe at a very quiet dip in the tourist surge. Does anyone know where to get hold of good BC wines in the UK?

Nick Wyke, London, UK

Have to agree with SBennett of Calgary..having lived and worked in Calgary in 1991-1992.................and a regular visitor since.........I think Nick needs to not dismiss restaurants in "Cowtown" so easily. The River Cafe, has been a solid "eatery" for a while but it too would not make my top 5 either....................luckily I know locals in the know.............and Alexis Bistro and Capo are my favourites.
Only visited River Cafe once......................and got touristphobia........and could see staff also annoyed at orders being shouted and pedantic questions about sauces, and broiling techniques(?).
Certainly agree with wine comments.........some of the smaller Canack wineries are really producing some good drops....particularly their sweet whites.

Senrab, HONG KONG, CHINA

Great to see BC wines recognised as quality. Ten years ago you were laughed at if you offered BC wines to guests, what a difference now. We had excellent tasting experiences in the Okanagan this summer (despite the unseasonal rain) at vineyards including Burrowing Owl, Dirty Laundry, Gray Monk and Tinhorn Creek. A shame these are not stocked in the UK. Picking peaches and cherries in the Okanagan orchards was a bonus.

Sarah Stroud, Esher, Surrey

I've learned a lot and feel inspired by your article (and totally agree with you about Calgary). I live in Gastown and walk past So.cial at Le Magasin every day but have never been there - that'll soon change. Also, I can't wait to try the sake brewed on Granville Island! Vancouver has far too many good restaurants to mention in an article, but you've hopefully inspired people to visit Vancouver and sample the ones you've listed as well as some of the dozens of other great places in the city.

J. Woodruff, Vancouver, B.C., Canada

Nick Wyke may dread the thought of living in Calgary and that's fine but he is way, way wrong to say the city's a barren foodscape. Sure, the River Cafe is a great restaurant--it's one among many and far from alone in its efforts to source food locally. Food and travel reviewers from major North American newspapers/magazines have happily listed a string of top tables in Calgary that compare well with renowned kitchens in major cities on this continent and elsewhere. If someone was bankrolling a nice dinner for me tonight, the River Cafe probably wouldn't make my top five selection (Capo, Teatro, Il Sogno, Catch, Alexis Bistro), mostly because the River Cafe is too full of tourists these days....

SBennett, Calgary,

Living down in Seattle, we do manage to get up to Vancouver on the Amtrak service. Always a thrill to be in the "alternate world" of Canada, we have plenty of fun in Vancouver's Chinatown, superior Indian restaurants and other significant proponents of imaginative regional and fusion cuisine. Even the McDonald's tastes better!

Stu Shiffman, Seattle, USA

Sounds fantastic, hold on I,ll get me cycle clips I'm going!

James Fairhurst, Farnham, England

Living in Vancouver for the past 5 years I find myself returning to the same restaurants often. Forgetting about the diversity of the food here is something that is easy to do when there are so many fantastic choices. The article left me wanting to branch out to some of the restaurants that you mentioned.
You forgot to mention that this is also one of the most vegeterian friendly cities in which to eat. The Naam, Yogi's, and Sha Lin Noodle House come to mind.

Mike Driedger, Vancouver, CN

BC is definitiely a forgotten gem when it comes to cuisine. Holiday highlights always seem to focus on the spectacular scenery, rather than what's served up for dinner. I visited in October 2006 and, while I admit the scenery was hard to surpass, the food available from local markets was as diverse and fresh as anything you would find in a European piazza.

Karen Walker, Newcastle, UK