Renowned Vancouver chef David Hawksworth opened his second and highly-anticipated restaurant, Nightingale, earlier this week in downtown’s Central Business District area. The name, “Nightingale,” is derived from Aesop’s Fable of the Hawk and the Nightingale, which encourages the celebration of the present. The fable is a story about a hungry hawk who catches a small nightingale and eats it instead of waiting for a larger bird to come along.
The restaurant is located in the MNP Tower (1017 West Hastings) and housed in a historical 19th century building, which went under extensive renovations for many months. The two-level, 180-seat space has been remodelled to showcase the interior traits which include exposed copper pipes and remodelled library furniture. Guests are greeting by high ceilings and taxidermy after entering the restaurant’s unassuming entrance. The restaurant was designed by Studio Munge, an award-winning Canadian design firm who also designed Hawksworth inside the Rosewood Hotel Georgia.
Nightingale’s food menu is thoughtfully planned and well-curated offering contemporary Canadian cuisine. Guests will find fresh, seasonable vegetables and salads, creative proteins offered in a variety of share-plates, house-made pastas, creative wood-fired pizzas, alongside accompaniments of charcuterie and crudo. On the beverage front, Nightingale offers a unique wine list curated by award winning sommelier Bryant Mao, as well as the Nighting-Ale, Nightingale’s signature beer crafted locally by Main Street Brewing Company.
The restaurant, lounge, and bar – which is prominently situated to the right of the entrance – is open seven days a week from 11 am to midnight. Nightingale is located at 1017 West Hastings inside the MNP Tower in Vancouver’s Coal Harbour.
