C-Prime Modern Italian Steak & Wine

The story

Crafted with passion, served with love

Where Italian Tradition Meets the Steakhouse

Situated just below the Century Plaza Hotel on Burrard Street, C|Prime Modern Italian Steak & Wine brings together two distinct traditions — the Italian table and the classic steakhouse — under one roof in downtown Vancouver. The result is a room that works equally well for a quiet dinner for two, a corporate gathering, or a celebratory evening with friends.

The wine program has earned the Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence, a recognition that reflects the breadth and depth of what's on offer: Okanagan Valley bottles from producers like Mission Hill and Burrowing Owl sit alongside reserve reds including Château Pétrus and Opus One, with selections spanning Italy, France, Argentina, and beyond. It's a list that rewards both the casual wine drinker and the serious collector.

The Chef at the Helm

Executive Chef Behshad Zolnasr arrived at C|Prime with a biography that reads like a map of the world's serious kitchens. His culinary education began at the Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts in Vancouver, before stages at Ristorante Mamma Angelina in Rome, Restaurant Gordon Ramsay in London, and Jean-Georges in New York City sharpened his technique across multiple traditions. Back in Vancouver, he led the kitchen at Café Ça Va and Rive Gauche Bistro when it took the Best North Shore award at the 2017 Vancouver Magazine Restaurant Awards.

At C|Prime, Zolnasr channels both his Italian training and his New York steakhouse experience into a single, cohesive menu. "I look forward to bringing some of that same Big Apple magic to Vancouver while also showcasing authentic, old-world Italian recipes I've been fortunate to learn in my travels around the globe," he says.

What to Order

The Italian cuisine side of the menu leans into handmade pasta and fresh ingredients. The Dungeness Crab Tortellini — fresh crab meat and lemon wrapped in house-made pasta, finished with lobster bisque — is a chef's signature. The Creamy Burrata arrives with balsamic figs, spiced pecans, and blood orange pearls. For something more substantial, the Whole Branzino is prepared with roasted potatoes, root vegetable caponata, and saffron beurre blanc.

On the steakhouse side, the prime cuts are carefully sourced: Wagyu Striploin, Tenderloin, Ribeye, New York Strip, and a 50oz Tomahawk for the table. Bone marrow and lamb shank appear regularly among the dishes guests return for specifically. The kitchen also runs breakfast and lunch, making C|Prime one of the few fine dining addresses in Vancouver that operates across the full day.

The Atmosphere

Guests describe warmth and genuine hospitality as defining features of the experience — servers who are knowledgeable about both the food and the wine list without being overbearing. The setting is elegant without being stiff, suited to smart casual dress, and the bar stays open until midnight for those who want to linger over a glass from that award-winning wine list.