It’s not every day a Vancouver restaurant hits the fifty-year mark, and it’s even rarer for one to get its very own day proclaimed by the city.
But that’s exactly what happened for Kerrisdale’s beloved Minerva’s Restaurant.
Earlier this week, Mayor Ken Sim visited the longstanding family-owned spot to officially proclaim November 16th as Minerva’s Day in the City of Vancouver.
He shared the moment on both X and Instagram, posting photos of the Pavlakis family, longtime staff, and a giant anniversary cake.
Big milestone in Kerrisdale yesterday…
— Mayor Ken Sim (@KenSimCity) November 17, 2025
We officially proclaimed Minerva’s Day in the City of Vancouver to celebrate fifty years of great food, great people, and a restaurant that truly feels like home.
The Pavlakis family has built something truly special, and it shows every… pic.twitter.com/ZZGb1ATlmw
In his post, he praised the team for fifty years of great food, great people, and creating a place that feels like home every time you walk through the door.
Minerva’s has been a longtime Kerrisdale fixture since 1975.
The restaurant is known for its hand pressed pizzas, charbroiled steaks, hearty pastas, and classic Greek comfort dishes served in a warm, community rooted dining room.
The Pavlakis family has run it from the beginning, and many regulars have been visiting for decades.
The milestone also brought out a flood of love online.
In the comments on Mayor Sim’s Instagram post, Vancouverites shared stories about growing up at Minerva’s, celebrating birthdays there, or relying on it as their go to neighbourhood comfort spot.
Some even called it the best restaurant in the city.
The recognition also fits with Minerva’s reputation far beyond Kerrisdale.
In 2022, Ryan Reynolds named it as one of his favourite Vancouver restaurants, further cementing its place in the city’s culinary history.
While some longtime Vancouver restaurants have closed recently, Minerva’s continues to thrive.
The proclamation of Minerva’s Day marks a rare and heartwarming celebration of a restaurant that has stayed true to its roots while earning generations of loyal fans.
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