Minerva's holds Kerrisdale crown in Golden Plates 2026
The 50-year-old Greek institution, beloved for its deep-dish pizza and multigenerational regulars, reclaims best restaurant honours in its neighbourhood.
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Minerva's, the Kerrisdale staple that opened in 1975, is back at the top. The Greek restaurant claimed best Kerrisdale restaurant in this year's Golden Plates awards—the first time in several years it's reclaimed the crown despite a slew of newer culinary arrivals in the neighbourhood, including Ramen Danbo and Bufala Pizzeria.
The core menu hasn't shifted much over the decades: chicken, ribs, pasta, and the legendary deep-dish Greek pizza that anyone who grew up on the West Side has tasted once or a hundred times. But owner John Pavlakis has modernized the operation where it counts—wrestling his father Nonda into accepting a point-of-sale system and building the website. The restaurant's adjoining Barra 41 cocktail bar, remodeled about a decade ago, offers a separate vibe for customers who want something closer to the contemporary.
What sets Minerva's apart in a city flush with Greek restaurants is its generational clientele. Manager Niko Kerasiotis says most nights feature someone who's been coming in since Nonda opened the doors—and often their kids and grandkids too. "You talk to Nonda and John, and they're like, 'Oh yeah, that guy's been coming in here since he started walking—now he's got his own kids,'" Kerasiotis said. "It's sometimes five generations of families coming in here. And it's just a place where everyone's comfortable."
Kerasiotis, who helped launch Loula's Taverna on the Drive and is working on a new West Broadway eatery, calls Minerva's "a unicorn in many ways. It would be very hard, if not impossible, to replicate somewhere like this now." The restaurant is at 2411 West 41st Avenue.