imhungryVancouverSince September 5, 200611 Reviews
(3.3)- Food
(3.3) - Service
(3.2) - Ambiance (3.3)
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(3.3) (3.3) (3.2) (3.3)Tried Parkside as part of Dine Out. The food was great and totally met expectations. The service was subpar - it took over 30 minutes for our waiter to take our order. Dine Out is not the best gauge of a restaurant's capabilities, as most places are super busy... and the service we received last week may not have been indicative of the calibre of service on a normal, non-Dine Out night. I just had high expectations for Parkside because I've had such great experiences at both La Buca and Pied a Terre. Overall, I think the food was good enough for me to give Parkside another try after Dine Out ends.
My friends and I really like the Cascade. It's a place where you can hang out, have a few drinks, and actually have a conversation without screaming. It's got a great relaxed vibe, good music and interesting cocktail menu and daily specials. I've tried a lot of things from the food menu and most dishes have been ok but nothing spectacular. Service is friendly, but on weekends, it can be a bit tough to flag down a server. The booths are great and the chairs at the tables and bar are surprisingly comfy!
Sanafir is a beautiful restaurant filled with beautiful people. The servers were all good looking, and provided good, solid service. The drinks were overpriced. We had the martini of the day and for $11, we got a drink that tasted like Kool-Aid. Not a big deal as there aren't that many places in Vancouver that make good, reasonably priced drinks. While bad drinks are forgivable in my book, bad food is another story. We tried their beef trio, salmon trio and chose another three dishes from the bottom of the menu. The dishes seemed to vary between bland and confused. There's fusion and there's WTF. For me, Sanafir fell into the WTF category.
Reservations are definitely recommended. The pastas are amazing and can be ordered in half portions, for those who want to taste more items on the menu. Our server was enthusiastic and attentive. You'll need to walk through the kitchen to get to the washroom at La Buca - it sounds weird, but it's actually really cool because you get to see the kitchen in action, and can thank them for cooking you such a delicious meal!
I really liked my experience at Bistrot Bistro. The food was outstanding. Their beef bourguignon is the best I've had in Vancouver. We also tried their onion tart, beef tartare and halibut, and had french fries and potatoes dauphinois as sides. Our server was attentive and gave great recommendations on their menu and wine list. The restaurant is small and cozy - maybe a little too cozy? There's a banquette that runs along the length of the restuarant and diners sitting along that banquette had very little elbow room and had to squeeze to get in and out of their tables. We were lucky enough to be seated away from the banquette. But overall, we had a great meal and will be back for more.
It's worth it to leave work early to go to Rodney's for their low tide specials. $1 an oyster (their selection of the day), plus specials on their garlic prawns, pan fried oysters, scallops and a few other selections. Service is great if you sit downstairs but a bit inconsistent if you sit upstairs.
The staff at Stella's are great and the beer selection is very good. The menu theme seems to be confused fusion, and the food is only ok. Overall, it's a good place to hang out and catch up with friends - good for drinks and munchies, not great for a real meal.
I've had dinner here two times now, and both times have been fantastic. Service here is excellent. Both Lori and Amanda are friendly, attentive, knowledgeable about the food/ingredients served and make you feel very welcome to be dining at their restaurant. The last visit, we were a group of six and tried their short ribs, lamb, sablefish, and duck. All were very good although the sablefish was a tiny bit too salty. The mussels appetizer were the best mussels we've ever had, and we've eaten really good mussels, having vacationed in the Maritimes a couple of times. The staff in both the kitchen and dining room are fantastic at what they do. We've added this restaurant to our list of favourites!
We visited Vita Bella last weekend and didn't know what to expect, given the hit and miss reviews. Our server was very friendly and knowledgeable about the food and made some great recommendations. The food itself was very good, and nicely presented. The portions were a good size and the prices were very reasonable. Vita Bella's a great alternative to the many chain restaurants in Burnaby, at around the same price.
We ate here last week and ordered a curry, a stirfry, phad thai and spring rolls. All were good except for the spring rolls, which were mediocre. Prices were really reasonable. We found service to be friendly, but the restaurant got super busy after 7pm, and it became hard to track down a waitress to ask for water and the bill. Overall, a good experience and we'll definitely be going back.
Pearl on the Rock has potential to be a really great restaurant. The dining room is attractive, the wine list is excellent, and the food is beautifully presented and tastes good. Kudos to the sommelier/bar manager and kitchen staff.
The missing ingredient at Pearl is the service. We found our waiter and maitre d to be over the top. Someone needs to remind them that good service is about being attentive to your customers without being intrusive, and being knowledgeable and enthusiastic about the food. There's no need to put on a pompous, let your customers wait attitude. Irritatingly "wanna-be upscale" service does not make customers want to come back, despite the good food.
