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Friends told us we must visit Bishops before we leave Vancouver and we were very pleased that we came.
The food is fresh and delicious and the chefs have a very light hand with the seasonings so that flavors shine through. The owner came by to say hello to us and he is such a charming host. The service is professional yet friendly. This is a unique restaurant and very worth the visit. We will come back next time we are in town.
This was a lovely place to have a small birthday dinner with my parents. The service is top notch and the food very delicious. Even my Dad enjoyed his salad and fish dish. I went with the beef and I think my husband and Mom tried their lamb that night. Great portions, flavour, and presentation. Don't be surprised by the prices - very high, but the food is worth it. I was most impressed with their attention to detail - my husband kept sneezing in the beginning of the meal, then next thing you know, a pack of tissue appeared at his side! It's a very romantic setting for couples, but I agree that it may be in need of a facelift. Overall a good fine dining experience. =)
Went on a weeknight and the restaurant was about 2/3'rds full. The interior seems a bit dated as it looks like someone's house but with the location on busy W4th, doesn't seem to match. An update may be needed to modernize the interior. Service right away was outstanding with coat cheque, seating etc. Started with the lamb and mushroom tortellini which was very good. Then had the lamb special which was amazing. The loin was cooked just right and did not have an overly gamey taste. The chops were a bit on the tough side and it was tough to get around the bone but still good. Tried their lemon tart which was a great ending. Service throughout was very good. You should expect to pay around $150 for just food per person which is decent for a fine dining place. Overall, good for a special occassion.
Food: My dining compadre and I both had 3 courses each - tuna carpaccio was wonderful but the real star was the dungeness crab dumplings that came in an exquisite broth that I couldn't stop eating! I then had the roasted salmon while my partner had the beef strip loin. It was the best roasted salmon I've ever had but I question the rest of the plate which consisted of plain-tasting garbanzo peas, indian pakoras (I was confused by this but they call it fritters), barely edible endive salad and this oddly spiced creme fraiche that I was not at all impressed with. The striploin was delicious as well but again, the sides were a bit bland and the plate lacked color. To end the night, I had the bittersweet chocolate bar which was divine and my partner had the vanilla bean creme brulee which he thought was quite good. Extensive wine list.
Service: Everyone was very friendly and attentive but not too much so. I would say this was the best service I've had in a very long time, especially from a fine dining establishment as there tends to be some snobby attitude but thankfully, this place was devoid of the attitude. Nothing but warmth and attention here!
Value: Definitely on the more pricey side but it is also organic and locally sourced food so it makes sense it is a little more expensive.
Ambiance: Great aborginal artwork on the walls but it is also very bare - bleak white walls. The seats were terribly uncomfortable, especially when we wanted to have a complete meal. Very lovely floral arrangements all around the entire restaurant, with each table having a different bouquet. I would recommend this place for a romantic outing. Bathrooms are clean.
Overall, I would recommend this restaurant to all who wish to have a lovely dining experience with organic food and great service. Make sure to bring an extra thick wallet as it is definitely going to take a heavy hit!
After hearing about this place for a while, we went here a few nights ago. The menu doesn't have much for vegetarians but they were able to accommodate me, which was nice.
To start, I had the house martini which was PERFECTLY chilled and a good amount of alcohol.
For our appetizers, we had the chanterelle mushroom soup and the proscuitto red wine risotto. I love a good mushroom soup, but it was a little lacking in flavour. My spouse said that the risotto wasn't bad, red wine being a different take on things.
For our mains, he had the venison dish and I had some chef creation. He liked it very much, how there was such an array of flavours and everything was really well done. Mine was very good as well, I love every little detail put into making my dish, and I find with vegetarian food it's very hard to make flavours distinct from other elements on the dish. I absolutely LOVED everything on my dish except for some fruit tart, I'm not quite sure why it was a part of my main but I'm not a fan of sugary food on my main entree. NOTE TO VEGETARIANS: If you are like me, make sure they don't give you the fruit tart, ask for a side of risotto instead, or more of the other stuff!
We probably should have stopped at that, but we had dessert and it was alright, definitely could have done without it as it's pretty pricey and we didn't find it was worth the high price tag.
All in all, service was STELLAR, although there were some food issues, the food that we liked was VERY well done, we found the value a little on the high end but we would probably come back again!
Bishop's, despite being opened the year I was born (1985), remains an impressive jewel in Vancouver's growing culinary crown. Although we are more partial to casual, easygoing places (Chambar, Maenam, La Quercia, etc) I can offer nothing but praise for Bishop's in the niche of fine dining. The city's restaurant landscape has shifted significantly away from top-end restaurants - notably West's sufferings of post-Hawksworth syndrome and Market performing better as a lounge than restaurant. Bishop's, however, has avoided the inevitable slide for the simple reason that they know what they do well and they do it at the highest level possible.
Service from the moment we entered the door was nearly flawless and they managed the restaurant with only four front of house staff. Advice on wine was helpful but didn't try to over sell and dealt with an allergy in the best possible manner. The lighting and music are soft. It's hard to imagine you are parked right on a busy stretch of the bustling W 4th avenue.
What surprised most, however, was the food. It's not cheap, coming in just under $250 for two with tip, tax and four glasses of wine. The menu can read somewhat traditionally, yet everything served was a sublime blend of high quality ingredients coaxed to perform at their absolute peak. Starters both featured spot prawns, not a surprise as Bishop's was and remains a pioneer in featuring local, seasonal, and organic ingredients. The salad was a hit with candied rhubarb and leak terrine forming a unique base for the prawns while the bisque, a daily special, was velvety and featured an outstanding fish stock at its core. Continuing on, the kitchen proved equally adept with both sea and land for the main courses. Perfectly seared sablefish and scallop, let me reiterate perfectly, was paired with radishes, black beans, and a bright vinaigrette - not your run of the mill seafood plate. Bison shortloin, an exact medium rare, was sliced and served over a heaping mound of cherry risotto with pickled ramps, roast turnips, sauteed greens and cherry jus. The meatiness of the bison was a perfect foil for the tart yet slightly sweet cherry overtones with the pickled ramp offering the occasional acidic bit. Although we were extremely satisfied by this point, dessert was ordered. Carrot cake with crystallized honey and ginger was absolutely moist and smothered in icing while the espresso flan was an ideal fix for the coffee inclined. Wines by the glass are generous pours but expensive. A well-balanced list that features a number of BC wineries fits well with the culinary experience.
My wife and I went to Bishop's for dinner on a Saturday in July. Its a quaint restaurant with two levels, we got a table on the lower level but found the tables pretty close. Ambiance is ok though I would not rate the setting very romantic. For starters my wife had the Dungeness Crab Salad and I had an off menu item an appetizer size Mussels. The crab salad was very well presented, and was fine, but a bit plain. My mussels were amazing, cooked to perfection and that is pretty hard to do with Mussels as you can easily over cook them. We got two kids of bread and it was fun to dip the bread in the broth. For entrees, there were only 5 choices, my wife had the Sablefish and I had the Scallops. Again, both the Sable fish and the Scallops were cooked to perfection, very nice. But both lacked from a sense of flavor, plain but nice and the portions on the smaller side. For dessert, we had the Creme brule and the Rhubarb pie (with vanilla ice cream instead of yogurt), again both quite nice.
Overall, I would say the food was very fresh, nicely prepared, cooked to perfection, but lacked flavor and portions on the smaller side. But, the service was excellent from when we got there to when we left, John Bishop was nice enough to come by for some conversation so that was nice.
Went here for dinner with my wife, had a nice bottle of wine and a shrimpo apetizer cook to perfection, for main course i had seared halibut with rhubarb sabayon, hello, wild as it gets. Ive been here a few times and its great, i suggest if you have a few dollars and want to enjoy some fine dining at its best give it a try, thanks john and friends.
We were very impressed with the whole dining experience at Bishops restaurant. They looked after you from the time you arrived to the time you left their restaurant service was amazing and the food was perfect. They called a taxi and even opened the taxi door for us. Very very classy act
I highly recommend Bishops. We went for dinner for a special occasion and it was wonderful. The food was well portioned, not too much food. Very tasty food. the service is great and they are very PROFESSIONAL. It is a small little restaurant but it is well worth it for the quality of food.
Tiny intimate restaurant with beautiful food and flawless service.
Expensive but it is worth it for a special evening. The food is fresh, organic and inspired with lovely presentation.
The food is West coast and on the evening we went our table ordered the lamb, sablefish, and organic chicken and all meals were perfect.
My first time to Bishop's was in university. They treat you like gold when you walk in the door no matter if it is your first or hundredth time. The exceptional food and service has been consistent all these years and their death by chocolate dessert, for me is its trademark. John Bishop is kind and grounded despite his fame and fortune - like the Wayne Gretzky of the Vancouver restaurant scene. I love this restaurant and have never been disappointed here. They have only ever surpassed my expectation when I least expect it. I once requested in advance a custom cake to celebrate a special birthday and they indulged me without hesitation. No wonder Bishop's has survived so long in one of the most competitive markets in the nation. I could go on but I think you should just go - at least once.
Food - the food was delicious. For appetizer, I had dungeness crab. The crab was made into a sort of paste, one that would go perfect with crackers. It was delicious. It was smooth, and creamy, and well seasoned. For the main course, I had the Qualicum Bay scallops. They were placed on top of very creamy mashed potatoes. I suspect they were the most creamy mashed potatoes I have ever had. On the side, were to different sauces. Unfortunately, I am not sure what they were. The scallops themselves were very meaty, but a tad bland. The sauces made up for this though. Overall this dish was delicious.
For desert, I had a bread pudding. Seeing how it was Christmas time when I dined at Bishops, the pudding was quite appropriate. It was warm, and a bit gewy. It was not too sweet, and not too un-sweet (if that makes any sense).
Wether or not the service or ambiance of a restaurant is good, as long as they have good food, they can count me in as a customer.
Service - Incredible service. My father, who's birthday we were celebrating, sneezed during dinner. Immediately, a plate with a small box of clean-ex on it, appeared beside him immediately. It was one of the waitresses who had brought it. This had never happened to us before, so we were slightly confused. When it finally registered in our brains, we were amazed at the service.
Before desert, Mr. Bishop himself brought out a plate of pair slices stacked in a spiral. Delicious as it was, Mr. Bishop seemed quite nervous. He was slightly shaking too. Unless, my parents are part of a Russian gang that possesses nuclear weapons, I don't think Mr. Bishop had anything to be worried about.
Value and Ambiance - Solid
We ate at Bishop's last weekend, after having read about it in Vancouver Magazine. The food was excellent and the service second to none.
For an appetizer I had the salmon carpaccio and my wife had the risotto, both were fantastic. The risotto was a little on the bitter side as it had radicchio in it, but I have never had better salmon. For mains, we had the beef tenderloin and the duck breast... it was quite possibly one of the best meals I've had in a while. The dessert was the least impressive course but it was still solid.
The service was phenomenal. The maitre'd and waitress were friendly, interested, and made you feel relaxed.
The ambiance was OK, but compared to similar restaurants such as West, it was a little less opulent.
Overall, we loved it! Will definitely be back...
We went on a weeknight and celebrated our wedding anniversary. On previous occasions, we were seated upstairs and enjoyed ourselves in that cozy little "alcove".
This time, we were seated downstairs. It was a damp, chilly evening to begin with. Seated where we were, in the furthest table in the corner of the room, probably the best location in that room, we realized just how small, cramped, and tired the room was. We were probably about 14 feet from the front door and 6 inches from the next table (as were all tables). It didn't help that there was an obnoxiously noisy table of 6 across the room (about 6 feet away from us). Being so close to the front door and seated in such a cramped space did not a romantic evening make...
The service was pleasant, but mediocre. It was not busy at all during our entire dinner, but no one came to check on our bread or water, or ask how our meal was. The experience was further marred by the fact that there was always one or two staff sitting behind the bar--about 6 feet away from our table.
The menu looked very much the same as when we were there last, about a year ago. We had prawns for an appetizer--with the head on! It was a messy presentation and the ginger-asian fusion sauce was uninspired. Our entrees were roast chicken breast in a wine reduction, and lamb served 3 ways--solid, but again, uninspired.
Our dessert, however, was excellent. The best chocolate mousse we have ever had. It was decadently rich, but not heavy even though we had consumed quite a bit of meat and starch during dinner.
Bishop's used to be one our favourite restaurants. But we are unsure if we would return based on our latest experience. We would need to be convinced that a major overhaul of the ambiance, menu, and service had occurred.
Quietly waiting in excitement for dinner and the other guests to arrive, I could not help but notice the sheer friendliness of the service, each greeted us with a smile and a kind word. Bishop’s is no doubt, a smaller “boutique” restaurant. The display of the Petrus and first growth wine’s makes an excellent first impression upon entering as a fine dining establishment. Candles lit the room, and as the night wore on, the ambience became slightly more vivacious with resonance. From the white table cloths and the silver de-crumber created a fabulous dining experience all in all. The service was attentive and friendly, I should say impeccable service, as everything was attended to promptly and appropriately, Abel was absolutely wonderful and my compliments to chef Andrea. Also, the wine list is incredible, having such wines as Chateau Margaux and Chateau D’Yquem, signifies an excellent consideration for their clientele. I had the raw oysters, which was not on the menu and tasted as fresh as the sea. Personally, I would immensely recommend the sea food at Bishop’s! I understand they use the most fresh ingredients and they try to keep the food as local as possible. The other guests had the sablefish which looked picture perfect. I had the muscovy duck, which was cooked very well, requiring no added spices, and I particularly enjoyed the duck leg confit tart, which was warm and elegant. For dessert, another guest had the vanilla creme brulee and I had the chocolate mousse cheesecake. The mousse was light and fluffy, and the creme brulee was perfectly thick and creamy, both were sweet, but not too sweet; the torched sugar on the top was crunchy and still sweet, while not being overly burnt. I must say that this is one of the best experiences for a restaurant, although it is rather expensive, the food is marvelous. Every presented menu item was simple, taking the flavor from the ingredients themselves rather than adding more spices unnecessary to the textures and flavors of the dishes. I must simply say, dine here.
After going to a different restaurant last night just made me remember how great this restaurant is
I will say bishop has one of the best food in Vancouver.
the last time we went we end up ordering 4 different dishes and shared amount 4 of us
I remember that the crab leg salad was so amusing.
When I first saw it came out, I was thinking that it was a rip off for the price.. It was so small and just crab leg right..
but after tasting it than I know how amusing it is - it got this melon and lime juice mix favor, just so amusing
Cant remember all the dishes now i was there before xmas but everything was great and we all had a wonderful time
Service was excellent, we were all very happy with the meal.
The room is not the nicest but it has a warm cozy feeling. Really got that nice neighborhood restaurant feel to it.
Cant wait to try out their menu again.
Highly recommend this place for a romantic dinner or double date..
We enjoyed our experience here immensely. The food was done to perfection. The desserts were particularly great! Our server was very helpful, with an excellent knowledge of wine. It was my first experience eating deer meat, and it was really good! The atmosphere was excellent, nothing spectacular. Would definitely return.
Went there with my better half to celebrate our anniversary. What can I say, the food was decent, albeit a bit overpriced. The quality was comparable to Earl's on a good day, and certainly not "heads above" as some have suggested. The staff were courteous if a bit overdone at times. Though 2/3 of the restaurant was empty on the night that we were there, I couldn't help but feel that they were following the unspoken rule of trying to get us out of there within the hour. Oh well, I guess a $160 meal is not enough to take up more than one hour of their time.
Okay, but really not likely to be enough to impress.
While bishops is rumored to be one of the best restaurants in Vancouver, my experience was less than thrilling. I had the crab leg salad to start, and the Pemberton beef tenderloin as my entree. While the service was hospitable, my entree was overdone; not something you expect if you're going to drop $45 on a steak.
Overall the experience was good, but I was just hoping for more given what I had heard about the restaurant.
| 1. | Purdy's Chocolates (30 m) | |
| 2. | Davids Tea (31 m) | |
| 3. | Kits Coffee Co. (33 m) |  |
| 4. | 49th Parallel Coffee Roasters Cafe (46 m) |  |
| 5. | Bistro Pastis (48 m) |  |
| 6. | Connie's Cookhouse (72 m) | |
| 7. | Simpatico Ristorante (76 m) |  |
| 8. | Subway (98 m) | |
| 9. | Sophie's Cosmic Cafe (145 m) | |
| 10. | Starbucks (157 m) |
