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Libra Room serves tapas and pizza in a relaxed setting, featuring live music every night.
My boyfriend and I bought a groupon for the Libra Room. I normally wouldnt go to Vancouver (I live in Surrey) but thought to buy it and try something new. We had reservations for 730, and due to our cab taking a long time we didnt arrive till 8. They kept out table for us even though it was very busy. When I made the reservation I asked for a private table, and it looks like the one we got was just that. Our waitress was EXCELLENT, offered many good suggestions. We had the spicy chorizo mussels, steak bites and albacore seared Tuna. They were all excellent, especially the mussels. The live music was great, very entertaining. Our food came out very fast also :) I would definitely reccomend this place if your looking to try something different :)
A couple of friends and myself were on the Drive late and feeling hungry. We wanted to eat at Lombardo's, but it was closed. Crossed the street to Wazubee, kitchen closes at 11 pm. We were about to give up when we walked by Libra Room. Pretty crowded room, band playing, kitchen open, so in we go.
The food was just average, drinks selection small and wine list pathetic. Some Asian restaurants have better wine selections.
I rate the food and service 2.5 stars.
The room was so dark I can hardly read the menu. The music was so loud I could hardly place my order with the server. In summary, great place to have a beer and snack and enjoy the live band. Forget about having a meal here.
Each time I go, it's packed solid, and for good reason - yet somehow, they always find a place for you. The service is given with a smile, even if it is a bit sporadic (the service, I mean, not the smiles). No matter - friendly service wins me over every time.
The food is rather hit or miss for me... great cheese plate, not bad osso bucco, good pizza, poor risotto, orgasmic carrot cake, ho-hum creme brulee. But food, as always, is subjective. But I admit, it's prepared properly, with care, and with good presentation, whether or not I happen to like all the dishes or not.
My only complaint - I ordered a whisky sour; it was neither whisky, nor sour.
This is a late night spot with ambience and generally good music.
Go!
Here we go. Saturday night, my girlfriend and myself were sitting at the bar, chatting and listening to the three girl jazz band playing in Libra Room. She finished her drink, I finished my salad, the conversation was flowing, the music was playing. The bartender, a blonde male one, interrupted our chat by would-you-pay-the-bill question. Sure, no problems and no worries, we will. Once we paid the bill the question are-you-ready-to-leave-now-as-there-is-a-couple-waiting-for-your-seats?
What's that, ah? I was shocked, actually. I told him that was rude and got just a broad smile in return. Needless to say I won't go there again.
We were planning a girls night out of dinner, drinks, and dancing. This place had been burnt down and had just recently reopened again. My g/f lives nearby and had always wanted to check it out so we took this opportunity to try it out.
Food: everything here is small tapas portion. wasn't what i was expecting considering i was very hungry and sick so didn't want to share my germs w/ anyone. i ordered the stuffed chicken which was pretty good but portions def left my tummy unsatisfied.
Service: we were a party of 8 and it took over 1hr to get our food. 1 of the girls even ordered a salad! in my opinion that's too long. if it hadnt been for the drinks and company i think we would have been a lot more cranky. the server was nice, but forgot to add 3 of our drinks on the tab. we mentioned it to her tho b/c we believe in karma! perhaps they're still reworking out the kinks since reopening??
Ambiance: cool spot to hang out w/ a couple of drinks and good company. we took up all but approx 3 of the reg tables/chairs, the rest were all bar tables and stools. there was someone in the corner playing the piano and when we left there was a band just about to set up. this spot is small tho so i wouldn't suggest going there if your party is larger than 4. anymore i would recommend reservations.
Overall: not a place for a party larger than 4. not a place for dinner. not a place for romancing. under the right circumstances tho this place could be perfect for you and exactly what your looking for.
The music was great here - I imagine it is frequently. The food was damn awful though. We had the nachos which basically tasted like someone had spread manure on them. Described as "HUGE" by the server, they were anything but. Definitely recommend the place for ambiance and music, but the food was bad. Also we ordered wings which they are "famous" for and they were sold out. The waitress was friendly and polite.
This place has great live jazz however, the service is always above and beyond bad. I have sworn off the Libra Room a few times now and gone back because it is a popular choice for the venue. But really, who runs this place!!!?? Horrible service by surly servers every single time. Last time I went for birthday drinks for a friend's b-day and wow! The girl server could hardly manage to get a drink for the birthday boy let alone the 5 other people. Okay, so 6 people-that's a larger group, I guess but you would have thought we were 10 or 15 for the unhappy, SLOW slow one at a time drink ordering and by the time we all had a drink, who cares that the orders aren't right YOU HAVE A DRINK IN YOUR HAND and just Thank god for small wonders! The birthday cheer was not so cheery to say the least. They had lovely Live jazz and everything else is great-but the staff!! The real topper for the bad service is you can't even tip according to the service rendered because , surprise! -they add the gratuity on your bill ! So I guess the incentive for friendly, basic service is out the window the moment you walk in the door.
This is just a note of caution, by all means-for the talent-please go. Just go with eyes wide open and with no expectation for good service.
A real shame.
Stopped by here tonight to hear some classic jazz. Waited almost 15 minutes to get served. Food is very simple just a step above pub food. Poor selection of draught beers and a very boring selection of everyday wines. Cocktails not bad.
Went last night, they had live music which was cool. What wasn't cool is the panhandling by the musicians for tips after they finished their set, if I want to throw some money in your tip jar, I will, but please don't ask me for money when I came for a nice night out.
Our party arrived a little scattered, but once everyone got there we got the water right away and didn't see the server for 15 minutes after that. There were two servers, a couple bartenders, and a host/busser for this 50 seat restaurant, not great staff:customer ratio, but ok.
Menu is alittle weird, high end stuff alongside onion rings and chicken strips...ok? So we order our dinner and drinks, we get our drinks then we wait... and wait... and wait, until it's been at least 20 minutes since we've seen ANY food come out of the kitchen. Two of our party are chefs and even they agree its been too long. Finally, one goes to see what's going on and we get a "sorry, there's only one person in the kitchen tonight". Great, except we are the last table that hasn't eaten and haven't seen any food come out of the kitchen for at least 20 minutes, not acceptable. Oh, and did I mention that probably a half the restaurant was eating when we arrived or shortly after that?
So the food arrives and all but one order a variation of chicken. My husband has the mushroom chicken and I have the chicken parm. Both are dry. Mine is black around the edges, but the plate is swimming in oil. Husband's rice is plain jasmine... no flavor at all. It cost us $60 for three drinks and two entrees.
Ambiance is very cool. I'd just go for drinks. I gave it a two for value given the entertainment and ambiance., otherwise make it a one.
went there for dinner last night the food was so bad a place that thinks toast points are a good idea? come on guys get real!!!!
your 1980's style menu needs a big updateI also understand that this place is very difficult to work at as the staff seem to rotate on a monthly schedule.so please up date your menu and join the
supper club.
The review title says it all. THe ambiance was certainly nice with live music playing in the background. However, the positives end there.
The food is overpriced, and to make matters worst, it tastes horrible. I ordered a spinach chicken pizza, and boy it was probably the worst i've eaten. The superstore no-name brand ones are another notch better than their's. My girlfriend ordered the fettucini alfredo, which was equally horrible. 1/4 of the pasta was undercooked (still crunchy when i tried chewing), sauce was underwhelmingly average.
At the end of the dinner service, we just wanted to get out of there. We handed in our credit card, and proceeded to wait 20 minutes before a waitress informed us that the card machine was offline, and they were working on getting it back up. We immediately offered to pay cash, only to be rejected by the bar-lady telling us "the machine is being fixed, and it'll be up and running real soon" with an extremely impatient tone.
All in all, I would never come back, and would advice all to stay away from this craphole.
It was a dark cold night, a good friend of mine and I decided we would like to get dressed up and try someplace new. After a few disagreements on were we would like to eat, we agreed to check out the warm inviting atmosphere of the Libra Room. She was decked out in a beautiful skirt and she looked wonderful, and I felt I had to show her off. We walked in and were instantly greeted by a courteous staff member who quickly sat us to a table close to the stage. We very much liked the candle lit tables and dark lighting and suddenly felt comfortable. We inspected the menu starving at this point, agreeing on appetizers. I had ordered the garlic bread and 3 dip, and she had her eyes on the portabello mushroom plate. We put the order in for a delightful bottle of white wine, and were soon emerged in deep conversation with a short round of innocent flirting. After a few glasses of wine, couple of playful compliments, we decided on the main course. We didn't find the menu had too much to offer, however the little choices they did have looked delicious. I settled on a rack of lamb with a solid potato concoction, while she had the fresh roasted pacific salmon and vegetables. We were really enjoying the food and atmosphere, until a group of amateur musicians arrived on stage. Instantly we got the creepy vibes. Within seconds, the most annoying, pretentious form of jazz music started to erupt in the back ground.. HONK, HEWWWWWWA, HONKKK SCRRRREEETCH, SSSSSLEEEEEEAAAAAH. At this point we suddenly did not feel like when we stepped in, we could barely hear each other or make out a single note of music. I mean if you were going to have a Jazz lounge, did you really have to hire what sounded like a rented grade 6 music class? At one point my fine female companion, was noting that the drummer had a perverse sexual look in his eyes scoping out her and other women in the venue. The saxophone player was drenched in sweat, and at this point we simply had enough. The food was great, but I do not recommend this place for a quiet romantic evening, unless it involves a tuba, half eaten piece of garlic bread, homeless legless woman asking for smokes outside the restaurant, and a men's bathroom covered in pee. However if you are from surrey, you will most likely feel comfortable at this Libra Room, and will give it a rating of 3 half smoked cigarettes out of 5. Chow down!
The Libra Room is a great venue to see some amazing local artists but don't expect to get any kind of customer service from the owner. I have never experienced a more arrogant and self-important individual. I agree with the other reviewers who say that this man has absolutely no concept on how to run a business.
The staff on the other hand are friendly but are often forced to pester people about when the remaining guests in their party are coming as they need the seating space. This makes for a very uncomfortable atmosphere.
The food is good but the service is at times unbelievably slow. The friendly manner of the servers makes up for this sometimes but this combined with the rudeness of the owner has made me reconsider being a patron of this establishment. There are better places for me and my friends to spend our money. One should also question exactly who wrote the "5 star" reviews for this place -as they read like publicity advertisements.
Libra Room after a play, Fri. night - music, atmosphere, quirky/cool decor, funny, personable staff... One hour & I felt comfy; enjoyed music, chatted, sent a text - "Found a great little place you should check out"
...next day,
East Side again; shop, go by The ARC (1701 Powell St @ Commercial - events/music/art/coffee shop/cafe), "Midsummer Nights' Dream" at Capilano Coll. (great show! Congrats cast & crew - really enjoyed it)
After the show I decide to stop by the Libra again...
Folks from the night before, great music (again), staff remembered me. Quite enjoyed myself & found I was still there near closing time!
Wrapping up a conversation, I ask if I can finish my beer before I leave. Bartender says "no problem! Take your time"
I kid you not - 2 min. later...
Owner walks up & says "ok babe, time to finish up" I say "sure, just finishing my beer" Last sip from a half-full beer & reaching for my bag when he says "we're closing, you need to go, now"
They need to close on time, staff wants to clean-up & go home, I figure he is "jovially" trying to ensure I don't hang out forever. I say "sure, just enjoying my last moment at the Libra before I go home to the states"
THEN, the owner (mgr.? Surely he can't be the owner with this attitude) says "good, going to the states, won't be back - you can leave right now"
I wasn't drunk (3 beers/3 hrs & a big dinner) & I know not everyone is crazy about Americans (but I tip - high prices, free health care - in favor of that - not complaining), I sat at the bar (not a table that could seat 3 or more)
Did nothing to "yank this guy's chain"
I believe in free-will & Karma; I won't say DON'T go to the Libra Room - maybe you SHOULD - catch one of this guy's "shows", good music & a nice staff (busy - occasionally forgetful - but check in when they can)
I won't say GO there (unless you need musicians/wait-staff/bartenders/cooks/etc; stop by, offer them work somewhere, anywhere else)
You decide:)
I phoned the Libra Room to make a reservation and happened to know the owner's first name and asked if he was available and they said "yes". I asked to speak with him and they put the phoned down and at this point I have been waiting for sixteen minutes and counting. I can hear everything in the background. How rude!
... on this restaurant. The Libra Room really fills up on Friday nights starting at about 8:30. Friday nights they have a live jazz trio and Saturday nights is live flamenco music and dance. Libra features a martini for each of the 12 western zodiac signs. For the chocolate and coffee lovers out there, I recommend the Gemini martini.
I had ginger beef. The beef was cut in strips and perfectly grilled. It came drizzled with a creamy ginger-mint sauce over a heap of gingery rice noodles mixed with cabbage and julienne carrots. My two dining companions had seared tuna and chicken stuffed with mushrooms. The chicken was good but the tuna was very well done.
Our waitresses were not very attentive and had to be prompted to refill water glasses, but they were friendly enough. They were also understaffed as the customer volume increased at about 9.
The restaurant is very slickly and artistically decorated. I would say this is a good dining experience but nothing exceptional. I'll be coming back as I know I enjoy it here.
I went to the Libra room a few nights ago with a large group or friends. The drink list is great, and everything we drank was well priced and delicious (also liked the way the drink list is named by zodiac symbol) however we were too late to order food. The room itself is very cool, lighting is excellent and the all around vibe is fun, loud, and trendy. Service was good despite the huge amount of people there - our server was very speedy and nice. Definitely a good place to go out and drink and enjoy good music.
I've enjoyed the music here but the new drink and food menu is nothing special. Service adequate and laid back like most of the drive. The drink list looks like they poached it from waazubee's two doors away. Late night crowd pretty loud and usually drunk so go early. Still nice to have in my hood but I'd rather go somewhere else. The manager/owner seems pretty full of himself.
We tried this restaurant about a year and a half or two years ago and LOVED it! The food, the menu, the prices, the service....all good! Really good.
We went again this past Friday night and were very sadly disappointed. The ambiance is still really great. The room is beautiful. The food.....BAD. They changed chefs since we first visited and that was a mistake. We "mentioned" to the waitress our disappointment and she passed the info onto the manager, we saw her talking to him right after our comments. He didn't take the time to speak with us. The seafood was awful. The prawns in particular tasted like they were cooked in dishwater, seriously. In this city there is no reason for not using fresh, local quality ingredients. The Libra Room WAS a gem on the Drive....now it's a waste of valuable space. Not even the decor or music is enough to make up for the terrible food. GET THE PREVIOUS CHEF BACK!
I will have to agree. I don't post on these sites, but the owner is certainly the most self-important person I have ever met. Not only have I read it on this site, I have had this conversation with complete strangers! Get over yourself or get out of a business where you have to interact with people.
I also agree, the five star ratings below seem terribly suspect.
| 1. | Lombardo's Ristorante and Pizzeria (15 m) |  |
| 2. | Avanti's Neighbourhood Pub (23 m) |  |
| 3. | Wakaba (29 m) |  |
| 4. | Tim Hortons (31 m) | |
| 5. | Gelateria Dolce Amore (36 m) | |
| 6. | Dolce Amore (37 m) |  |
| 7. | Divino Wine Bar (37 m) | |
| 8. | Caffe Napoli (49 m) | |
| 9. | Dime Road House, The (60 m) | |
| 10. | Red Burrito (78 m) | |
