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Watermark restaurant is located at Kitsilano Beach offering beautiful views and a menu of west coast dishes with an Asian flair. A large patio offers a perfect summer people watching spot.
A close knit group of us celebrated my gf's quarter century mark, alongside the great weather we've been having. Though we dined a little earlier than what we would've preferred, by the time we arrived, there were plenty of empty tables about.
The first thing you notice after climbing the stairs is the amazing view - you are literally a stone's throw away from the sand. Everything else is tidy and not overdone. While the sights were excellent, the food drew mixed reviews. The ravioli was the best entree, void of meat, instead a mushroom mix that was both tasty and filling. The fish entrees were next in line, cooked well, slightly underdone, with the swordfish having a great cream sauce, but the few sprigs of vegetables and the plain rice was terribly underwhelming. One of our carnivore friends ordered the striploin, which came grossly overdone; ironically it was the biggest portioned entree to boot, though he didn't bother to make a fuss. Appetizers were mostly misses, the mussels were not fresh, and mostly wasted on the rather good white wine cream sauce, and the side bread wasn't all that great. The shrimp in the spring rolls were overly fishy as per a previous reviewer, and the grilled eggplant lacked any sort of flavour at all.
We had one server for the night, and she made our meal more than pleasant with checkups and prompt dish clearing, though I did not like how our entrees came before we were finished our appetizers.
Without surprise, the views are the main act while the food isn't consistently executed all the way through and best reflects assembly line preparation on a plate (protein, neatly portioned vegetables, small starch, drizzle of sauce, garnish). It's another 4 star view, 3 star service, 2 star food restaurant that hangs on the coat tails of it's backdrop. Don't expect to be wowed, but the view is great.
Had dinner here with a couple friends last weekend, it was a nice sunny day out and their patio which overlooks the water is quite nice.
I ordered the hot seafood platter for 2, which has crab legs, shrimp, scallops, halibut and salmon. It also came with some vegetables, rice and pasta. The quantity food was pretty good, but the quality was only okay. The mussels didn't seem so fresh, the fish was also dry. The shrimp and scallops were fine.
The service was very good with non-intrusive but constant service. Had constant fill ups on water and a quality check. Also never felt rushed out even though we were there for quite a while.
Enjoyed the view and service. Probably would not be back because the food wasn't prepared well enough for the price paid.
Watermark has been a last minute spot for us to go for a glass of wine and a nice view since it opened..
I've tried it over and over again and came to realize that it sucks.
For the people that don't live in the area I could definatly see the attraction, but after going there, giving it several tries, I have never left satisfied.
Ther service was okay, the basic "order-taker" which is fine - I get it - coming from restaurant background myself I could see how a ton of tourists could be annoying after awhile, but what killed me the most was the over priced everything and the just okay food.
I've been there with with a group of girlfriends, one friend, my parents, basically quite a few time and have always been disappointed.
The last time I went a friend had ordered a diet coke and was charged full price for the refill - which the server offered but didn't mention there would be an extra charge, after mentioning to the server that it's not a huge deal to us but to others it may be a surpirse to pay 6 bucks for 2 pops she told me that they were fine dining and that's what fine dining places do...after telling her that the straw she puts in my pop is more than the syrup they use in the drink she left and was obvioulsy embarrased as she realized we weren't tourists but people living in the neighborhood.
In any even, the place is nice, great view and an awesome patio to watch the sunset, but that's it. They food is a miss. Perhaps others have had a better time. For a drink in the lounge I'd come back, for food I'd rather go to malone's.
Of course, the location is incredible. Kits Beach on a clear night...wow. Unfortunately, in the winter, the inside windows and the outside porch panels reflect all the inside light. Couldn't see much of the view at all once inside the restaurant.
We were looking forward to our dinner. BUT... we stepped into the main restaurant and into a blasting wall of sound. There MAY have been music, but the roaring babble of all the voices in a half-full room (this was early) was completely overwhelming.
We dealt with attentively. Our wait person was VERY good, not obtrusive, but there when needed. We ordered calamari, prawn spring rolls, smoked salmon and a cup of seafood chowder as appies Calamari was good, but had a strange mustard-y sauce to dip into. Prawn spring rolls had pureed prawns (and starch?) inside, and while not greasy, were quite heavy. Smoked salmon was lovely, but the few small slices were hidden under a dressed salad. The chowder was pronounced to be VERY good.
Rack of lamb was the special, and two of our party ordered it. It arrived perfectly cooked with duchess potatoes and veggies. I ordered the sablefish, hubby the salmon. Sablefish was fine, served with lots of capers and a drizzle of sauce. Hubby's salmon was VERY overdone, although he loved the lobster risotto.
So, food was pretty good, service was attentive, the view should have been superb. What spoiled the evening for us (especially the elders) was the TERRIBLE RACKET. We were literally shouting across the table most of the evening. When the manager stopped by to check how things were going, we mentioned the excessive noise level He admitted that the premises had a problem with that issue and that "the owner" was looking at options. He also mentioned that, in the summer, with the windows rolled open, the noise travels outside and it isn't "nearly as bad"...!!!
Such a waste of a view and location.
Looking out at Kits Beach even on a windy, rainy day can be a delight at the Watermark. Been there many times but just love some of the appetizers...they don't mind you sharing and the innovative menu always has something different. The best is the signature rock salt chili prawns ($9.95), crisp and spicy with a sweet and sour dip. Not far behind are the prawn spring rolls ($9.95) made with mushrooms and water chestnuts with a wasabi yogurt dipping sauce. We also tried the black n' blue albacore tuna salad ($14.95) that was fresh and tasty. The open kitchen lets you feel [part of the action. This place gets better and better.
I've been to the Watermark once before and it was a great experience at that time. The location and ambiance are second-to-none, but the restaurant relies too much on that.
The food is nothing special, typicaly West Coast dining at slightly higher places, most likely due to the location. I ordered the prime rib, and a quarter of it was fat.
The service is atrocious. From the moment we got to the restaurant, it all went downhill. The hostess took several minutes to greet us, even though the restaurant was empty; a bunch of staff were joking away in the lounge area; the server didn't even greet us until 10 mins after we were seated, plus he got my order wrong; and came by once with the typical line "how's everything going". For a place of such reputation, you'd expect better, more personalized service. A tip for service should be deserved, not expected.
Finally, the nail on the coffin: he screwed up my surprise birthday dessert for my girlfriend, thereby ruining the surprise and the effort to arrange it in the first place. We had considered this place for our wedding reception, but after last night, this is definitely one less place we'll consider.
There is a lot of negative comment. So i am thinking i should go or not. Finally, I go there for Sunday Brunch... the result is ???
Food: is average. Not very wow and surprise me. But the Mussels is yummy. I can taste the white wine in each mussel. <-- should try
Service: is very good. Waitress is very friendly and simile all the time. Keep asking me for each food.
Value is little bit expensive. But it's worth. It's hard to find a same place has a good view.
Ambiance: It's nice. However, inside is too tight. Table is very tight to each other. Not really comfortable. Luckily, i came there at 2:30, not much people.
I will go back for sure. Especially this is good place for dating.
I got taken hear once, for my girlfriend's birthday, and got about what I expected.
The view, of course, is amazing. We got a seat fairly close to the window, and got to watch the sunset. If you don't happen to sit near the window, then you are getting screwed.
Food: Average. I wasn't unhappy with my meal, but it was definitely not worth the high prices. It's typical "west coast" cuisine... it does the job, but it's not very inspired.
Service: It's hard to believe that they don't have any birthday cake or something special for birthdays. What restaurant doesn't have that? At least they gave her a free dessert. Otherwise, the service was adequate, although the staff there seem a bit inexperienced.
Value: High prices for average food. You are paying for the view, after all.
Ambiance: A very 'Yaletown' crowd, but the view was stunning. The one downside was that the tables were very crowded together and it wasn't as comfortable as it should have been. Obviously, they want to maximize the # of seats, but a pricey restaurant should allow you to sit down without bumping seats with people around you.
Overall: If you want to watch the view and the people on the beach, this is your place. Don't come here for the food.
I have been here a number of times but never for lunch/brunch.
Service at dinner can be a hit or miss thing as it also follows the brunch time also.
I was disappointed with the service we got. When we waived the waiter down to take our order he asked if we were in a hurry in a snarly way. Well if we have been sitting for 15 minutes with no water or acknowledgement it makes you wonder why I was bit impatient. After that the meal was a disaster, he bascially did the cursory drop off and no thank you when we paid the bill just picked up the folder and walked away probably thinking we were going to stiff him - maybe we should have then he would get a message. Some people enjoy their job and it shows, I guess he doesn't. To add insult he was training a young lady that day, oh boy, I hope she doesn't become like him.
As for the food its okay, but nothing to make me want to come back, in fact is a bit pricey.
Another restaurant off my list. Service is an important thing and makes a person want to come back or not.
I ate at Watermark at Kits Beach last night with my family. The setting is stunning - only a few such views in Vancouver. The food was pretty good. The sablefish was tasty, as were the mashed potatoes. I tried some salmon and halibut too, and those were good. We ordered the tiramisu cheesecake, and the dollop of cream on top tasted very rancid. I thought the music was a bit loud and distracting, but it might be just the thing if you're heading out to the bars or clubs afterwards.
I would highly recommend this place for out-of-town visitors, friends going for drinks, or those hoping to spot David Suzuki!
We stopped here late Sunday afternoon for a light meal. At this time of the day they have a limited menu, but we had no trouble choosing something that appealed. We tried the mussels with chorizo, the olive tapenade and the seared tuna salad. The presentation of the salad was quite unique...done in a head of iceburg lettuce. The complementary bread was really tasty and the service was friendly and efficient. Best of all is the great view from the patio. We really enjoyed it!
I recently ate at Watermark for Dineout and am usually very dissapointed with restaurants during Dineout. However, I was plesantly surprised with my meal and in true Watermark form, it was fantastic. I had the lamb with caponata which was a large portion and perfectly cooked. The butternut squash soup was very good and the desserts were to die for.
Kudos to Watermark for pulling off a great dineout experience for their guests! We also didn't feel rushed out of the place which was really nice.
Although the waitress was charming and attentive, and the view what you'd expect being on the beach, every other detail of this restaurant dissapointed. I ordered the special tuna entree, which was essentially appetizer-sized with a few extra vegetables. It was unseasoned, completely encrusted with black sesame seeds which had been charred an unappealing amount which contributed only a pulpy crusty texture. The sauce provided on the plate also had a tasteless effect. The plate was attractively laid out, but it was as though the chef had no functioning tastebuds or the dish had been hastily conceived. For the $26 price tag, I would have like to have been reimbursed. I probably wouldn't eat it again if they paid me. Previous visits have only provided terrible appetizers and a sense of being let down. This restaurant has such potential due to its location. What a shame.
I've been here a couple times, and I'm so sad they don't have the Salmon with loster risotto anymore! But the last time I was there I had Prawns with corn risotto which was delicious!! My friend and i were sitting outside on the patio when it suddenly got super windy, and everybody wanted a table back inside. So we moved inside for dessert, but our new server never arrived, so we just paid for the bill (which I had to walk to the server and give it to her myself) and then left. Service isn't as great as the view and food, but I'd recommend the place!
We drove over an hour and a half from out of town for a special occasion dinner only to be totally disappointed . We had the wine and dine for two special which included a bottle of wine. The wine was excellent, the food not so much so. My salad had to be sent back to the kitchen; the oil was rancid. They brought out a fresh salad with oil and balsamic vinegar in vessels on the salad. I tasted the oil before pouring and it was, you guessed it, RANCID. The kitchen later apologized by stating that they do not taste their oil because they use it all the time. No excuse!
The second course, wasabi spring roll was good as was the smoked salmon according to my partner but I found it a little too dry.
I had the BC salmon which was good and the vegetables were nicely presented and done...not overcooked.
My partners prime rib was ordered with no horseradish but had to be returned when he cut a piece and bite into it to find ... wait ...yes horseradish! The horseradish was hidden under the meat. Again no attention to detail.. Does no one read the slips of paper or is it just an assembly line kitchen. It is not like they were busy. It gets better. The replacement prime rib came back and my partner ending up cutting out a piece of butcher string about 5 inches long. Attention to detail again!!
And for all this we were offered a free dessert. WOW!
You have to walk behind their counter to get to their washrooms . I am surprised that this allowed by the health board.
We had a good chuckle at this experince. Not a place Gordon Ramsey would recommend and nor do we.
On the plus side the service from the waiter was great and the view of Kits Beach was awesome.
I arrived at Watermark excited, and left very disappointed. I met a group for a birthday, and the evening was gorgeous. The service was good, and the view and decor great.
My appetiser of prawn spring rolls had a strong ammonia/fishy taste, which indicated spoiled prawns or bad freezerburn or both. Most of us took a bite and then left the rest. The wasabi yogurt sauce was bland. The wine we were drinking was bitter, corked maybe. My friend whose birthday it was and her co-worker who arranged it had already drunk a bottle and probably couldn't taste the prawns, so I didn't mention it to her as I didn't want to make a scene.
My chicken breast was as tough as leather, difficult to cut, and my asparagus was basically raw. The mashed potatoes were tasty (lots of butter does that) but very salty and heavy. My friend's filet mignon was the worst he'd ever had, tough and greasy. The artichoke and crab dip was good, but the fried dipping breads greasy which was odd with such a rich dip. The chocolate orange mousse/cake was flavoured like shortening or margarine.
I think White Spot and Earls have better food, but this cost almost twice as much, and the prawns were spoiled... My mojito with blueberries had 3 berries in it, but I was charged $2.50 extra for those berries! The server didn't mention the premium when I asked her about fruit drinks. We paid a large mandatory service fee.
I think this restaurant has terrible quality food at an outrageous price. The menu sounds good but what arrives is executed so poorly that it is very disappointing, more like bad cafeteria food at dinner. The view is nice, but the music is terrible and very loud so that we were all hoarse at the end of the evening from shouting over it, which is why the ambiance isn't a 5.
I definitely won't be back for dinner.. Maybe for a burger at lunch if I'm with someone who really wants to eat with a view, which would be cheaper and harder to ruin when cooked by someone unskilled. On the other hand, I could get takeout from a park kiosk of similar quality and save my money for a really good restaurant elsewhere.
My sister and I recently visited this restaurant spontaneously while walking along the beach on a sunny Friday afternoon and were extremely pleased with this gem on Kits Beach.
While we did not have reservations we were not made to feel like we were intruding. The Seating Hostess was gracious without being too chatty and found us a perfect spot to sit - the view is incredible from anywhere in the restaurant but we were seated in a particularly lovely location just inside the patio doors.
Our server, Jeff, was outstanding and made some very helpful suggestions when it came time to ordering our lunch. As it was only lunch my sister and I opted to share the Crab, Artichoke and Spinach Dip as our appetizer. I often order this dish when in restaurants so in comparison to other venues I can honestly say this was truly the best I've ever had. The texture was warm and creamy and no one flavour dominated the other - a perfect blend. We then opted to share the Warm Seafood Spinach Salad (nuts on the side due to my dietary restrictions) and we were both suprised by the amount of jumbo prawns in it ... although a wee bit disappointed with the amount of scallops. Again though, it was a perfect blend of flavours and was very good. For dessert we had hoped to each order an item and then share unfortunately, they do not have a large dessert menu and on top of that, all but the Creme Brulee contained nuts so dessert was out for me. My sister however did have the Hazelnut something and thoroughly enjoyed it, especially the ice-cream.
Our overall experience was top notch and we enjoyed our afternoon very much. Of course, it helps when the service is impeccable and the ambience is relaxing and inviting. Great place to check out the next time you are in Kits.
It was really cold night just expected to snow. My two companions and I went to Watermark just because it was there. (on the Kits beach).
Didn't see any great view from the restaurant (curtain was closed for it was too cold for the patio).
Food rating: it really was incredible. All of us were not that hungry but all the food was just beyond expectation. (maybe we did not expect too high of this place at the beginning?) I ordered the DOV (lamb), and my companion had DOV (salmon). To me, lamb usually has some unpleasant unique smell but at this place NOT AT ALL. I even stuck my nose into it and couldn't sense it. Anyway it was cooked just right. very tender, juicy,, wow,, the mashed potato it had on the side matched perfectly with it. All three of us really finished it good.
HOWEVER,, service and ambiance were just decent. It wasn't that bad at all but,, not very impressive. but food was really good so everything looked good...
Value!? Outstanding. I would definitely go back.
The location is spectacular, but I wouldn't go if the food was sub par. I've been quite a few times and have found the food and service to be very good every time. Desserts are a particular highlight. I've taken out of town guests who have loved it as well.
Watermark is not cheap, but really worth it in my opinion. Having said that, you can spend as much at Cactus Club. Such a wonderful place to eat dinner as the sun sets over Kits beach.
My wife and I went for the Saturday brunch, were seated in the heated patio area. Our server did not show up for at least 6-7 minutes, and when he passed by to serve the next table, it almost seems like he didn't want to stop at our table because we actually had to ask him to get us drinks. We both had the Seafood chowder and it was good, served with garlic toast. My wife had the Kobe burger with salad and I had the Grilled chicken sandwich with fries. The chicken in my sandwich was cold, and I asked my server to make sure if it is intended that way. He said no, and offered to take it back. I hate to send food back to the kitchen, but it didn't taste good at all cold. Anyways, after another 5 minutes, they reheated my sandwich and it was hot this time. Overall, I was not impressed with the service provided because the server was not accessable. The food was ok. The service was lacking because of the lack of attention to detail as well. For example, when the soup came, we had to ask for pepper, but was given to us quickly. Also, after they reheated my sandwich with the fries, they didn't give me back the dish of ketchup and I had to ask for it again. This time, it took a little longer, perhaps 4-5 minutes before he came back with the ketchup. When the credit card came back, the server did not provide any pen to sign the receipt. The guy disappeared on us so we had to go out front to sign it. The hostess showed no smile and didn't seem happy to provide me with a pen to sign the credit card receipt. Overall, I would say that the dining experience was below average for a restaurant charging such price ranges. I don't mind paying more for a meal but the service was just lacking.
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