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One of my best dining experiences ever! The raw brick walls and unique light fittings create a warmth to the restaurant that you feel instantly. This warmth is fuelled throughout the night by probably the best service from wait staff I have ever received.
The extensive wine and cocktail list make it hard to pick just one. The mussels are to die for, never have I had mussels so large, plump and tasty and I've had a lot of mussels in my time! Definitely a new favourtie for special occasions.
Well I'm sold - and speechless - okay, not quite speechless but I'm still thinking of those incredible Salt Spring island mussels... so much so that I can't seem to formulate my senses into words.
But... if I had to spill my taste buds thoughts they'd look a lil something like this:
- Wow - what a bowl full of mussels. If you're on a date, get one bowl and share something else - delicious, but filling. My fave was option numero uno.
- Cocktails? H-ello! The Madagascar was truly one of my favourite cocktails of all time. Why? Fresh Strawberries, cracked pepper, vanilla brandy and a splash of soda. It's what I imagine ordering instead of a daiquiri on a deserted island!
-The beer list, the wine paired expertly with dinner, the gracious service, the stunning brick walls, huge windows and candlelight... if I went on the drool might just short circuit my keyboard.
Listed in: 5 Star Reviews - You deserve…, Now That's A View!, Crosstown. No, not across…, Vancouver: My SEAfood…
I went on Friday night, and since dining there nearly 5-years ago, not only is the view now of a high-rise rather than Science World, but I'm happy to say the food is far better than it was.
Service: Excellent, despite being served by two servers (one in training) and there being quite a few errors.
Food: I dined light, as I ate only several hours before at a 7-year olds birthday party (like a fool). I had olives to start and crab salad (delicious and fresh), and munched a little on my husbands venison (best ever tasted!) and my friends smoked (in-house) salmon (to die-for).
Location: Still can't stand the location, but what can you do?
Expensive: I think it was the alcohol that put the bill over the edge $10 imported beers (Cookie Beer, anyone?) and award-winning cocktails and understandibly expensive wine by the glass.
Excellent night out :)
one of the best restaurants not in the city....but i would say that i have ever been too the bar team is just to die for, Nic and Karry the owners really know how to treat their guests and staff. No matter when i go there i always have the same consistancey of service and the same people are always there to take care of us. I dont even think they do have a turn over rate on staff. Way to go gang!
Amazing food (I tried the lamb - it was cooked to perfection), spectacular drinks (the Madagascar is sweet & a little spicy - but sooo tasty) and quite friendly staff. I was dining alone and they let me have a window seat and were super friendly till it really started to fill up around 9:30 - I was trying vacate my precious seat as quickly as I could and eventually went up to the bar to pay as the servers were avoiding my table. Aside from the weirdly dismissive ending to the evening, it was a great spot with mouth watering food, fantastically inventive drinks and really lovely decor - I would definitely go back
A wonderful late night dinner, accompanied by delicious food and great company.
We were seated near the kitchen by the wall. At first I was hesitant about the location, but it ended up working to our benefit.
After some thoughtful decisions, here are my three courses that night.
Carpaccio de thon grillee- Charred yellowfin tuna carpaccio, celery, daikon & citrus brunoix, pomegranate molasses, and red shiso..Slices of thin tuna, fresh, and the daikon added texture, while the pomegranate molasses added some sweetness, as well as some tartness to the dish. Excellent.
Moules-frites: mussels with white wine, butter, braised celery, leeks & coarse black pepper. A HUGE bowl of mussels arrived, piping hot, with the wonderful aroma of the flavourful broth. Mussels were fresh, medium sized, and not too many empty shell. The broth was wonderful, the perfect blend of all the ingredients...soaked into the mussels. This dish took some work though..and both my friend and I took a while to devour it all. It was truly mussel overload.
Lastly, dessert. I got the vanilla passionfruit parfait, with lemon honey tuile. This was amazing!! The 'parfait' was more like a sorbet consistency, but the passionfruit flavour just jumps out. Not overly sour, probably with the aid of the vanilla, and every bite seemed to get better and better. Light and refreshing, it's a perfect summer dessert! A little disappointed that they don't offer this on their regular dessert menu though.
Our waiter was friendly that night. Lots of water refills, minimal interuption of the conversation between my friend and I, and no rushing us to finish our meal. Loved the atmosphere-red tones and brick, with a somewhat modern feel to it.
A perfect place to satisfy my mussel cravings!!
5 stars because of the ambiance. I like it the best out of anywhere in Vancouver. The food is really well presented but the tastes are not that amazing (4 stars).
After looking all over the city for a room that I could have a huge birthday party in Chambar offered Cafe Medina space next door, and we jumped on it....
We had the funky room all to ourselves, played our on music, ordered off the main menu, had personal servers... They had us all smiling.. It was such a treat.
I highly recommend this idea for private function.
This is a 4.5 star review.
After taking a few classes at Dirty Apron and brunching at Cafe Medina, I had heard so much about Chambar that I had to come and tickle my taste buds...alas...how to convince the fiance who detests "trendy" establishments?! [WahhHahaHaha...one year anniversary, of course!!!] Lucky for me, my hinting of the upcoming celebration prompted him to take initiative and make reservations. =) =p
The space itself reminds me of one of my favorite wine bars in NYC. The dim lighting adds to the warm romantic feel of the space and the energy is so much so that it's trendy, but not pretentious.
I've had my fair share of martinis and let me just say for the record that the acclaimed Blue Fig is beyond amazing (if you love martinis and get weak in the knees for blue cheese, this is bliss). I won't go into the flavor details because you need to just taste for yourself. What a great way to start off the evening! As I was leafing through the wine/beer list, I also found my coveted Chimay...I'll definitely have that next time around.
We started with the yellowtail carpaccio and the foie gras, Lovely fresh flavors and textures for the yellowtail...the foie was creamy, rich and INDULGENT! Of course, we also ordered the mussels and frites (smoked bacon and spring onions in white wine cream) and couldn't be more thankful for our succulent mussels and the spoonfuls of broth. Frites were perfectly crisp and added a great textural contrast to the mussels-fest. Forgo the $3 bread (wasn't even warm, the crust was not crunchy though the middle had a good chew) to dip into the broth because it's not woth the price, even with the smoked paprika butter. For that reason, I cannot give Chambar 5 stars because this carb is usually served complimentary, with better butter falvor combination at other fine dining establishments. We also shared the 10oz angus ribeye, chimichurri fingerling watercress and chantrelles--our steak cut like room temperature butter and was a perfect medium rare. D-I-V-I-N-E! (I don't think I've spelled something out like that since I was cheerleading in grade school, but at least I can still do that...cartwheels just aren't possible anymore.)
Needless to say, I did not have enough room for dessert...but who cares? I'll be back for the Chimay and to try the other mussels on non-celebratory occasions at the bar WITH dessert.
We dined here last night for Dine Out and I really had high hopes here. I think Dine Out didn't do this restaurant justice given the rave reviews from other Yelpers, but it's no excuse as I've had stellar experiences at other restaurants that were doing Dine Out.
Service from our server was good but I think he was swamped as he seemed hurried. The people who delivered our food or cleared our plates were not particularly friendly though.
Food.. now this is what I care about the most. My wife and I both started with the bluefin tuna carpaccio. It was poorly seasoned and some parts were bland and some were super salty. Then, I had the Moule Frites with smoked chili and lime, while she had the roasted halibut and risotto. My mussels were alright. Also a bit underseasoned. I had a bite of the halibut and it was not good at all. Again, missing the mark with seasoning and flavour.
The best thing of my meal was the dessert, which I opted for the cheese plate. (Thank god) I mean, you can't screw up good cheese.. so that was a small win. My wife had the chocolate pecan torte and unfortunately, I think that was her worse dish.
Maybe I should've complained about the food but I don't like doing that unless I find a toe or a thumbnail in my food... I mean, it wasn't horrible or gross, it just wasn't good.
And hopefully, this was just an off night for Chambar. I believe in 2nd chances, so maybe this review will be updated if we go back to dine here again.
The bartenders at this bar alone are worth a night there. Sit at the bar and watch them make drinks, or just be content to order a few off the menu and watch the magic appear at your table.
The best poutine in the city - Belgian poutine with blue cheese! If you are having Belgian beer off the menu, it goes amazingly well (would also work with a lovely dry white wine).
After visiting maybe 6 times for dinner or drinks, I'll always go back for the drinks, but perhaps not dinner as much. While dinner is always amazing, it's on the expensive side and therefore is saved for special occasions.
I have never ever been disappointed by this restaurant. From even the lowly poutine to the spectacular bison carpaccio (a must!). The entrees are also just divine and the wait staff is at once informative and yet never intrusive.
They do change up the menu on occasion so some things disappear (like my favorite chocolate dessert) but it's made up for with inventiveness and fearlessless from the chef.
I was here with a large group of friends for a celebration. As a vegan with a gluten-allergy I was expecting to have an expensive, dumbed-down salad.
Before I ordered such a thing I said to my waiter: "I could order this simplified option or you could tell me what better choices I have". He told me not to worry and came out with a Delicious kale and quinoa meal.
I was very grateful for the accommodation and would go back in a second.
One of the few places I've encountered in my last year in Vancouver that I regret not trying before ...
Another DineOut event ... seeing restaurants at their potential worst.
Positives: This is the first restaurant that I've been to in Vancouver where I've been impressed by the architecture and decor. I love and heavily, heavily WANT the fake moose horns. Anyone knows who that artist is, please let me know.
Salads, olive plate, fois gras, halibut entrees and desserts were all terrific. The frites were the absolute best I've had in Vancouver.
I went with one of the mussel entrees ... and the preparation was lovely, but the actual mussels were very meh. I'm wondering if they got overwhelmed and ran out of mussels from their regular seafood supplier and ran down to T&T to buy regular mussels.
Yes, they served a giant- I'd guess almost 2 lbs- portion of them, but ... meh. But, hey- it's DineOut ... these things are to be expected.
I'll be back, for sure- overall, a truly lovely experience.
Wow, what a wonderful surprise was this place!
We had the Tapas as an appetizer and they were really good!
But the star of the night were the Mussels Congolaise, this were the best mussels we have ever tasted so far, full of flavor and spice, and so fresh! We have been to Brussels and this dish is no way near the Mussels we had there. amazing!!!
4 1/2 stars. I've eaten here twice -- once for Dine Out and once previously. Both were good experiences. Even Dine Out was surprisingly good in terms of food and service. Maybe some of the previous reviewers were in on an off night, because my tuna carpaccio was great (so was my boy's and my sisters) and our mains and deserts also tasty. Service was excellent and we were not hurried our rushed (granted it was late on a Tuesday but they were still seating people).
We also had a great time with friends a few months back and racked up an impressive tab with the copious food and drink that was consumed -- a bit too extensive really. I'm holding back the last 1/2 star because I don't think it's great value (even in this price-point), and somewhat noisy, but if price isn't an issue, it's a great supper-club style place.
Blown away!
I was in town for the Olympics and we ended up at Chambar TWICE, back to back nights. It was that good.
On the first night, the three of us ordered quite a bit. We started with their poutine (o.m.g. best thing ever to put in your mouth! It was heaven!) and a few drinks. The poutine was amazing because it wasn't smothered like your traditional poutine. There was just enough gravy/sauce for it to be perfect. Blue cheese instead of curds and I liked the touch of the pink peppercorns although if you weren't expecting it...look out!
The bf and I stuck with Belgian beers (always a good move) and our friend ordered a cocktail from their menu. Per the menu, it was to supposed to help celebrate the Chinese New Year. Yeah no. It really didn't. Although the drink looked divine, it was much to floral to be palatable. It just stayed on the table like a decorative centerpiece. Our waiter at the end of the meal noticed it and asked if he did not like it. My friend said that it was much to floral to drink. He ended up removing it from the bill. Awesome!
We ordered some moules frites (you have to!), the lamb and the duck for our entries. The moules frites do not disappoint. You receive a giant black pot full of heavenly mussels and fries. Ours came in a white wine cream sauce that also boasted fennel and lardons....mmm....lardons. The only problem that I had with Chambar was that they charge $3 for a roll of bread (looks similar to the kinds you find in Mexican bakeries!) that comes with some really off tasting "smoked paprika butter". Skip the butter. We spent a fortune in bread because of the delicious mussel broth was too good to let go!
The lamb shank came in a tagine and it was fall apart tasty. The only problem that we had with the lamb was that it was tad too cinnamon-y and it had a random piece of baby bok choy in it. But the couscous was delish as well. Ps. Don't spend the extra $3 for the harissa sauce and raita. Although the harissa was good and so was the raita, even though it was more of a raita mousse, its not worth the extra $3...might as well spend it on the bread.
The duck was also divine, perfectly cooked and seasoned. It came with some gala apples that were poached in crack and some butternut squash puree. You have to eat this all together. Although each ingredient holds up on its own, you have to construct what we like to call the "super combined bite" (tee hee), taking each component and making the perfect bite. Mmm. Was it worth its price tag of $29? Probably not, but still really good.
Let's talk about dessert...at first we were not going to order dessert, but after looking at the dessert menu, the boys decided to get some. We ordered two desserts, one chocolate, one not. The chocolate dessert was kind of like a chocolate heaven napoleon, with different layers of chocolate crisps and ice cream. Good, but not amazing. What WAS amazing was the vanilla cake with the raspberry creme anglaise and lemongrass ice cream. Blown away by this dessert.
Our second experience at Chambar was mostly for snacks and drinks. And by snacks, I mean another order of poutine. Post dinner, we walked back over to Chambar for drinks and another order of the heavenly poutine. As we were hanging out having fun...Stephen Colbert comes in! Woah! At this point, we have a great buzz going on and we asked our very warm and exceptional server (I think her name was Julie?), "If we could send Mr. Colbert an order of the poutine because its the best?" And she took care of it! Later we were told that "Mr. Colbert sends his regards and that it is indeed 'the best'"! FTW!
I love this place.
I LOVE shambar! This place is by far one of my favs in Vancouver. The food is so flavorful and consistent. The menu has a beautiful range of flavors and ingredients. I adore the mussels, all three different varieties, I usually get 2 or 3 orders every time I go, it's always so fresh. Some dishes such as the lamb are very rich but are perfectly paired and balanced by the side dishes. I have to rave about their beer selection too. It's because of Shambar that I'm now a full fledged beer drinker. They have an extensive beer list, a lot of which you can't find anywhere else. The service has always been great too, friendly and knowledgeable. So if you're visiting Vancouver make sure to stop off at Shambar and dont forget to make resos as they get extremely busy and if you live here why haven't you been already? : )
Oh. My. God.
This is one of those places that's pure trouble for me. I'll spend a lot of time coming back here, and a lot of money trying everything they have to offer.
Everything on the menu (drinks, food and desserts) sounds fantastic and the stuff I was able to try (including the espresso cheescake) didn't disappoint.
The decor is also lovely. Just a wonderful place to eat and drink with a few friends or a special someone.
Civilized Debauchery
Perfect for a date night. We had reservations on Saturday night, right before the symphony and the whole evening worked out perfectly.
The wine list and beer menu was superb. Fair variety from different wine reigons around the world, few Californian wines though. For dinner, I ordered the duck breast. Yummy, yummy. It was perfectly cooked and came with a whipped goat cheese and carmelized apples. I'm always a sucker for goat cheese. Beautiful presentation as well. And we ended up having time for dessert! Some whipped chocolate dish, I don't usually indulge in dessert so that was a treat.
The service was great too, we didn't have to wait for our drinks, food or bill which was nice because we had places to be.
Healthy? - Yes - They use fresh ingredients, they have salads. If you make healthy choices you can eat well here.
Just plain outstanding.
A gorgeous space with wonderfully helpful staff, spectacular food and the absolute best Belgian beer list on the planet.
The whole city is buzzing about Team Canada, and this place makes me start cheering loudly for Team Belgium. Hell, it's even making me remember the words to "Flanders Fields".
Jean Claude Van Damme used to shoot many of his films in Vancouver, but these are the real Mussels from Brussels.
Not to be missed.
THE place to go for great mussels in vancouver.. my fave is the mussels congolaise
this place is a lot larger than it looks from the outside.. they even have a semi-private room in the back for small gatherings
we also got the olive plate as a side last time we went which is a steal for $6
had the arctic char which was buttery flaky and had a nice crisp top layer.. beautifully prepared.. it came with a corn and zucchini ratatouille, coconut rice and shrimp.. it was divine
the wine was fabolous too.. i had some moscatel from spain (white)
i've had dessert here before.. they have some really amazing creations.. and usually at least one dessert that takes at least 15 minutes to make which is always worth the wait!
service is impeccable as well.. make sure you make reservations as this place can book up fast! even on weekdays!
I wish I could find the right words to accurately explain how offensive our experience at Chambar was... unfortunately I don't think there are any words to explain our horrific night. I will simply state that the service was aggressive and offensive. We felt as if being there was an inconvenience to the restaurant. For that price point, they have serious nerve treating patrons like that. There was no manager even on duty and it was as if the restaurant was being run by a group of kids. If i were the owner of this place I would have a serious talk with the management team because after our experience I would never go back or recommend this place to anyone.
I totally recommend the mussels!! Any flavour will do. I especially like the white wine sauce. Make reservations!
They are also know for their import beer as well. I didn't get a chance to order one myself but I took a sip from a few that my friends had ordered. One tasted like strawberries and I would try again.
I ordered the poutine and the salad. The poutine had blue cheese instead of the usual cheese curds. The gave the dish a very rich taste. I couldn't finish it cause of the Overload in rich flavour from the cheese. I was starting to get groggy from the taste. Salad was great!!
Everything single thing about Chambar is exquisite...from the Congolaise mussels (you'll want to drink the sauce) to the lamb with couscous, figs, cinnamon, and cilantro. Great wine & imported beer list (Belgian, Quebec, etc), too!
My wife and I visited Sham bar in January 2010.
First Impression: pretty good beer list, would be considered limited and a little pedestrian compared to good native Belgian cafes and many Belgian beer bars in the States. I was curious to try something I had not heard of, so I ordered the "Satan Gold", described as having a "hoppy, toasty finish". That was a mistake. My wife ordered a "Fruli", also a mistake. Fruli was listed under Witbiers, but they neglected to mention that it is beer mixed with strawberry juice. So, nothing like a witbier. Fortunately it was okay despite tasting much like a wine cooler. The Satan Gold, on the other hand, was not okay. Satan Gold bills itself as a strong golden ale, a style pioneered by the excellent beer Duvel. My first sip of Satan was so bland as to elicit surprise, I had to try again- yes, it really is that thin and void of flavor. Wow, this was truly a poor beer. Not infected, not "off", simply little to no character beyond the slightest hint of a Belgian yeast strain and a lot of fizz.
At this point I should mention that I take beer pretty seriously. Perhaps too seriously. But then, I have been brewing professionally for over seven years and at some pretty nice breweries, to boot. I should also mention that I did a little research (belatedly) and found that Satan Gold is the lowest-rated Belgian strong golden ale on http://Ratebeer.com (54th percentile) and also holds the distinction of having the briefest description of any beer in Michael Jackson's "Great Beers of Belgium": "malty and slightly sticky". Fruli, by the way, landed in the 17th percentile on Ratebeer.
So the waitress came around, and asked how the Satan is. I replied that it wasn't very good. She then asks what i didn't like about it. In an attempt to impress upon her that I was not an inexperienced beer drinker but in fact the opposite, I mentioned that I had brewed beer professionally for years. I said that I was disappointed that they had taken up valuable space on their beer list for such a poor beer when there were so many excellent representatives of Belgian beer. The waitress was floored. She said "oh, it's a great beer, and we have lots of fans, but can I bring you something else?" I ordered a Rochefort 8, which she promptly ran off to fetch
She returns not with Rochefort but instead a small sample of their house draft beer, "Sham Bar Ale". She said that the bartender didn't want to open another beer I wouldn't like, and to see what I thought of their house ale. It was as bland as the Satan, but lighter in body. I told her so, "This is bland too." She then said something to the effect of "Oh, so that's how you are" and then informed me in a scolding manner that "I would have to pay for the next bottle they opened". Really, that's how it works? At that point I had no interest in supporting this establishment any further, even if it meant no beer with dinner.
Dinner, by the way, was pretty disappointing too. The frites were mediocre and the traditional mayonnaise accompaniment was replaced with a lackluster anchovy sauce. Various components of our dishes were either over- or under-seasoned, and the lamb shank was quite dry. We also found the atmosphere stuffy, loud, pretentious, and garish. And way too expensive for all that.
Listed in: the bad
This place has really brought back fond memories of me dancing in Edegem (a super small town about 10minutes by train/car from Antwerp)... yes i did dance :)
I found that this place gave a warm and romantic feeling when entering. The food was perfect and though the plating is very modern the flavours were just as I had remembered them when I was over in Belgium.
Heck the beer selection is awesome as well.. hehe what Canadian doesn't like a good beer selection?? hehe If you are in the mood for a sweeter beer made from Cherries try the Kriek!
Chambar was OK but not great considering the prices are steep.
The Good:
Service was actually superb and the restaurant is very nice inside. Nice Belgium feel and great beer and drink selection. The Blue Fig martini was great.
The Bad:
I though the food was OK and considering the prices and small portion size was not good value. The wine prices are an absolute rip off. The cheapest wine by the glass is $11.50 plus taxes (20%) and auto gratuity (18%) and you are looking at $16 for a glass of fairly low quality wine IMO. Note they tacked on a 18% auto gratuity on the whole bill which I do not like being forced to pay (although the service was worth the gratuity in this case).
For me Chambar is nice place to go for a drink, appy or Belgium beer but for dinner I would probably not go back just based on poor value for the $ as the food and wine is just OK.
I ate here on my last night visiting Vancouver and it was a fabulous end to a fabulous vacation! Reservations were really hard to come by, so we ended up at the bar which serves the full dinner menu. Woowhoo!
For a starter, my boyfriend and I shared the seared scallops, smoked kurobuta pork cheek, pickled green beans & horseradish vinaigrette. This dish definitely made us ready for more delicious food! The combination of tastes on that plate were so perfect, the lushness of the scallops combined with the salty pork and tangy horseradish and green beans. My mouth is watering as I'm writing this, just FYI.
For the main course I had the mussels cooked in white wine butter, braised celery and leeks served with pomme frites. I wish I could go back in time so I could savor those wonderful shellfish again and again; they were perfectly cooked and plump and flavorful, absolutely unforgettable! The broth was so lovely I could have picked up the "caldron-esque" serving dish the mussels arrived in and devour the broth's richness in one gulp!
Unfortunately, we chose not to get dessert (our stomachs were at their limit) but I would have to say that's my one and only regret, I could kick myself for not indulging further. Oh well, C'est la vie!
Wow! My friends recommended this place and they were not kidding. GREAT food.
We had a 7:30 reservation but were running late. Called the restaurant and were put on hold for 5 minutes. Called back and they tried to put us on hold again but we stopped the hostess and gave her our message quick. We kind of got a bad taste in our mouths after this but we decided not to judge the restaurant before we got there just because the hostess was overwhelmed when we called.
Walked in a little after 8 and were led back to our table. Loved the views out the big windows and the cool lighting. The beer selection is AMAZING. I had a Chimay White, which I didn't even know existed. It was very good. The best part is the menu includes descriptions of every beer so you don't have to ask your waiter a million questions.
I had the mussels with cream, bacon and scallions and they were EXCELLENT!!! I'm surprised every restaurant doesn't offer this amazing combo. My boyfriend had duck with Grand Marnier sauce, goat cheese and sweet potatoes. He said it was delicious.
Our server was really great, very charming and helpful but not overbearing. Our waters were always full and we never wanted for anything. For dessert my boyfriend had a latte and dessert and I had a fruity beer called Fruili. Everything was sooooo good. Love this place!!
Belgian beers are my favourite and the options at Chambar were exhaustive. I love wheat beer so last night was no exception as I steer towards the Troublette, a Belgian wheat beer so dry there's a kick and had a hint of cardamom, so yummy I tell ya! 7 of us checked into our table for a pre Green Day grub and this is my 3rd time to Chambar and this time round, I am truly impressed as the last 2 were both Dine Out and if you think they impress you during DOV, wait until you go on a regular night. They pull out all the stops, service, choices and everything.
I had their spotted prawn done 3 ways as my starter and for entree I had their steak made to perfection with a dollop of chimicurri. I LOVE CHIMICHURRI and haven't had it since our last trip to Costa Rica/Nicaragua. Service was top notch as the server made excellent cocktail and wine selections and was very polite even though our eighth guest bailed on us. Our water glass was constantly filled.
They are also known for the Moules et Frites and needless to say, their fries was unbelievable. I think mayo is the way to go with fries and not ketchup, it just makes them so much betta! This is definitely a great place for romantic dates cuz we've done that and from the weekend, conducive for groups as well as a large table was in the middle of the restaurant allowing up to a group of 10 I believe.
Just went for the third time, and I really do love Chambar. Their matches alone win me over!
There were 10 of us, which sometimes frazzles the waitstaff, but our intrepid waiter was patient, friendly, and full of suggestions. My fellow diners all loved their dishes--mussels, duck, arctic char, steak--while I adored my lamb tagine.
I was in an adventurous mood and was quite giddy with my fig-infused gin martini with a chunk of blue cheese on the side. Whoever dreamed up this concoction is a genius.
All in all a fabulous evening and a fabulous meal.
Beer snobs of Vancouver, unite!
I've always been surprised with Vancouver's lack of options when it came to Belgian beers. To think this city, known for its multiculturalism and international food culture, was missing some of the best beers in the world was, well, upsetting.
That's why when I found Chambar, I could've wept with joy as I sipped on some of the most delicious beers in the world... but controlled myself as not to scare the other patrons. The bar has an amazing selection of Belgian-style beers (mostly imported), including my all-time favorite, Delirium (ask for the pink elephant). The friendly and talkative bartender also introduced us to a few new beers, explaining its taste and history along the way.
The menu is quite extensive, although on the pricier side. I'll definitely be returning soon for a couple of pints of Belgian brews and mussels.
I am rarely impressed and I have to admit that I was impressed. Whenever I come to Vancouver, I end up eating Chinese and sometimes venture out to Japanese with the family...but on this Olympics trip, we ended up dining at Chambar and I have to admit that I was highly impressed.
We walked into the enormous space and was glad to be put in the back room, as it was more quiet and intimate than the main room. The ambience was great and they even had a big screen for us to watch the Olympics, so we were very happy.
For dinner, we started with the poutine, which had a delicious tamarind base and blue cheese that was surprisingly delightful. We ordered a side of bread to soak up the delicious gravy before our meal arrived. (The paprika butter that came with the bread was a bit too powerful.) The "le canard aux epices" was very tasty, although the portions were rather small, with three small pieces of succulent spice rubbed duck breast with a dollop of whipped goat cheese that came with an excellent tamarind gastrique. This was supplemented by a spice-filled side of butternut squash puree and red delicious caramelized apples. My friend had the "tajine d'aziz a l'agneau", which was a delightful, fall-off-the-bone braised lamb shank with honey, figs, cinnamon & cilantro, served with cous cous and zalouk. It was a little too cinnamony for my taste, but still very delicious. The $3 supplemental harissa and raita was unnecessary in our opinion. You can't go to a Belgian restaurant without moules frites. We ordered the coquette, which had mussels that were cooked in a white wine cream with smoked lardons and a lot of onions and spring onions. This was served with a side of delicious fries and the obligatory mayo.
This would have been a 4-star meal without the dessert, but the dessert moved it into a 5-star territory. The "le cafe Belge" was complex in a good way, as it contained different kinds of chocolate flavors that combined well together. The espresso cheesecake was complemented by the belgian chocolate mousse. The creme de cacao gelee was delightful, as were the crisp chocolate wafers. What send me over the edge was the "le gateau poire", one of the best desserts I've had in a long time. The presentation was beautiful with the vanilla cake baked on top of pear compote. The rasberry creme anglaise made the cake that much better and the lemongrass ice cream was a bit out of this world. This was supplemented by pieces of what I think were fried rose petals.
I didn't particularly cared for my drink and I was impressed that they took it off the bill. The food was excellent and the ambience was great - as I said, I was highly impressed.
Yes, the blue-fig cocktail is impressive & the space is gorgeous, but the food at Chambar has really gone downhill since we last ate there a few years ago.
The kitchen seems to be more concerned with presentation than with developing flavours - a pink lady apple & beet salad with watercress and fried shallots was beautifully plated and a tad more unique than the ubiquitous roasted beet salad, but then the sablefish came out with the exact same presentation.
The moulles frites vin blanc came with broth so watery that the frites could only be dipped in their accompanying garlic aioli.
Unfortunately our server this time was pretty cold as well.
I'm not giving up just yet, but I think next time we will appreciate the beautiful space while having just a cocktail or two & light snack.
had the belgium style poutine... wow.
delicious frites soaked in a balsamic vinegarette sauce, blue cheese, green and red peppercorns, green onions and other lil' greens...
i understand that the classic poutine isnt something you mess with- but this was damn good. light and heavy at the same time.
also had their cheese trio platter... cant remember the cheeses exactly, but they were complimented perfectly with a toasty raisin bread, blueberry compote and thinly sliced green apple. the combinations made with the cheeses were a delight to eat.
derek, the outstanding bartender served up some improvised concoctions of yummy (NON)alcoholic drinks just for me when i sadly stated i couldnt have liquor anymore. he is awesome.
the people who work here are so darn friendly, i wonder if they are all high on sum kinda happy drug....hmmm....
Listed in: FOOOOOOOooD
my friend has been hassling me for not having gone sooner....
was here for pre-game dinner + drinks…
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If you are willing to spend a pretty penny, go to Chambar!
It's not the most ideal place for vegetarians, but if you eat seafood it's definitely quality.
Their mussels are amazing and so is their extensive drink menu.
I recommend the blue cheese and pear martini, it is quite an experience. Since the vibe is contemporary Belgium cuisine they also have a wide array of beers on tap and in bottles.
The ambiance is romantic with soft lighting and brick walls. The service is amazing and the waiters are quite easy on the eyes ;-).
I would not recommend this for strict vegetarians because they are lacking in any extordinary veg. options.
Nevertheless, this is a hip spot conveniently located next to the Stadium skytrain station, so eat drink and be merry at Chambar.
The mussels are amazing!! Great Waffles! The service is fabulous. The location is great as well as it is walking distance from the Stadium Skytrain. Beautiful menu, atmosphere and staff!!
Came here after speedskating and it was packed. Luckily a group of six was leaving so we sat at their table. We all shared a bunch of appetizers and for my main course I got the moroccan rubbed lamb with tabouleh and pita. The flavors worked well together and it was a friendly portion. The desserts were probably the best part of the meal. We had some sort of black forest cake, a expresso mousse and some sort of baked apple tart with ice cream. Great dinner
I've been here twice. The food is superb; the wine, equally comparable. However, both times I have had the misfortune of drawing arrogant servers. I'm not sure why a server acts arrogantly in the first place but something about Chambar just doesn't agree with me (service in Bruges was far more cordial).
So if the food is great, why the low score? Well, this city has many fantastic restaurants with impeccable chefs and while I would probably give Chambar a third chance, it is low on my list.
That's my two bits, good luck!
Neighborhood: Gastown
Neighborhood: Downtown
Neighborhood: Gastown
Neighborhood: Downtown
Neighborhood: Downtown
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