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Coast Restaurant
Category: Restaurants Seafood Seafood [Edit]
1054 Alberni StreetVancouver, BC V6E 1A3
Neighbourhoods: West End, Downtown
(604) 685-5010
- Hours:
Mon-Thu 11:30 am - 1 am
Fri 11:30 am - 2 am
Sat 4:30 pm - 2 am
Sun 4:30 pm - 1 am
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street, Valet
- Attire:
- Dressy
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Loud
- Ambience:
- Trendy
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
135 reviews for Coast Restaurant
Review Highlights
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"It went well with the molten banana coconut cake." In 6 reviews -
"The oysters and crab were delicious." In 22 reviews -
"New England Clam Chowder - YUM YUM YUM." In 4 reviews
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135 reviews in English
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Review from Marisa A.
5/9/2012
I visited Coast over a weekend business trip and absolutely LOVED it. Exceptional food and service. We stayed at the Pan Pacific and Coast was a pleasant 15-minute walk from the hotel (for my dining mates... I was in 4-inch heels). The interior is dark and romantic, but the place is pretty poppin' thanks to the noise level.
We ordered a bottle of wine before getting started on the food. I went for the clam chowder, which was full of chunks of veggies and real, un-shucked clams! I'm a Chicago girl and therefore am not used to such offerings. It was creamy, hearty, and delicious. The portion was pretty big-- I could definitely see this being a good lunch option. A couple of my co-workers got the mozzarella salad, which I really wanted to try...
Everyone except me ordered the salt sea bass for a main course, based on recommendation from several people at the hotel. It came to the table in a sort of a hard loaf, which the waiter then cracked open methodically with a knife. I tried it and it was totally delicious. Coming from a Thai background, I am skeptical (and a total snob) about the use of Thai flavors in everything nowadays, but this was just perfect. It came with rice and edamame. I opted for the 16 ounce New York strip, which I thought was even better. It was served with a red wine sauce, a bit of shallot, and some greens. This steak was definitely up there with Chicago joints like Joe's, Gibson's, and Shaw's. For sides we had the asparagus, prawn mac and cheese, and poutine. Oh my God, why had I never had poutine before?! Between that and the prawn mac and cheese, I just...... sigh. I hope I get to go back someday. For dessert we had the molten banana and coconut cake, which was an epic finish.
Highly recommended. -
Review from Scott H.
Updated - 5/19/2012
Let me preface this by apologizing for the length of my rant (but you should read the end) and saying the waitress and one manager tried their best, but honestly the worst dining experience we've had in Vancouver (and it's possible we eat out too much).
To start, we had reservations, the place is not even 1/2 full and they stick us back in the corner. We ain't that ugly...I hope. We ask for better seats and they say everything is pretty much reserved...but we also had reservations...it's so far back hear one patron mentions he's going to get claustrophobic, and we note he doesn't say a word the rest of the night. But, whatever that's fine it's just a table.Our waitress is very nice, explains the specials, takes the wine order and that's when it goes off the rails. Wife orders the halibut special, I order sea salt seabass.
We notice everyone gets bread except us. We ask if we get some and are told it takes 10 minutes to heat. It comes in 2 and is cold. The appies (oysters) come nicely chilled with condiments but no spoon to add the condiments to the oysters. We finger it out.
Mains come, wife's looks good, mine is incased in salt. They break it open and it falls apart. I take one bite and age 3 years due to salt intake. Waitress is very nice and takes it away leaving me with the rice...which is hard...and missing the scallops it was supposed to have. Wife notes that the rice tastes like the rice left over the next day in the rice cooker. She is nothing if not astute. Waitress says she'll be getting us wine to make up for it....which comes 20 minutes later. In time a floor manager walks by, looks at our empty glasses and keeps on a'walkin.
Wife bites into halibut, perfectly cooked and terribly bland. She eats slow (rare for her) to wait for my meal, but needs more sauce to make it even worthwhile. The good manager comes back sets up a rack to place the serving tray on (they crack open the seabass at the table, it's quite the production), another waiter takes away the rack, so when the manager brings my replacement meal there is nowhere to place it. We die laughing.
So the wife is done eating, when they crack open my seabass, which everyone looks amazingly at. And honestly it does taste fantastic when not tasting like a salt-mine. Meanwhile the place has filled up and Tony Soprano at the table of 12 next to us yells at his 70yr old mother telling her to "shut the f**k up, it's my f**kn night" she gets up to leave just as the floor manager (the one who ignored our empty glasses) asks "how's the party goin!!". So awesome.
Meals done, table next to us still yelling at each other with no staff member going anywhere near, the waitress takes our plates asks if we want dessert, we do. Some random porter/waiter comes by with menus and asks "so are we wanting dessert tonight" as he drops the menus and is looking across the restaurant, completely ignoring us.
Anyway the dessert comes, and it's quite nice (molten coconut cake) and Soprano's mom returns to an uncomfortable table. We get the bill, they cover a couple drinks and the seabass but my wife's halibut is more expensive than most things that were on the menu. That's a special? Waitress never told us that.
We pay, we tip well (she did try very hard) and vow never to return. Walk out onto the street where the douchebag quotient has increased dramatically with all sorts of skank smoking and taking up sidewalk space. Doesn't surprise me people occasionally get shot around here.
On the upside the ridiculousness of the entire night was hilarious and we laughed uncontrollably at times. It really was the perfect ending to our ANNIVERSARY dinner. Thanks to the Glowbal Group!1 Previous Review: Show all »
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10/2/2010
Drinks and dinner last night with friends. I hadn't been to Coast since it was in Yaletown. I… Read more »
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Review from Michael G.
4/25/2012
Recently went to Coast on a trip to Vancouver. We decided this place would be our "pricey" meal of the trip based on reviews here on Yelp.
Coast has a relatively cool atmosphere. I think sitting outside would have been best but we were only able to get a table upstairs in a high traffic area for the waitstaff, so that was a bit of a bummer. On the upside, the service was quite good...we regularly had a number of people checking on us, getting drink orders and refilling water, etc.
The food was good but for the price here, not a 5-star trip in my book. In fact, I think I would give the food a 3 by itself based on price. We went for the hot signature platter ($34 per person, minimum 2 people). The fish on the platter wasn't anything spectacular to me, although the prawns were good and I thought the scallops were amazing. I'm not typically a big scallop fan but these were seasoned very well. The vegetables, rice, and edamame were standard.
Overall, I would recommend giving it a shot but don't expect to be completely blown away by the food. -
Review from Kristin G.
4/20/2012
So TORN! We went to Coast on Thursday and we had the best waiter ever, I mean the best! He sent us over a complimentary amuse-bouche and also recommended one of the best items we had in Vancouver, the crab cakes. My clams were good, just what I wanted but not stellar. Seriously, we talked this guy up after we left. I think his name was Sean, I'll check the card and get back to everyone. Actually it was Aaron Hutchinson. Ask for him when you make a reservation.
On the other hand I stopped in on Monday and told the bartender I was here for oysters and wine. The have a $1 oyster happy hour from 3-5pm, I showed up at 3:20pm. Clearly, I am here for the oyster happy hour. However, because I didn't say, I'd like the happy hour oysters he gave me the full price oysters. What I thought was going to be a $20 meal turned into a $40+ meal and I was pissed!!! Honestly I wouldn't go back because of that stunt. Bad form, bad form. -
Review from Ying Ying L.
Vancouver, BC
5/17/2012
My dining experiences have always been fantastic at Coast, which is one of my favourite restaurants in Vancouver. It is also one of the best seafood restaurants in Vancouver and every time I go, its reputation gets confirmed. The lobster poutine is to die for and the new menu with its lunch boxes are a great addition. Also the buck-a-shuck oysters from 3pm to 5pm is fantastic!
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Review from Herman E.
Updated - 4/6/2012
Review of the O-Lounge. This is next to Coast and is separated by a frosted sliding door.
After the dust up of the whole tipping practice that was revealed on the news the other day, I had qualms about coming to any Glowbal Group establishment. However, this was for an event that someone else planned well in advance for a private party, so I could not boycott.
The food that night was very good especially the beef sliders, truffled mac and cheese, Po'boy smoked fish sliders, fish and chip hand rolls, and a bunch of the desserts that I cannot remember. They were all damned tasty. These were all served as h'orderves.
To wash everything down, there was a 6L bottle of 1990 Chateau Moton Rothchild. My first tasting of a Premier Cru Bordeaux. Needless to say, I had seconds.
All in all a good time.
Now for the qualifier. Until the dust settles on this whole tipping practice, I'm not going to another Glowbal establishment. I do enjoy the food, and the vibes from the ones that I frequent, but I do not agree with the rumored house charges on the servers.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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11/21/2011
I miss the old yaletown location. The food there was great and the staff friendly.
The new location… Read more »
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Review from Diana L.
Pedro never does wrong by me...
His food is to die for; not to mention he is a true sir: friendly and classy.
I brought my mom for her birthday this time. She was more than impressed and extremely happy with everything she tasted. Even though everything was delightful, including the service, the dessert special was the highlight. It was a freshly baked coconut banana cake served with a drizzling of caramel and a dusting of icing sugar; it's topped with fresh berries. It is becoming part of the regular menu, so rush out and try it!
Follow them on Twitter @Global_Group. They are fun to chat with, too ;).Listed in: Foine dines
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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3/6/2012
Even if I tried to find something to complain about, I could find a single thing. The ambience and… Read more »
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Review from Melissa K.
Vancouver, BC
2/27/2012
Food, 2.5. Overall 4. Why the boost? someone called me the day after I had a business lunch there to ask how my experience at Coast was and wanted to see if I was happy. I don't know any other restaurant that would do that. I've never imagined that from any place. That's above and beyond.
IMO you don't go to Glowbal restaurants for the best food, you go there because it's a comfortable place to sit, a presentable place to bring guests and clients, and they always give good service.
Coast is best for happy hour or after dinner drinks. They have a nice heated patio and the inside is well decorated. My only complaint is the menus are too big! I imagine knocking over a wine class one day with it...or hitting my dining partner in the face across the way. -
Review from Mike S.
Vancouver, BC
4/26/2012
The lunch dishes were super clean, with minimal alteration but quite tasty...
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Review from Lori D.
4/24/2012
The best restaurant we ate at during our week in Vancouver. The award-winning crab cakes, scallop ceviche, crab poutine fries, clam chowder, salad and banana molten dessert were all amazing and memorable. We were with a group of 8 that had our own room and perfect service.
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Review from Jacob K.
Updated - 2/16/2012
The most magical part of my day is my lunches at COAST. The front staff are always so friendly and happy to see me (caveat: I sometimes eat lunch there 3 or 4 times a week).
My lunch yesterday was another magical piscatorial adventure. A grilled yellow snapper, with handmade gnocchi and an edamame hummus to finish the decor on the plate. And it was not just a decor, but so delicious.
Having never had yellow snapper before, I was very pleased. A very tender fish; the handmade gnocchi was quite delicious and the hummus was a savory compliment to it.
The amuse-bouche was a nice jolt to the tastebuds with its chilli powder offset with the marscapone cheese.
As usual, the service was top notch. Tegan did an excellent job taking care of my dining companion.
The only drawback to eating the lunch feature at COAST is that it is just that - a feature. I do not know when this magical dish will reappear.2 Previous Reviews: Show all »
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1/28/2011
Give a man a fish and he'll eat for a day. Teach a man to fish and he'll eat for life. Take a man… Read more »
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Review from Jessica B.
2/18/2012 1 Check-in Here
After spending all day working at a trade show, I wasn't really in the mood for a Bataan Death March through the pouring rain to get to Coast, but my companion had her heart set on it, so off we went.
She has a reservation but wanted to sit in the lounge instead. The seats were a bit low for eating, but it was OK. The music was quite loud.
She had a coupon for a free appetizer with an entree, which was pretty misleading. They don't let you have an appetizer off the menu, you get an amuse-bouche, which everyone else gets as well. My bouche was not amused.
The service was very friendly. I had a Mango California Roll, which was better than I've had in many sushi restaurants. I followed that with a COAST Signature Cobb with
tiger prawns and stilton. The prawns were huge, and the salad was really good.
So, what would you figure a sushi roll, a salad, and two medium/small Ketel One martinis would cost? If you guessed over $80+ with tip you win. I, being on a somewhat small expense account, did not win.
Cute place, good food, but it wasn't exactly a magical night to remember. -
Review from Amanda T.
2/13/2012
My boyfriend and I have gone here twice...which is saying a lot because we live in Seattle and have only ventured to Vancouver twice in the last year.
We were originally pointed in Coast's direction by the concierge at Opus Hotel in October. It was a fine choice on her part...we liked the posh atmosphere and the delicious food.
Boyfriend ordered clam chowder and St. Tropez mussels while I ordered the crab cake and original style mussels. Crab cake was ok, but definitely not worth the $18. Clam chowder was very good...as BF ate it all so fast I never got to try any! His mussels were much better than mine...but what can you expect? His had bacon and cream and mine were in wine and parsley! Ha. I drank two Russian Spring Punch champagne cocktails and was a happy girl.
This time, we both got mussels again (he couldn't say no to round two of the St. Tropez) and I got the Thai style mussels. The Thai mussels were AWESOME...yummy coconut milk, sweet thai basil and a little spice. He also got calamari, which he liked, but didn't love and I got the organic spring salad (mmm goat cheese). I, once again, drank two Russian Spring Punches...would've had three, but didn't want to be too much of a lush.
We never have enough room for dessert, which is fine...we aren't huge dessert people anyway. -
Review from Karen S.
1/9/2012
Just went to Coast for the second time and I must say that the second time is the charm! The first time we went we sat inside on the nice teal velvet chairs but I found it a bit noisy. This time we sat out front under the heaters and beside the fire feature. I loved that atmosphere!
We ordered a very nice bottle of wine (Chimney Rock Cabernet?) that was delicious, and loved the mussels in chardonnay and organic greens salads as our starters. My husband really enjoyed the Dungeness Crab and my White Sturgeon fish was really good. The creamed spinach and brussel sprouts were both amazing! No room for dessert!
Last....the service was excellent. I never had to sit with a dirty dish in front of me and the hostess, server and manager were all very friendly. If you are a seafood lover this is a place you can't miss! -
Review from Brittany W.
North Vancouver, BC
Updated - 1/14/2012
Best spot in Vancouver for upscale dining with a trendy ambience and a West Coast menu for business entertaining, outside of Vancouver hotel restaurants.
My dad and I came Thursday night for our 7PM resos to entertain business associates from Korea. We asked for a quiet spot for intimate conversation away from the kitchen, and were seated upstairs in a corner booth, which was perfect. Our server was good, but not exceptional as experienced on other occasions - perhaps a little less friendly and less attentive as per the usual. She also tried to upsell at every opportunity, which I found was quiet fitting for our situation and it worked in some cases, but it did become very apparent.
As for the food, I wasn't as impressed as I normally am. I felt the dishes were more hit and miss:
- Tiger Prawn flatbread (8/10) - Recommend!
Like a pizza with cilantro pesto, spicy chickpeas, roasted tomato
- Tuna sashimi topped California Roll (7.5/10)
Delicious, except the white rice was too soggy. Plus, Mango Cali is still better.
- Calamari (6/10) - nothing special, could be crispier
With white bean, pacific shrimp ragout - creamy,
- Salmon (7.5/10) - good smoked flavours, but semi-dry.
Would not recommend compared to other fish options, but the artichoke, potato ragout was delicious.
- Chilean Seabass (9/10) - heavenly.
Honestly, this is a dish that should be highly recommended because is was melt-in-my-mouth amazing, but unfortunately the Chilean seabass is currently going extinct, and I wouldn't choosing it. In this case, I tried someone's dish as they kept raving about it. It was pretty good, as is all Chilean seabass.
3.5/5. High points for ambience, location. Mediocre points for service and food this time round.
Suggestion: Turn down the music a little.
I`m one to like louder ambience music, as it promotes louder talking and creates more gregarious environments, but we were in a quiet corner and still could hardily hear each other. Perhaps for the dining hours (5PM-9PM), the music should be kept at a level to compliment conversations, and can progressively increase as the late-night crowds come in.Listed in: Highly Exceptional Service
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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5/31/2011
A sophisticated restaurant with stylish sectioned-off interiors, a circular bar, best-in-class… Read more »
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Review from Urvashi P.
5/3/2012
Lovely dinner last night. We had the New England clam chowder--rich, creamy, soothing--the Burrata Caprese--mouth melting Burrata with cherry tomatoes on mixed greens for starters. With our mains, we had Brussels Sprouts that will change your life for the better, mediocre broccoli, and yummy poutine w crab. Desert was the incomparable coconut banana cake --foodgasm! Service was perfect, the vibe was casual trendy without being pretentious. Best for expense accounts and taking clients out I'd say.
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Review from Jenn C.
Downtown, Vancouver, BC
delicious seafood, beautiful people, awesome vibe - what more can you ask for? I love their mussels, oysters, chowders, sablefish, etc etc - everything is delicious! also, they have lunch specials, well lunch BOXES, so i think if you've been thinking about trying out this restaurant and unsure about it, start with an inexpensive lunch box! You get a lot for your money - i especially like the "OYSTER PO BOY" box and the "SUSHI BOX"! Go go go!
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Review from Jeff S.
Vancouver, BC
3/17/2012
I find Coast overrated. While technically, the food is suberb, it is somehow missing the passion that makes a good meal great.
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Review from Steven S.
While I am not usually one to gush over a fancy pantsy resto, with Coast I think I can and will. I was craving oysters as one does and was not near my usually bivalve haunt Rodney's so I decided to check out Coast for Buck-a-Shuck ( which they do daily after 4 til 6 I believe). Coast is one of those places that I usually find annoying, they are trendy, over priced and full of pretentious people, food, and staff. But dropping in after the suited lunch crowd and bitchanista evening crowd is a good tip here. Also the lunch menu is a wonderful value, as is buck-a-shuck. So I ordered 2 dozen oysters and the shucker was nice enough to use some gems that are not usually on the cheapo selection. This was a such a nice offer and for me this simple act goes a long way in my book. The oysters were fresh and delicious, as you would expect in a higher end fish house. Coast is also a ocean wise establishment.
The staff was wonderful, and chatty at the bar which makes solo dining less solo. I also discovered what may be my new food fetish, Lobster Poutine!!! Holy crap it was amazing, instead of gravy they use lobster bisque and it actually had large hunks of sweet, sweet bug meat!. It is not cheap for a app, $15.00 bucks but so worth it and a wonderful take on a Canadian classic.
So yes, I like Coast, I like their food, their service, and their staff. -
Review from Dane T.
Vancouver, BC
12/15/2011
I meant to write this review a few weeks ago but only have had the chance more recently to find some spare time.
I absolutely love this restaurant for its fantastic seafood. I was spoilt growing up on the North East Coast of Australia living off fresh seafood direct from the Great Barrier Reef and it gave me reasonably high standards when it came to seafood quality. Not that there are not some great seafood locations out there as I am sure I haven't tried them all but this has to be the Most fresh and well-cooked seafood I have had in a restaurant in Vancity.
My most recent visit was in November for my birthday and I treated myself with some Alaskan Crab and it was great. The staff were also really good, she knew the market prices for the seafood and what drinks best complement each meal. The manager even gave me some dessert tasters on the house because it was my birthday.
All in all I it was a great experience and I had to stuff the dessert in cause it was too tasty to pass up...Mmmmmm cheese cake.
Cheers, -
Review from D D.
Montréal, QC
1/1/2012
We came here on a rainy day and ate seafood. The seafood was fresh, the atmosphere pleasant, the staff trying hard to please.
The fish and chips hand roll was good - a stick of battered fish in a thin hand-roll shell with some other bits and pieces shoved in there and some tartar sauce. Calamari was average (it is rare that calamari at any restaurant will blow you away). There was another roll we shared - spicy ahi tuna - it was good. I ate the sable-fish and pretty much inhaled it. I think it went into my tummy so fast because it was a small portion that very buttery and soft and it just slid down without many bites. We shared lollipop trio for dessert and the pop-rocks infused chocolate was good. To drink, I had a weak blueberry lemonade cocktail that tasted like sugar.
It seems that at Coast the management takes great pains to display good customer service. I got a call from them a couple days later asking me how I enjoyed my meal. I thought they were going to offer me a coupon or deal or something, but no, it was just hello-goodbye. I think that is a waste of time, really. It doesn't make me any more or less likely to go eat at your restaurant. But it is nice that they are trying.
Would I go back? I don't know. I'm not running to the door to eat there again soon. It is another option in the downtown area and the food was fresh, so maybe. -
Review from David R.
North Vancouver, BC
3/16/2012
Stopped for cocktails and applies, before moving on to another locale for dinner. Maitre'd asked my wife and I if we would shift over a seat at the bar to accommodate a larger group - no problem. Minutes later, our cocktails were replaced, on the house. NICE!. Ordered oysters as an apply before heading out. Seafood bartender forgot our order - apologized and made them up right away, and offered "on the house". We eat out two to three times a night, been back to Coast twice more because of this great service. We have told EVERYONE we know. This is how you do it. You guys have it figured out.
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Review from Lily S.
9/23/2011 1 Check-in Here
Really ridiculous gnocchi w/ burrata? YES PLEASE! And how!
That's what I got to enjoy when we visited this lovely gem down the street from where we were staying and it was HEAVENLY. Seriously. Canadian restaurants do not f*ck around when it comes to food. I fell in love w/ my meal the moment it showed up at our table.
Oh and heyyyy, my cocktail wasn't bad either...except for that weird 2oz pour or whatever they have going on up yonder...where is the vodka love, folks?
In any case, visit Coast - the food is really good, the atmosphere lively, and the service is fab!
Oh Canada - I heart thee! -
Review from Priscilla L.
Edmonton, AB
11/9/2011
If you love seafood this is the place for you! We shared the new england clam chowder, mussles & clams, and the signature seafood platter. Too much food for two though it was fresh and delicious! The prawns and fish were cooked perfectly however the scallops were slightly overcooked.
What made this resto a 4 star rather than a 3 star was our waiter. He was friendly, funny, and made me want him as my very own cooler version of Stanford Blatch. My dining partner was on detox so I had to conquer a lovely bottle of white on my own. When I let him know that he could take away my partner's glass his 'You go girl' response enlightened the night.... Unfortunately I was unable to defeat the bottle and when I left him the rest he was genuinely thankful. Love girl crushes. -
Review from Ryan T.
7/19/2011 5 photos
Coast is the type of hip sophisticated seafood restaurant that I wish that we had here in Hawaii. Living in Hawaii, we are blessed with an abundance of fresh seafood year round. However, one thing that we are a bit lacking of which I wanted to eat before I left Vancouver were fresh oysters.
Thanks to my foodie friend Diane, she suggested that I check out the daily "Buck a Shuck" oyster happy hour at Coast. Available daily from 3-5 P.M., this $1/oyster special is worth 5-Stars alone in my opinion! At only $1 per oyster, my only dilemma was deciding how many oysters to order. Not wanting to be a total glutton, I settled on a dozen local oysters which normally would have set me back $33.
On my weekday visit, the majority of the oysters that I ate were from Read Island in Heriot Bay with a few Royal Miyagis from the Cortes Islands thrown in to complete my delicious dozen. The Read Island oysters had a mild, fresh flavor with a touch of sweetness at the end. The Royal Miyagis were still delicious, but a bit milder in flavor. Needless to say, I was in oyster heaven and quite content.
I would have been satisfied with just the fresh oysters, but the other reason that I came to Coast was to eat the B.C. Spot Prawns that were still in season in British Columbia. Since they are not a regular menu item, I was delighted to find out from my server that they still had some available. As I had just had some raw at another restaurant the night before, I decided to order the B.C. Spot Prawns steamed the classic style with chardonnay white wine, garlic, leeks, and italian parsley. Served with frites on the side, I was on a seafood high and immensely enjoyed the sweet prawn meat & flavorful juices from sucking the head. 12 must have been my lucky number since that is how many B.C. Spot Prawns were in my pot.
Just writing this review makes my mouth water and reminds me of all the great seafood that I ate at Coast. -
Review from Ernesto G.
10/23/2011
O Lounge is cool for one drink!
I used to love the original Coast Restaurant in Yaletown (the current location for Society). Excellent food, great decor and really great service.
Have not been to the new Coast on Alberni (I guess its not new anymore since its been here since 2009), but stopped by O Lounge to have drinks last nite for a friend's going away party. Nice place, but really loud techno inside. So loud you can hardly hear the person sitting right across from you. Kinda weird. Totally reminds me of the interior of Ginger 62, which would also explain the loud music. I think they should take out the tables near the washrooms at the back and make it a small dance floor. Just kidding.
O Lounge is cool if you want to stop by here for one drink with friends, and then bounce out to somewhere else.
Will come back to try the food one nite to see if its as good as it used to be, but will make it an early dinner so hopefully they play less Carl Cox and Avicii :) -
Review from Amy T.
8/26/2011 2 photos
Coast is an upscale restaurant without the snootiness.
The decor is trendy and classy without being uncomfortable. I can sit here for hours and not want to move. In the summer, take advantage of the patio.
I usually have dinner at Coast, but decided to have lunch since it was such a sunny day yesterday. I went with a girlfriend and she ordered the Manhattan Chowder and I had the Smoked Seafood Chowder. Both were delicious, but I loved the Smoked Seafood Chowder. It was rich and smokey with my the best ratio of seafood and vegetables to soup, - MORE seafood! Along with our soups, we shared the Dungeness Crab Flat-bread, which looked and sounded better than it tasted. It was good, but it isn't something I'd order again. The sauce was a bit too sweet for me, but I loved the chunks of avocado and crab.
Coast took extra care by calling me earlier today to ask how my meal was and if we were happy with the service. A nice gesture and attention to detail. -
Review from Scott W.
Vancouver, BC
11/12/2011 1 Check-in Here
My favorite seafood restaurant in Vancouver - and they make the most AMAZING caesars! I have found lots of restaurants can make decent caesars, but to have one with a giant prawn, AND a bean.. i am happy. Perfect amount of spice too.
Service is always great too.. we go there for business lunches all the time to the upstairs area where it is a bit quieter.. plus closer to the bathroom for the ladies. Those caesars go right through ya! The menu is GIANT, so make sure there is lots of space between you and the person next to you.
Seafood platter is a bit overpriced, my favorite thing on there is for sure the Coast Burger.. try it! It is worth the extra money, and the lobster poutine it comes with will keep you floating on air for the rest of the day (plus it will help walking out of there if you can float you will be so full!). -
Review from Chris B.
2/27/2012
On my recent visit to Coast, I was extremely impressed by the food and the service. the staff was very timely and made relevant suggestions to everything I asked about. I thought is was nice that the manager came by several tables to check on everything, and that the head chef was overseeing every plate prior to being served and was involved in the overall process of preperation to service.
The wait staff is very knowledgeable of the menu and wine pairings as well, and took time to explain items in detail.
I absolutely plan to revisit Coast again, and look forward to the relaxing atmosphere and great food. The greens Salad it terrific and don't miss the brussel sprouts (I know, I hated them as a kid too...). I didn't have the lobster mac & cheese, but it looks amazing and will try it for sure on a future visit. -
Review from David C.
3/20/2012
As I do not live in Vancouver I am not sure what people in Vancouver expect from a dining experience thus my rating is based on my dining experiences. My experience at Coast was way off the mark. The appetizers were actually quite good and it was a good start.... the salmon flat bread was great, mussels were cooked well, poutine was delish... calamari was good.... it all seemed to appear like we were going to have a great meal. I was with a large group and I do understand the complications with serving a large group. However, the wait staff should know when specials are limited in quantity. Several of us at the table ordered the special. Approximately thirty minutes after we ordered our meal we were told they were out of the special. Not cool. Five minutes after we ordered that might have been ok... but 30 minutes... really?!? Once our main courses arrived I noticed every single plate ordered (salmon, scallops, cod) were all served on a bed of beans.... not exactly creative. If the beans were outstanding I might understand why they plate as such... but the beans were horrible. Undercooked.... not much flavor... boring and bland. I ordered salmon, what one might consider a safe bet in Vancouver, however it was as dry as a bone under the Phoenix sun in July. Horrible. I would have sent it back but I was with a large group and just ate what I could off the plate. One of my coworkers did not even eat his as it was just way too dry. Desserts were fine... nothing outstanding. I would eat here again but make a meal out of the appetizers.
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Review from Ryan R.
Downtown, Vancouver, BC
12/31/2011
Second time to Coast. Overall an average experience, with the food and service consistent with any chain restaurant. Terribly efficient with no personality.
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Review from Michael S.
7/10/2011
My wife and another girlfriend and I had a great time at Coast. We ate here on a Saturday summer night at the recommendation of our concierge and it did not disappoint.
Our reservation was at 9:15p and the place was buzzing with lots of young, smartly dressed patrons. The bar was also packed and looked inviting. We intended to get a pre-meal drink but we did not have to wait more than a minute or two for our table - a table that was in the back near the kitchen but, oh well, someone has to sit there I guess?
Our server, Edwina, was very helpful and seemed to genuinely enjoy giving us recommendations and answering questions. No feigned sincerity there. She helped us navigate the extensive wine list and we decided on a local sauvignon blanc (and ended up getting a second one, which by the way the allowance to cork and bring home the remainder makes all too much sense).
Fish and chips is a meal so hard to resist. But at a place like this with so many fresh, non-fried options, it would have been a shame to waste a main course on just fish and chips. That's where the appetizer menu comes to the rescue. They have "fish and chip cones" - little edible paper cones with a mini fish and chips combination inside. A survey of all three
at our table reveals that they are a winner!
We were also given a complimentary dish of three oysters. After brief coaching, we all gave our first go of it. An appreciated gesture from the restaurant, yet don't think oysters will make it into my rotation anytime soon.
For dinner we made the following decisions and shared: Sable Fish, Halibut, Lobster Mac & Cheese, Hand Cut Frites and Fried Brussel Sprouts. Both of the cuts of fish were of a healthy size, accompanied by rice and fresh vegetables. The halibut had great flavor, very "buttery" but not overwhelming. The only thing that we couldn't finish was the mac & cheese. The portion was fairly large and compared to the other items, it simply lost the taste battle.
We had two items for dessert: NY Cheesecake and the Lollipop Trio. I'll be honest that the description of the lollis was not drawing me in but the ladies wanted them. And it turns out, they weren't that good. I believe at least one of the three were peanut butter which did not go down well I hear. But the cheesecake was delicious, just as you'd want a cheesecake to be - rich, and most likely fattening!
While I enjoy trying new restaurants when in a new town, I might just have to break the trend and return to Coast next time I'm in Vancouver. Well done! -
Review from Gina I.
8/16/2011
Oh, Coast.
Wonderful interior, absolutely love it.
I was only here for the drinks, and I must say the bartender was a little overbearing at times. A little too personable, at times.
Money Vancouver comes here, or at least, the people that think they have money? Now I might just be stereotyping, because that is what I do. Money in, money out. At least I didn't have to pay for my drinks.
If you want a good people watching spot, sit at the bar. Severely entertaining. -
Review from Paul G.
1/30/2012
Nice food, cramped and loud.
I came here for a business dinner, for the prices they charge it is way too cramped and loud.
I understand that they are trying to be trendy but that doesn't fit with the business dinner crowd, We need to talk to get work done.
If you are going to charge 5 star prices at least make sure that I am not brushing past tables or coats when sitting down.
The food was good but expensive - if you want to pay these prices, might I suggest a nice steakhouse. -
Review from Janice F.
5/30/2011
Why, WHY do they play such loud techno?? It's 7 pm for dinner - not clubbing! Just bizarre.. especially with a rather older clientele. Understandable for the cougars at the bar though.
Other than that, I like the food - cold smoked fish chowder was excellent, creamy and chock full of seafood goodness.
The lobster mashed potatoes were good as well, but besides a few lobster chunks here and there, you don't really taste the lobster.
The molten banana coconut cake is delicious - the server cut out a piece from the top, poured the creme anglais into it and replaced the top piece. Light, creamy, coconuty - a perfect dessert to pretend you're in Hawaii with! Served in a mini skillet. -
Review from Juan F.
7/27/2011 1 Check-in Here
Considered by locals as one of the best restaurants in town.
Family friends brought us here and we were not disappointed. Warning: The Macaroni and Cheese can be tempting, but it's better as a side dish to share. Don't make it your main entree unless you're really into Mac and Cheese.
We had an array of appetizers and they were all great. Their seafood selection was also top notch.
The restaurant was very busy and I understand it's not easy getting a reservation, so get to it and call now.
They had key lime pie the night we went; being from Florida it happens to be my favorite. BONUS! -
Review from J N.
Vancouver, BC
6/28/2011
Since I usually eat out at around 8 o clock or so for dinner, I decided that the key to exceptional service is to arrive around 4ish for an early dinner or really late lunch.
Perfect parking. Sit at the bar. Abraham (Abe) who normally works night shift, but today was posing as shucker--not to be confused with f****er will take care of you:
Order for two without oysters (and they did look good, but I'm not an oyster girl).
Raw: sea scallop
ahi tuna- 15-16 dollars
Sushi: (my fave and if you don't like raw) - mango cali roll- 15 dollars
Crab salad- yum. They divided it up for us. I took mine home it was so much food!
Smoked Salmon Flatbread-soooo good. 16 dollars
Pinot Gris- around 10 dollars each. Not the most spendy but a delicious wine, nonetheless.
Total- 120 plus tip.
Well worth it. Exceptional service! Remember, go early and sit at the bar. And I really enjoyed the sushi much more than some of these popular Izakayas, but then again it came at a price. -
Review from Evilyn T.
3/21/2011
I came here with a group of co-workers, since we were enjoying a very late holiday lunch. Obviously I didn't make the reservations, as being a vegetarian there wasn't too much for me on the menu. However, the staff were more than happy to engage me with veggie delights.
My coworkers enjoyed a sea of appetizers, including the mango California roll, some salmon sashimi, and oysters, and as everyone except me dug in, it was obvious I had some dietary concerns. The staff brought me a flatbread with cheese, roma tomatoes, and fresh basil drizzled in a balsamic reduction, which was probably one of the best flatbreads I have ever had. It was soft and buttery and so delicious, and I didn't have to share it with anyone! Muahaha!
I double-checked that the gnocci was meat-free and then ordered myself up a big ole plate of that, which was also super tasty and deceptively filling. In the end, even though I had the limited menu options, I was the one who had half of my lunch and flatbread wrapped up to take home. Yes! We had a few bottles of wine with lunch, both red and white, and the servers made sure to keep the glasses full, which kept me with a smile on my face.
After dinner the servers brought us a small selection of the desserts, kind of like a sampling tray with a little bit of each. The chocolate cheesecake was divine, and the pumpkin pie was full of spices and very flavourful. I left Coast very fat and happy, (especially since I didn't have to pay!) and I would love to come back for dinner sometime soon. I just wish I had more to choose from on the menu. There was a salad that caught my eye though, so I may be back sooner than you think!Listed in: Best of the best, Fancy Schmancy
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Review from Ryan L.
7/26/2011 1 Check-in Here
This should be a 1-star review, but I'm just not that cruel tonight. But what a terrible experience at Coast. Let me count the ways it let me down ...
1. Gin martini. $11. Glass was about 1/2 full. Sheesh.
2. Lobster claw appy. $18. Three itsy bitsy pieces atop what was to be a papaya salad but was really just greens with a few shreds of papaya. Overall a big disappointment.
3. Clam & mussel steamer combo. $18. One clam was bad, unopened, and never should have made it to the table. Three mussels were empty shells and the mussels were not to be found in the broth anyplace. So what was already a pretty small main turned out to even be smaller. Broth was oh-so-ho-hum. Bread to soak up that broth? Nope.
4. Server was inattentive. Not once were we asked how everything was. He came by once to fill water and then delivered the check later. That was it. The manager waltzed around and checked on other tables but never checked on us. Maybe he knew I might give him an earful? He also seemed to be more interested in squeezing the hostess' ass. Maybe just a tad inappropriate bud? Ya think?
So many great restaurants in Vancouver. Either we dined on an off night, ordered all the wrong things, or we just have really, really different expectations from previous reviewers, but we won't be back. -
Review from Nicole F.
6/27/2011
If I lived in Vancouver and had lots of money then I would probably frequent this place alot. It's trendy, hip, modern and with all that comes noise. So this isn't exactly a romantic evening out but if you want energy and good drinks and food, this is a pretty good place.
We had the dungeness crab, mussels with cream & bacon and the lobster flatbread. All were bigger than we expected but the highlight was the crimson tide martini. Pricey at $12 but the flavors of vodka, lichee liqueur, basil and strawberry puree made it worth the splurge and this was our final night on vacation, so why not?!! And to top it off, the service was great.
