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Dockside Restaurant
Category: Restaurants Seafood Seafood [Edit]
1253 Johnston StVancouver, BC V6H 3R9
Neighbourhood: Granville Island/False Creek
(604) 685-7070
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 7 am - 10 pm
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- 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:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Classy, Upscale
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
40 reviews for Dockside Restaurant
Review Highlights
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"Here we had the beer sampler and the smoked salmon pizza." In 3 reviews -
"...plates including squid, scallops, baked oysters and duck." In 2 reviews -
"...burger was juicy but the salmon burger is jamaica me hungry..." In 3 reviews
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40 reviews in English
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Review from Katie O.
3/27/2012 1 photo
If you want to get away from the masses near the market, take a stroll down to Dockside for a tasty lunch with a fabulous view of the water.
My friend ordered a beer flight and I ordered a rosé. For my meal, I ordered the salmon pizza. I don't remember what she ordered.
My pizza was huge, and the blend of the white sauce, salmon, and capers was amazing.
If you aren't interested in pizza, their menu included plenty of other appetizing items. -
Review from Brian D.
Vancouver, BC
5/19/2012
This is a review of Dockside's Mother's Day "Brunch to Remember".
It was a buffet brunch, which as I understand it, Dockside puts out once in a while, usually only for special occasions. It was $52, but with HST and the auto 15% gratuity, it came to about $72 a person. $2 went to charity. This did not include orange juice but did include coffee and tea. In the absence of the buffet, they normally have a typical brunch menu that is much more moderately priced.
As far as brunches go, the menu selection was top notch and far out of the ordinary. I'll list a few things for you, and let your mouth water a little bit ... Roasted Double Smoke Bone Brown sugar sea salt glazed ham ... Albert Prime Rib Au Jus ... Smoked Sockeye Salmon Eggs Benedict .... Seared Wild BC Salmon fresh dill, chardonnay butter ... Coconut Curry Shrimp Skewers ... Dockside signature Chili Squid. Anyway, the point is, it isn't your typical Foody Goody buffet.
The problem is, a buffet involves trying to eat your money's worth. When you do that, you can't really enjoy one item very long before your taste buds immediately move to process the next one. So despite those appetizing menu items, nothing stood out to me as amazing or truly memorable. There is also the problem of overeating. By the end of it, the last few bites are never as enjoyable as the first. And finally, being a buffet, it is tough to keep the items looking presentable or tasting like it just came out of the oven (because it didn't) when you are mass producing, for example, sockeye salmon fillets. My mother pointed this out, but she wished the bread they had out was warm and fresh. All these are not the fault of Dockside, but are simply characteristics of buffets that no one can overcome.
We had a 12:30 reservation. I'm assuming this is because of the number of people who came before, but the presentation of things was a little messy. I'm sure the staff were trying to keep up as best they could. The staff was attentive to our table, taking out plates away immediately before we came back with new ones, and were usually quick to refill our glasses with water. However, we noticed a number of empty tables when we first came, which was surprising because we couldn't get a reservation before 12. We asked about it, and as it turns out many people cancelled their reservations, so for future reference, it may not be too tough to just walk into one of these buffet brunches.
The view was remarkable. Also a thumbs up to the live band playing in the background.
So with all those positives and a few downers, and given the somewhat steep price, I'd say you get your money's worth here. But no more than that. I think it's worth a return visit for the regular brunch menu. -
Review from Cynthia L.
3/21/2012 1 photo
Drink beer and watch curling.
That's exactly what we did. My friends and I had some free time before a meetup with other friends so we headed to Dockside for beers. (We had originally intended to do beer tastings at the Granville Island Brewing Company, but their Taproom was closed due to construction. Sad!)
Since we didn't want any food, we opted to sit in the bar/lounge area of the restaurant. Beers on tap were basically all their house brews. My boyfriend and I ordered the sampler and shared it since we were unsure which beers would be to our taste. We tried 6 of the 8 varieties, but were not too impressed. They were just alright. I've had better craft beer.
I did like the atmosphere, decor and waterside views here. They also have a cool open kitchen.
If I had a choice between Granville Island Brewery and Dockside Brewery, I'd go with Granville Island.Listed in: Wandering Sea to Sky
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Review from Melanie T.
Downtown, Vancouver, BC
5/12/2012 Seated via OpenTable
The view was delightful and the food was very good. The service was slow though and it was hard to get his attention. For the price I expect more attention
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Review from Mike G.
3/8/2012 2 Check-ins Here
Dockside Restaurant is the ultimate place for a microbrew beer. It is a Fine dining restaurant that makes its own wonderful beer. I first heard of this place at the Beer Fest at UBC when they had their beer there for a tasting! I fell in love with the beer and had to check the place out. Not being one for the fancy I showed up in a t-shirt and shorts and they had no problem with the outfit even if the place has a very fancy vibe!
They have 8 different beer on tap that are produced in house. They have as follows: Cartwright Pale Ale, Johnston Pilsner, Old Bridge Dark Lager, Haupenthal Hefeweizen, Marina Light Lager, Pelican Bay Brown, Jamaican Lager and the Alder Bay Honey Lager. You can try a beer sampler here and I would highly recommend this! If not though and you have an adventures side try out the Jamaican Lager it is amazing!
The food here is to die for. They are known for their seafood and for those that like seafood I hear it is the cats ass. The non-seafood dishes are some of the best food you will eat.
But don't fool yourself into thinking food is why you are there it's the Beer and only the Beer. You can have a side of food.Listed in: 5 Star Dining, Time to hit a Brewpub
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Review from Rose N.
Vancouver, BC
4/10/2012
This place ought not be allowed to make seafood or any type of fine dining dish. It's plain awful and bland. I have gone here since I was 15, now in my late 30's and always a disappointment. I am sure they have new chefs, but quality remains what it was over 15 years ago. If you are a tourist, stay away, as most locals in Van do not dine here. They only go for drinks! There's lots of other places that are worth your while around the area. Just do more research on yelp.
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Review from Keira-Anne M.
Vancouver, BC
12/5/2011
People seem pretty split on whether they enjoy Dockside or not. Granted, I've only been once but its first impression was a great one!
Known for its patio with water views, that wasn't an option as I was there yesterday to have brunch. Patio + December = not happening.
Despite being indoors, the floor to ceiling windows provided expansive views of False Creek. The dining room is certainly upscale and Dockside provides the kind of brunch for people that actually want brunch rather than simply a place to whittle away their hangover from the previous night.
My two friends and I ordered the traditional eggs Benny, and omelet and the French toast respectively. None of us were disappointed in our delicious dishes and the best part was the amazing coffee. Service was professional and attentive and we were never left waiting for our food or coffee refills. Our brunch dishes were each in the $12-15, but based on quality and quantity, I didn't find it overpriced at all. Quite reasonable for the entire meal.
I'd certainly go back and recommend that you give Dockside a try and see for yourself. -
Review from Ellen L.
10/28/2011
I took advantage of the 2 for 1 entree promotion during the BC Hydro Candlelight Conservation event to try this swanky place. I read reviews ahead of times (thank you Yelp!) and expectations are lowwww. Past reviews seem to (consistently) drone in the awesome atmosphere but mediocre food. Unfortunately for us, t'was a cold late October night, so of course the patio is no can do. But they did have a pretty epic looking wall of flames just outside. We scored a corner table by the windows! Yeah the view is very nice with Yaletown lights, water, and Cambie Bridge off to the distance. With the dimmed lights and flickering of the electric candle, the atmosphere couldn't be better! Well, maybe not the electric candle, but no biggie. :)
I ordered the Italian Sausage Linguini ($19), boyfriend had the Manila Clam Carbonara ($20), and we shared the Legendary Chili Squid ($11) to start. The chili squid was the highlight of the meal - the batter was light and crunchy, nicely seasoned, and the "toppings" had so much flavour with all the different herbs. It certainly made us hungry for the main course. However, both pastas were not as impressive as our appy. Mine was too salty (sausage's fault), but still managed to be bland. There was no other flavour, except salt. I had to pile on a lot of Tobasco. Boyfriend's was better. I liked the bit of sweetness from the peas. Though a creamy sauce, it wasn't heavy at all. But, the clams were small (though there were a LOT of clams) and tasted rather like wax.
Took a quick gander at their drinks menu - their cocktails are at the $8 range and martinis over $10. Fairly expensive.
Service was great. Our server was prompt, friendly, and never intruded on conversations. Our water glasses never went dry the entire evening. One thing though, I was surprised at how loud it was in the restaurant and it was probably half full. It was loud enough that I had to raise my voice slightly to talk.
All in all, I would definitely come back on a nice summer day to experience this legendary patio. Their lunch menu looks decent. The food is expensive, but it wasn't as bad as the reviews made them out to be, in my humble opinion. I wouldn't order the pasta next time though. -
Review from Crystal H.
Vancouver, BC
Ever walked the Granville Island "seawall?" Past the tourists chowing on previously frozen appies perched on Bridges fine patio, due east of the bros fist pumping on the deck at Whet, beyond Cats Social House, and well around the bend, facing Yaletown, sits the most beautiful patio in all the Granville-Island-land.
Dockside. Sparkling water, sailboats, yachts, the shimmering glass of Yaletown anchor this dock, and is one of my favourite patios for watching the world go by. This patio - is more than what you see on average in Vancouver. There's couches, fireplaces, blankets, curtains... it's dreamy. It's almost tropical-vacation-island-like.
And ahoy matey's - there's well crafted beer! Jamaican Lager to be precise. Okay, so there's another 8-10 varieties, but this one takes me to island time. With glass, sleeve or pitchers to choose from, you won't go wrong. -
Review from Justin L.
8/10/2011 5 photos
Like so many places in Vancouver with stunning patio spaces, Dockside Restaurant delivers on the scenery and atmosphere (which it doesn't control) while floundering on food quality (which it does).
We had a lovely evening sipping the Dockside brews on the patio in the Lounge side, while nibbling on super-thin-crust pizzas. Heat from the nearby heat lamps and open fire pits wafted over to mingle with the cool breeze from the water. Beautiful.
However, had it not been for the half-priced beers and pizzas on Tuesdays (lounge only), I don't think we would've accepted the whole thing. The pizzas are very ordinary and skimpy on the meat. As for the other appetizers (chili squid, mussels and fries, chicken satay skewers), let's just say that if they are indicative of the kitchen's abilities with larger dishes, I have no intention of exploring the menu further. Entirely ordinary food at premium prices.
The tow-coloured hostesses in the dining room made it sound like the place would be fully packed, making it difficult to confirm reservations over the phone. They still maintained that myth once we arrived -- but throughout the evening, there were plenty of empty tables in all areas. This is not Miami, girls: Vancouverites like comfortable, accessible, and reliable spots; we'll occasionally get curious about hype, but then you'd better live up to the illusions you create.
All night long, behind my patio chair on the ground was a spray bottle of bleach cleaner and a rag. Even though plenty of servers walked by, not one of them noticed that they left their cleaning supplies there. I guess they wanted guests to know that they do their best to keep up appearances. -
Review from Jon S.
Vancouver, BC
9/24/2011 2 Check-ins Here
First of all, this place has a great check-in deal on Yelp: a free sampler of their six beers. I've somehow redeemed this deal more than once and it just comes back.
This place has one of the best marine patios in the entire region. That being said, I don't see myself coming back here. The wait staff aren't really trained to provide a high-quality dining experience. And after several meals, I have to say that the food has consistently underperformed the cost. I've had my steak both over- and under-cooked here.
Consider coming here for a drink on their stellar outdoor patio, but pass on the food. -
Review from Martina M.
Vancouver, BC
8/14/2011 1 Check-in Here
Dockside is a wonderful restaurant with a gorgeous interior and an even better view of the water. I came here with some friends on Thursday night and we easily got a table in the dining room since the patio was booked for a corporate function.
First off, thank you Yelp for the free beer taster! Free beer if you check in and spend $20? Yes please!
We shared the Artisan Bread and Spring Rolls for appetizers. If you like olives, the bread comes with an olive spread that was pretty tasty. The Spring Rolls were crispy, warm, and came with an awesome dipping sauce.
For dinner I ordered the Dockside Cobb, which was possibly the most organized salad I've ever had. Each ingredient was in its own little section of the plate. Very yummy! My friend ordered the Duck Prosciutto salad and was a) disappointed and b) still hungry afterwards, so don't order that.
FYI: If you're planning to come here before of after seeing an improv show at the Improv Center, bring your ticket or ticket stub to save 15% off of your meal. I didn't know this until afterwards. -
Review from Bronwyn G.
North Vancouver, BC
8/17/2011 1 Check-in Here
Make a reservation for the patio here. It's beautiful! I can think of nothing better than ordering a bottle of whine & enjoying it while watching the water.
The food itself is standard upscale west coast fusion. Our server was friendly, prompt, and professional. -
Review from Will Z.
1/4/2012
seafood was tasty
the view is unparallelled
service could improve -
Review from Mike S.
Vancouver, BC
1/26/2011
Just went here on last Sunday for brunch.
This is located on Granville Island and you do have to fight traffic on the way in. Once in, it was far away from the the market that it was easy to find a parking spot.
The decor was nice and the huge windows opened a great view of False Creek.
The service was OK, nothing stellar, but still not what I would expect from a pricier restaurant. I found the brunch items were somewhat pricey for the amount of food you get, but I used an Entertainment coupon so it wasn't so bad. I had the Halibut fish and chips, it was ok as far as fish and chips go......but it was no Pajo's ;)
I'd go back but I would try a different dish and would probably have to psych myself up to go. -
Review from Vannessa S.
Burnaby, BC
12/12/2011
I went here for my partner's work's Christmas party and it was fun. The servers were super attentive, ready to serve our drinks up at a moment's notice. We had a buffet, so the experience was probably a bit different. Overall it was pretty good, I seemed to enjoy the appetizers(cheese plate, yummy breads, a variety of smoked salmon, tomato and brie) over the the side dishes(tasteless sweet potato, purple potatoes, awful stuffing, okayish potato salad) and entrees( meh sirloin steak and meh salmon). The view was beautiful even/especially at night. The city lights dancing off the water. When dessert rolled around there was some AWESOME coffee and cheesecake and a few things to nibble on that were hit and miss. I don't think I'd want to dine here and pay the bill.
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Review from Martijn S.
Vancouver, BC
8/1/2011 1 Check-in Here
Excellent ambience & amazing food! Not
recommended if you are on a budget! Will be back many times! -
Review from Cody S.
This is a beautiful restaurant with a fantastic location! This is a classic example of a nice, elegant, and casual place with a little bit of pretentiousness...but not over the top.....and it's on Granville Island.
The service here is great. The staff was very attentive and left us alone...magically knew when to come over and take care of anything we needed.
We came here for lunch and the menu reflected as such. The difference was the diversity of lunch items...I was very impressed. I had the Qualicum Bay Scallop Sandwich......wow it was amazing. Imagine a club sandwich, minus the turkey or chicken, and add scallops... Scallops and bacon are amazing together! The fish and chips are another great mention. The halibut is caught right up in Haida Gwai (aka Queen Charlotte Islands). The texture is fantastic and the flavour is where its at! I give the food a 2 thumbs up!
The location and view is great. I thoroughly enjoyed the view of False Creek.. It may have been that we were there during a cold, but sunny and beautiful, afternoon....not a cloud in the sky. The view was fantastic! The interior and decor of the restaurant was great. I really enjoyed everything about this place. We will come again! -
Review from Andy Y.
Vancouver, BC
3/13/2011
When did Dockside become so cool again?
Visited Dockside as part of a Granville Island Wine Mixer Tour, and it was our second stop.
Very posh entrance way and beatiful renovated foyer.
I had their roast beef slider, and man, was it tasty. Definitely slow roasted beef with an excellent au jus. The caesar salad came with the lettuce (forgot type) still on its stalk.
They also offered up a nice selection of cheese but I imagine it was because we had 30 people in our wine tour group.
All in all a great experience....great date place, IMO. -
Review from Meredith M.
Vancouver, BC
7/29/2011
Dockside is beautiful, with great views of the harbour and False Creek. I've visited a few times on beer tasting tours, and once for dinner and very very impressed. They offer small tasting beers as well as a flight of 3 wines for tasting.
The time I went for dinner, the Salmon burger I ate was delicious, but the service was not very good, and we waited quite often for our server to pay attention to us. The entire dining experience took several hours as a result. -
Review from Craig C.
Vancouver, BC
12/1/2010
I live close by Granville Island and shop the market all the time...however don't often get down to the other end of the island much since the only thing there is the hotel.
My wife and I were celebrating our anniversary and decided we wanted to be within walking distance of our dining destination so choose Dockside inside the hotel. I have been to the hotel many times for meetings and such and they have always had good food and service so we thought we would try out the restaurant.
I have to say it was a really special experience for us...we felt like we were on vacation...I cant stress enough how beautiful the setting there is, the hotel has really spruced up in the last few years from what I remembered it...went from quaint little Inn type place to a real contemporary and classy feel.
The restaurant has the best view of the city ever!...it helped that we were given a great table (I told them it was our anniversary so I think that helped)...we felt like we were dining under the stars and the lights of the city...so cool! They had a big fire pit burning out on the patio a new feature apparently...definitely coming back to check that scene out in the summer...the patio looks huge!
All that and the food and service was amazing too...
We had a great walk home and talked about how surprised we were that this place was so close to our home and we had no idea.
4 out of 5 stars only because of a couple of minor service details (I never really give 5 stars)
We shall return though. -
Review from Amanda L.
4/18/2011 1 Check-in Here
I went to the dockside with some coworkers after a dragon boat practice for some beers to drink up all the calories we burned out of the water.
The Dockside was not our first choice as it's a pretty classy joint and we were all in exercise wear but the other bars in the area were full due to the hockey game.
We ordered up our first round of drinks and appy's a little disappointed that only 3 of the 6 brews they offer were available due to an overhaul of their brewery.
I had the vegetable spring rolls which were amazing, so crispy and crunchy and the dipping sauce was fabulous. Others ordered the chicken wings and sliders all which looked really good even to my vegetarian eyes!
They also have a pretty fabulous check in offer, if you spend $20 you get a 6 beer sampler for FREE. About 5 people at our table checked in so there was MUCH free beer to be had, mostly by me since everyone else was driving!
All the wait staff were super friendly and didn't give us a second look because of our attire which clearly did not suit the ambiance of the restaurant! Not for a second did they make us feel "out of place." -
Review from Renee S.
Vancouver, BC
1/22/2011 1 Check-in Here
Disclaimer: we got a Groupon to go to the Dockside, and it's probably not somewhere we'd have thought to go otherwise.
The interior is nice, but a bit generic, although you can't beat the view over False Creek. Service was good, and the food was well-balanced and tasty, but overpriced.
I had the Salmon Penne with Tomato Vodka sauce, which was a nice pairing, and it had plenty of salmon and capers. Tasty. My dining partner had Queen Charlotte Halibut and chips, and said the fish was crispy and flaky. The fries came in a fake newspaper cone in a metal holder, which was cute but kind of silly - if you want good fish and chips in a paper cone don't go here, go to a real fish and chip place like Pajo's!
In all we had a nice experience, but it was nothing to shout about, and we will probably go somewhere a bit less corporate-y and generic-feeling next time - after all, Granville Island is all about the eclectic, not the polished-but-bland! -
Review from Alison S.
2/27/2011
I had a coupon from the recent Wedding Fair to come here so the Boy and I decided to come here for dinner.
Even though we didn't make reservations we still got a great little table right by the windows where we could see the snow coming down over False Creek. Nice romantic setting with the dimmed lights and not too much noise from other tables.
We ordered the baked oysters to start: they're kind of like oyster motoyaki but with spinach and smoked salmon cooked into it too. Very tasty! For entrees we had the duck breast (him) and the prime rib (me). The duck was quite flavourful and the prime rib was juicy. It comes in 3 sizes, 8, 10, or 12 oz. I had the 8 oz. and it came with enough side veggies that I was stuffed afterwards. However, we still made enough room to split the blood orange and vanilla creme brulee, which was delicious (although the caramelized sugar layer was a little on the thick side and hard to crack into pieces).
Service was good: attentive but not overpowering.
Overall dinner was very good. My only quibble would be that they make you pay for bread...usually I would expect that most fancier restaurant would just give you bread. I would be too full to eat it anyway since the portions were pretty big, but it's just a small detail.
A nice place to go on a date! -
Review from Paul D.
Vancouver, BC
5/4/2011 1 photo
Best patio in Vancouver.
There I said it. Now who's going to tell me I am wrong? The patio just opened for the year on Friday and I went with some buddies to kick of patio season. I can't think of many other places with sofas and comfy chairs, and other than Lift I don't know of anyone else with outdoor fireplaces for when it cools off at night, but the newest addition this year is a gazebo dining area that's more Las Vegas than Vancouver.
The views from the east end of Granville Island down False Creek are great and the food and drink matches the surroundings. It's hard to imagine anyone doing anything different with it but the pan-fried chili squid is batter and deep-fryer free and very tasty. The prime rib sliders were a hit and we kiled the pizzas and clubhouse sandwich we ordered as well. Did I mention they brew their own beer?
They call themselves a hidden gem, but when word gets around about the new patio, they'll have to lose the "hidden" from that label.
See you on the patio! -
Review from diner d.
Vancouver, BC
8/27/2011
Terrible service, server (Fani) is never attentive - have to be seated by ourselves, waited for 20 minutes to catch someone to make an order, server never came by to see how things went, asked for a bill from other servers passed by and waited like 20minutes to get the bill processed. Waited and waited, server never came by, and we had to walk up to the counter to pay our bills.
Put aside the service, food doesn't meet up to standard, can't even compare to food-cart nor fast-food burgers. Ordered a salmon burger ($16), the salmon was grilled too dry and plain, I took a bite and couldn't do another bite. Fries, on the other hand, was great - crispy. Seriously, I wouldn't come back for food. Thinking of their service, it doesn't worth coming back, even they've got a nice view by the dock in Granville Island. Sandbar is wayyyyyyyy better, price is reasonable, since food is awaesome, service is 5 stars in comparison to Dockside Lounge (1 star). -
Review from Tess M.
Vancouver, BC
3/14/2011 3 photos
I am a huge fan of Dockside! I have been several times and am always pleased. I have had many different plates including squid, scallops, baked oysters and duck...all were delicious, except the duck....I do not recommend the duck, but everything else is delicious!
The view is also spectacular and the staff are great.
Definitely worth checking out.
Keep your eyes peeled for coupons, I have seen them in the entertainment guide, newspapers, Groupon, etc.
They're also great to their twitter followers! -
Review from Ian G.
7/20/2011
A nice restaurant near the water. The food was good. The service was OK. We went with a Groupon and were not allowed to sit outside which was a shame. Worth a visit if you're on Granville Island but don't go out of your way. One minor niggle is that they use cheap looking plastic candles at the table. If you've got walls of flames for dramatic effect outside of your restaurant (as they do), the least you can do is add real candles to the table.
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Review from Kyle S.
4/27/2009
OK let me start by explaining that this review is for Dockside Brewing....as in their beers. We did not have any food from the restaurant.....just beer.
We sat at the bar and ordered up a sampler (six of their 8 beers) including their Pilsner, Hefeweizen, Pale Ale, Brown Ale , Dark Lager, Jamaican Lager. I was a bit concerned when after looking around I noticed that we were the only ones drinking beer. Everyone else had wine or a cocktail. To me this is odd and a bad sign at a brewery......I mean....its a BREWERY.
Not sure how to explain it. The beers all tasted stale and watered down.
There was little to no body in any of them and the flavors were similar with all the beers with the exception of the Jamaican, which tasted like the others with some fruit juice in it. I am glad we only did the samplers because it would have been difficult to drink a full pint of any of their beers. OUCH...there I said it.
I hate to say it but this is the first brewery I have been to where all of the beers I have brewed in my kitchen were better...even the ones that were not very good. I was pretty disappointed.
If you want a fancy lunch and some wine while enjoying a nice view of the city the Dockside looks great. But if you are looking for a tasty brew on Granville Island...stick with Granville Island Brewing. -
Review from Tara T.
BC
11/21/2008
This is a fantastic restaurant with a stunning setting right by the harbour on Granville Island. I've come here with a good girlfriend for wine and nibblies and I've also come here with my boyfriend for an intimate dinner. Both times it was the perfect spot.
When I was here with my girlfriend we only shared a salad because we were more interested in consuming a delicious Pinot Gris (their wine list has some of BC's best offerings). The salad we had was a spinach, bacon, and egg creation with a honey mustard dressing. It was very good and perfect if you're only after something light.
My boyfriend and I ate a little more substantially. He had the Wild Sockeye Salmon and highly enjoyed it. I however, had the lobster ravioli, which was a little disappointing. I didn't enjoy the lemon cream sauce it came at all. This was way too overpowering and quite a poor choice. I also could barely taste the lobster among all the thick pasta. This wouldn't stop me coming back again however, as the service was friendly and our waitress was attentive and I'm sure I just picked the wrong meal for me.
I would say the best thing about this establishment is the atmosphere. You walk in under a quaint canopy to be greeted by an elongated tank filled with colourful fish. The restaurant has high ceilings, comfortable seating, and a view that is hard to beat.
This isn't a place I'd come on a regular basis because the prices are a little high, however for a special occasion or romantic dinner it's definitely worth the splurge. -
Review from Deanna D.
8/7/2011
Dockside was an interesting find located on the lovely Granville Island. The patio was beautiful yet it reminded me of the quintessential South Beach Miami patio bars. The view which overlooked the False Creek and the city was lovely and full of yachts....like ridiculously big and bigger yachts. We felt it had a slightly pretentious vibe but given the location, price point, and surrounding I guess it was to be expected.
We had a couple of cocktails: Pomegranate Mojito and Cucumber cocktail which were both refreshing and well made. We also had an order of Seafood Mushroom Caps which were small (I mean like 5 xsmall button mushrooms) stuffed with a cream cheese filling and it was $14---definitely over priced for the taste and portion size. You couldn't taste the seafood, it was more like smoked salmon cream cheese than seafood stuffing. The service was friendly and we didn't have to wait for anything which was great.
Overall a nice stop if you're on Granville Island and need to relax and have a cocktail. -
Review from eva b.
Vancouver, BC
2/17/2011
Just want to let people out there know,... Dockside Restaurant is OceanWise and committed to sustainable seafood.
If you goto Capers, Choices, Urban Fare, Greens Market and Meinhardt, you will notice you must pay a little more for (sustainable) quality as their menu is not "made in china".
That being said, my husband and I hosted our rehearsal dinner there in August of 2008. We had family come in from Ontario as well as the States and ALL were very happy with the entire evening. Beautiful decor (probably in all of metro Vancouver!!), great food and drinks and excellent service. We will likely spend our anniversaries here as well..5 stars!!
Eva :) -
Review from Taian C.
9/10/2011 1 Check-in Here
Great ambience. Outdoor seating available w/ fireplace. Friendly service. The beef burger was juicy but the salmon burger is jamaica me hungry good- try that beer with the salmon burger. It won't disappoint.
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Review from Amy P.
Vancouver, BC
8/23/2011 1 Check-in Here
Food was good. Gorgeous downtown view. Check in deal gave us a beer sampler.
Recommend to leave room for desserts. Dessert Sampler altho it saids for 2 can be for 3. -
Review from Amanda D.
Ottawa, ON
12/10/2008 1 photo
This restaurant isn't spectacular, but it will do in a pinch if you're staying at the Granville Island Hotel for the night or an event. The prices are very high, but the food isn't fantastic. I think they take advantage of their great location a bit. That said, the view, especially from the patio, is amazing. The patio sits near a dock that looks out onto the water. Their beer, which is made on site, is also very tasty.
However, it should say something that although myself and a handful of other people stayed at the hotel for a week with a good per diem for food, we only ate here once. All the other times, we opted for better and cheaper food elsewhere: usually at the Public Market. -
Review from Joanne M.
Vancouver, BC
5/12/2011
um, amazing patio dockside!! I was truely impressed when I went on a Saturday for lunch. The lounge area is amazing. If your looking to eat and not lounge for drinks the rest of their patio area is amazing as well. Food was delicious, I ordered the fish duo. It came with two risotto type croquettes, I was so happy :) I can't even imagine how awesome that lounge would be during sunset. Definately going back and recommend you do too.
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Review from Mika M.
Vancouver, BC
2/11/2011
Tried out Dockside on Granville Island for Dine out Vancouver... Had a different soup - chicken with wontons? but it was pretty good other than it being lukewarm... The main was super filling and so good - red snapper (a little overcooked) but awesome. Lots of veggies. good wait staff, always filling up drinks... DELICIOUS DESSERT!!! AMAZING Chocolate velvet mousse kind of thing... ummmm to DIE FOR!
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Review from Susan W.
5/1/2009
Would actually give 3 1/2 stars if that were an option but I'm rounding up for the excellent service provided in the busy lounge. Husband and I were bar hopping and trying an appetizer & drinks at different Granville Island establishments. Here we had the beer sampler and the smoked salmon pizza. The pizza was very good. Could have been a little crisper & hotter but overall very good & would order again in a minute. We thought the beers were quite good but were also disappointed in the Jamaican. They were out of the Hefeweizen and the server gave us 2 of the Jamaican. :( Would have preferred 2 of the Pelican Brown which was our favorite. The patio wasn't open so we scored one of the 2 cozy booths. Will go back.
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Review from Reena M.
7/3/2009 2 Check-ins Here
We had our B.Sc. grad banquet here and they really had an awesome deal. I heard that with the cost, the limit was 9 drinks per person!! We definitely made use of that. The food was really good too. It was a great event. I've never eaten at the proper restaurant, but I would totally recommend this venue for large parties.
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Review from Anita P.
6/21/2011
Beautiful patio, lovely view. We had two good beers (the black lager and brown ale). We ordered the yam frites and they were also good. Normally I'd give a place like this four stars but the service was SO slow and very snobby. Several groups of "ladies who lunch" got much more attention than us, which was annoying because we were kind of in a hurry.
