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Relish Gastropub and Bar
Categories: Restaurants Gastropubs Restaurants Canadian (New) Restaurants Asian Fusion Gastropubs, Canadian (New), Asian Fusion [Edit]
888 Nelson StVancouver, BC V6Z 2H1
Neighbourhood: Downtown
(604) 669-1962
- Hours:
Mon-Thu, Sun 12 pm - 2 am
Fri-Sat 12 pm - 3 am
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Garage, Street, Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Late Night, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
47 reviews for Relish Gastropub and Bar
Review Highlights
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"Mondays they have buck-a-shuck oysters all day long (3-6pm..." In 3 reviews -
"Gone are the duck fat fries, gnocchi poutine, po'boy..." In 4 reviews -
"I can't wait to return for trivia night." In 13 reviews
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47 reviews in English
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Review from Danika L.
Vancouver, BC
Updated - 4/1/2012
Came here on St Patrick's day. It was the busiest that I had ever seen it, with all tables full and lots of people milling about, yet I found the bartenders to be attentive as always. I'm not the tallest or loudest of people and I practically have to jump up and down and wave my arms to order at many bars. But not here. I was pleasantly surprised how easy it was to order on such a busy night.
With playoffs around the corner, I'll definitely be back soon to catch a game or two!1 Previous Review: Show all »
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12/7/2011
I've come here twice, both times on Thursday nights. Both times I was here just for drinks, so I've… Read more »
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Review from Lisa Marie M.
Vancouver, BC
Relish !
Been on my radar for a while as its steps away from where I live. Weekends it sounds pretty rockin.
It was a Wed night, and happened to be a Game night. Lucky, we arrived, just as the game was ending. We seated ourselves at a booth in the corner. It was WAY loud.
Our server was friendly and cute. We were in a bit of a hurry, so we ordered drinks. They had no Strongbow Cider, BUT had a delightful alternative, made by Whistler Brewing Company . It seemed to have less bite and very refreshing .
The BF had a 3$ Beer x 2 (Whistler Winter Ale) He liked it ; )
To eat we had -
Tenderloin Carpaccio ...............................................$8
Canadian Tenderloin, Olive Oil, Reduced Balsamic
Parmesan Cheese, Spring Greens, Shaved Radish
( Not a lot here kids- but at least it was under 10$ )
Charcuterie and Cheese
Pick 3 (meats & cheeses) ..........................................$11
Pick 5 (meats & cheeses) ..........................................$18
When we heard (barely heard over the VERY LOUD music )
that is was 3 or 5 TOTAL we opted for the 5.
Grand Cheddar ~ U.S.A. (yum)
Champfleury ~ Quebec
Triple Cream Brie ~ B.C.
B.C. Sockeye Salmon Gravlax ~ B.C.(very nice)
Smoked Serrano Ham ~ B.C. (good)
Again - the amount of food was very small!!
Maybe 1 oz of cheese and 40 g of meat - at the most. ; (
It also came with baguette crustini ( an actual generous portion here! )
My BF's request for softer bread was granted graciously.
It also had a few olives (which I hate) would of preferred a pickle, a gherkin perhaps ?
Knowing this was not going to cut it, we ordered a spicy chicken burger to go .
Sadly, this was very disappointing. It was actually inedible to me. How sad.
Throughout the music played on VERY LOUDLY
We were treated to Billy Idol, David Lee Roth, CCR and other bands from the 70's & 80's.
Ok so here is my score for Relish-
The waitress/service was excellent *
The music was decent *
BUT it was too loud -
The food we ate at the pub was pretty good *
The portions were way small
The total for food and 3 drinks was 64$ plus tip
I thought it was pretty pricy for what we actually ate
BUT we had fun, and the service was great. So 3 out of 5 seems fair.
I will have to return to reassess the situation.....Stay tuned! -
Review from Jenn C.
Downtown, Vancouver, BC
3/22/2012 3 Check-ins Here
what can i say... it's basically just at the bottom of my building, so there's a huge plus already - who doesn't want to go downstairs to their local bar, and stumble home at the end of the night? okay, i'm not an alcoholic, but it's definitely a plus, am i right or am i right?
First time I came in, was on moving day, to this said building - for lunch. it was a quick lunch and to be honest, don't quite remember it - it was probably O-K.
I've come here more recently to the "bar" for drinks - drinks are the same everywhere but they do have drink specials every day! Their drinks aren't overly-priced either. I have come mostly on Fridays or Saturdays and it does get pretty packed in there and quite loud. DJ Is doing his thing and patrons dancing on their make-shift dance floor - i typically opt out from dancing and just stand by the bar.
My complaint would be their need to charge cover - i don't really get it, it's a bar, there shouldn't be a cover charge??? but i guess it gets busy and that's their way of not going over their capacity?? but still - i don't think there should be cover for a bar! I went this past weekend on St. Patricks Saturday, and had to pay $15 cover! $15!!! No, i didn't go at 10pm, or 11pm or even 12am - this was at 2:30AM AFTER having had been to the Winking Judge! I could not believe it! [ok, i won't end on this note]
Overall, it's good neighbourhood pub, it has a fun 'fist-pumping' dance floor, drinks - you can still find me at Relish - but please, no cover for a pub! -
Review from Edward L.
So a while back I had some correspondence with the owner of Relish back in March 2011, where she invited me to give the restaurant another try. I had a chance to try it again today, and boy were we disappointed/unsatisfied.
The problem is not so much with the ambience or quality of the food, which was actually decent. It was with the service. All of us agreed this was some of the worst service we have ever had. And there were 8 of us in this group.
We have no idea what is up with the waitress, whose name is Jenna. This is some of the stuff we went through tonight:
- Friend #1 asked Jenna what the drink specials were for tonight. Jenna points to the board on the wall on the far wall and tells her to look at it. We understand it was written there (we actually didn't notice it was written on the board initially) but every other bar I have ever been to, the waitress has ALWAYS simply told us what the specials were.
- Friend #2 asks for an ice water. Jenna replies with something along the lines of "No problem, and by the way, you know you have to leave in 30 minutes right?" (turns out there was a reservation at our table in 30 minutes). Let's just say that there are much more eloquent ways to get the same point across; some of which may not be as offensive. Sounded like she didn't even want us there.
- Towards the end of the night, as we are paying our bills with credit cards, Friend #3's pen (given to him by Jenna) doesn't work, so he asks for another one from her. She rolls her eyes and tells him there's another pen on the table (it was being used by someone 2 seats away).
- Jenna also rolled her eyes (literally!) at a couple of my other friends, over things I cannot recall. I just remember seeing her do it. And yes, my friends noticed too.
We were going to grab dinner here, but decided to cut our visit short and eat next door at Gyu Kaku instead. The service was just RIDICULOUS. I am hoping the owner of Relish reads this. And yes, my friends all specifically told me to make the points listed above in my review. Most of my group tonight consisted of people who live/work within 500m of this restaurant, and they don't want to come back anymore.
**UPDATE**
Leigh (co-owner) has personally sent me a message and has offered to host my friends and I. Will keep you posted on this one.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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3/18/2011
This place is sweet for St. Patty's Day. No lineup! W00t~
Honestly I feel bad for this place.… Read more »
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Review from Kristina C.
Vancouver, BC
12/19/2011
After dinner in the nearby area, my friends and I stopped by Relish for a drink before our next destination. We managed to get in before cover took effect (I believe it's $5, starting at either 10 or 11 pm), and we even scored a seat. My Long Island Iced Tea was not the greatest: way too sweet, and most definitely from a Long Island mix of some sort. The music was pretty good: it was Friday night, so the DJ played old school hits from the 80s-2000s. It's too bad the place wasn't busier, so the dancefloor stayed empty pretty much the entire time I was there. On a warmer night, I'm sure this place gets quite busy. The crowd is quite mixed and generally older than similar public houses like Library Square or The Academic, although the concepts are the same for all.
If I'm in the area again, I may give this place a second try. I probably won't go out of my way to come here though. -
Review from Wendy T.
10/4/2011
We checked out reviews here on yelp... and expected so much more... Guess we should have stuck with a real restaurant instead of a bar/restaurant.....
We came here hungry, not knowing where to eat.... yelp failed us! We had the following:
1. Poutine - decent... surprising the best dish we had here... soggy fries... gravy.... although it did taste better than I thought it was.. it was just still okay to me... (I like my fries crispy!)
2. Tomato salad - bleh. The sauce it came with wasn't really good... the boccioni (that's the cheese thing right?)... had this funny.. weird... un-cheese-like taste that made the entire dish super unappetizing...
3. Beet salad - bleh. I guess the salad itself wasn't bad.. but the beets had a super strong taste that wasn't really good....
4. Lamb mini burgers - no flavor... very blah...
5. Mini crab cakes - I didn't try this one.. but was told it wasn't very good....
We all had drinks... and the drinks weren't bad.... I wouldn't recommend coming here for their food.. (bar food in general isn't that great.. but this was super disappointing to me...) but it looks like a good place to come and have some drinks & chat with friends...... -
Review from Irena L.
9/11/2011 2 Check-ins Here
Ok, it's 3.7 stars!
First of all, I like it that it's never too busy in there...it makes it a perfect spot to meet up with your friends for a few drinks before you had down to Granville street.
I've only tried poutine here and fish tacos, and they were decent. Although I'm not the one to judge a poutine, since I'm not really a fan of it (soggy fries, whyyyyyyy?)
They have some wicked drink specials too!
Service is very cool and laidback /me like
But hey now, don't go all at once, I'd like to keep it private;p -
Review from Stephanie S.
Vancouver, BC
5/20/2011
Recently came here for a bite to eat after a hockey game. I ordered the chicken salad and my sister ordered the pesto mac'n cheese. Both dishes were kinda blah and both dishes were $16 dollars! ooomph.
Relish has a few things to make up for the fact that their food is over priced and not very good. 1. They have $3 beers every day of the week. 2. They create a dance floor that comes alive with some of the craziest people. Makes for a fun night out with the girls! -
Review from Daisy C.
9/19/2011
I didn't try any of their food, but they have a different $3 local beer every night :) Very clean, well decorated, great atmosphere, and quick service. Can't really think of anything to complain about.
And just for the record:
Mon: - Bottles of Moosehead
Tue: - 18 oz Pints of Whistler Pale Ale
Wed: - 12 oz Sleeves of GI Honey Lager
Thu: - Bottles of Alexander Keith's IPA
Fri: - 12 oz Sleeves of Kokanee
Sat: - 12 oz Sleeves Whistler Black Tusk Ale
Sun: - 18 oz Pints of OK Spring 1516 Bavarian Lager -
Review from Christine R.
New Westminster, BC
Updated - 1/29/2011
I'm still loving Tuesday trivia night UYEs and the $3 beer, but the food has gone way downhill ever since Relish changed chefs. "Gastropub" is a slippery little fish of a marketing term, but whatever it is, wings, poutine, chicken burgers and Caesar salad isn't it. And portions are tiny to boot (maybe this is the gastro part).
They've also recently changed the hosts for the trivia, and while it's still fun, there's a lot of filling going into that brain sandwich. TWO music rounds? A category on "Current events" that is actually a quiz on yesterday's Province newspaper? C'mon. I'm happy we got second prize, but nerd alert, it can be a little more challenging, and worldly.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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9/8/2010
Yay for trivia nights with smart chicks (high-fivin' Gina, Vincci + Evilyn)! I've now been to… Read more »
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Review from Virginia H.
1/10/2012
This place was conveniently located by our hotel. They were really cool about us hanging out there, reading and chilling. The happy hour prices were great. I have developed a love for caesar's cocktail because of this place. In general, the food and drinks were affordable and tasty.
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Review from Hilda L.
1/21/2011
Fun factor: 4*
Tee hee I love this place. Because:
1) Usually no cover. Even if cover, only $5.
2) No line-ups
3) Not the typical Granville St. crowd. Ie. Guys are not (too) creepy and not all under 20; I don't feel like I have to wear a tight, short dress to fit in.
4) Beers are only $3. There are also a couple of drinks on special for $4 on Friday.
5) Music is decent. I'm not really snobby towards music as I can dance to anything (not saying I look good doing it).
6) Did I mention cheap drinks & no cover & no lines!? Even on a Saturday night?! (oh and no mandatory coat checks.. yes they do exist..the stupidest thing I have ever heard)
Ambiance: 3*
This place is not very big. Couple of tables, seatings at the bar, and a make-shift dance floor created by moving away the tables. It looks pretty open because there is glass along one side of the wall (the entrance). But it is kind of underground so you get that basement feel (dark and dingy but with nice décor). It does get crowded at night.
Service: 3*
Value: 4.5*
See # 6 above
Recommended/Will I Return: If I'm in the mood for dancing. Which is all the time :) -
Review from Melody M.
2/20/2011
I went to this place years ago and thought it was just meh.... but the place has really changed.
It's a nice casual place to hang out with friends, get a bite to eat and have some drinks. Okay, so on a wekeend, the music is defeaning loud, the dance floor is super crowded and the bar is constantly pack with people trying to get a drink. But, the line up outside is short, the atmosphere and people are chill. -
Review from Stephanie M.
Vancouver, BC
1/16/2011
Came here on a hoppin' Friday night with the girls from work to enjoy some wine, people-watching and good old fashioned girl talk. Good thing we 1. arrived early, and 2. had a reservation, because it got very busy shortly after we arrived and there was a party of 25 that came in a couple of hours after us.
We sampled both the Kettle Valley and Stoneleigh white wines, which were both fantastic. Also our server was friendly, attentive, and kept our water and wine glasses topped up without being asked.
As for the food, my only issue is that there wasn't a huge variety of gluten free options - the menu was definitely more pub-style fare with a classy twist. However the "buck-a-shuck" oysters were delicious, and I even enjoyed a couple of bites of the poutine (made with potato wedges as opposed to traditional shoestring-style fries) that we shared as an appetizer. I'm normally not a big fan of either but they did a great job with both dishes.
My main was the tomato soup served with anise and fennel, and the green salad which came with goat cheese, roasted pear, walnuts and apple cider vinaigrette dressing. Both were delicious; the anise and fennel gave the soup a delicious extra kick, and the flavours of the salad blended together perfectly.
Overall a lively, fun atmosphere and great service - they even played a song at our request and we had a mini dance party. Fun times! -
Review from Vincci L.
BOO.
Many delicious items from before now replaced with typical bar food.
Gone are the duck fat fries, gnocchi poutine, po'boy, shortribs shepherd's pie. So sad.
$1 oysters still in effect all day Monday and from 3-6pm every other day.
Trivia night will never be the same without the duck fat fries.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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7/13/2010
Finally got a chance to try out this place. This is hidden within the same complex underneath Guu… Read more »
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Review from Gina I.
Updated - 11/3/2010 2 Check-ins Here
Ugh, Relish.. Why did you take off your duck fat fries, gnocchi poutine and a few other items? Why? And your $3 beer was a Kokanee the other night, yuck (Sunday) when it says it's supposed to be a 1516. Sad. So sad.
Next time I'll just ask why!2 Previous Reviews: Show all »
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7/21/2010
I went back to Relish. Tuesday. Trivia night. It was so much fun, except for the little jerk squads… Read more »
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Review from Victoria R.
Vancouver, BC
12/11/2010 2 Check-ins Here
I may be a little biased here since I crashed a wake on my first visit (had been meaning to try the place, went over, there was a wake going on.. we just sort of walked in and took a seat). People were dancing and having a good time, and there's a great little table in the corner that lets you see everything, awesome for people watching.
I haven't eaten here yet, so I can't comment on the food, even though the menu looks pretty good - but ambiance is great (been there 3 times now, only twice that I can actually remember though..), the servers are fast and friendly, and the place small and cozy.
I'll be back to try the food and a proper night of debauchery so I can better inform the masses of my grandiose opinion. -
Review from Michelle H.
Vancouver, BC
7/3/2011
Went here on a Saturday night at 7:30pm, we were surprised how empty it was inside, but the menu looked awesome so we decided to stay. Service was OK, she was nice enough just seemed a little bored. But the food was awesome! I got the grilled cheese with fries, definitely not your average sandwich. My friend got the spicy chicken sandwich I think it was called, that was amazing too.
We will be back for sure! -
Review from Evilyn T.
8/11/2010
We came here for trivia night last night, which was really fun. I love when pubs can offer something other than just sports on TV screens and UFC parties for men who question their sexuality. It was five dollars to play trivia, and each group could have a max of four members. Get there early because they run out of seats!
I ordered myself a pitcher of sangria since it was on special for $15, thinking somebody else at my table would help me out, but nobody really did, so I pretty much drank a pitcher of sangria to myself, which sadly didn't have any fresh fruit in it (minus some lemons and limes) and didn't even give me a buzz. Perhaps I'll skip the fruit juice and stick to bottled drinks next time.
I also ordered a grilled cheese sandwich, which sounded like it would be similar to the one I had at Burgoo http://www.yelp.ca/biz... but it wasn't. The sammy was still good, but I could have made it at home. The two tomato slices that came with it that were grilled and spiced were super yummy though. Since the steak frites were basically fries bathed in duck oil, I obviously skipped that option as a side and went with the tomato soup, which was pretty good, but dipping the grilled cheese in it made the whole experience worthwhile. I wish they had fries for veggies though, cuz I would really like to try the veggie burger, but I guess my only option is to have a side salad with it, and that seems kind of boring.
It turns out that our team won the trivia last night, so we have a gift cert for our next outing, so it looks like I'll be back sooner than I thought! Save me a seat at 7!Listed in: Best Pubs/Clubs
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Review from Stephene C.
Vancouver, BC
10/16/2011 1 Check-in Here
I remember coming here way back when, probably just after high school. This is definitely my kind of joint. It's a pub/ bar/ lounge with a dj and dancing at night. Great little hang out.
Funny story actually. So I planned my for my birthday to be celebrated here, I had originally contacted Relish and told them that it was a party of 20. Once I got the confirmation back that it was reserved I sent out a Facebook invite. So most people either didn't RSVP or didn't respond until last minute, which is no fun. The reservation went from 20 to 13 people because I still didn't know who was coming and wanted to make sure that there would be enough space. When the night finally arrived it ended up that only 7 of my very closest friends and family could make it, which was fine by me, I had a great time! I kinda felt bad for Relish because maybe they thought I would be bringing in tons of business, but I'm not really that popular lol. In the end it all worked out because when we got there the only spot that was reserved for us were two fairly small tables that could only probably fit 8 max. The Relish staff must have some sort of foresight ability, because I didn't tell them that there would only be 8 of us all together. I was expecting this huge table to be reserved LOL and thought they may be pissed when I arrived with only 8 people including myself.
Anyways, the food was good and the service great, our waitress was very attentive and often came by our table to see how we were doing. Cheap beer everyday which is awesome, although I was mostly drinking the hard stuff on this night, it was my birthday! Overall great experience after many years passing by before visiting this place once again.
St3Fin -
Review from April R.
9/25/2011
This was a fun place. The service was good, and the place had a cool vibe. Good drink selection and they have daily specials. The food is fresh and we were told all made in house. Try the poutine, its excellent.
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Review from Kreag S.
Vancouver, BC
10/17/2008
I didn't get it...it looked like a hip chic restaurant....but then I realized it was a lounge and a restaurant...one side filled with dinners and the other with loud obnoxious men watching hockey...??? Relish seems like where Surrey people go on a big trip to the city...sorry..but you know it's true...
Now..the food...also confusing to me...part Asian..part Mediterranean... part American..I had so much to choose from that I just gave up and let the server do it for me..it was WAY to overwhelming...or maybe I was too hungry to even think about looking through like 90 items...
Service...meh...cute waiter..that's about all I can say...he wasn't amazing but he didn't suck either...
If you decide to risk the experience...do order the ice cream sandwich for dessert...it seems like an odd choice but very yummy..and huge...big enough for like 3 people to share...and the martinis aren't half bad either!Listed in: Just Skip It
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Review from Dayna B.
Vancouver, BC
Updated - 7/12/2010
Relish has been renovated and is nothing like the former ghost of itself, it's better!
It is now super small, no longer good for large groups, and had now embraced the dark yet trendy pub look enveloping the city. Another great bandwagon they've jumped on is Trivia night. Every Tuesday. For $5 you can compete to win big prizes with all that knowledge that Jeopardy crapped into your brain and you were always wondering what you would do with. By big prizes I most certainly mean booze. I think we got third place and received free Fireball shots. Guaranteeing our return.
Beyond that they have $3 beer specials every night (all delicious Granville Island beers) and cheap pitchers of Sangria on Tuesday. The owner was remarkably nice, checking in and making sure that we were having a good time. Maybe I've lived in the city too long but I find that kind of genuine interest extremely endearing.
Consider it a new place. And a nice one at that. Do it up.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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3/9/2009
Relish is cool.
That's pretty much what you need to know. They have many things on the menu that can… Read more »
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Review from Kassim D.
8/25/2010
so...$11 for a grill cheese sandwich (not worth it) and some watered down weak-a** sangria on "special".
It felt like they were trying too hard to be chic on their menu. They are a pub of sorts and they need to add some regular pub fare - don't worry you can still put your fancy cheese on it .
I was here on a Tuesday for a trivia night - which was fun but the drinks and limited menu hurt the overall experience.
Is it a nice place to look at? sure, but I've had better and this wouldn't be in my top 5 -
Review from J F.
Vancouver, BC
2/13/2011
The food is super yummy and I like the cozy bar atmosphere. Great oysters with delish sauces!
Hit it up -
Review from Joanne L.
Vancouver, BC
7/31/2011
Food is alright, nothing special. I do like the vibe and overall feel of the restaurant. Later at night when it's more of a bar, it's so-so. The dj plays some awesome old school jams (despite the trainwrecks :P) so dancing is a lot of fun there.
however, you have to pay $5 for cover after a certain time which I personally I think it's B.S. for this kind of place. -
Review from Crystal H.
Vancouver, BC
If this was a few years ago -- Relish would have scored a 3. But that would have likely been due to some bland event experiences. I gotta say, the service at Relish is casually impressive!
From my first $5 martini (Friday night special I believe) - to their quick response to a red wine mishap on my friend's dress - they were on the ball with the perfect amount of friendliness.
The restaurant crowd is pretty tame early on--mostly mid evening dinner goers who plan on lounging after or heading to Granville Street. The Guinness Lamb Stew is a hearty meal (and great if you come at lunch time!) while the Walnut Crusted Salmon gives the right amount of crunch and melt.
The Lounge side changes from early evening wine sipping and sitters to a late night bar - complete with a DJ and a dance-ish floor (the dance area fills quickly and dancing turns into swaying)
They rent the space out to private parties and events. And they cater to large crowds --with big tables and a private room off of the restaurant. -
Review from Jessid T.
Burnaby, BC
9/14/2011
Went to trivia night a couple weeks ago. Team of 2, came in dead last, had an amazing time. Super cheap beer, extremely friendly staff, clean bathrooms, free popcorn to snack on. I honestly can't think of anything bad to say, was great will be back again at some point for sure!
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Review from Fab P.
Vancouver, BC
9/27/2011
I love it that they have cheap drink specials every night of the week. The place is a bit small, especially for dancing, and sometimes the music can get a little loud if you are trying to have a conversation, but I do like their selection. Haven't tried their food yet, but I'm curious to go back and do that some time.
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Review from Johnson C.
Vancouver, BC
7/31/2010 2 Check-ins Here
$3 beers specials everyday - need I say more?
Well, I could - the beer glass is pretty small (12 oz), but a good deal nonetheless. There's also some pretty good cocktail specials as well - on the Friday we went, mojitos were $4 and Kokanees were $3. Not my top choice for beer, but glad to see they roll out better beers on weekdays. In addition, oysters were $1 each from 3PM - 6PM. Yay for deals.
The plaza is under construction so the pub is a bit hidden and you're looking out into a construction yard. However, it has a pretty good dark, modern vibe with an appreciated lack of pretentiousness despite the sleek decor and gourmet gastropub-angle. On the weekends, it takes on a bit of a lounge/club feel with a 3AM closing time and a live DJ.
No complaints about the food overall - the menu is quite creative and upmarket from your typical pub food. The oysters (served with 4 unique sauces) and the potato wedges fried in duck fat were pretty good. My friends enjoyed their tourtière meat pie ($15) and Po' Boy ($15) which were decent portions. Not amazing food, but a damn sight better than what you would expect from a typical bar/pub.
Service was very prompt and attentive and let us be when my friends put in a marathon 'catch up over drinks' session.
Overall, I like the overall formula of this place - everyday drink specials and good food in a relaxed environment. I may need to make this a regular haunt. -
Review from Amanda Y.
Vancouver, BC
3/6/2011
***EDIT***
The owner was kind enough to email me and apologise for the incident. It was sincere and unsolicited and I am willing to give this restaurant another chance. This was definitely a classy move and I think everyone has recognised it was a series of unfortunate events that stemmed from poor communication.
I booked a table at Relish for my birthday - we had it at 7 and when I was doing the booking I was told that the table would be held for 15 minutes after our reservation. I understood that to mean that someone from our party had to be there by 715 to have the whole table. I didn't know it meant that my ENTIRE party had to be there by 715 or else we lose all empty spots at our table.
1/2 of the party showed up by 730 and we were happily enjoying our drinks when the manager comes over and grabs tables from our spot and chairs and drags them over to another section. I piped up and told him we were expecting 5 more people, he turned to me and said they were too late and I've lost my reservation is a harsh and condescending tone.
This is the first time I've EVER heard of this being done. I was shocked. It would have been OK if he had at least talked to me and let me know what was going on - he was so incredibly rude! He spoke to me like I was a moron and a bad kid that needed to be punished for my stupidity. What was I supposed to do? I had my brothers and friends still showing up. Should I tell them to leave because the manager at the restaurant had taken my table???
I tried to speak privately with the manager to ask if we could grab some extra chairs and squeeze the rest of my party into the reduced table. At first he tried avoiding me and I had to stalk him down to at least speak with him. When I did he flat out didn't look my in the eye, mumbled something about them sitting at the bar and that I should have known better and I'm out of luck.
My friends and I decided that we didn't deserve to be treated like that and we didn't want to spend our money at this establishment. We cancelled our food orders and decided to settle up. Our bills came with the gratuity added on - it was only supposed to be added for parties of 8 or more and since we were only 6 because of the manager's poor choices we contested it. They did eventually take it off but it required quite a bit of effort on our part.
As we were leaving the manager put his arm around me and told me, in front of my friends, that I should never F*ing come back to his restaurant. I was infuriated. Through the entire process we spoke to him and his staff with respect and with appropriate language. He had no right to speak to me that way and no right to put me down in front of my friends. I was already feeling badly that we didn't have a table for 1/2 of them. To his credit I understand that he had to write off $100 worth of food orders but it was his choice to take our tables and his choice to be rude. Had he at least been accommodating or polite I don't think things would have turned out this way. -
Review from Danielle B.
Vancouver, BC
9/15/2010 11 Check-ins Here
This place is pretty chill. Mondays they have buck-a-shuck oysters all day long (3-6pm every other day) and some really great drink specials.
I went for trivia night on a Tuesday and tried the steak frites cooked in duck fat - delicious - as well as the mini slambers (lamb sliders) that were melt-in-the-mouth good. The $3 pints were the icing on the cake.
The service is really good - I was actually surprised, because it was really busy, but the server managed to keep an eye on everyone and there were no complaints from our table of 10 (very rare!).
I'll probably go back regularly to try a few more items on the menu, as well as some of their drink concoctions. It's a fun place to meet for drinks after dinner, too. -
Review from Graham D.
Vancouver, BC
4/30/2011
Went on a Friday night and the music was pretty good.
$3 beer until 3 am... If you can't enjoy that it's your problem, not the venues.
Great off Granville bar. -
Review from Tim L.
8/25/2008
Relish graciously hosted a fairly large group for an impromptu dinner with minimal effort, or so they made it seem.
Having both a restaurant and lounge that they operate separately makes it for an easy transition in either direction. If you're looking at having a few drinks before dinner or dinner before a few drinks this is a decent place to do it.
Quite a few of us had the loster ravioli which we all found delicious as well as those that ordered their burgers as well.
Service was zippy and responsive for both food & drinks which kept us happy and having a good time. -
Review from Vanessa A.
1/21/2009
Relish is undoubtedly our go-to place for hosting parties and get togethers. So far we've had: 2-3 reunions (of Canadian ex-pats living in the US), 1 surprise bday which also became a surprise wedding proposal, and 1 jack and jill stag/stagette. And yes they show hockey games there which is another reason why we like to go there -- catch the game and then drink away our sorrows when the Canucks lose, which is most of the time.
Each time we called or emailed to set up a little party, the staff/management have been so fast getting back to us (like minutes!) and so accommodating, organized, and friendly. The bartenders are entertaining, fun, fast, and skilled! They once did a little show with shots and some fire. My friends once ordered the salmon in the restaurant and we've had stuff like lamb stew and poutine in the lounge. The salmon, I was told, was amazing. The lounge food is pretty good too. Cocktails are beautifully made as well.
I can't say much for the crowd in the lounge because we've pretty much taken over the space with our parties but, seriously, awesome management and staff. We always have a great time there.
Only complaint. The bench seating along the wall feels like it's filled with hay or something. Really uncomfortable. The rest of the seats are comfy and easy to move around so you can chat with different people in the lounge. -
Review from Rachael T.
Toronto, ON
Updated - 3/14/2009
I went back for late appies on a Sunday night with a few friends and the restaurant was empty... but I guess that was why they are promoting the $20 3-course meal special on Sundays and Mondays.
My friends and I weren't that hungry so we ordered 3 appies:
-breads and dip
- chicken skewers
- baked brie and cranberry sauce with wasa crackers
Wine recommendations from the waitress was great. The food was tasty and the phyllo baked brie was oozing with cheese! The trio of dips complimented the bread very well.
I'd like to go back for a full meal - and especially brunch!1 Previous Review: Show all »
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2/9/2009
This isn't the first time I've been to Relish (lounge area), and I don't understand why it seems to… Read more »
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Review from Tony J.
8/23/2010
Every once in a while you just get lucky... Literally walked out of the hotel that I was staying in looking for a place to grab a beer and relax before dinner, and stumbled upon this gem.
Excellent service, I like a place that has attention to detail, and it's obvious that they take cocktails seriously.
The food was far and above the best I've ever had in a bar/tavern setting. The oysters were amazingly fresh.
You know it's good when I went back every day the entire time I was in town. And I will definitely go back when I am back in Vancouver.
Great vibe, friendly staff, good food and drink, priced appropriately, equals five stars. -
Review from Anita T.
Toronto, ON
10/23/2008
Relish is a great experience. There is so much food to choose from - it's great! Whatever you're in the mood for, they will have! FINALLY, a restaurant that will able to satisfy everyone in a large group.
And they are great at accommodating large groups - even at short notice! The restaurant portion is connected to the lounge - which makes it easy to change scenes without having to go out into the cold. -
Review from Bethel L.
Victoria, BC
2/5/2009
Soul-food (literally).
For my birthday dinner, my husband suggested that we take our party to Relish. We walked by to scope it out, and I said "nay," cause it didn't look all that impressive (I would later come to regret this decision, as we went to Samba instead. See my review on Samba for a thorough explanation).
After dinner, our reservations at Lamplighter fell through, so everyone decided to meet up at Relish. I was surprised to see so many people there, and was grateful that as "birthday-girl" I got to skip the long lineup for the bar/club ;) It was so packed that you could hardly dance without fear of getting stepped on (especially if you're short like me), and I was glad that we pre-funked because we would've had a hard time trying to get a drink. The DJ was entertaining to watch, but he kept playing the same song ("Put Your Hands Up in the Air"), which was probably because he wanted to keep doing this silly little dance that coordinated with it. Yay for him, but kind of redundant for the rest of us.
A few days later, a friend suggested that we go to Relish for dinner. Now that I was completely sober, I was able to appreciate that the interior definitely looks better than the exterior. The service was aight and the food just so-so. I decided that I could probably better spend my dolla-billz elsewhere. But for some reason Relish keeps running into me...
A week and a half later, hubby and I decided to check out a local church, and afterwards some of the new folks we met invited us for lunch at (drumroll...) Relish. The yoke of my eggs benedict was overcooked, but all in all the food was okay.
When we got our bill, my husband and I noticed that our total was discounted. Our waitress happened to be Asian, so we looked at each other and slyly whispered in unison, "Asian-discount?" But a little bit later, I peeked over at the bill of our Caucasian buddy next to us and noticed that his receipt was marked down too. Since Sunday afternoons are slow, it turns out that if you bring in a bulletin from a church service that day, your meal is discounted!
Moral of the story: You can get sustenance for your soul, then go to Relish to get some for your stomach :) -
Review from Awesta M.
1/29/2011
One of my good friends decided to hold their b-day party here, and I was, to be quite honest, a tad skeptical. I had been here many moons ago and remember thinking that the place wasn't that great and never went back.
But oh how things change after some moons go by. I don't know what they did or how they did it, but by the time we left after 1am, I was a believer. First, service was good. The waitress came by and got the orders and was organized about it. (There were quite a few of us, and at the outset she took our names and rang up everyone's bill that way...no annoying bill problem at the end of the night, awesome!!) Second, the food was really good. I had the grilled cheese and it was delish. I could've eaten two of those no problem.
Then the music started and it was great! I pretty much did not get off the dance floor until we left. My only complaint, there was a ton of us on the dance floor and it got hot in there and there was no fan system to cool it down at all. My only option was to go outside and freeze to cool down which in the summer is totally fine in January...not so much.
I'm already trying to organize a trivia night among my friends b/c I really want the new version of this place to be successful.
