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Wild Garlic Bistro
Category: Restaurants Tapas/Small Plates Tapas/Small Plates [Edit]
792 Denman StVancouver, BC V6G 2L5
Neighbourhood: West End
(604) 687-1663
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 5 pm - 10:30 pm
Sat-Sun 9 am - 2:30 pm
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual, Intimate
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
27 reviews for Wild Garlic Bistro
Review Highlights
-
"Roasted Garlic & Camembert Cheese Fondue." In 4 reviews -
"The mashed potatoes were also amazing." In 3 reviews -
"The food was wonderful and the staff was very friendly." In 4 reviews
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27 reviews in English
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Review from Tori M.
12/28/2011
This was our 2nd visit in 4 years. So glad the place was still here. Especially enjoyed the Garlic Fondue and the service.
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Review from Gosia Z.
Vancouver, BC
4/24/2012
A friend from out of town wanted to treat me to a nice dinner - so I went with the reviews, and we ended up at Wild Garlic on a Friday night.
I'll start with the good:
- the stuffed olives and the asparagus were delicious
- the atmosphere was great
- the waitress was attentive and actually pretty funny - cracking polite and witty jokes
The not so good:
- the wine list was minimal and not very adventurous (just the normal big name wineries)
- for a place with the words "wild" and "garlic" in the name - the food wasn't very representative. It was lacking the "umph" we were expecting. I ended up adding salt to the gnocchi and the the prawns, and we used the sauce from the prawns to dip the prawn and shittake pot stickers.
Overall - for the price, I was expecting a bit more creativity with the presentation and the flavours. I wasn't dissatisfied, I just wasn't wowed... so I am glad my friend footed the $100 bill ;) -
Review from Melissa E.
Vancouver, BC
10/19/2011
Hmmm. Well I hate to be the bearer of bad news but I'm not a fan. A disclaimer...we were here for a group function and had a set 3 course menu. Price was $35. I wasn't really hungry so I got the steak entree only which ended up costing me $27. I could NOT believe this. It was a basic steak dish. With a scoop of mash potatoes and a few overcooked greens. There is NO WAY that is worth $27. I figured I would probably pay about $20 but this was outrageous. The steak itself was mediocre quality at best.
Drinks were...well drinks. Not great prices (wine was $8 and martini $10) and well, drinks. Nothing special about them.
The overall quality of the restaurant (again, I acknowledge this was for the set menu only) in my humble opinion was lacking. It was passable but nothing close to memorable.
I guess I could try it again under normal circumstances but there are way too many other good restaurants to choose from.Listed in: Yelp's 30 day Challenge
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Review from James G.
3/25/2012
Stopped in here for brunch. The food was great with fast service. I loved how the fish and fruit were extremely fresh.
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Review from Kim C.
10/13/2011
I'm a salt addict.
So at the end of the meal, when Boyfriend pointed out that I hadn't added any salt to my food, we knew we'd found someplace special.
Don't get me wrong--the food here isn't overly salty. It's just THAT GOOD. I was enjoying it so much, I didn't even remember look for the salt shaker.
I would go into detail, but everyone else has pretty much said it all! -
Review from Randall S.
New Westminster, BC
11/16/2011
Easily the best brunch -- and best value -- in Vancouver. The eggs benny (and they have several varieties) are amazing. Weak spot is the coffee--not the best, but you don't come here for coffee.
At dinner, the tapas are excellent -- especially enjoyed their gyoza, the camembert and garlic fondue, and the stuffed portobello mushrooms. Their edamame are also a treat.
The real gem here, though, is the owner/manager: Sandy. She has an unbelievable memory for names and your likes/dislikes, and is a friendly, delightful host. Unfortunately, she no longer works brunch, so you can only see her at dinner.
The decor is a bit dated, and I think that holds this spot back from truly being a hipster hang out. -
Review from Cynthia F.
Vancouver, BC
7/3/2011
This was our first foray into a Denman Street restaurant and Wild Garlic has set the bar high for reasonably priced tasty food and very pleasant service. Got there about 6:30 p.m. on a Friday and there was only one other couple dining, so it was nice and quiet.
We've had cheese fondues, and meat fondues and now we can say we've had a Roasted Garlic & Camembert Cheese Fondue and it won't be our last. Quite delicious indeed.
Garlic Mashed Yams could have done with more flavour, but the Scallops & Smoked Salmon Wontons with Dill Cream easy compensated with great flavours. We'll do those again next time too.
Sauteed Ginger Beef with fresh Green Beans was as good as the decadent chocolate dessert, which we'll have again next time too.
Hubby and I timed it perfectly with a window seat to watch the Critical Mass ride go by, in which our two sons were participating. By the time we left Wild Garlic the restaurant was full.
Service was warm and friendly and the whole experience was really enjoyable. Great start to the weekend - thanks Wild Garlic! -
Review from Anna A.
Vancouver, BC
4/13/2011
Love this place! Martini nights on Friday!
Food is fantastic and staff is awesome!
Must try the cheese fondue ~ finger licking good! -
Review from Josh G.
11/16/2010 2 Check-ins Here
Man, another awesome Yelp find. Had to take out my poppa and the family for a birthday, had a table at Guu booked but my girlfriend noticed Wild Garlic on Yelp so we decided to give it a shot. At first, we were a little hesitant because the restaurant was literally empty and Nook across the street had a line-up out the door....cool, more room for us!
A very cool, garlicky tapas experience. Everything comes with roasted garlic, and it is all delicious. We had 6 of us, so I literally ordered 3/4 of the menu, tried the entire tapas and veggie section, it was all awesome. Highlights: Garlic mash was awesome, Seared prawns were great. Only real critiques would be the fondue is not a fondue, it's molten cheese with garlic, but in no way is that a fondue (still delic). Also, the "pomme frites" are potato wedges, nothing else, very delicious but wrong label. Seeing as how those labeling issues are my only critiques, the food is clearly amazing. Definitely a place worth checking out, but bring breath mints! -
Review from Kerri J.
3/15/2011
I was a big fan of this place years ago when it was still on Broadway. I recently had the opportunity to visit the Denman location with my family.
The place is really small and therefore really hot (the kitchen is open and right in the middle of the restaurant) and the décor is slightly dated, the food is worth the trip.
These people know how to roast garlic! I would like to know how much garlic they go through in a day.
They have dinner plates but though we had the tapas so we could try a little bit of a lot of things.
The price was ridiculously affordable, we had 6 cocktails and two bottles of wine and the meal only came to $160.00
Here is what we had:
Gin Martinis with Stuffed Green Olives with Roasted Garlic and Asiago Cheese - delicious martinis!
Roasted Garlic & Camembert Cheese Fondue - this was always my favourite at the Broadway location, though not as good as I remember (maybe this one was a little short on cheese), it is worth a try and I would say one of their signatures dishes.
Gnocchi with Garlic, Roasted Walnut & Parmesan Cheese - YES PLEASE!!! The gnocchi was fried and the flavor profile perfect (I have never met a gnocchi I don't like, but these were something special)
Stilton and Sage Breaded Stuffed Portabella Cap, Marsala Cream - Delicious, an excellent combination of flavours
Prawn & Shitake Mushroom Pot stickers with Ponzu Dressing - delicious, one of the best things we had all evening (which is saying a lot since everything was good)
Duck Confit, Sour Cherry Jus, Garlic Mashed Potatoes - Duck confit is always good, this one was a little dry on the outside but still nice and tender in the middle. This was probably my least favourite of the evening because of the dryness, but don't get me wrong it was still delicious.
Slowly Roasted Candied Garlic with Crostini - Though under appetizers, we saved this for dessert. It is not too sweet and not too garlicky.
Go here, you won't regret it! -
Review from Shannon M.
North Vancouver, BC
7/3/2010
Mmm... bring on the garlic! The boyfriend and I decided to hit up Denman on a beautiful Friday night and before we headed out he checked Yelp for decent dinner suggestions. Wild Garlic Bistro came up high on the list and, knowing my giant love of the garlics, suggested we try it out.
The restaurant is tiny and most of the better tables were reserved so we ended up at the little two seater at the back. But once we started looking over the menu we forgot all about the table and had to get down to the business of deciding what to leave out from our order.
We ended up starting with the roasted garlic chambert fondue. Oh. Oh my. Dudes. it was SO GOOD. I'll go back just for this. Once we finished that up we shared the ginger beef (really good, the beef was super tender and the sauce really nice), sauteed veggies (again, really good, especially the asparagus) and the gnocchi with candied walnuts (this was AMAZING. Just really simple but so deliciously tasty). With the exception of the ginger beef everything had lots of perfectly roasted garlic cloves.
Aside from the crazy good food, our service was excellent. The two ladies working were both very friendly and it was all super quick and fresh. And the price was very reasonable, especially given that it's all tapas (which I've generally found to be not really worth the cost).
I'll most definitely be back. Mmm... garlic. -
Review from Nick C.
We got the perfect corner window seat on a Saturday night - what a great start. The service here is genuine and very timely - big thumbs up. The martini was decent, but I wouldn't come here just for drinks when there is such delicious food. We split the spinach dip, scallop wontons, and beef with vegetables and everything was a hit. If you are allergic to garlic or a vampire, I would not recommend this place for obvious reasons. For the rest of the world, you are in for a treat.
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Review from Danielle N.
Vancouver, BC
9/2/2011
Great food and friendly service. Had a group of 10 people and it was really nice to get a reservation. Drink specials are very well priced. I had the duck confit, ghnocci, mussels and fondue. So amazing!
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Review from Jasmine O.
Vancouver, BC
2/8/2010
Calling all garlic lovers, all tapas lovers, decent price lovers, and all cute little bistro lovers: Wild Garlic is the place for all of the above!!! Mina B. and I enjoyed ourselves sipping wine and sharing some eats at this neat little place on Denman street last night. very decent prices, portions and tastes. 3 shared dishes cost us $25 and we were so full afterwards we tried walking it off on the seawall.
We got there right when it reopens for the evening at 5pm. We were the only customers there for our entire visit but i'm sure the place gets a lot more guests later in the evening. Can't wait to return for some special coffee and dessert as that menu looked yummy too. -
Review from Mina B.
2/7/2010 2 photos
Just got back from this cute little place and i'm so full!!
The two of us shared:
- Roasted Garlic & Camembert Cheese Fondue
- Fried Tofu, Sweet Chili Sauce & Julienne Vegetables
- Shittake Mushroom Risotto on Spinach
The fondue was great although i wish it came with more crackers.
The fried tofu was delicious and the sauce was perfect for my taste. Somewhere between sweet & sour and sweet & chili.
The risotto was good, even better with some of the tofu sauce.
The service is friendly, the prices are adequate and the place is cozy.
I didn't get a chance to try the desserts cos i was too full but
i will definitely come back. -
Review from Denni P.
Vancouver, BC
4/10/2011 2 Check-ins Here
by far my favorite brunch place in the city and it's in my hood. The owners are friendly and if you have a special dietary request be sure that you'll be accomodated.
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Review from Tae K.
Vancouver, BC
6/27/2009
Although I didn't dine here, I must say the happy hour specials at Wild Garlic Bistro are fantastic. Every night features a different special, from $3.50 pints to the choose-your-own-special on Sundays. I went with friends for $4 martinis on Friday night, and was not disappointed. Their menu features a martini mix for every taste (two full pages of choices!) along with an extensive wine list. The desserts - we tried the cheesecake and chocolate cake - were plentiful and delicious as well.
The restaurant itself, at a prime location on Robson and Denman, is pretty small, so get their early to avoid crowds. Also, the service wasn't all that great throughout the night, as we had to fight for the servers' attention. All in all, though, Wild Garlic is a great place for cheap drinks on any given night. -
Review from Littlefish B.
Vancouver, BC
10/8/2009
I love this place. Everything features garlic. The food is very, very tasty and some of it very creative. This isn't ultra-high-end. It's mid-range and comfortable. I adore the manager/hostess, Sandy, who is tireless and very personable. It only seats about 25 so make a reservation if you want to be sure to get a table, but give it a try if you're out for a walk & it strikes your fancy.
Strongly suggest ordering the fondue to start, or if you're there for lunch the very rich to-die-for Dijon chicken soup is a meal unto itself. For dinner, ask Sandy her for recommendations. I love asking her to just pick the dishes to feed the table - she likes doing it (don't know if there needs to be a minimum number of people but she did do it for 2 of us one night), brings each one out as a surprise and it makes it fun.
A word of warning: everyone in a 15 foot radius will know what you had for dinner the night before. -
Review from Jose C.
12/16/2010
I come here for dinner every time I visit Vancouver and always leave happy. It's a tiny space with an open kitchen and I like being seated in the booth opposite to watch (and smell the wonderful aromas). I feel bad for the kitchen as they scurry to put the plethora of tapas I've ordered together. They always deliver a fantastic meal.
The garlic fondue is transcendent. Garlic is in everything, in a good way, because they know how to handle it. I can't be a regular but just wanted to show some love from south of the border! -
Review from Cathy B.
Tillsonburg, ON
Updated - 5/7/2011
My friends Karen and Roy and I went to the Wild Garlic for dinner. We started out with martinis which were on special for $4.95 for a 2 oz martini - I had a Deluxe or sometimes called a Beautiful Vodka Martini with scotch instead of vermouth. It's halibut season and so I had the special grilled halibut with a cassis drizzle, garlic mashed potatoes and yummy vegetable mix of baby bok choy, small carrot and asparagus. It's a small intimate restaurant with candle light. We sat in one of the booths and our timing was perfect as we had 1 1/2 hrs before a birthday party was booked. A nice cozy place on a rainy spring night. The service is very friendly and has a very good neighbourhood feel. This is my go-to breakfast/brunch spot on the weekend.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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3/1/2010
This is my neighbourhood go- to for brunch on the weekends. I've also gone for dinner a couple of… Read more »
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Review from J B.
7/29/2011
The food was wonderful and the staff was very friendly. Just happened upon this spot looking for some good seafood where a dress code isn't required. I had the halibut special, and finished off the meal with some delicious chocolate cake.
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Review from Megan S.
7/29/2009
I'm excited about garlic anything- but even more exciting here are the drink specials!
We stopped in here Sunday at 5 (they are open in the morning, then close in the afternoons, and then reopen at 5 in the evening), so at first we were the only ones there. The best thing about Sunday is that you get to pick from any of the drink specials during the week. My friends had caesars for 3.50 and I have long island iced teas for 3.50. We were all very satisfied with our bevs.
We sat at the bar- and I believe the woman who served us is the owner of the restaurant. She was great, very friendly, extra garnishes on the drinks, and quick service.
For food we shared a garlic and cheese fondue. It came with crackers, and they were good, I would have also liked some crusty breads. Also we had friend tofu- which was alright. I'm not too big a fan of tofu- but I will say the sauce and the grilled red peppers that topped the tofu were GREAT!
While we were there the place filled up (it is quite small in here). Most of them were regulars that our server knew by name. I really liked that. I hope to come back often, particularly on Sundays! -
Review from Bill F.
8/12/2008
Yum! I will swear by this place every time I go to Vancouver. Their menu includes fresh tapas dishes, and I've not yet had a bad meal there. The last one, a lamb tenderloin, just melted all over my mouth without any gamey afterglow.
My friends swear by the cocktails, and it's so nicely located. The wait staff is friendly and hospitable. They will recommend, and it's all good.
Can't wait to go back. -
Review from Edward J.
5/4/2009
The only reason we came here is that it was so highly recommended by everyone. Maybe I'm spoiled by the excellency of Portland brunch culture... but the food at this place really sucks. Okay, so the focus is on garlic. How is that breakfast and brunch oriented focused!? So we ordered two different types of egg Benedict. I got the spinach with tomato and cheese egg benedict... the spinach was not fully cooked, the tomato was really wet and the cheese was I'm not sure even if it was cheese. It was so over cooked that it became part of the egg. And the biscuit that goes with the benedict did not taste good. It tasted like garlic... just garlic. My bf ordered the salmon egg benedict... it was really gross. The salmon is fine but the holliander sauce on top was really bad. To me it looked like tar tar sauce and tasted like garlic paste with milk. I don't understand why they would put so much garlic in everything just 'cause they are called wild garlic bistro. They need to maintain their garlic overdose. Not coming back again!
And the waitress was pissing me off. She seems to be in a hurry all the time. She was freaking me out. CALM DOWN WOMAN! -
Review from Louise P.
3/7/2010
I read about this restaurant on Yelp and decided to try it out tonight. I called at 5 pm while driving back from Whistler and asked for a table at 8 pm. Then we ended up going straight there from the rood and showed up at 6:45. There were still a bunch of tables open (like 4-5 out of 8, this is a small restaurant) and they had the nicest table in the window set aside for us with a Reserved placard. That was just the first sign of great service we received there. We never wanted for anything. We had two ladies taking care of us and they were both sweet.
My boyfriend and I had the garlic and camembert fondue, candied garlic cloves, crabcake with papaya salsa and the duck with Grand Marnier orange sauce. At first my boyfriend said the duck was bland but I told him to rub it around in the sauce and then I think he liked it better. The crabcake was ok... I thought a little bland as well, even with the salsa. It needed a sauce. Both the tapas appetizers were excellent though. I think if I went back, I would stick to the garlic centric items since that is obviously their specialty. -
Review from Star S.
Vancouver, BC
10/24/2010
This place has really good food, especially if you like garlic. My man and I went for dinner and decided to go nuts. We got the
1.Slowly Roasted Candied Garlic with Crostini
2.Roasted Garlic & Camembert Cheese Fondue
3.Fried Tofu, Sweet Chili Sauce & Julienne Vegetables
4.Garlic Mashed Potatoes
5.Pan Seared Mussels, White Wine Garlic Herbs
6.Prawn & Shittake Mushroom Potstickers with Ponzu Dressing
Everything was delicious and we actually finished it all but we were stuffed. Everyone yelped about the fondue which we found good but not the best thing on the menu. The candied garlic was spectacular and a lot more unique. The mashed potatoes were also amazing. I recommend this place but just don't get so many garlic things like we did. We ate probably 20 cloves of garlic each which isn't healthy. Oh, also, we went this past Friday around 6 and there was barely anyone there but I'm thinking it gets more crowded later. -
Review from Edwyn E.
1/13/2009
great happy hour specials. sunday its your call martini's and they have tons of different kind of martini's to choose from. also if you want to soak up that alcohol with some tapas they have a pretty good selection. great place to hang out after spending the day shopping in downtown.
