Had the best dinner at Water St Cafe...Eli is the best ever and Joe was our fantastic waiter. I had the Salomon which was fantastic. My husband had the steak and it was best ever. My daughters had the lamb and pasta and can’t stop talking about it. Definitely get the chocolate cake and ask for vanilla ice cream on the side and sorbet was over the top. Mojito and Margaritas were incredible. Thanks gentlemen.
The Water Street Cafe is located in such a beautiful spot in historic Gastown. We had a warm, friendly welcome at the door and great service from our first glass of water until our last bite of delicious dessert. The in-house made gnocchi alone is worth stopping by. I would definitely recommend visiting!
We've lived in Vancouver for many years and have also been in the industry ourselves, and this was our first time dining at Water St. Cafe. We were very pleased with the atmosphere, service and food. Though they were quite busy and the service (very friendly) began a bit slower than it likely normally is, the owner made up for it by ensuring we were well taken care of throughout our evening. The menu offers versatility in selections, so regardless of your dietary restraints or preferences, you will be able to enjoy a delicious meal! Our server also went out of her way to offer helpful suggestions that enhanced our meal. With a view of the steam clock and located right in the heart of beloved Gastown, new visitors and long-time Vancouver residents will enjoy the experience.
The only suggestion we'd make is possibly thinking about building restrooms downstairs.
Thank you for a lovely evening.
~The Tazzman's
Wonderful dinner spot. Easy going but attentive (and knowledgeable) staff ( go Claire!). Pasta dish was sumptuous as my wife's risotto. Def worth the experience.
Chantelle Davidson Paulson
+5
Food was delicious! We had brunch on Saturday and everything from the service to the food was perfect. I ordered the steak and eggs. The steak was cooked just right and the eggs were like butter. The house made foccacia bread is also quite good. My fiancee ordered the carbonara and he said it was quite flavorful and probably one of the best carbonara dishes he's had.
Water Street Cafe is a beautiful location. If you love to people watch. As well as enjoying a glass of wine and endless seafood selection. They offer a little bit of everything.
We loved having lunch here. The fresh salmon and crab cakes were excellent and it was a good place to people watch.
Geoffrey Wilson Speakman
+5
The clam chowder was to die for.
This is the best corner for outdoor dining and people watching.
One of my favourite restaurants in Vancouver. 5 star service and food. I have loved this place for years and still do.
5 Star Service and Food! Salmon was cooked to perfection, delicious mushroom soup and the tiramisu was to die for! A lovely location in the heart of Gastown. We will be back!
Amazing service and food created by artists. Truly an incredible dining experience! I will be back with all my friends and family! Perfect spot to celebrate any occasion! �����
Came her on vacation and order the Spaghetti Olio and was fantastic. The servers were kind and talkative (but not too much!). The price wasn’t too expensive either. Great for dinner or lunch. I think they also serve brunch maybe. Maybe not. I’m not sure
This is a cozy venue with tablecloths so it's a classy but casual venue. The crab cakes and smoked salmon starters were outstanding. The wild salmon main was another winner as was the grilled fish. Loved the BC pinot gris.
Relaxing, welcoming amtmosphere, fresh tasty food, super friendly service, wonderful afternoon in Gastown! Thank you!
So we went somewhere other than the Water Street Cafe for dinner last night and I ended wishing we had gone to Water Street instead. Every meal we have had at Water Street in the last year has been simply outstanding. Even through quarantine and delivery service only their food tasted amazing. Comparing Water Street to another high end Vancouver restaurant made me appreciate the care they put into everything. Beside great food, cocktails, coffee, local wine and impeccable service all the little things are considered. The pleasant upbeat music, polished servers, subtle decoration, attention to hygiene and they personal touches from the owners. I realized this is my favourite place to eat in Vancouver.
My wife and I popped in last night and saw they just built a little expansion to the curb side patio for out door dining. Can’t wait to try it!
The Girl With Curly Locks
+5
water Street cafe is a beautiful cafe situated and gas town and the environment and interior of this cafe is beautifully decorated. The food is also tasty and delicious
It was such an honour to be the very first guest to have a taste of the 2nd annual Crab Fest at the iconic Water Street Cafe in Gastown (June 14 - July 1, 2019) This year the crab-a-licious menu include the luscious BC Dungeness Crab Bisque ($12), the fluffy French-inspired Crab Napoleon ($23.50), the sweet & delicate West Coast Crab Cake ($15), the gorgeous BC Dungeness Crab Club Salad ($33.75), and the legendary Surf & Surf ($46.75) featuring 1/2 crab & local halibut. And you can add 1/2 BC Dungeness Crab to any dish here for $25.
Lovely setting, excellent service and wonderful food. Our server was superb. I would highly recommend the crab and corn chowder. We will definitely be back, and I can’t wait to try their crab cakes.
I didn’t really peg Water St. Cafe as a brunch destination but turns out I was wrong. We were having brunch here to start off a Bachelorette party and they let us have their private room upstairs for “free” since no one else had booked it. Usually they would have to enforce a set menu on us if we wanted to book the room.
Established in 1988, the Water St. Cafe is an iconic restaurant in Gastown overlooking cobbled streets and the world famous steam clock. After the original owner retired last month, the restaurant assumed new ownership but by two industry veterans: Eli Brennan and Chef Alan Tse. Both are formerly of The Teahouse in Stanley Park with Brennan as General Manager and Tse as Chef. This is their first venture together in owning and operating the Water St. Cafe.
I loved my experience at the Water Street Café. It was the perfect warm and romantic spot to grab a delicious meal. The staff are friendly and provide great service right from the moment you walk in the front door. I've enjoyed my meal every time I've been, but their gnocchi is my favourite!
Went to the iconic Water Street Cafe to try their menu offered during dineout season. At a value of $20 for lunch, the overall experience was good with food arriving on time. My only qualm with the place is that the food felt prepared before hand to welcome the guest eating there for dineout, as most of my food felt warmish hot at best, when I expected something such as a soup to be piping hot. Overall though the food was good and the entree that I got, the mussels and frites were generously portioned.
Love the vibe of this place, and the food is great. We tried the risotto, soup and some pasta. All were fresh and tasty and the ambience of being surrounded by gastown streets and people passing by, really seals the deal. Grab a glass of wine and sit by the window and people watch to unwind!
The iconic water Street cafe. Perfectly situated next to Gassy Jack's Clock. Food was great, but pretty standard for an Italian restaurant. The oysters were rich, however only three in the plate. Was almost more about the sauce then the oysters. The small pasta vongole was packed with clams and bacon. Was a tad bit too acidic with lemon, but still tasty and great value. Service was good too. Honestly, though, I didn't find much else unique about this restaurant, except the location being so good and the patio.
Seamus & his trainee, Demi, were great. The Fanny Bay Oysters (roughly 3 & 1/2 large ones) were broiled to a turn; their sauce excellent. 2 snacks, a chardonnay, & a draft: $50 CD's. Perfect day for Al Fresco dining.
I came here a few months ago for dine out Vancouver and it surely didnt disappoint, the service was great as they helped me seat over 10 people and i did change the number of people coming more than twice (very forgiving). It is located in gas town, very close to the steam clock making it easy to find and a great place for dinner with all the lights outside. I ordered the lamb and it was SO tender and moist, i was pleasantly surprised with everything else as well. I would definitely recommend this place to anyone.
Dineout Vancouver Lunch 2016
Everything was great! Really attentive service and great flavours, nice atmosphere. Beautifully plated courses.
It’s that time of the year again and Dine Out Vancouver is back! This year, I decided to visit Water St. Café. The restaurant was offering a $30 menu which featured a choice of one of the available 4 appetizers, 4 entrees, and 3 desserts. Porcini Mushroom Soup. This soup had a very creamy consistency. It had a really intense earthy flavour which might not appeal to everyone. Nevertheless, this soup was very satisfying on a cold, rainy night in Vancouver!
It's a classic and they don't make restaurants like this anymore, because now they make them better. Atmosphere feels a bit dated and subscribes to restaurant etiquette that appeals to an older clientele. That being said the food is spot on although not pushing the needle at all. Service was excellent. This would be a place I'd take my less adventuress dining companions.
The location is the best, directly across from the famous steam clock. The service was great as was the food. The New York steak was great, cooked as I wanted with fries, carrot and more. The prawn linguine was also great, fresh jumbo prawns which were delicious.
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Food delicious - best seafood & corn chowder in Vancouver. It's nice to find a place that makes a good seafood & corn chowder in Vancouver! Most places contaminate their chowders with pork, which has no place in a SEAFOOD chowder. This place gets it! I'd come back just for the chowder!
My wife & I also had the crab cakes for appy, risotto and parmesan-crusted chicken breast for entrees (all very tasty and chicken breast moist & tender) and the tiramisu which was great! And they were sensitive towards my sesame allergy for all dishes which was appreciated.
At first the manager wasn't going to honour our Entertainment book coupon as he said it was a "defined" holiday (whatever that means) as it was Dec 31. When I asked for clarification, he said the coupons are meant as promotion for their slow times and they can arbitrarily pick what they consider to be a "defined" holiday. I told him this was misleading and Dec 31 is not considered a Stat holiday as most businesses are still open. I think he caught on that I was not going to back down or would be a disgruntled customer so he said he'd take care of it. When we left, I told him that the coupon did it's job - it got us to try them as we've never eaten there before (despite walking by the restaurant numerous times over the years) and we would return as well as give them a good review. He seemed indifferent to me when I told him and I'm not sure if he was a bit ticked off that I argued my point to him or because the place was really busy, but I was sincere. We will return and I highly recommend this place for the great-tasting food!
My daughter and I stopped in for lunch Saturday and enjoyed a lovely lunch with friendly service. The Caesar salad for two was a very large portion. Too large really. Pastas were nicely done and desserts were delicious. We will definitely return.
Excellent lunch. Stopped in on a Sunday for lunch and was pleasantly surprised. My wife and I both had the corn and seafood chowder for starters. She had the prawns in coconut curry from the starters menu and I had the fish of the day for entrees, halibut on a bed of polenta with steamed green beans and roasted root vegetables. All were delicious. My halibut was perfectly cooked with a nice crust and the prawns were sweet and plump. The "All Inclusive" martinis were a stand out as well. Had to get the recipe for that one. Service was fast, friendly and professional. Over all a great dining experience.
Fantastic meal. Came with the boyfriend for his birthday dinner. The ambiance is very nice: mellow and romantic. The food is awesome! Duck confit was generously portioned, and flavourful. Potato gnocchi's texture was perfectly fluffy, and so delicious. The service was great, the staff was very attentive and charming. They sang him a birthday song with such enthusiasm when they brought out his tiramisu dessert!
I definitely recommend this place to anyone looking for a romantic setting with fabulous food.
Absolutely lovely experience. Kind, attentive service. Delicious pasta. Strong cocktails and good atmosphere. Great spot for people watching!
Wonderful,creative taste of Vancouver. Once in a great while a restaurant emerges from the "pack"with truely great food, a terrific eclectic menu, and high quality presentation and service. Water st cafe has achieved this distinction. The choices of pastas, duck confit ( the bestI I've had in years), seafood and fish, along with excellent starters are well prepared and presentedon the platein a superior fashion. Be sure to order their oyster appetizer. Unlike most starters, this is unique. The oysters are first cooked, then bathed in an elegant, pepper rue that is exquisite, the peppers are also cooked and are mild, but flavorful.
The salads are also unusual, but most delicious. The pastas are prepared with the care of an Italian mother wanting to please the family, and don't forget the desserts. Order the bread pudding. You will be infor a pleasant surprise! It is filled with berries and burbon sauce, and it is wonderful.
Go and enjoy!
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Not bad but not magnificent. Good service though.. Service:
[-] we waited quite a while until a waitress came and serve us. The food took a bit long to wait too, especially the bread when I had to ask for it specifically! Also most of the waiters had a poker face...
[+] we got a table in the patio in the warm weather when we reserved and they gave us a table when we arrived earlier than the reserved time. When I got my veal, it was very different from what I expected. I told my server that it tasted sour to me and she asked if I would like to see the menu again. The owner was informed, and both of them came to follow up with the replacement entree which was really good service.
Service Score: 4/5
Food:
[-] My friend's halibut (the daily special) tasted like nothing, except you can taste that it's fresh. The sides are not any special at all. My Marsala Scaloppine looks good in presentation, but when I tasted it, it was sour! I'm not sure if it's just me, I was expecting something totally different. I couldn't swallow more so I decided to inform the waitress. Although, the potatoes that came with it were roasted well and I enjoyed it.
[+] So my replacement meal, by recommendation of the waitress was the Linguine with Prawns, although I was considering the gnocchi or ravioli. I liked the pasta way more than the veal. The parmesan threads was the perfect touch to the dish. The cheese and the tomatoes and the pasta tasted so good together...that I wish I had gotten more parmesan! The tomatoes were really good as they were soft and had a lot of sauce/juice. The prawns were very fresh and juicy. The pasta was done el dente but it had a bit too much of olive oil. It would have been better without the excess oil and if it had more basil and garlic taste.
We paid with entertainment card discount and two entrees came to 27 after tax. (the halibut was 23.50 I believe) I would come here again if I have another entertainment coupon, but probably not in a while. The dishes at their quality do not worth the regular price and we would have ordered desserts if they were cheaper.
Food: 3.5/5
I don't mind returning but other places could probably offer the same thing, at a lower price.
Ambiance: It's not a big deciding factor to me. This restaurant wasn't too noisy, and it was fun to have the steam clock nearby going off every 15 minutes. It might be annoying to some people though.
Total: 3.75/5
Tasty. Had the Fanny Bay oysters for an appy and crab cakes for the main. Lime cheesecake was the daily special. Would have liked to try the lobster, but decided to go local. Good food.
Sidewalk Cafe by the Steam Clock. It was a dreary, cloudy day, and my wife and I had been slogging through Gastown. We were tired and hungry by the time we reached the Steam Clock, and this sidewalk cafe just seemed to beckon to us. We were promply seated beside a radiant heater. The soup of the day was pumpkin-crab soup, and we could not pass it up, being from Baltimore, MD, USA. It was delicious and brightened the rest of the day for us. We have tried to duplicate the soup every year as part of our family Thanksgiving tradition. We give this cafe an A+.
Great food in very scenic part of Vancouver. Service was friendly and courteous. Prices and food portions were very reasonable. Highly recommended.
Pretty decent. This was a pretty nice restaurant with a good view of Gastown. It was right across from the clock tower so there were always a lot of people. I had the chicken and my boyfriend had the salmon. We both thought it was pretty good. The portion was not very large, but enough to satisfy.
Gas Town Treasure. I had a ravioli and it was great!
Destination Rest / Excellent Italian. Very nice menu and have been several times over the years. Great location in Gastown not only to walk to, but to sit and watch the passer's by. Very good service as well.
High quality consistent food. This restaurant has been a favorite for years. It may not be one of the new 'in' places to dine but you can never go wrong choosing Water St. Cafe. Very good.
I've always liked Water St. Cafe in Gastown. It is a relatively affordable restaurant with a nice atmosphere and good food. This year they're celebrating their 21st anniversary so they were offering a Whole Lobster entree
I have been to the Water Street Cafe at least six times within the last year. No less… Was there for Valentine's Day this year, my birthday last year, dinner with H last October… at least three times in six months off the top of my head. What makes me
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