If you go to Blackbird. You must try their sausages. They are the best I've ever had and that is the sole reason that I give them 5 stars!
The experience started out crappy but Management made it way better! I was impressed with their desire to make us enjoy our stay and want to come back!! Next time will be epic šGreat food and happy hour š»š·š„
āDine Outā, Vancouverās annual food showcase brings diners out to try restaurants they might not otherwise get to, at prices they can afford. Either $20, $30, or $40 for a three course meal. It has started now and during its two week run, if you are looking to participate and take advantage of some especially cheap eats, may I recommend, āBlackbirdā? I love a good deal that doesnāt diminish the quality for a better cost. And tonight I got it with their dine out menu. Their goal is to present diners with the best menu for $20, I havenāt tried any others, but honestly, they have their work cut out for them with the below.
If youāre still deciding on where to go for Dine Out Vancouver 2017, then allow me to present the $20 Dine Out menu at The Blackbird Public House. The Blackbird is a modern pub located in the heart of Downtown (Hornby and Dunsmuir) featuring fresh daily oysters, pizzas and daily lunch & dinner offerings created by Chef Alvin Pillay. One of the highlights of The Blackbird is their beverage program which includes twenty-four beer lines, unique craft cocktails and a satellite scotch bar with 70+ labels. Last week, I attended a media tasting of the Dine Out Vancouver 2017 menu at The Blackbird Public House.
Dine Out Vancouver season is in full effect. I was invited for a preview of The Blackbird Public House & Oyster BarĀ this year and sampled all the dishes they offered on their $20 menu. One of the latest restaurants opened under the Donnelly Group, this public house prides itself on fresh oysters, pizzas, cocktails and other drinks in an art deco type of setting.
Came here on a rainy day for lunch. This place exceeded all of my expectations, I had their specialty, the sausage platter. You choose two types of sausage and two types of mustard, and can add things like a pretzel, sauerkraut and the like. The food was phenomenal! I accompanied the food with the surprisingly cheap $6.00 Flight of Beers, and my 3 beers were the Granville Island Craft, the Parallel 49 Lager, and one of their ciders. I loved them all, and the Blackbird has an extensive amount of Beers on tap, so I will definitely be trying new ones each time I go. The Blackbird Public House had a great atmosphere with dark wood, a long communal table, pool tables, and lots of TV's for watching sports. For a great, classic European pub atmosphere, some great food, and some delicious beer, this is the place is for you.
Despite the fact that this is a Donnelly Group creation, I actually really enjoyed the blackbird.Ā I found theirĀ more traditional European Style pub food a cut above the usual.Ā If youi don't believe me, order a Currywusrt and wash it down with a Pilsner and you'll see what I mean.Ā I would recommend this pub as a great place to get together.
The first I noticed today when I walked into The Blackbird, was their bistro area was taken over a whole restaurant called Royal Dinette, another āFarm to Tableā establishment. I would definitely like to go there in the near future. So The Blackbird is only on the 2nd Floor now. The Happy Hour at The Blackbird seems pretty popular for the Downtown white collar crowd. I guess you canāt beat the But the 3-dollar house wine and beer. The special appetizer menu is small with only 4 choices, and for the price, the portion of food is very small. But I guess they still need to make some profits.
I hit up the Blackbird for lunch today. The blackened chicken sandwich was excellent. The side salad on the other hand, came with a smear of carrot puree around the outside of the bowl. No shit - a carrot puree. Easily one of the most bizarre culinary endeavours I've ever been subjected to. Anyway, this is a great spot to hit for lunch...
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Lunch with Luch - Blackbird Public House + Oyster Bar. Blackbird Public House ā A Donnelly Group public house, though this one feels higher class than the usual Donnelly bar that comes to mind. Set in the heart of the financial district, this public house offers a two-level experience; the ground level features an oyster bar and restaurant, whereas the top embodies more of an upscale British pub atmosphere. Upstairs features a pool table and shuffleboard, along with an additional satellite scotch bar ā with over 70 labels. The Blackbird Barbers is connected to the ground level, adding to the overall trendy vibe.
Atmosphere
The decor is the most intriguing aspect of Blackbird. Okay, aside from the $3 wine and $1.50 oyster happy hour specials, itās the most intriguing part of Blackbird. With tan pin cushion leather couches, vintage 1900ās lighting, and muted charcoal walls, with brass accents throughout. It brings to mind an Oxfordian library, which basically makes you feel like a classy badass while you nibble and drink.
The run down
After work on a Friday, with coworkers, the first thing I needed a cocktail. Though the $3 happy hour wine was tempting, I needed something to match the way I felt (see above: badass) so I opted for The Four Horsemen ($14). Though it was apparently all alcohol, it was delicious! Created by Jay Jones, in 2012, it featured Makerās 46 bourbon, taverna amaro, gaffed abricot de roussillon liqueur, and Angostura bitters. Donāt try to say the ingredients five times fast after a few of them though.
Now with oysters for $1.50 on happy hour, thereās no way we could pass on those. We had a mixed bag of Joyce Point, Beach Angels, and KwakĢwala oysters. They came with 3 sauces; spicy cocktail sauce, a bacon sherry sauce, and a cucumber kombu sauce. The bacon sherry was the tableās favourite, and I have to say pairing bacon with oysters was surprisingly delicious.
For my next cocktail I opted for for Pigalle ($10). Unfortunately, our server let us know that they were transitioning their cocktail menu, and the bartender didnāt have all the ingredients for it ā but he made me a Pigalle-inspired drank instead. The original, another Jay Jones original from 2013, had Martin Millerās gin, raspberry vinegar, passion fruit syrup, and fresh lime.
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Unpretentious fine dining at its best.. The dining section of Blackbird was designed with a very vintage feel, making it seem trendy but classy at the same time. The waitresses here are gorgeous and friendly, while all their staff are very knowledgeable about their menus, beverages and of course, the restaurant itself. We saw all sorts of people dining there, from hipsters in shorts to businessmen in expensive suits! It was pleasant to see such a huge variety of people all enjoying delicious food underneath the same roof.
The highlight of the meal for me was the albacore tuna starter, which was extremely high quality and cooked to perfection. The fish tasted sashimi-grade and the avocado mousse that came on the side perfectly complemented the dish. We liked how their menus emphasized on locally sourced food, and agreed that everything was extremely fresh and tasty. My main, the smoked duck breast, was also excellent and was so tender that it practically melted in my mouth.
Last but not least, their desserts were incredible! The chocolate gateau was probably one of the best lava cakes that I have ever eaten and the waitress also mentioned that they are made to order from scratch! (Except for the Tahitian Vanilla ice cream from Earnest that comes with it)
I would have to say that the food quality, plating and service were all way beyond my expectations since my first experience at Blackbird was in their bar section but now I know that Blackbird actually has an amazing dining area with an upscale selection of dishes! PS: I have heard that their food has vastly improved this year, especially compared to when they opened in Autumn 2013.
Nice atmosphere. Mostly business types who come here. They do a great job on food presentation and the quality is also decent. The portions will depend on what you ordered. I ordered an 8oz Steak Frites which actually seemed smaller than what I thought I'd get. I do think the prices were slightly higher than what I'd expect based on the food served. We were at the bar with Bartender Ryan who is really great and made are time there more enjoyable.
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