Lived in the New West area about 25 years ago and went here often then. Just moved back and returned for the first time. The food is still the best Greek food around this area. Any restaurant that can last for over 25 years must have something going for it and this one does.
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PARKING: Lots of free parking. Look for the red ferrari upfront in plexi-glass housing. Really.
BUILDING: Looks like an old house converted to open area space. Lots of knick-knacks, live flowers, plants and vines, candles. lamps decorate. Definitely not your cookie cutter ikea assembled restaurant setting. A bit dark inside but some people like that.
OWNER: Quite the character. Curmudgeony is a good word. He doesn't mingle with the patrons and keeps to himself mostly. The white shirts! But, if you can get past that and all the haters in this site, there is some good food to be had here. Iolanthe (I had to look up the spelling) was our server. Ask for her and you will okay.
BIG PARTIES: Actually quite a big area with enough space to have bigger parties in the back, enough to walk around and socialize.
WHERE TO START: Vassilis Platter is great introduction. Includes keftedes (greek meatballs), spinach pie, chicken skewers, prawn skewer, lamb chops, roasted potatoes, greek salad, pita bread and tzatziki , all wonderful, not fond of the roasted zucchini. Hummus is extra but definitely homemade and best in Burnaby (that you can buy get at a restaurant and not made by yaya)
SOMETHING DIFFERENT: Moussaka, think of it as Eggplant lasagna, really works!
PRICE: A bit pricey to be honest. Careful when you order extra skewers and ask for the price first.
BOTTOM LINE: Writing this review to honour my late friend Bia who mastered gastronomy and left behind a substantial cookbook collection duly annotated. Vassilis is the only place she enjoyed eating Greek food around here. She was selective with what she ordered but she really enjoyed it with gusto!
Amazing!. My boyfriend and I ate in and ordered a garlic bread, tandoori chicken pizza and lamb sovlaki pizza. The garlic bread came out first, which we tucked right into straight away. The bread was fresh, and garlic plentiful, making it so tasty and morish. Our pizzas came out soon after. When I took my first bite I was amazed. The pizza base is to die for! Crunchy, light and well seasoned. The pizzas were cooked over wood-fire, giving them a lot of flavour. I literally could have eaten the base alone as entree. Overall I was very satisfied with the quality of the dish and the service. I am very sad Melbourne does not have pizza of this style, I will definitely be coming back when I am in daylesford next!
Glad I Didn't Check Urbanspoon. Walked in earlier in the day, liked the look of the restaurant and made a reservation for later in the evening. At this point had not checked urbanspoon - had I, my girlfriend and I probably wouldn't have tried it out because of its 52 rating. I am very glad we didn't check urbanspoon prior to booking, because my girlfriend and I had a wonderful experience.
Pizza was well-priced for portion size, and importantly, tasted better than anything I have eaten in and around Fitzroy in Melbourne. Base was clearly baked fresh and garlic bread was equally good.
Can't speak for anything else on the menu, although I was well placed to peak on others meals - presentation looked delicious for the burgers and fish\chips.
The wait staff were friendly to us and took care of us.
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Nice lamb roast. I went here with my dad for dinner one night. My dad and I both ordered roast lamb.
It was fork tender and delicious. The sides included a greek salad, some rice, a uh.. single roasted small-medium sized potato cut in half (really?) and I think some bread. It's been awhile.
The main focus was on that roast though. Man, that was tasty. It just fell apart as I ate it.
The service was adequate, certainly nothing special. They seemed bored and their smiles were weak.
The window we were seated next to was drafty. My legs got a bit cold but I was enjoying my dinner so much that it didn't really bug me much. It's a very old-fashioned style building. Kind of gave me a nostalgic feeling being in there.
So yeah, we had a decent time and considered returning. However, after seeing the overwhelming response from these other reviewers I sincerely doubt I would support this place any further. Wow. I really had no idea.
We saw the owner's Ferrari parked outside but we didn't see or hear a word from him in the restaurant itself. Just a couple of older women handling waitressing.
I had a fine enough experience but I can't ignore all these other reviews. I've never seen this many negative reviews in a row before. God dang.
Take away from this what you will. Be careful out there.
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50/50 Chance. My one visit to the restaurant was a pleasant and appetizing experience. My server(a childhood friend of mine) was wonderful and cordial. While seated at my table, I never noticed any displeasure or dissatisfaction on the faces of others nor did I witness any poor service by the other servers.
The food was good, but I've had just as good, if not better, for a slightly cheaper price, at other restaurants. I myself believe in the phrase, you get what you pay for. As for it being authentic Greek, well lets just say, it's americanised authentic Greek.
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The owner, is a bitter man who doesn't always treat his staff well. It dosn't help that most of the time they are understaffed. If his day is going well, and he is making money, yet it's not so busy that he's building up a sweat, then he's a happy camper. Otherwise he's a bitter shrewd. (I have a loved one that works in the kitchen...that should say it all)
The food, for the most part, is prepared well. I read many reviews about the cold food; I guess it's all a matter of luck, and how quickly the server decides to take it from under the heat lamp. As for those mentioning in how they recieved their meal within 5 mins of ordering, well I'd have to say that either that's a huge over exaggeration, or they recieved someone elses meal. It takes 5 mins(figure of speech) to plate the food...come on now lets be a bit more leniant here.
In the end, however, I would not dine here again, by choice. There are a few other places I personaly preffer to visit. Although, I would not deny dining here upon someone elses request.
Pleasantly Surprised. We had a table for 3 at this fine eatery on a late Sunday afternoon. I just didn't get the impression that some people made in the reviews for this establishment! The key gripe in the reviews was about the service, which I found quite pleasant and accommodating. Our server was extremely friendly, attentive, and gave prompt excellent service throughout our meal. My minor fault was that the food was just tepidly warm but I'm sure would have been heat upon request. The décor inside was very Greek, clean, tidy,homey and beautifully done. I would definitely go back and here again!!
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Another wonderful evening at Vassilis. The significant other and I are very surprised to read bad reviews about this restaurant.
We have dined here many times over the years and have never been disappointed with the food or the service. The restaurant is gorgeous, full of plants and chachkas. It's cozy in the winter and bright and airy in the summer with the windows open. It's charming and there is not a bad table in the place.
We went there for dinner last night to celebrate the anniversary of our first date there. The owner and staff could not have been more gracious. They helped to make this date a memorable evening. We would not have been happier at the swankiest restaurant in town.
We had the Vassilis Platter. This has enough food for four people! Fabulous prawns, lamb chops, perfectly crispy spanakopita, etc. The tsatziki is rich and creamy, like in Greece, not the usual watery, gelatinous stuff you usually get in Vancouver. The Greek salad is plentiful with tomatoes and feta, unlike some other restaurants.
The service is casual, friendly and efficient. They are truly interested in making sure that you have a great time and have everything that you need. We found excellent communication between the staff, as evidenced by the excellent service we received from everyone.
We are particularly surprised to hear complaints about the owner, as he was so kind to us and was determined to make our special night memorable. We have never found him to be anything but courteous.
We have read some of the reviews trashing this restaurant and are shaking our heads. Complaining about not getting butter for the bread or not having olive oil and balsamic vinegar for dipping? That is not Greek! And, who cares if the owner parks his Ferrari in front of the door? Good for him having a Ferrari!
A couple of weeks ago, we took some out of town friends to Vassilis for lunch. Our friends, based on their accents, were obviously not from here. The staff went out of their way to make them feel welcome, and it was a fabulous international experience!
We have both dined in all kinds of restaurants in the lower mainland and the rest of the world. So, we have no hesitation recommending this restaurant.
Greek B.M.. Very authentic food, very flavorful. Atmosphere is very greek. Try the garlic prawns and the Saganaki. You can have a meal just eating the appy's. I started going there when it first opened many moons ago now, It has been a while since I have been there.
We had a little celebration for the successful execution of the project by having a lunch at Vassilis. Timing was bad such that we had been given directive that cost cutting is to strictly enforced because of the expected downturn in the aviation industry
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