I’ve been looking for a good pub in Vancouver for a while, and I’ve tried quite a few that were OK, but this one is by far my favorite.
The menu is somewhat limited and doesn’t really have much in the way of Irish food on it, but that’s OK. I don’t like much in the way of Irish food. What it does have is amazing smash burgers. They’re grilled with mustard on them, which creates a really amazing savory flavor. The bacon cheeseburger smash burger is just the right size, and I love that you can upgrade the side from fries to some crispy tater tots. I’ve had trouble finding those in most of the pubs around here.
The indoor vibe is classic Irish pub, and there’s also a sidewalk patio.
The bar service was terrific, and they’ve got all of the things you’d expect for an Irish pub, including excellent Guinness on tap and real Irish coffee made with Tullamore Dew.
We went here in December during their Winter Lodge re-theming, and it was just delightful with lots of Christmas decor inside and in the enclosed patio and a cheerful fire burning in the hearth. It was the perfect Christmas-time ambience.
We actually didn’t order any of the special dishes for the holiday theming but stuck with the menu standards and loved everything we had. The spinach artichoke dip was the best I’ve ever had anywhere with perfect balance of creaminess and a lemony tang and served with nicely spiced tortilla chips.
Everyone around us was ordering Lord Stanley’s burger, and so I had to try it too, and it was wonderful. A great piece of Wagyu beef with the perfect accompaniments, including nicely melted cheese, bacon, raw onion, and tomato.
The Caesar salad was also good and really huge.
Their cocktail menu includes dessert coffees; Stanley’s Monte Cristo is close to my all-time favorite. So I had them switch out Kahlua for Amaretto and ended up with what we call a Cafe Jessica: coffee, Grand Marnier, Amaretto, and whipped cream. It’s the perfect combination.
What a terrific find this was! And I do mean “find”! There is no apparent entrance or street level signage for this retro lounge located above the round Starbucks at the corner of Denman and Davie. You have to take the long ramp up from well down Davie Street, or climb the stairs on Denman labeled Lucky Sushi to find a way in.
Once there, you’ll find it was worth your search. It seems like back in the early 60’s everything needed to be round: apartment buildings, revolving restaurants, and spaceneedles. And so, Bayside lounge is round. It turns out to be the ideal shape. The circular bar at the center is orbited by a ring of barstools, which in turn are surrounded by cocktail table planets, the whole thing is encased in a halo of banquettes. It’s incredibly efficient, and you instantly feel transported back to 2001 A Space Odyssey.
But a lounge is nothing without great cocktails, and Bayside has pages of them, both traditional and innovative, plus changing features. Everything we tried was deftly prepared with fresh, lively ingredients.
The food is also perfect for a lounge—really beyond expectations for a lounge. We started with the four cheese dip, which was good to the last dollop, especially with the seasoned naan bread.
The ceviche was also way beyond expectations, with tender chunks of fish in a bright acidic sauce littered with crisp, freshly slivered onions and peppers.
The hamburger was also excellent, with all my favorite ingredients (which is to say everything from bacon to tomato to onion straws) and served on a bun that was up to the task. Accompanying crinkle fries were hot and crisp.
The payoff is that Happy Hour is basically all day on weekdays (noon to 6pm, and a bit later on weekends) making the food and house wines an absolute bargain.
What a great meal we had here! The vibe is great, the servers are enthusiastic, and the food is terrific. It’s a nice combination of healthy choices, pub food, and interesting cocktails.
We started with the nachos, which were the best I’ve had in Vancouver. Be aware that a half order is plenty for four people as a starter.
The superfood salad looked delicious, but I’m not sure the grilled bun was a superfood, however it was super tasty!
The Baja fish tacos were also good. Lots of filling, and nicely crisped fish.
The Korean chicken bowl was probably my favorite—sweet spicy sauce on crunchy fried chicken bites.
I wish they’d had places like this to eat on campus when I was in college!
This giant space has a traditional brewpub menu that features all of the standard gotos like chicken wings and burgers, but also some interesting twists. I enjoyed the Indonesian stirfry lettuce cups from the appetizer menu. As you would expect, they have a selection of in-housebrews. My go to is the Porter. Service is very friendly, and the pricing is reasonable.
We’ve been looking for a local pub with great food and a friendly ambiance, and I’m delighted to have found this place. Such a great pub food menu it was hard to choose, and then it was impossible to choose a favorite. We had:
Nachos (with no beans). The half-order was huge! They were carefully layered with lots of cheese and jalapenos, and served with generous sides of sour cream and salsa.
Cheese fingers with tomato soup. These were actually four slices of a delicious grilled cheese sandwich, filled with a variety of cheeses that worked well together, melted onto perfectly grilled sourdough.
Yorkshire pudding filled with braised beef. What a creative dish! The beef was so succulent!
Service was friendly, and there are lots of screens for sports fans. Highly recommended.
