Stumbled upon this place via Yelp (thanks fellow Yelpers) when we were in town for a cruise. So…read moreglad that we found it as the establishment was a gem. The owner and staff were so welcoming / made our dinner even more special. Restaurant has classy, modern, and hip decor. There's also a bar area for drinks. We had several of their pasta dishes and all were very good. Nice selection of wines, which we enjoyed with our meal. We had a large party (9 people) and they did a great job of serving us - meals came out quickly and efficiently. They really added to the specialness of our group vacation.

I met a friend here last night for an early-ish dinner. Made a reservation for 5:30pm and the…read morerestaurant was practically empty, save for a few diners outside on the patio and one or two occupied tables inside. The interior was super cute but small/intimate. This would be a good place to go on a date night as the volume inside wasn't deafening; you could easily carry on a conversation with your dining partners (surprisingly, I can't say this about many restaurants lately - especially in Yaletown!). The center of the restaurant is occupied by a bar-island. You'd think with a name like "Alchemy" that they'd be known for their cocktail concoctions here but, IMO, this cute place is more of a pasta/bistro/pub than a cocktail lounge. Their alcoholic beverage menu seemed more run-of-the-mill standard to me. Here are the positives: -the staff here are AMAZINGLY nice and attentive. Like, SO nice and friendly! -there's a pretty fast turnover time between ordering and receiving your foods and drinks. -as mentioned above, the restaurant is cute and intimate, there's a nice patio, and the interior volume is very reasonable. -they have a really good happy hour menu, and it's every single day, from 3-6pm. -they have a daily special, including "pasta Monday", where every pasta dish costs $17.95. -their everyday menu is pretty varied with quite a few options for "pub" food (i.e., pasta and pizza, chicken wings and burgers, and mains that include steak and salmon and chicken). Their desserts look pretty decent, too. (The creme brûlée sounds particularly good!). We were there for Happy Hour, so I got a glass of excellent pinot Grigio and my friend ordered a Malbec (or two!), and we shared a Margherita pizza and some tortilla chips with artichoke dip. The presentation of the chips and dip was amazing (a neighboring table had ordered this dish and it looked so good, we had to order it too). And both the pizza and the chips and dip were really good. Really good. The only reason I'm deducting a star is because there was a dirty napkin on the floor by my feet. That was kinda a turn-off for me. The rest of the table and restaurant were very clean. It was just this one dirty napkin. (I took a photo, attached). (Wish there was a way to just deduct half a star TBH). This was a fun local place, with very reasonable prices for good bistro-like fare, and the staff here was fantastic. I'd definitely return.

Bar Asra is a charming, innovative, intimate neighbourhood gem. The cocktails are inventive while…read morestill being familiar, and have really thoughtful touches. I'm also a big fan of any cocktail menu which dedicates a page to each cocktail and really explains the drink from inception to ingredients to glass. The food menu is also filled with a great selection for snacking and sharing and there are plenty of options for an array of dietraty restrictions. T he restaurant also has a lovely patio on a quiet street, and an even more beautiful restaurant inside -- I think everyone wants to dine and drink under fairy lights! Service was also prompt, engaging and knowledgeable -- you could tell the staff liked being there and even on a first visit, we felt like regulars. Top marks for ambience, service and taste!

Ambiance is good, and it is priced as such. But the food and drinks were unfortunately quite meh…read more We came on a Friday night at around 10pm for happy hour snack and drinks. For food, we got the karaage and meatballs. Both items were plated nicely but flavor were just okay. Particularly the meatballs where very crumbly. Can barely pick one up with fork without it falling apart. For drinks, we got the plum Spritz and the ginger old fashion. For a bar, with drinks mostly priced around $18-20, they are not even using clear ice. Then, for the old fashion, they are using a huge slice of grapefruit as garnish which 1. Is so big that it keeps hitting my nose every time I take a sip and 2. On the menu is should have been a slice of orange. Service was quick and friendly, but unfortunately quite disappointed with the food and drinks.

Fabulous business in Vancouver! I signed up for a cocktail making class and our instructor Aaron…read morewas amazing! I've always wanted to do something like this but have been a bit nervous to do so but he made the class fun, funny, and so easy! You have the chance to make 3 bespoke artisan cocktails during this 3 hour class, 2 of their signatures and then the 3rd Aaron let us pick! He made it so easy and explained each step well, also how to use the tools properly along with sharing some great tips on shaking, measuring and also the importance of balance in your cocktail. I enjoyed every minute as well as consuming the cocktails after... each so delicious made with their in house liquors. If I had room I would have bought several bottles with me to take home!

Aaron was absolutely fantastic. We came by and were so disappointed because there was a sign out…read moresaying they were closed for a private event. Aaron came out as we were looking for Plan B and let us know the event had just ended and they were open again. (5 loud cheers on the street for sure!) I tried both the Kyoto and Wet Work, enjoying them both. They would even work as a blend of one another. My dad accidentally ordered a chocolate martini instead of an espresso martini, and Aaron made it happen. (The entire table loved it! Take that poured over some ice cream and I'd be far too content!) My brother had the gin martini, and while not a fan of gin straight up, it had a nice smooth finish that I could appreciate.

During the weekend, my wife and I were out for a walk on Main Street keeping an eye out for places…read moreto try for Happy Hour. As we walked by Anh and Chi, we saw Good Thief. I've certainly heard about this place before, but peeking-in, we only saw one table of customers eating, so I was a little unsure about it. But we starting to get hungry, so we gave it a try. This place is not big, but feels very stylish and lush. The host was super friendly and gave us open choice where to sit. The kitchen menu was very limited at that time, which made it easy to pick a few items to sample: - Sun Seeker Oysters: Excellent. Foam has not been popular food trend for awhile, but when used smartly, it works, and it certainly worked well here. - In-House Cured Skewer (Veal Tongue): Excellent. I was blown away by this one. I guess I've never had veal tongue before. It was so incredibly tender, it almost melted in my mouth. About the same tenderness I would expect from a A5 wagyu. - In-House Cured Skewer (Pork Belly): Excellent. This is a little more traditional, but perfectly prepared, so it was bubbly/crispy on the outside and great caramelized flavour. - Canh Spot Chua Tom: Good. I found this dish hard to judge. The server explained that the dish is inspired by Vietnamese Hot & Sour Soup (Canh Chua) but served cold. I'm not sure I could connect the two. The combination of spot prawn, burrata, sorbet, fennel and basil oil was unusual but good, and got better with each bite. I really have nothing to compare it to because its so different to the original inspiration and anything else I've had. But I still enjoyed it. Service was really good. Being only 1 of 3 customers helped, but our server was friendly and interactive, and took the time to explain all the dishes served. I really enjoyed this visit. I always worry that some places gets lots of social media attention, and once the hype is gone, they fade away because they can't meet the hype. But the food and service really hit above my expectations. It's definitely pricey, but I think you get really high level imagination and execution in the food they serve.

The food is generally excellent here. Get the Frog Legs and Crabmeat Noodles. Service is great and…read morethe bar really tells you about the drinks. Ambience is great - both lightning and decor. Great for dates. I did feel a bit stuffy though. Frog leg - perfectly friend like a chip or a juicy chicken tender, well spiced and breaded Asian style. Hoi An Night - nice and smooth that is also very refreshing and citrus, does well for the mangosteen interpretation Best Kept Secret - this basically a mix of scotch and whiskey with a twist, a bit of bitter and syrup to spin a strong drink, must-try for whiskey lover

5 Stars for class and ambiance alone. It's like a reverse speakeasy. You see a guy in the ally next…read moreto the red light. He sees if they can accommodate - and then up an elevator you go (although we did learn they take reservations as well). There's both inside and outside seating. The seating is well appointed and comfortable. Drinks: Coked Up and Parker Chocolate Orange. Both were decadent. Coked up a bit sweet for my taste, but unique and was worth ordering. We had the Fish and Chip Cones. They're part of the Happy Hour Menu. They were an interesting fusion of sushi meets fish and chips. We've checked out various happy hour spots in Vancouver over the years. Most aren't worth the hype or sadly have gone out of business over the years. This one... we'll be back on our next visit to Vancouver. We'd probably also call for reservations as we got one of the last two tables!

This is a great little spot. The views are great! We didn't have reservations, so it was a 30…read moreminute wait to get a table. We just came in for a nightcap. The service was slow. They were very focused on a small birthday group, so it took a while just to get a drink order in. The drinks were fantastic. Definitely the highlight of the visit. I had an Affogato Martini and it was amazing. We would have stayed longer, but the music was so loud we couldn't hear each other. Nice venue, decent service, great drinks.

Cool bar in the hotel lobby. Interesting drinks. Live music…read more Hotel was pretty busy and a bit noisy but a cool place.

Located in the lobby of the Rosewood Hotel this bar was the perfect pit stop, before and after…read moreevents. They truffle fries were crispy and delicious, ketchup not needed. The margaritas were consistently good, I have no complaints. The only downfall is the flimsy bar chairs. Although they are beautiful, I was nervous sitting in them and kept praying I didn't fall.

This is one of the hidden gems in Kitsilano that is 1000% worth trying…read more The food and the kitchen are incredible, and a huge shout out to Wes who has made this place a welcoming environment. The vibe is old-school speakeasy, something you can't get from the chain restaurants in the area. Didn't get to try everything on the menu but definitely coming back for the food and the service try for yourself!

Only updating this to include the newer cocktail menu :) I've gotten sober since our last visit and…read morewas pleased to see some mocktail options. The earl grey sour was great!!! They also have 2 non-alcoholic beers - an IPA & Heineken 0

Been to The Watson a few times for happy hour (daily until 6pm, all day Sundays). The HH menu has…read more10 small plates and cocktails. Chill vibes that get more intimate when the sun goes down. There's patio seats outside and even seating upstairs. - "Amaretto" sour ($14.00) - tasty foam - The Watson ($11.00) - slightly medicinal - Watson's margarita ($13.00) - smooth - Paloma ($14.00) - well balanced, slight tang - Blue pony club ($11.00) - touch sweet - Watson's gimlet ($10.00) - liked the basil - Chorizo in red wine ($10.00) - best of the three dishes. Tasty chorizo in a flavourful sauce - Potato bravas ($8.00) - not crispy, dry - Wild boar tacos ($12.00) - average

We came for happy hour and got the Watson cocktail ($11) which was not bad. Tasted similar to a…read moreNegroni. Margherita ($11) was the better of the two. The lamb tostadas ($8 each) were SO SALTY. Crispy taco shell on the bottom was nice and crispy but the lamb was just so salty. We couldn't finish one of them. They either need to add some kind of sweet chutney to balance it off or really reduce the salt content in it. There was a good amount of lamb flavour from the dish though The carrots were okay. Could have been a bit softer. I felt like the dish was missing to tie the hummus and the carrots together. It felt like a puzzle with a missing piece. Service was fine and the atmosphere was nice and laid back

My boyfriend and I came for happy hour and initially were seated at the Minerva's section, not…read morerealizing happy hour is only on the bar side. Our server was very kind and luckily was able to get us the last table on the bar side. The portions of the food were very large, especially considering it was happy hour prices. And I must say, the lamb is probably the best lamb you can get in all of Vancouver. The only thing is we wish there was a bit more space in the bar area, as it got real crowded real fast. Honestly no complaints about any of the food, only good things. We got the calamari, fries, tzatziki with bread, wings, lamb, and pasta.

We returned to Barra 41 in Kerrisdale to continue to celebrate our birthday tradition. My friend…read morehad a delicious looking margarita, which looked very tempting to try. My other friend and I had a couple of glasses of white wine. We shared Pita with Homus and Tzatzili Sauce, Marinated Olives, Honey Garlic Chicken Wings, which were literally finger lickin good!!!!!!! We shared a Halloumi Salad and finished our meal with a piece of Carrot Cake and a shot of Bailey's. The service was the best and the atmosphere very cheery and friendly.

My boyfriend and I had been wanting to try this place for a while. Every time we walked by it was…read morealways packed and we realized that our reservation was necessary. Well, what better time to go then for my boyfriend's birthday? We came with somewhat full tummies and so we only got the cauliflower to share which was unique but the real star of the show are there cocktails. I started out with their cocktail which is their name sake: grapes and soda. It was so drinkable and delicious. My boyfriend got their special which he loved so watch out for those. We tried another one that was really a beautiful drink which I think was the umeshu shiso soda wari and finally zombie cure. 3.5 oz and you do NOT taste the booze -- these drinks are DANGEROUS and delicious. Come for the good cozy vibes and drinks. Maybe leave more room than I did as I spotted some beautiful local inspired menu items!

Great deal for a charcuterie board, in my opinion. We got other dishes and it was really yummy too!…read moreDon't sleep on the kale gomae. Only thing is the server who gave us continual reminders of our seating time starting from the beginning of our seating. It made our experience very uncomfortable. I spoke with friends and another friend had the same experience.