Olivia the manager is beyond excellent her cool, calm and collected demeanor was exceptional. She treated her customers and staff with care, kindness and respect, always checking in to see how we were doing as well as the staff. Ray's you did well having Olivia as your manager, very hard to come by someone with her top tier qualities. Also Danny the bar tender was engaging took time to chat with us and recommend drinks and food. Even when he became busy? he still took the time to see how we were, if we needed anything. The restaurant in itself is beautifully done, music at a proper volume so you can hear yourself talk. The food & drinks for the price are great, no shrinkflation here. The prawn ceviche outstanding!we ordered a second one. Highly recommend Rays, will definitely go back! read more

sometimes the best reason to try a new restaurant is simply needing an excuse to get everyone together. it had been far too long since the four of us had caught up, so ray's seemed like the perfect excuse to finally make it happen. having only opened in may, ray's still has that fresh, new feel. the dining room is warm and inviting, with curved olive green leather booths, light wood tables, and oversized vintage inspired carnival posters that add a playful, nostalgic touch. it's stylish without feeling pretentious, and the kind of place where you can easily settle in for a few hours, get lost in conversation, and forget to check the time. we started with happy hour, which quickly turned into "let's just order a little bit of everything." our table filled up with beers, frozen banana daiquiris, truffle fries, burgers, smashed avocado dip, and the general wow chicken. the banana daiquiris were a fun surprise. cold, creamy, and dangerously easy to drink...right up until the brain freeze kicked in. that split second when your brain reminds you that maybe you got a little too excited and drank way too fast with the frozen drinks. totally worth it though. the truffle fries were thin and came with an aioli of some kind. i wouldn't have minded them being a little crispier, but they were still a tasty snack to share while we caught up. the burger was solid, juicy, and satisfying without trying to reinvent what a good burger should be. the smashed avocado dip was simple but fresh, paired with crispy tortilla chips and perfect for sharing. the general wow chicken was unfortunately the only dish that didn't quite live up to its name. with a title like that, i was expecting a little more wow, but the flavours just didn't stand out the way we hoped. by the time happy hour ended, we were already quite full (yeah, lightweights...i know). but curiosity got the better of us, and we decided to order two entrees to share. the salmon was cooked beautifully, moist and flaky, although it leaned slightly salty for my taste. the truffle spaghetti and meatballs was rich, comforting, and full of earthy truffle flavour. a thoughtful touch was that the kitchen plated both dishes onto two separate plates before bringing them out, making sharing effortless and saving us from the classic "who gets the bigger portion?" dinner debate. what really made the evening special was mj. friendly, attentive, and genuinely service oriented, she made sure our waters were always topped up, offered to take a group photo, and even surprised us with a complimentary chocolate lava cake, complete with a candle and "happy birthday" written on the plate. it was such a thoughtful gesture and the perfect sweet ending to our night. patio seating is available, but we chose to sit inside where there was ac. the only thing to note is that it still felt a little warm indoors, especially as the evening went on. sometimes the best dinners aren't about finding the newest or trendiest restaurant. they're about getting everyone around the same table, picking up conversations where they left off, laughing over frozen drinks, and realizing you should probably do this more often. between the welcoming atmosphere, good value happy hour, thoughtful touches, and mj's exceptional hospitality, ray's delivered exactly what we were looking for. we'll happily be back. next time i'll probably skip the general wow chicken, hope for slightly crispier fries, and most importantly...save room for that chocolate lava cake. read more

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Visited on a Friday around 9 PM, and the atmosphere was the highlight. The space has a lively yet relaxed Yaletown vibe that's perfect for catching up with friends over drinks. We tried quite a few dishes. The Prawn Ceviche was fresh and well-balanced, while the Wow Chicken with a thick, flavourful coating. The Truffle Fries came in a generous portion and were nicely seasoned. The Smashed Avocado was topped with feta, but the avocado itself was quite mild and reminded me less of a bold guacamole than I expected. The biggest letdown was the Spicy Rigatoni Alla Vodka. I was expecting a rich, creamy vodka sauce, but it tasted bland. The portion size was good, though it was simply rigatoni with no other ingredients, which made it feel a bit underwhelming. For drinks, the Pineapple Express was my favourite--juicy, refreshing, and you could still taste the smoky character of the mezcal. The Tokyo Negroni was lighter than a classic Negroni, but I couldn't really detect the sushi rice infusion. The Bohemian Raspberry was the most disappointing; it lacked both the raspberry and ginger flavours I was expecting. Overall, I'd say Raye is worth visiting for the atmosphere more than the food. The cocktails are reasonably priced, but the flavours of both the food and drinks were fairly average. I'd definitely come back to hang out with friends, especially if they introduce a late-night happy hour for drinks as well--not just food. read more

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We came for happy hour on a weekday and there were lots of seats available. Ceviche prawn - skip on this one. The chips are GREAT. Super crunchy and seasoned well. But the "ceviche" was not any good. It was cooked shrimp with a sour sauce. Not much flavour to it. The uptown burger with the fries is $9 plus $3 for fries. That must be one of the cheapest burgers in town. Taste wise it wasn't the best. It has an onion ring inside which would make you think it would be good but it was WAY over fried. Too hard to chew through. The beef burgers were also way too overcooked and dry. It did have a good amount of fresh veggies though The fries were okay. I wouldn't add them next time. Service - our server was super nice and attentive. Atmosphere - not too loud. Even though it got crowded later it wasn't too bad Cost efficient - this place has probably the cheapest and biggest happy hour menu in downtown read more

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i walked by this new restaurant a few times so decided to check out its lunch menu Staff were great and the restaurant has a nice chic vibe. The menu seems to be focus on comfort and bistro items We ordered a pesto chicken quesadilla and the nashville hot chicken sandwich. Both items were very good. chicken on both dishes were very well made without dried up and overcooked chicken. The sauce for the quesadilla was my flavorite of the day The price range are very reasonable with the quantity and the location The only downside was the fries. they could be cooked/fried a bit longer to make the crispier Would return to try their other items. their cocktail and wine list looked extensive and would love to give it a try read more

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This place has very quickly become a go to for me and my friends in Yaletown. Loves the food options, it's great value for the price. Everything is so reasonably priced! It was much needed in Yaletown where prices were getting crazy. The vibe is great and it's always busy. I enjoy the booth seating and the bar. They also have high tops and a big patio. read more

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Giving this a 4**** This is only on the vibe and the atmosphere. I didn't eat. They opened on April 14th, so here I am, and it was packed for a Saturday evening @ 11PM. It's a big space and there is a constant stream of people coming and going. I like what they've done to the space reno wise. The patrons, a wide age range, which surprised me. Everything from early 20s to 50s+. The ratio is more skewed towards 30ish. Staffing is also more of a mature crowd - 30s, other than the front greet staff. The music also reflected the age range. Michael Jackson's Beat It, Bee Gees Night Fever, the Weeknd, Gwen Stefani and others. That's a 50 year range in music. I'd say it's worth a visit. The food is standard pub fare that's been elevated from what I can see. More mature than Earls, less nightclubby than West Oak, not as refined as Blue water and Elisa. Kinda in the middle and they open late I understand - till 3AM on Fridays and Saturdays. So it's hitting a bit of a niche market in Yaletown. They have a happy hour menu for late night. I'll be back to feel it out more read more

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