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The Observatory

3.4 (136 reviews)
Open • 5:00 pm - 10:00 PM

The Observatory Photos

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THE OBSERVATORY ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Moderate noise
Romantic
Classy
Good for groups

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Recommended Reviews - The Observatory

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Reviews With Photos

Drinks with our "view"
Sarah G.

We came here for an anniversary dinner. While the weather did not cooperate for views the food more than made up for it. It's a fixed (2 or 3 course, your choice) menu. We did the 3 and got the shrimp and beets for course 1, gnocchi and halibut for course 2, and the tiramisu and tart for course 3. You also receive an amuse bouche. All the dishes were complex with unique flavors. We loved every bite. They also have a great cocktail and wine menu for pairing. Our server, Alfie, was amazing!!! Highly recommend this if you're looking for a great meal and experience!

A bit of a reverse tiramisu and peace jalapeño cheese cake in the background
Leslie C.

A pretty sweet and lovely deal to visit the conservatory and grouse mountain with a 3 course meal. It's a tiny little space so any traffic feels like a lot of movement but lovely and classy nonetheless. First we started with a pre appetizer to get the taste buds going. And then we had the duck confi and tiger prawn for starter. As much as I like duck, I've decided duck confi isn't my preferred style of preparing duck. The tiger prawn on the other hand is cute with a Chinese twist (bok choy on the side) and is jumbo! The prawn is huge and bursting with flavour in your mouth - 10/10! Next, we got the angus beef and halibut for main. The angus beef is slice into lovely slices and cook to perfect doneness (medium rare) the sauce is tasty but the lentils and corn is a little chewy, not to my likely. Halibut on the other hand, the zucchini puff pastry on the bottom gave it a lovely touch. Lastly we finished off with the Tiramisu and peace jalapeños cheese cake. The reverse tiramisu is delicious, with popping flavours yet all mending together perfectly. The cheese cake on the other side, the jalapeños is a little too interesting for my liking. Lovely evening overall, window seats may be hard to get and really only the two tables at the tip would have a view least covered by the gondola anyways but regardless one of you will still get a lovely sunset given the size of the room.

Beet first course
Mike G.

Yes, it is expensive. Let's get that out of the way first. However, when you consider the cost includes the sky ride up to the restaurant, it really is much more reasonable--especially for the quality of the food. It is, ultimately, a special occasion level place in my mind. It was a cloudy night, so I can only imagine what the view is really like. But I can tell you that there is not a bad view in this small dining space. Almost all the tables have a direct window view. Even those not on the windows have a good view out over the mountain. Our server,Alfie, was excellent. He answered questions we had about the three courses and the drinks. He checked on us with each course and made sure we were satisfied with each course. The courses were each excellent and good quality gourmet dishes. From what I understand the items for each course do very overtime. So I'm not sure what you may get when you go. However our selections were very good.

Scallops
Steve A.

Five stars for the view (and exhilarating ride getting there) and three stars for the food. To get there you go through North Vancouver, past the Capilano Bridge and park at the base of Grouse mountain. From there you take the gondola to the 3700 foot summit for dinner at The Observatory. While the food is elaborate, it strikes me as one of those restaurants that is trying way too hard. Certainly the scallops were spectacular looking, but not a particularly tasty or easy to eat preparation! But it's been a while since I visited, and I should go back to see if things have changed--and for the view.

HOKKAIDO SCALLOPS confit pork belly, napa cabbage, gastrique
Dominic D.

Great view. Good food. Would definitely come back here for a date. The server was always checking in on us. Her manager even checked in on us. Loved the scallops. The duck was some of the finest I've had in years. Would recommend this place to try.

Gayan P.

Spectacular location. Food presentation is as picturesque as the view from the restaurant itself. The service is similarly exceptional. Considering the amount of effort/time it takes to go for a meal here, it is quite disappointing that you cannot choose where you'll be seated (-1 star). The whole point of this place is to sit at a window. We've been lucky enough to always get a good seat, but I feel bad for those that took all the time to come here, and didn't get a window. So, please let people choose their seats when they make the reservation. Have someone redesign the seating, perhaps having steps or something else to make all the tables have a good view out of the window.

Grilled Octopus
Matt W.

The meal was acceptable however to be honest I've had butter steak at the The Keg for a much more reasonable price. The bread was admittedly (by their staff) heated frozen bread, and when our entrees took over an hour to arrive, our request for extra bread was fulfilled however we found out they had actually charged us for a section portion of bread! I included photos of our dishes; the grilled octopus, butter poached chicken, AAA beef tenderloin and ling cod. Altogether you're more paying for the view than the quality of the food, which was good but not great. The literal exact same view is acceptable from the bar next door which is much cheaper as well as it is free to walk on the deck.

The spectacular view!
Angelina P.

Wow! Wow! And WOW! What a beautiful experience for dinner! We snow shoed several hours in fresh powder before dinner. The 3 course fondue was perfect for refuel with cheese fondue, protein with salmon, prawns and scallops, and chocolate for dessert! Lotti our server was exceptional! The views are worth a million! Great music, ambiance, and champagne were icing on the cake

Cassandra Y.

The view is stunning!!! Really enjoy the skyride (10 minutes) We bought the alpine experience package which included round-trip Skyride and access to lumberjack & bird shows. Many other different things to do (with extra fees) - Heli tour, ziplings, visit the eye of the wind. There is also hiking trail~ Lots of outdoor activities!! There is restaurant inside the observatory. Perfect place to enjoy a dinner and enjoy the view!

Lovely birthday dessert! Chocolate pretzel tart
Katie F.

Food is about 3.5 stars but service and views are 5 stars. Lots of other people were celebrating birthdays here while we were here. It's a nice place to come for that purpose or if you have guests in town. Dinner here includes your Skyride ticket so you don't have to do the Grind before your meal :) You're allowed up 3 hours prior to your reservation. Service was excellent and they even have a different set of thicker drinking glasses if you come with kids. Food was quite variable. I loved the pea soup, the bread basket and the chocolate pretzel tart for dessert. Fries with the truffle mayo and the falafel main were very good. Unfortunately my halibut was totally overlooked and the gnocchi was as well (too large, wrong texture - not pillowy). If you're a foodie and coming for food, this would be a pass. But if you're coming for the experience (views, Grouse, Skyride), this is a nice way to end the day. -

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4 months ago

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1 year ago

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4 months ago

Super food, service and ambiance with amazing views to enjoy lunch or dinner with your friends or family.

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2 years ago

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Kirsten H.

Glad that your dinner was such a success, hope to see you again soon.

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The Vault Wine Bar - Charcuterie plate

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4.5(84 reviews)
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Really like the ambiance. Lovely lighting and the decor is inviting. We had the flights of red and…read morewhite wine and some appetizers: bread basket and pickled veggies. The bread was a bit tough, but may have been over toasted. Really loved the butter with bits of shallot. It was really delish and the service was friendly. Will definitely be back!

I heard about this place on a podcast (ITM) and wanted to go to a celebratory dinner somewhere new…read more The drive to Blaine was super easy, the location is convenient, and there is ample parking. There is definitely at least one back room, but the main dining room is a bright, airy space that has access to a patio where may even be some live music playing. The tables are gorgeous - all live edge, which might create a bit of an issue if you have short arms and are used to stealing bites across the table, but they are absolutely beautiful and a nice nod to the area. The wine list is extensive and a bit overwhelming, but the service is happy, friendly, and very knowledgeable. In fact, I love when servers don't know, admit it, and find the answer for you - it's humble and shows they really care at getting you what you want. We got the orange wine, which is a new favorite of mine. It's like a rose for reds. Rose:White::Orange:Red. More savory, still light, and best chilled. We had the beet hummus app, which is definitely best eaten with your hands. It's light and delicious. We had the miso black cod, a personal favorite, and the lasagna for dinner and while both were good, the accoutrements with the cod were the true standout. Amazing and I could probably eat two of them. As the restaurant operates on a seasonal menu, we had a strawberry rhubarb cobbler for dessert. I know there is Sunday Brunch, and I can't wait to try it. It's not the cheapest, but it's one of the nicer restaurants in Whatcom, and is definitely worth your pennies. Everything about it makes for a truly nice experience, and we'll definitely be back.

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King Taps - Korean chicken

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4.2(26 reviews)
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Had a gals dinner during the week at King Taps and we had a great time. The location is excellent…read moreand I can only imagine in the summer it will be bumpin! I ordered a dirty Gin Martini and a couple of glasses of wine. The martini was excellent, and got my 3 olives. The reds I had were also tasty and easy sippers. For my meal I got the Spicy Rigatoni and I added Fennel sausage for more $ and honestly it was one of the better pastas I've had in a long time! Great cheese distro and the sauce was excellently seasoned! Noodles were al dente and the sausage was delicious. I was pleasantly surprised to be honest! I thought it might be basic but exceeded my expectations! I took it for lunch the next day and reheated it was delicious! Service was really lovely too, we were waiting to give our drink orders for a touch longer but after that, service was really attentive. Ambience wise, it's similar to that of a cactus club or earls, nothing really unique to it but it's comfortable. I would go back to king taps if I find myself on the nshore again.

Haven't been to Lonsdale Quay for awhile so it's good to see a few new places. We came here after…read morewalking around the pier and area. The place was already packed at 1130am. We got a booth that can probably fit 6 people but we had 3 ( 2 and a baby ). Our server was great, she was super friendly, smiling and energetic. We got a few dishes: hummus dip, Malibu club and saladita bowl. The hummus and the bowl was a little salty but it could be that we don't usually put too much salt in our food due to our little one. We try to limit our salt as our 1 yr old likes to eat our food. The bowl had a little spice to it and does has a good variety if ingredients. It is flavorful so for others it will definitely be to your liking. The Malibu club was delicious . If you have a stroller, you will park it beside the stairs. There were 3 strollers there.

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The Observatory - newcanadian - Updated May 2026

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