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The Sandbar at Granville Island, many people told me it’s good but for some reason I still haven’t eaten there. Finally, on a girls’ night out, my best friend and I went to the Sandbar for Dine Out 2011.

Sandbar's Dine Out Menu

Food

I have to agree with those who complimented on its food, the flavour was quite good. As you may know already, I rarely order Asian(-inspired) dishes at Western restaurants, but this time I picked the Spicy Tuna Maki for my appetizer. The restaurant has an in-house Japanese sushi chef, so it can’t be that bad. Certainly, the restaurant delivered. The flavour was quite good and I liked the sauce that comes with it. It looked like soy sauce but it’s slightly sweetened and thickened and it worked well with the sushi.

Applewood Roasted Black Cod

For entree, I ordered the Applewood Roasted Black Cod, partly because I saw that black cod was featured on the daily fresh sheet. When the dish was served, I was a bit taken aback. The plate didn’t look appetizing at all, with the fish glazed with a dark sauce and a few pieces of burnt-looking garnish on the side. Surprisingly, those burnt garnish was quite tasty and they were actually roasted purple carrots (yes, purple carrots!). It’s in season right now and the restaurant tends to use seasonal vegetables. I like the fish and roasted root vegetables. The black cod was done right, moist and tender, but I wasn’t a huge fan of those black beans. Black beans are widely used in Chinese cuisine, but we often crush them to release their flavour/aroma. Its flavour was just too strong and overpowering when you try to eat it whole. The rice was a bit too hard to chew as well.

There was no option for the last course so everyone gets the Chocolate Truffle Cake. It’s exactly what you would expect from a chocolate mousse-type of cake. It’s rich but not too sweet. I wish they would give us more of the raspberry coulis.

Service

It was a late dinner for us, with a reservation at 8pm. When we arrived, the restaurant was already past its rush hour, as most customers were finishing up their dinners. It worked to our favour since we wouldn’t be rushed to finish ours. Having said that, our server was busy wrapping up a few tables, serving desserts, handing out bills, etc., he was a bit distracted in the beginning of our dinner. The promised bread didn’t get to us until after our appetizers were served and a kind reminder from me. However, the service slowly picked up and I left happily at the end.

Open Kitchen

One thing to note is that the server actually kneeled down by the table to talk to us. By doing so, he’s talking to us at eye level and customers wouldn’t need to look up to speak to him. It’s subtle but it’s a very nice touch. An extra point for him!

Final Thoughts

Overall, I’m quite happy with this Dine Out experience at the Sandbar. Its regular menu is not too expensive and it’s got a great view of False Creek. It’s definitely a good dining spot in the summer. I’d suggest going there early, since the lounge area would get busy and become a party scene at around 10pm.

The Sandbar Seafood Restaurant
Granville Island
1535 Johnston St, Vancouver
604-669-9030
www.vancouverdine.com/sandbar/home.html