Water Street Café - Vancouver, British Columbia

Came here Wednesday evening for dinner—we got lucky and there was a table for 6 available outside. It took over 45 mins for our food to come out—we heard the steam clock across the street blow its steam at least 3 times while waiting for our food (the clock ... steams every 15 minutes). Food was underwhelming. The Oven-Roasted Chicken a la Parmesan looked appetizing but turned out quite bland—the spaghetti lacked flavor and so did the chicken, which was also not deep fried enough either. The Baked Orecchiette with Truffle Cream Chicken was super bland, not enjoyable at all. The Silver Sirloin was okay. The Garlic Cheese Toast was super oily. Was hoping the food would make up for the annoyance of waiting but it did not. Read more

It takes forever to get the food after order. Pasta was okay but the patty inside burger was way too dry and warm olives we ordered seemed staying at the oven too much—all wrinkly and dry. The pop with 70% ice was very flat. Extra $5 having caesar salad instead ... fries. Minimum tip was 18% which is very unhappy. Read more

Their flavored fries are some of the best I've ever had. The salmon and chicken burgers are notably delicious as well. Some of their dishes are particularly creative. This place does get very busy during the weekdays; it's important to make a reservation a few days ahead to secure a ... spot during the peak hours. Read more

3/21/2024 This ended up being our most expensive night out. Partly due to the cover charge to see the live music. I wouldn't have minded the charge as much if we got to see the full set but they went on break about 40 minutes after we got there and weren't ... going to return for the second half for over an hour. It also wasn't busy. Half of the few people that were there, the performers had brought with them. Having said all that, the music was good, I just wanted more for the price that I paid to get in. Everywhere else with this kind of live music eats the cost to drive up food and drink purchases, this was different. The food was pretty good but it was nearly $40 for spaghetti and meatballs. My steak tasted really good but was small for the price. I've had such good food while in Vancouver that though this food was fine, it was underwhelming for the price. The server was great. He made good suggestions including ensuring that my wife knew about onions in her original order, as she's allergic, and got her a much better suited meal. The restaurant is cute and well decorated. From the second floor at dusk, you can see the exterior tree lights slowly come to life as it gets dark, so great for mood setting. I would love to give a better rating. It has all the attributes to be an amazing experience, but the overall costs when compared to all the other venues, just makes it less than ideal. Read more

Enjoyed a nice evening here. Warm olives were wonderful. Crab cakes a bit too heavy. Seafood gnocchi was an interesting idea but felt like it needed a more distinct sauce to carry it. Great service, beautiful room.