Once a year, Tourism Vancouver organizes a 17-day food festival where you get to try 3 course meals and wines from some of the finest restaurants in Vancouver. You can get three course meals for as cheap as $25 up to $45 (without additional costs like meal upgrades and wine pairing.) This is a great way to try out fine dining restaurants in the city for a significantly subsidized cost. There are set menus however, you can pick from the two or three options available and the menus are on the Dine Out Vancouver website so you can decide where you want to go to and what you want to eat ahead of time.
During the festival, I tried out two restaurants I had never been to and I’ll be sharing my experience in this post.
- Diva at the Met (Dinner)
Located just behind the Georgia Hotel and opposite Fairmont Hotel on Howe street, it is no wonder why I never noticed the hotel (Metropolitan Hotel Vancouver) or the restaurant (it is a little hidden). I initially thought the portions were going to be really small but was happily disappointed and even struggled to finish my main meal. The food was amazing to say the least; I still dream about my main dish once in a while- gosh, those flavours👅💦 .
What I Got
Starters– Butternut squash and pear soup with sage
Main– Pork Belly, Jumbo Prawns, Beets, Sweet Potatoes and pear.
Dessert– Sticky Toffee Pudding
Price – $45
Food- 9/10
Service- 8/10
Aesthetics- 8/10
The Victor (Brunch)
Located at Parq Vancouver, this is an aesthetically pleasing spot overlooking downtown Vancouver with great views. There is also a foyer I believe will make for a good rooftop lounge in the summer. My experience here wasn’t the best. I, alongside 70% of the people I asked thought the menu was rather misleading. Brunch costs $35 and right underneath was wine pairing- $40. I asked the waiter about three times to clarify and was given the impression the food and wine pairing would both cost $40. Needless to say, I was utterly shocked when the bill came. I guess I should have known better- if it is too good to be true, it probably is. I also saw some negative reviews on google after my experience, so I guess I wasn’t the only displeased customer. Anyways, the wines were pretty good with the ice wine was my favorite. The food was just satisfactory and worth it for the price.
What I Got
Starters– Avocado and Mango Sushi
Main– Steak and Eggs
Dessert– Seasonal Fruits
Price- $35 (wine pairing, additional $40)
Food- 7/10
Aesthetics- 9/10
Service- 7/10
Hope you enjoyed reading this post. Have you ever tried one of the restaurants I visited, Dine Out Vancouver Festival, or experienced something like I did at The Victor? Would be great to hear from you; please share your experiences in the comment section.
Talk soon,
AwahShasha 