lisa

Hi:

I will be in Vancouver with my brother and want to treat him to a great seafood meal (it is our first time in Vancouver). Both the Fish House in Stanley Park and the Salmon House on the Hill in West Van. look like good possibilities. Can anyone help me decide which one to pick? A third option is Cardero's which seems highly rated on this board.

Thanks,

Lisa

gary

Vancouver has tons of great seafood restaurants. The Salmon House on the Hill is extremely touristy and specializes in an 'aboriginal' smoked salmon. But there are much better places for smoked salmon and except for the great views it's not really worth it.

The Fish House is better but also is touristy and is more West Coast than aboriginal in it's menus. Again the environment, (i.e. Stanley Park), is as much a selling point as the quality of food.

Carderos is definately the best choice of the three and in fact is also well located to drink in Vancouver's scenic charms. But as I said the variety and wealth of seafood restaurants is amazing and places like 'C' and Raincity Grill should also be considered

If you really want a flavour of Vancouver you should also try one of the Chinese Seafood restaurants. But if you're only having one seafood meal than I would stay with the West Coast specialtie places.

Bubba

We ate dinner at the Fish House last July and were really disappointed. The setting in Stanley Park was beautiful but the food and service, for what you pay, left a lot to be desired.

xx

Another choice you might want to consider is the Cannery restaurant. It's on the water however not in the downtown area.

Robyn

I've never been to Salmon House on the Hill, but I do know that family friends from Australia continue to rave about a dinner they had there years ago. They absolutely loved everything about it, especially its location (up on the mountainside).

The Fish House in Stanley Park has wonderful classy ambience. I've been there about 3 times, every time for a special occasion, usually a family member's birthday. The staff are excellent and the service is superb. The waitstaff are pros. I wouldn't call it touristy. They have a great selection of seafood, appetizers and drinks. The restaurant is located inside a giant house, with each room having its own cozy atmosphere. Definitely the kind of place you would go to relax, and have tea served in silver pot! It's that kind of place. I personally love it.

As for Cardero's, they're one of my favourite restaurants, but they're much more casual than the Fish House - so it's a completely different atmosphere. The layout tends to be in one giant room, so it can be a bit lively and noisy. Service is usually excellent, and the view (on the waterfront) is as good as you'll get. I'd actually say it's more touristy than the Fish House because it's next to a hotel, and therefor attracts a lot of out-of-town visitors. Nevertheless, still a good choice, but completely different ambience than the Fish House.

Monk McQueens, at Stamps Landing is another option. I was there for my mom's birthday last year... it overlooks the downtown skyline on False Creek. They have a large dining room upstairs, and a more casual oyster bar downstairs. When I was there, they had a live jazz band playing. I had their ahi tuna... it was absolutely delicious!

Have you looked at Vancouver Magazine's website? They have a lot of Vancouver's restaurants written up in mini reviews here: http://www.vanmag.com/diningout/westcoast.html

Hope that helps!

chris_h

We ate at the Fish House in Stanley Park and were disappointed as well. It was overpriced for sure. I second the vote for the Cannery. It's pricey but has better quality and better food than the Fish House.

bonlou30

If I want going to treat someone in Vancouver I would take them to Seasons in Queen Elizabeth Park. Altho' I do like Cardero's because it's well-located, on the water, very lively, and somewhat reasonable.