WEST Restaurant-Vancouver
 

Has anyone eaten here recently? Looking for a great restaurant in Vancouver, preferably not seafood. Can't decide between Lumiere, Bishops, and WEST. Thanks!

My favourite restaurant in Vancouver is Raincity Grill, right by English Bay. Fantastic food - lots of stuff besides seafood although they have that too.

Take a look at www.vanmag.com - it provides recent reviews of all three of these restaurants.

Wow, what a choice. All are great and it is such a personal thing but...

I ate at West within the last month. I found it to be very good food but quite expensive for what you got. I also felt that the wait service (and indeed the entire "experience") just wasn't up to par for a place where mains can run over $45.

The atmosphere at West is much louder than either Lumiere and Bishops, if that makes a difference.

It is obviously a personal choice, but I think that either Lumiere or Bishops are a better pick for a "great" Vancouver restaurant and a luxury (but not stuffy) experience.

One thing you should know about Lumiere - in the main restaurant they have "menus" which means that you must pick one of 3 or 4 entire tasting menus with no choice after that (a vegetarian menu, a seafood menu, a mixed menu and a special one that must be ordered by the whole table). Because of the special seafood menu which is focused towards people really looking for fish their other 'mixed' menus don't have as much fish on them. But, you may be stuck with some fish or need to ask them for an accommodation if you really can't deal with it. I'm sure they'd accommodate you, though.

Raincity Grill is also great - it has a slightly more casual atmosphere than Lumiere or Bishops. I don't know when you're coming but Raincity also prepares fabulous takeout picnic lunches in warm weather that you can take to the beach 2 blocks away.

Although Bishop's is not online, menus for the other 2 are available at:
www.lumiere.ca
www.westrestaurant.com

Good luck!

Cat123-Thanks for the feedback and it was great to hear someone has eaten at WEST recently. We will be coming to Vancouver in August so hopefully that will be "prime" season to visit. I was checking out the Restaurant Awards for 2003 on vanmag.com per BowenLinda's post, and noticed Lumiere seems to be getting many of the top awards. Going to check in April in vanmag.com for the 2004 Vancouver Restaurant awards to see who won what.
I'm kind of leaning more towards Bishops though with Lumiere as my second choice. RainCity Grill seems to getting great reviews as well. My husband and I both have hearing impairments so when you mentioned "LOUD" at WEST I'm already thinking Uh OH!!!. Thanks for everyones feedback....