300 Water St, Vancouver, BC V6B 1B6, Canada
The Water St. Cafe established in 1988, housed in the 1906 Edward Hotel building, is a Gastown cornerstone overlooking cobbled streets and the world famous steam clock. Join us for weekend Brunch, Lunch, Dinner and Live Music at The 2nd Floor.
A longstanding establishment in the Gastown area. Great brunch spot that I’ve been to a few times. Today we went there for a client lunch. Had their pasta and it was great! The noodles themselves were cooked perfectly and the sauce was flavorful. The poached egg was an interesting add…yolk was runny and mixed well with the spaghetti. Overall great experience!
The menu at Water Street Cafe...We fell into Happy hour - Spiked Raspberry Lemonade cocktail, West Coast crab cake, Mini duck spring rolls, Bison carpaccio, amazing red wine, Braised Short Ribs main course and a little dessert. WoW
My friend and I got together for an early Xmas lunch here. Kudos to the staff- all warm and efficient! The vongole ( my fave dish) was great (as always) and my friend enjoyed her benny. The cocktails were festive and pretty! The warm coffee cake tasted as good as it looked. A table by the huge picture window facing gassy Jack on a wintry day was icing on the cake. Just an over-all great experience!
Water Street Cafe is an excellent place to grab a drink and some quality food. I highly recommend the tapas dishes especially, the crab cake and fried chicken options are notably excellent. On top of the great service to back up the menu this cafe is also in prime location to view the famous steam clock of Gastown. Highly recommend a visit.
I had a great time at this restaurant with its lovely European-style decor. The steak I had was delicious, and the roasted mushrooms were a perfect side and my friend enjoyed the pan-seared salmon. We were seated right across from the steam clock in Gastown, which was a nice touch. Our server, Connor, made sure everything was to our liking. To top it off, we had an amazing chocolate cake with a sprinkle of salt and cocoa nubs, and my friend loved the seasonal apple cinnamon crème brûlée. Definitely recommend coming here the next time you're in Gastown!
I thought this place would be a tourist trap given its location, however was far from it. Nice ambience in dim lighting for dinner, with floor to ceiling windows providing a cosy indoor-outdoor feel. The menu was considerate and the food was of good quality.
I have to first write about the extremely below standard customer service and the first staff who we encountered coming to this cafe who I found out later was the GM and her name is Sandy, very rude and the lack of interpersonal skills and not very welcoming to guests from what I observed or maybe it was just my wife and I. Whoever owns this place needs to get rid of Sandy because after being seated she was rude and abrupt to staff and openly scolded them in a open forum, I was embarrassed for you servers and bus-staff and Sandy your GM is not helping your establishment. Positive points - our server Clint saved the whole dining experience because my wife did not want to stay to eat and have drinks at your establishment. Clint was absolutely SPECTACULAR, over the top customer service and over the top customer service and a personality. Food - was very fresh and flavourful, drinks were amazing and the atmosphere was comfortable and inviting. Bottom line we won’t be back because of due to the person who greeted or lack there of, I’m sorry but Sandy is detrimental to your establishment and after our encounter with Sandy who should be making diners feel welcome and provide a wonderful dining experience from beginning to end. Avoid this place because the GM Sandy is rude and confrontational and has zero interpersonal skills and should not be working in the food industry/hospitality field. I have included a pic of your GM serving on the patio with a guests face blotted out so she could say this never happened and/or speak with Clint because I addressed this incident with him because I though he was the GM. Our server Clint 👏👏👏 pic included. 🚨 ATTENTION 🚨 interaction with the GM Sandy is not advisable.
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.
salmon portion was biiiig but i found THREE fishbones it brought back my trauma of the one time i got a huge fishbone stuck in my throat the day before my exam and had to go to the ER and wait hours for the doctor to embarrassingly spray lidocaine down my throat to take the bone out but its ok they were small bones live music was lovely service was delightful
Highly recommend the Gnocchi The live music was lovely, the perfect background to any meal. Lighting and vibes were perfect especially with the rainy night outside. Great spot for an anniversary dinner or any occasion with someone special
We dined at Water St. Cafe and tried the Mushroom Gnocchi and the Spaghetti Autunnale. The gnocchi was decent but the Spaghetti Autunnale was a letdown. It lacked flavor and depth, leaving it very underwhelming. I couldn t bring myself to finish even half of it. To their credit, the kitchen staff did come over and offer Parmesan or to remake the dish, which I appreciated. However, by that point, the poor quality of the spaghetti had already left me feeling disappointed, and I didn t want to risk wasting another dish. While the service was attentive, the food quality needs improvement, especially for the price point. I m not sure I d return anytime soon. Dietary restrictions: Gluten-Friendly Options are available here.
Fantastic view of the old neighbourhood, Gastown! The service was terrific, and the food was impressive, too. Must try their seasonal drinks.
Water St. Cafe has a prime location and a promising menu, but our experience fell short due to the service. We visited on a quiet December Monday evening, but our server s approach felt rushed and impersonal from the start. As a group of friends catching up, we ordered apps first and needed extra time for mains. Unfortunately, our server grew noticeably impatient, making the experience feel more transactional than welcoming. While the food was decent a solid 3.5 stars the lack of warmth in the service overshadowed the meal. The only genuine engagement came when the bill arrived with the mandatory 18% gratuity.
Just terrific, a great dinner, lovely space in a neat part of town.
We chose Water Street Cafe for our department Christmas dinner. It was the most magical experience. The food was delicious, the service outstanding and the atmosphere captivating!! Sandy, Tiffany, James were awesome, made us feel so comfortable and looked after. We ll definitely be back again and again!! Thank you WSC for making our Christmas so special !!
We were happily surprised with the amazing taste and welcoming team /environment. Perfect place to watch the steam clock and, happy hour menu was very tasty.
An absolute gem for a perfect birthday dinner
Outstanding live Jazz, R&B with a festive warm atmosphere. Delish Food and Outstanding service Dietary restrictions: The AMAZING fried chicken has no dairy in it
A very enjoyable experience, with excellent service! Dietary restrictions: I was with someone who has a gluten allergy, she had a few options to choose from Food : 5/5 |
Popped in quickly before a walking tour and it was quick service, food was delicious and it s close to the Gastown clock.
Had an amazing experience for our anniversary. Very accommodating, staff were great and knowledgeable, food and drinks were fantastic.
I went to Water St Cafe a couple years ago for brunch with a friend and had a good experience. today, I had a really bad experience with another friend who was visiting Vancouver during a layover. We waited about 45 mins or so just for a burger and fried chicken sandwich. first of all, after 45 mins the food was cold. the actual chicken was tiny and covered only half the bun. dont get me started on the buns - they were STALE. and they partially burnt them as well. My friends burger was undercooked but also dry. The manager ended up compensating my friends meal since she barely ate it and was uncomfortable with how undercooked it was, but I was so hungry and just ate mine and dealt with it. Also, I just simply find it insulting to charge $25 for a chicken sandwich that is realistically half of what it should be and is cold and not a lot of flavour. I really hope this was a fluke but it was such a bad experience that I dont find myself returning unfortunately.
I have been coming here for years and always found it reasonably priced with very professional service. I went yesterday and had terrible food and couldnt believe the increase in prices! $11.50 for a bowl of chips at happy hour?! What I ordered was terrible and also overpriced. Shame on you! The service was unprofessional and the vibe of the place has changed. Needless to say, I will not be returning here again and it WAS my favourite place to go for happy hour.
Had the smoked salmon Benedict - it was really tasty! I thought the portion was a bit small, but it filled me up. The atmosphere was really nice and it had a great view!
Great service and atmosphere. It can be very cold, so bring a sweater or a shawl, which is understandable for an old building. The live performance upstairs sounded lovely and looked very intimate. I look forward to going again.
The food took forever to come out of the kitchen. One dish was extra hot but the other dishes were cold and honestly very unimpressive. A mistake was done on our bill (we were added a 50$ beer bottle). Service wasn t terrible but very slow. I would not recommend- being in front of the steamclock makes them tourist oriented so not many efforts are put in the plates
Insane prices for breakfast for what you get, the food is fine but at that price point (you can get 25 dollar waffles) it should be great , and it doesn t make up for it in portion sizes , staff were good , atmosphere nice
5/5 Stars - Unparalleled Dining Experience at Water St. Cafe!_ Im still reeling from the extraordinary dining experience at Water St. Cafe in Vancouver! This exceptional restaurant has earned a permanent spot on my favorites list, thanks to its phenomenal cuisine, impeccable service, and welcoming atmosphere. _Food:_ Chefs culinary mastery is evident in every dish. Each bite was a symphony of flavors, textures, and presentation. Standouts. _Service:_ The attentive, knowledgeable staff anticipated our every need, offering: - Warm greetings and personalized attention - Expert wine pairings and menu guidance - Seamless pacing and prompt refills _The Chef:_ The culinary genius behind Water St. Cafes success, the chef: - Shared inspiration behind signature dishes - Demonstrated genuine passion for culinary art _Atmosphere:_ Cozy, intimate setting with: - Exposed brick and rustic wood accents - Soft lighting and comfortable seating - Vibrant decor reflecting Vancouvers charm _Highlights:_ - Exceptional cuisine - Impeccable service - Attentive, passionate chef - Extensive wine list - Cozy atmosphere _Tips and Recommendations:_ - Book reservations for optimal seating - Ask about daily specials and chefs recommendations - Explore nearby Gastowns historic charm _Verdict:_ Water St. Cafe is a must-visit Vancouver restaurant. Exceptional cuisine, outstanding service, and a welcoming atmosphere make it an unforgettable experience.
Seafood clam chowder was actually very good; ive been craving some all week and they managed to have some... what kizmet!!? sevice was good but not great, i feel like the party of 6 i was with was overwhelming to the server and i felt bad for them Wheelchair accessibility: Restrooms are up a steep flight of stairs.. wouldnt call it accessible
Pretty nice place that I thought would be way more overpriced but, as it turns out, its only moderately expensive for what you get. The live music (Sidewalk Cellist) upstairs was great!
After walking a lot, we needed to recharge our batteries and found a table at the Water Street Café. The staff was very friendly, the dessert we had was excellent and the coffee too, after all: and if a Neapolitan says so..., Toilets were very clean, the place is also great for enjoying the Steam Watch in Vancouver and on the corner there was an excellent guitarist playing, good and discreet.
Food is always so good here. This is my 3rd time here and I have not had a bad dish. Highly recommend any pasta dish as theyve all been excellent and you must try the Prosciutto e Melone. So fresh and vibrant. Service is always top notch and they have live music. Will try to make it out on one of those nights
We really loved it!
We stopped in for lunch after visiting the steam clock. We were greeted promptly and seated by the open kitchen, which made the area quite warm. Our server, a gentleman, took our order but then disappeared. We started with the crab cakes, which were delicious. For our main dishes, we had the chicken sandwich and the chicken and waffles. Unfortunately, the chicken with the waffles was overcooked, and the entire dish lacked flavor. After finishing our meal, we waited for 45 minutes, trying to get the attention of the staff to request the bill. We know this because the steam clock went off three times during our wait. When the bill finally arrived, the first tip option was 25%, with the lowest at 18%. The waitress hovered over my shoulder during this process, and I felt pressured to leave the 18% tip, despite the poor service. Additionally, after leaving, we noticed that our clothes smelled strongly of the kitchen due to the prolonged time we spent there. Overall, it wasn t worth the money we spent.
Had a great family dinner. The menu has good diversity and the live music on Thursdays is a nice benefit. My salad was great and the waitress was very helpful in helping people in my party decide on the right dish.
Got the eggplant pasta (Norma). It was delicious!!! The decor and vibe is a little outdated but very cozy- food and service is great!
Too expensive for what we ate! Insufficient quantity compared to the price. Unfriendly staff
We were recommended to try this place and we will now be vetting all recommendations much better. The wine was great, and the live music was fantastic, but it s all downhill from there. We got the steamed clams and they had no flavor to them; they just tasted like briny dirty water. The broth they were in was quite tasty, and it was really too bad that I couldn t taste any of the flavors of the broth on the clams themselves. The dish was served with a single slice of bread, despite being noted as a shareable item, and that was the only way to taste any of the broth s flavor. The service was very slow, but we were hopeful that the main courses would be worth the wait. Unfortunately, it was absolutely not worth the hour long wait. My fiance ordered the ling cod and it came out completely unseasoned with mushy potato wedges. I got the baked orecchiette truffle chicken and it was also lacking any seasoning while also missing the key truffle ingredient. We both had to request salt and pepper just to bring a little flavor to the dishes. For over $100 CA I would ve expected a meal that I didn t have to season myself. I absolutely would not recommend this place for any reason whatsoever.
Although not overly busy the service was really slow. It took 1 1/2 hours for our mediocre food to be served. No one ever apologized although when we went to pay we were offered free dessert which we declined. We will not return.
This place is perfect for dinner, they have live music upstairs and a private room you can book for smaller groups.
Food was excellent and portion size was excellent
The location is very good. Except for the mushrooms, everything else about the food is unsatisfactory.
The cafe is located on Water Street in the Gaslight District. Pleasant and professional staff. Easy to get a table. Nice to be able to sit outside and soak up the atmosphere of the Gaslight District. The food, a salad ok.
Food: 2/5 Portion: 2/5 Service: 4/5 Parking: paid street parking Came here on a weekday afternoon for lunch at around 12:30. It was pretty empty and we were sat facing the steam clock. Service was good! Although I was trying to wave someone down a few times and for some reason they just couldn t see me aside from that it was an ok experience. On to the food we ordered the seafood gnocchi and waffles and chicken. Also had a side of garlic bread? I think that s what it was. The gnocchi was good. It was fresh but a little bit on the sweet side. The waffles and chicken was below average. I think they tried to fancy it up so there was some fresh herb added to the waffles that just made it taste really weird. Just don t order that one! Really not worth the $30+. Then the bread I really love bread but it s just average focaccia bread. I remember it was good before and was just really disappointed by the food experience for price paid. Will not be a returning customer. It was the true meh experience.
A great place for food and view of the famous Gastown Steam Clock. Customer service is outstanding, super friendly and made us feel very welcome and is very attentive! Highly recommend!
Outstanding place to eat. Food is fabulous, very attentive staff and great location in Gastown, downtown Vancouver. Just feet away from the famous steam driven clock
Sally was amazing. Love her energy. And Felipe! Thank you for helping me celebrate a special birthday!
This is our favorite restaurant in Vancouver, the seafood is consistently excellent and the staff is professional, friendly and knowledgeable.
Food takes forever At least 30 mins Crab cake is fishy Staff is friendly but not really helpful Outdoor table is small but the plates are too big If you wanna come here to watch the steam clock, please dont. Its not worth it
Great food... very brave of management getting korean jazz in... quite different.
Me and my girlfriend decided to stop by for a delightful little outing but ended up leaving in a bit of a disappointment. Our rude server slimily upsold us, giving us no choice but to pay $16 for water! Everyone else was drinking water that they did not pay for, leaving us feeling quite ripped off when we could have gotten another appetizer or drink. The atmosphere, beverages and food were great though.
Great happy hour. Food was quite good. Enjoyed sitting outside and watching the steam clock go off every 15 minutes.
Great lunch spot with an extensive wine menu. A friendly and fast staff with some really quality food options. Definitely recommend the salmon Benny brunch option :)
The service was really good and the staff were very nice. However, the food was really disappointing. It took 40 minutes for the 1st food to arrive and the pasta was undercooked and we had to return! Not only that, the second food we ordered had foil inside! Great atmosphere but the food quality was very disappointing.
They threat customers with at most disrespect
Highly recommend avocado toast! Lovely place for blunch
I had a waffle and latte The best in town Amazing service Food : 5/5
Kinda shocked to be writing this but BEST SERVER EVER!!! First off, you felt important when you arrived. Not over the top blah blah stuff, but like you are actually important (to them) and given undivided attention. Second, we saw a small Jazz trio on the second floor and the ambiance was intimate, sound, excellent and although everyone was being served, at no point was the performance affected or background noise disruptive. Third, the serving team (yes team is the only way to put it), they function like a smooth running machine and it was awesome. At no time did we ever feel alone. Nor like we were being constantly disrupted. When one server went for pickups, another would step right in. Finally, our primary server was beyond amazing. Unbelievably polite, his attention to detail so in tune to the moments, it s how I would imagine a King being treated. I made a joke with my wife that this guy just up d the game . There was not a single crumb on the table that lived there for more than half a second. He was professional and personable and really, he has ruined things for other servers we will encounter. His accent added a whole feeling of being somewhere other than in our home town. The food was tasty, prices for food are completely reasonable, drinks prepared well and although not cheap, the prices were fair. The orange crème brûlée is incredible!!!! Well until you factor in the combined service. There is no way to put a price on leaving a restaurant feeling full, appreciated and the entire conversation home was about the experience. What we paid was truly a steal. I ve eaten in some super expensive places in my lifetime and they should all learn something from here. I know this is solely based on our first experience and we may now be bias. It s totally their fault!!! lol If you want to feel like 100% royalty give this place a shot. Dietary restrictions: We were asked upon being seated if either of us had any food allergies. I m deathly allergic to shrimp so it was nice to not have to ask. I had a baked pasta dish btw, that I couldn t pronounce but it was amazing!
Food is alright and a fair fraction of the price goes toward the premium location. It is right by the Gastown Steam clock so nifty to watch as one enjoys their meal.
Very pleasant establishment with live music and great food experiences. Second floor is absolutely enjoyable and the acoustics for small bands is great; I enjoyed the jazz trio immensely. The tapas menu was just right for this time of the evening for me, full entrée would have been too much. the burrata and the crab cakes were awesome. Staff was extremely polite and gave us just the right amount of attention to be able to enjoy the concert and the food with no pressure. Highly recommending this restaurant if you enjoy something more than a food experience. It was a perfect evening for me.
Good food. Nice atmosphere. Excellent service.
Loved every aspect! Staff was very helpful and friendly! Service was very fast even though the place was getting more packed by the second. Great beer on tap and food was amazing. A really awesome way to take a break mid-day and also watch the clock and people. Really chill place to relax. Kid-friendliness: Our kids were 11, 13 and 16 so not that small but we do have one fussy eater that absolutely loved the fries. Like most Canadian places they had a large amount of non alcoholic beverages and Id say many different food options too, so that everyone will find something they like. The kids loved the fact that we could see the clock work every 15 minutes whole we ate.
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.
The food was so good that I forgot to take my personal belongings including passport with me when we left the restaurant. Came back two hours later and recovered my bag which was safely kept by the manager . A big thank you to the staff and management for the great food and service. Dietary restrictions: The staff were very mindful about their guests dietary restrictions and asked us about it during the ordering process.
I rarely write reviews like this. Note I have lived in Van for 10 years now and was finally excited to try Water St Cafe but... the fish (cod and salmon) had a terrible smell and taste was atrocious, sitting in a broth for the cod! No one finished their dish, and the truffle gnocchi was terrible as well. The only thing good about our meal were the fries. The service was slow and we had to wave down our server several times, it took 40 minutes before we had our order in the system! Maybe we were there on a off night... *coming back to add this after reading other reviews*-> seems like others also had slow service and poor food! I should have read them first! It seems like maybe brunch is the better option?
Amazing cafe diner. Its the most ( formal, elegant ) and high end diner ever dined. Have to say amazing food, friendly staffs. Loved it!
Nothing special any more. I think Water Street Cafe used to have a very good reputation, but after visiting for dinner I wouldnt recommend it now. Interior is looking tired and the food is average and uninspired. The menu reads well, but what arrives on the plate is less flavourful than you would expect. I dont know the area well, but there is probably better. Parking: Lots of parking lots nearby.
Wouldnt allow my 39 week pregnant wife use the washroom while I was getting a haircut up the street. Needless to say, we didnt come here for lunch after, and wont ever be coming here. We went to Local down the road instead and had a lovely meal and drinks.
We dined here the Friday of Mother s Day weekend. Weather was perfect to sit outside and we enjoyed the happy hour menu of small plates - ravioli, meatball, lobster bisque, and crab cake. Flavorful, cooked perfectly, and attentive service to boot. Drinks were also fantastic.
The location of the restaurant is as great as it is from the clock. The food was average.
We sat on the Balcony during happy hour and it was fantastic! There was live music, the steam clock was visible and the Happy hour food and service was top notch ! Will definitely be back!
Very friendly and polite staff, nice ambiance and food
Food was really good, presentation was nice, espresso martini was delicious. Server made us rather uncomfortable, jokingly hit me with a towel which was quite inappropriate and was judging what we were ordering out loud. If I want an espresso martini with lunch that is my business. After he took our order someone else dropped off the food and we were never checked on until we started getting up to go find our own bill as it had been a while.
Our waiter Igor was outstanding - made a great rec on Meritage (Gold Hill) and was just fabulous. Lin had pesto gnochi. Plus caprese salad app we split was excellent. Very strong 2 thumbs ip from us.
Food is pretty average but service and atmosphere is nice for business or a date
We ordered food and waited for 55 minutes but did not receive anything except water! The restaurant was not even full and customer service was awful! Do not recommend!
What truly sets Water St. Café apart is its exceptional service. The staff is friendly and attentive, ensuring a memorable experience. The cafés signature dish, the Seaside Risotto, is a must-try. Its a culinary masterpiece, blending the freshest local seafood with rich, creamy arborio rice. For dessert, the Lemon Bliss Tart is a standout, offering the perfect balance of tangy and sweet. While the café is a bit on the pricey side, the quality of food and the ambience more than justify the cost. Its also worth noting that their coffee is superb, sourced from local roasters and brewed to perfection.
I found the Water St. Cafe through posts on the Find Me Gluten Free app. Theyre brunch menu is delightful! Im delighted to find #glutenfree offerings beyond #gf buns and salads with grilled chicken. The dulce de leche waffle is always gluten free, and there is special gluten free gnocci and gluten free pasta. I did not remember to ask about kitchen protocols for cross contamination, because Im GFNC, rather than having #celiac disease. Husband has the chicken sandwich (not GF) that was very good as well Bonus for location for tourists: youre right across the street from the Steam Clock.
Advertised Soup of the Day marked on menus as $10:50, when we enquired as to what the soup was, we were informed Lobster Bisque, so we ordered. Moments later the waitress came back and informed us that the Soup was now $14:50, so we still went ahead and ordered thinking it must be really good soup. On delivery it was a smallish bowl, no bread or bread roll to accompany and found to be extremely waters down. Hence my son in law on ate a little and left the rest. I was hungry at the time and so ate mine but found to be tasteless and very watery. The waitress came up and asked if we would like dessert. We declined and as we were getting our money sorted for 5 meals ( 5 people in our group) the main hostess, perhaps owner, came up and asked us to leave as she had a booking for the table we were at!!! Now, what if we had just ordered dessert or coffee.. would we have been moved on!!! Our experience from the moment we walked in was not a good one, cold reception, the Soup of the Day experience and the rude request to leave..Hence my scoring. We are from overseas and would never recommend this restaurant to anyone. There are other lovely cafes etc in Gastown and midtown Vancouver.
Foods are decent. Location is right across the team clock.
so it tasted bad and we waited for half anhour for four brunch
The food here was just awful. Never mind the fact that our bill was close to $200 for two people, even if it had been $60 it would not have been worth it. I had a seafood dish that was basically just a seafood trio and the most flavorless broth Id ever tasted. No vegetables except maybe some onions, and no carbs with the meal, only a slice of the most stale tasting papadam Ive ever had in my life. The Bison carpaccio was quite chewy compared to others than Ive had. My partner ordered one of the pasta dishes, which came with hardly any meat. He ordered a lobster tail to go with it, but the waitress forgot to ring it in. We eventually got it 10 minutes after our food arrived. We also had no cutlery when the meal came. We had to ask one of the wait staff, and for some reason he only left us forks and didnt bother to give us knives. This is just very, very bad etiquette at a place that is trying to be fine dining. To top it off, it was so loud inside that we could barely hear each other. What a bad decision coming here for our anniversary dinner.
Laid back restaurant. There was live music which was awesome. Food was very tasty.
I am so happy with this beautiful place! The food is amazing and accommodating my gluten free requirements easily. Gigi is such a a lovely hostess and made our experience wonderful. Food
Their coffee was amazing! The atmosphere in the heart of Gaston area is so lovely and classic. I had the waffle and was happy with that. My friend had carbonara and she was not that much happy with the quality of her food.
This place is magical! If you go to Vancouver this is a must stop!! The food is incredible, the people watching on the street around the cafe is a highlight and the steam clock adds so much to the experience.
The pasta was amazing with a great atmosphere. Tons of mussels and pasta were cooked and seasoned perfectly, with just the right amount of spice. Would definitely recommend.
This is a nice laid back spot to enjoy a meal and live music (pictured: chickenParmasuan and spaghetti with meatballs).
me and my partner both had very bad diarrhea and vomit after may 3rds happy hour, probably because of the steam clams
Exquisite place! Good variety of dishes with a detailed explanation on the menu. What I ordered was truly delicious. The attention is unbeatable. I truly recommend it. Oh and what to say about the view... located in one of the best spots in the city.
My husband and I had a wonderful anniversary celebration here last evening! Everything about the evening was superb the food, the service, the music. We were made to feel so welcome and at home and look forward to our next visit. We highly recommend this lovely restaurant for your special celebration.
We ate there twice during our stay in Vancouver, once for brunch and once for dinner. it was fantastic both times, friendly service and excellent food.
I lost my wedding ring at Water St. Cafe on Saturday, May 18-2024. Just in case someone found it, I d greatly appreciate that if you could contact me. Thank you
We absolutely adore this place! The steam clock adds such charm, and sitting in the restaurant, enjoying a glass of good wine and indulging in delicious pasta, feels like a dream come true! The service is always outstanding, and even when its crowded, we feel relaxed and comfortable, especially with our toddler. Its truly a gem of a spot!
Food was amazing, view was amazing, and the serving size was generous! Highly recommend their virgin cucumber mojito for a palate refresher!
Their flavored fries are some of the best Ive 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; its important to make a reservation a few days ahead to secure a spot during the peak hours. Parking: Paid parking lots nearby
The portion of food was large. Meetbal taste was not awesome, it tastes like pure meat and pork.
Nice waffles and amazing lemon pepper fries!
We had lunch. Service was very friendly. The Sangria berry watery. The tomato and cheese salad very skinny. I mean one sliced tomato, one cheese and some red stuff for I think 23 dollars? All good quality, but small to say the least. So, we weren t impressed.
Amazing! The seafood gnocchi is so good!
Traditional clock there was catching eyes!
This was an absolutely stellar brunch but the proportions need to be larger. If you are going out at night in Vancouver, you need to eat this the next morning. The mimosas were fantastic.
Great food, great service, and a great view of the steam clock across the street. Vegetarian options: A few vegetarian options were available, including the mushroom gnocchi
Came here for valentines day with a special dinner. The service was excellent and probably the best weve had in a long time! The food was good as well, however I must say that it was a bit overpriced for the quality delivered. Overall a good 4/5. Food
Thank you to Clint, the restaurant Ambassador for getting us these Mimosas. What a refreshing way to start! Clint invited me a couple months back and I only had the chance to go there for brunch today and thought of inviting my friends at the same time. We enjoyed the food and the service. Amy Jeong, our server was so relatable and has that approachable persona. The food, wow Couldn t even begin to describe the goodness of it all. It was so good that we jumped right into it. I can feel the freshness of the waffle, so savory. The chicken tenders, damn. I ll be dreamin about it til the weekend.
Crab carbonara was excellent, salmon was good and service/ atmosphere was amazing
I recently had a very small intimate wedding and reception in Water St. Cafe s Fireplace room. The staff helped me plan and organize from start to finish answering all of my many questions and accommodating all of our needs. The service from everyone was outstanding!! Mario Lopez was our personal server and I cannot say enough about how professional, kind and absolutely amazing he was! Thank you so much!!
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.
Water St. Café is one of my favourite Gastown spots with something exciting for everyone. The windows are huge. The view to the Gastown Steam Clock is iconic. Its a perfect romantic Vancouver backdrop for photos. Its also perfect for people watching and seeing Vancouver Gastown vibes and tourists of all types walking by. The happy hour is great deals on diverse dishes and drinks with good different price points for friends. The full menu is also wonderful and varied. For the location, I was not expecting it to be so well-priced and high quality. Its gorgeous inside too without being too much, upstairs and downstairs. Sandy told me that she and her family love to support the local live music scene. Theres music upstairs most nights with two sets. $12 entry, I think, and then the regular menu. The schedule is online and really varied in styles. In the summer they do 100 days of patio music . The service has always been kind and attentive. What a lovely, classy, beautiful community establishment in an amazing location!
We went during the live music on the second floor. Service is pretty attentive and the food is decent. The salmon was bland but the mushrooms were excellent. The butternut squash soup was weirdly solid, I ate it from right to left and it never really fell over. The fries were a highlight but as a side, they cant lift the place up to 5 stars.
Very disappointing experience. Our server seems to be neglecting our needs on purpose, we were seated for about 30 minutes and we asked to order, he said he will come back and we waited for another 15 minutes. The steam clock has already sang 3 times till this point and we didn t get to order anything, but the table next to us who was seated later than us, happened to speak the same language,Spanish, with the server has gotten their food already. The another server came and ordered for us in the end. While we have our food, the first server didn t come and check on us at all. When we are checking out, he was kinda rude too. We didn t do anything, we ask everything very politely, why are we treated like this? And it s 3pm, the whole restaurant wasn t super crowded at all. Food is good, but we will never come back again..
Best date night out ever - the service was really top notch, food was incredible and we really enjoyed the live music even more than we thought we would. Vegetarian options: I m vegetarian and I was very pleased - got the mushroom gnocchi and halumi side. Their brownie was out of this world!
3/21/2024 This ended up being our most expensive night out. Partly due to the cover charge to see the live music. I wouldnt 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 werent going to return for the second half for over an hour. It also wasnt 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. Ive 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 shes 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.
Very good service and food
I ordered the salmon dinner, for $40 and it was a farmed salmon. Not what I would expect at this price point or fine dining restaurant. Very fatty and soft.
Great side walk table. Pictures of drinks great. Worst clam and focaccia dish we have ever had. Stale dry and burnt bread. Sauce was bland and we didn t want to finish it.
Service was really slow despite the fact that we were seated before 3 other tables. All 3 tables that were sat down after us got their food first, which makes no sense. We waited 40 mins for our mains. When they arrived, the crust of the chicken parmesan was soggy, and not what we had expected given that we used to work in the food industry too and had higher expectations for a restaurant around the Gastown area especially during Dine Out Festival. Our server was nice and did apologize for the delay but it wouldve been great if she notified us on the delay earlier.
We wanted to try this restaurant for the longest time. We thought it would be a good deal $29+tax+tips for a 3 courses lunch experience duringDine Out Vancouver. This deal will end on February 4. Otherwise, this place is a bit pricey. We sat at the corner by 2 big windows at both sides. It was nice to see people taking photos with the gas clock. Attentive service. We didnt like the soup that much. The waffle was fine that we could find something similar easily. We liked the Italian harvest salad a lot (very favourable and bountiful) and Rigatoni alla Norma (pasta). Desserts were good too.
Unfortunately, the service was pretty meh. It took us 45 mins to get our meals and the actual food was good but not great. Would not recommend or go back.
Crab cakes were on the dry side
I had a birthday dinner last night at Water Street Cafe. I was SO impressed by the service. I had 9 friends and they reserved a beautiful private dining room for us. It was such a surprise because I definitely didnt reserve or ask for one and they just made it even more special. They had lovely live music on the second floor and it made the atmosphere more dreamy. The room itself had nice big windows, a rustic yet chic New York style vintage vibe. Our server was Mario and he was AMAZING. Top notch service and recommendations on delicious cocktails that suited my palate. I had the dine out menu and ordered their house Caesar salad, followed by their grilled Salmon dish, and finished with a yummy and classic vanilla creme brulee. I ordered their French 75 and Grape cocktail which was simply divine. All my friends raved about the atmosphere, service, and delectable food. Id highly recommend Water Street for any special event and intimate dining experience. 10/10 in my books, which says alot because Im super picky with my food and dining experience.
A truly unique spot in Gastown. Gorgeous Low light evening dining with a nice few of the steam clock. The crab cakes are a must, so fresh and light. We came for Dine Out 2024, and love the menu options.
We had lunch here for the first time , we enjoyed the foods, the cocktails were so good
This restaurant is a must when visiting Gastown in Vancouver. The atmosphere, the hosts, and the food were a 10/10. Will definitely be a go-to restaurant when visiting in the future.
One of the best steaks Ive ever had, and I eat a lot of steak . Nice space with a good view of the water street steam clock which plays tones every 15 mins and hour. Back to the steak and lobster with a side of mushrooms so dang delicious! Last time I was here the dill gnocchi was also to die for.
Service was excellent, food was not good. The italian salad looked like it was from subway/711 and the brownie tasted gritty (like they didnt totally mix the cocoa, sugar and butter), like uncooked dough. It was pretty bad. The meatballs and pasta were decent.
Amazing experience! Great view and amazing food with great service ! Food : 5/5
The ambiance, service and music entertainment were a 5/5. The food definitely not what you pay for. I have been coming to this restaurant the past 20 years and the last time was in 2021. Prices have gone up and quality and quantity of food have gone down. Repercussions of a pandemic and the current economy perhaps? But still, food could have been better. The Burata salad is now a smaller portion and the 2 crab cakes were way too salty and dry. My husband had the rigatoni bolognese and the same dish at cactus club is way more flavourful. I had the mushroom gnocchi that was good but unfortunately had more mushroom sauce and very little gnocchi so I did not finish. The warm apple cake was not warm at all and a very small piece. Date night was a bit of a disappointment food wise. Hopefully it was just an off night as we do love this restaurant.
food is forgettable, but there a clock though, it tells time.
I have nothing but great things to say about Water St. Café! I made reservations there to celebrate a milestone occasion & we were blown away by the friendly and welcoming staff. And what a lovely & elegant atmosphere and fantastic food. A huge thank you to Sandy & the entire staff for making such a wonderful celebration even more memorable.
Great and cozy restaurant! The mushroom gnocchi is the best. Great vegetarian option!
I ve been coming to this restaurant for over 3 years now and it definitely is the perfect restaurant to come catch up with friends over good drinks and great live music in such a wonderful atmosphere! The prices are relatively reasonable considering the food taste and the portions. In the summer they have their patio open, where you can dine-in with the view of Steam Clock and aperol spritz!
Rude hostess didnt even greet us and kept us waiting for a long time. Christmas Eve menu was bad and completely overpriced. Never coming back.
The atmosphere was up beat and I felt special. Preference for the tables away from the kitchen.
Extremely disappointed with out recent visit to Water St. Cafe for a birthday celebration. I recognize that it was fairly busy that night, but waiting 40 minutes for our first round of drinks and 1 hr and 30 minutes for entrees quite frankly seems unreasonable. Throughout the night we struggled to get our server much less anyone elses attention and it felt like we were forgotten about. In terms of food nothing stood out in particular and the cocktails were good apart from the room temperature rose which I had to chill and then pour myself.
As always, great food, service, and atmosphere. Our server was fantastic.
The location is great, you can directly see the steam clock, and the food is delicious.
We found this place purely by chance on a walk through Gastown, what a find! We got there just as they were opening and there were about 15 people in front of us which we felt was a good sign. The decor and style of this place reminded me of many happy times spent in Belgium and The Netherlands, it has a European feel to it which was very welcoming. We were served by Clint who clearly enjoys what he does and is a true hospitality professional. We have found the level of service in Canada very high and have had some great restaurant experiences, so far Clint ranks as #1. We left with some great local knowledge and had a good laugh at the same time. The food was amazing and the coffee was also very good. The menu had a great selection of dishes and I found it hard to choose. In the end I opted for the Brioche Waffles with chicken and Maple Syrup, when in Rome right... Gill had the the frittata which she enjoyed and Adam had the Eggs Benedict served on house made focaccia. A fantastic experience overall, highly recommended, we will definitely go back again before we leave Vancouver.
I can describe this restaurant as an Art nouveau style. The service, the food and the atmosphere where amazing from the beginning to the end. Everybody was really helpful and on top of that the music was retro 80s which I really enjoyed!
The Chicken &Waffles is not my favourite. They re just chicken fingers and 2 pieces of waffles with a bit of coleslaw so we find this dish should be cheaper than $32. The clams spaghetti and caesar salad were great. Service was good.
I went to this restaurant a few times with someone else. The last time I went on New Year Day with a few of my friends. The service and the food are okay. It was a busy day.But, I think when it came to the bill. I believe the waiter was purposed to over charge because we are all Asia women and busy talking. Luckily one of my friends is very detailed. So, she checked the bill and known it wasn t right. He charged us almost $100 more. I hope another customer should always check your bill.
I really wanted to like this place but honestly it couldnt have been a worst experience. We were celebrating a friends party and were seated in a very nice private room. It went south from there. The service was very slow, the food poor and cold. Getting extra cutlery was a chore; many of the other guests were half way into the meal before we got something as easy as a fork. When it came time to pay the bill we were not notified that an 18% gratuity was built into the final tally. We were presented with the machine with an additional tip prompt on the screen which I believe started at 21%. We adjusted the tip amount and paid the bill when others at the table noticed that the original bill had the 18% tip built in. The manager was called and four couples at the table were refunded the additional tip amounts. If a sharp eye hadnt noticed we would have been gouged for an amount that was inappropriate. Given everything and the experience in general we most certainly will not be going back.
Very courteous and attendant staff. Beautiful location overlooking the stream clock.
Food and service was amazing..would definitely will visit this place again
Located right across from the steam clock, it was fun observing it while dining. Great service and decent foods. It is just that the bongole was a bit too spicy for us.
First time in Canada... Both of the male hostes (tall and skinny) looked at me like if i was a homeless from the get go, swiping me up and down with their look, questioning a bottle of water that i had with me because i was traveling, i didnt feel comfortable at all, this happened saturday the 13th (january 2024) morning around 10am. Shame on them. In the other hand, the waitter was very nice.
Food was fine. Server was rude for no reason at all? Very curt and unfriendly. Server assistant and host were nice.
Fried chicken with half-burnt plain waffles, you could make more interesting waffles with cheese and vegetables, béchamel , lobster cold and with such a rough paste, I wanted hot dishes, the staff is polite, the creme brulee dessert is very tasty and thats all...(
Enjoyed bunch and live music on 2/F , made my Sunday enjoyable.
We went for a birthday dinner here during Vancouvers cold snap on January 12 2024. The restaurant was as cold as outside despite efforts to warm it since they placed us up against the single pane windows. Rather than deciding to close the restaurant under the weather circumstances. Management made little effort to address our discomfort, nor compensate us for the cold food. The staff was struggling under the conditions. It was just a terrible experience. Do not recommend this restaurant to anyone given the lack of foresight and remediation taken by management.
There are better options out there. This place seems to be living off tourist dollars mostly. Properly average.
Such a great, iconic restaurant in Gastown. Even on a Monday night, its vibrant and bustling. My server Chad was fantastic! He managed the room like a pro and his attention to detail is exceptional. Food was local fresh and delicious. Highly recommend Water Street! A must go!
For the price, everything was meh. Had a collection of appies and the only thing that stood out was the ravioli. The duck confit was good. Best part was the room and view of Gastown.
Enjoyed a 10 star dining experience with the team from Water Street this evening. Hosting friends from out of town, Indiana went above and beyond to ensure success in our experience. The food was delicious as always. Well done to the whole team!
My folks & I came for jazz night on the 2nd floor.... Very good. We just happened to be there on a slow night otherwise Im sure it would have been even more fun.
We sat on the second floor and listened to live music. Caroline was an exceptional server who gave excellent food suggestions and enhanced our experience. The food was nicely displayed, fresh, and delicious.
I went Water street cafe yesterday for early birthday dinner with my friends. Thank you for Roberto! He attended us with amazing service! We ordered Crab cake, Vongole, Mushroom Gnocchi and Rip eye Stake. the stake cooked perfectly and pastas were fabulous! Deserts were fantastic!! my friends and I really appreciate Roberto for all your service!! We satisfied all over all! I wish to see you next time again!
Outstanding across the board! Apps, salads and entrees are excellent. The Raspberry Lemonade was refreshing. And you can add your favorite vodka! Sit outside and enjoy the Steam clock - one of a kind!
Excellent location opposite the only steam clock still powered by steam, ambitious and quick service. Spaghetti Bolognese and Caesar salad for together. 37 kD, portion size was sufficient. Very good quality of meat. Salad was delicious seasoned with capers and grated cheese. Overall, highly recommended!
All the dishes they served were top notch and their excellent customer service from Roberto made our experience outstanding! We had West Coast Crab Cakes, Mushroom Gnocchi, Spaghetti Alle Vongole, Steak and so on. The West Coast Crab Cakes were so crispy outside and fresh inside. Especially, the texture and flavour of the Real crab were perfect! The clams were super fresh and I loved the natural sweetness in there. Last but not least, The steak was also super juicy and the house-made sauce was a perfect match with it. I loved the little dessert cakes as well! Hit the spot! Highly recommend :)
Definitely recommend Water St. Cafe. The service was amazing and all the food was delicious. A favourite for sure.
incredible service & great food.
I LOVE this location. Gas town is a special part of Vancouver. Water street is a beautiful street to meander on a Sunday afternoon and stopping opposite the steam clock seems a perfect place to sit and enjoy an early dinner/late lunch and a glass of wine. The Water Street Cafe has a lovely French Brasserie feel. It s such a shame the service and food was so poor on this day. I live in the neighbourhood and asked our friends to join us for an afternoon meal at the Water Street Cafe but had to be constantly apologetic when, after 50minutes our food still had not arrived and our hanger was increasing. Just within the hour it did arrive, we ordered a regular burger, 2 salmon burgers and Cobb salad, so nothing fancy that should have taken anywhere near as long. The burgers all came with fries which were cold on arrival. This is when we decided to ask for the manager to report on how was our meal tasting? Not satisfactory is our experience. However, I will say the manager immediately gave al meals for free. Still, disappointing. 3 of our party (athletes) only eat one meal per day and look forward to that meal being of the utmost importance! Thank you for not charging us for the food but the experience won t be brining us back
The environment is a huge plus, since having meals while listening to a very good music helps a lot. Also, having the Steam Clock right in front of you is very nice, however, meals wise (where restaurants should be dominant) a bit disappointing. As starter we had focaccia, wings and meat ball. Focaccia: thumbs up Wings: Ok Meatball: its literally only 1 meatball. I was expecting maybe 2 or TOPS 3? I ordered the roasted chicken with bolognese pasta. The presentation was super beautiful, but it tasted very...off. The chicken meat had no flavor at all, which was compensated by a strong tasting sauce all around the meat. The Pastas Bolognese sauce was very, very salty. Could barely taste the sauce itself as it should be. My girlfriend ordered the Spaghetti alla vongole. She has eggs and dairy allergy and asked for an alternative, but this gluten-free alternative was only possible by also adding $4 extra charge (which she wasnt consulted beforehand). Plus, the pasta was overcooked.
The food was great especially mushroom gnocchi and bison carpaccio. But the daily of soup (chicken meatball) was salty, and the waiter was unprofessional which never asked us about the good tasting and I told him the soup was super salty. He just said yea . Very disappointed with the service.
this was the first stop I chose for my friends stagette and everything was absolutely wonderful. the staff were so friendly, food was delicious, and the space itself was beautiful. thank you for making us feel so welcome! intrigued by the upcoming Boat to Table menu, hopefully Ill make it to the mainland again soon.
The food was nice and really love the atmosphere around this area.
Came here for my friend s birthday. We received great service and portions were surprisingly big. Also, it s at the heart of Gas town, what more can you ask for?!
Mario Lopez was the best server we ve had he was very knowledgeable and made our experience outstanding! Thank you Mario we will definitely come back!
Carolyn was amazing along with the food. Highly recommend
Carolyn was AWESOME!! And in her first week even - she was great! Appreciated her advice and humoring us tourists. The food was very good and the drinks were also great. 4 stars on atmosphere was not technically their fault but the music on the street was putting us to sleep. It was not a reflection of their live music cause they didn t have it the night we were here. Still - high recommend for food and people watching!!
I live in Vancouver. 10 blocks from this place. Not sure what the hype is about. The service was amazing. The food..damn. What did I pay for? DO NOT GET THE SPAGHETTI VONGALLE, or the meatballs. Tasteless. My wife and I added so much Parmesan and salt and pepper to get any taste. I m a meat eater, those meatballs were atrocious. You ll enjoy more flavour at the local pho shop with beef balls.
2023 9/15 2:00 pm. I tried to enter the store, but I was ignored at the entrance and couldnt enter. There were no Asians in the store, and everyone was white except for one black person. I stayed outside for a while to hear the sound of the steam clock, but white people were being shown to their seats one after another. This was the only store in Vancouver where this kind of behavior occurred. Thank you for giving me such a valuable experience. 9/15/2023 2:00 PM. I tried to enter the restaurant but was ignored at the entrance and could not get in. There were no Asians in the store, and with the exception of one black person, everyone was white. I stayed outside for a while trying to listen to the steam clock, but white people were being shown to their seats one after another. This was the only place in Vancouver where I was subjected to this kind of behavior. Thank you for this valuable experience.
A near bad experience is quickly trumped by good customer service. Although we waited a little longer than expected for our cocktails, our moods were promptly improved by the service staffs ability to improvise. They were very friendly while apologizing for their rough start to our experience and comped is an appetizer while we decided on dessert, that soon there after blew my socks off. From almost bad, to incredible experience. Thank you for taking the time.
Unreal first meal in Vancouver. Duck and waffles absolutely slap. Well done!
Good service with an excellent view of the steam clock. It has live music on the second floor. Love the atmosphere. MUST TRY the Homemade beef ball pasta , Caesar Salad, beef carpaccio, and the prawns. Beef tenderloin is average, and the Tilamissu is too sweet for me and not much coffee Fravour. If you don t tell the server appetite came first, they will serve everything all at the same time. end up we have to had the entrees first while is still hot. But it affects other foods favour.
Every time I visit Vancouver Canada I come to this place. The Chef here never fails me. I get a new experience each time, and always am delighted with my choices. I highly recommend. Its a place where you dont mind paying the bill for!
I use to love this place, visited often and I was super disappointed on my last visit. Not sure if management has change? Food prices, even for happy hour, have gone up and the amount of food you get is not what you pay for. Also, the waiter was pretty judgy when me and my family ordered a few baskets of bread, he made us feel really uncomfortable and ashamed for the amount of food we were ordering. I won t be coming back, which is sad since this was my favourite spot in Gastown with an amazing view of the steam clock. Hopefully food, prices and customer service gets better.
Okay, the appetizers were delish but we had an hour and 30 minute wait for a main course. I understand that Coldplays in town and Theres a couple cruise ships and The Laver cup is going on, but that was very long wait I will admit I ordered the wrong steak. It was flat so maybe I should read the menu better. Maybe its a good idea for them to explain the difference between the stakes. Im used to a thick New York style steak Thats thick and buttery and delicious in the middle. Had I known I would have changed the steak order. We did get a complementary dessert . Im willing to give the restaurant a second chance on my next visit from California to Vancouver.
One of the best menus in Gastown
Great live music on second floor. Cozy atmosphere and great service. Food is delusions. It s not cheap here but the place is great. It was worth it!
Great place to people watch and see the steam clock. The food was great and the service was amazing. My friend and I were celebrating a new job and 20+ years of friendship and Paulie really took care of us and made our reunion all the more special.
Great server - Carolyn - deliciously food - thks so much
I m going to start with the good and then move on to the bad. The food was excellent, and I loved the vibe of the restaurant, which was located in Gas Town. However, the service and waitresses were terrible. I gave it one star just for the food, as the service was very poor. When I tried to get the waitress s attention, both of them ignored me. They literally made eye contact with me and then ran away. The male waiter did the same thing too. I called him, but he ignored us the whole time. The service was very bad, and it seemed like the coworkers weren t even helping each other. It was very unfriendly. This was my first and last time going to this restaurant!
Right next to the Gastown Steam Clock, great place to stop for lunch. Servers were attentive, food delivered quickly. I ordered the Black Stone Benny which was poached eggs, bacon, and egg on a herbed focaccia bread with hollandaise sauce. It came with roasted potatoes and arugula. The bread, which I initially thought was thicker than I wanted for a Benny, was perfect to soak up all the yolk and had a delightful flavor. Definitely worth getting. Of note, the bathrooms were upstairs. I didn t specifically ask about other handicap accessible bathrooms.
Excellent service. Delicious food and drinks. Not overpriced. Location was directly across the street from the steam clock easy to see the clock when it went off.
Care given to food presentation and flavor profile. A few offerings with truffle or pistachio for better or worse. Directly across from the steam clock. You can hear it from inside.
Good!!
Thanks for everything. The food was amazing, and the atmosphere was so cozy. In a rainy saturday, it was so great to spend the night in this place. I don t know the details but there was a live music on the second floor. Better to make a reservation
Popped in for lunch yesterday. I had the uninspired chicken sandwich and my partner ordered the cold eggs Benedict. My beer sat on the bar counter for 15 minutes and my partner s tea was forgotten altogether . Will not return. I think they must rely on the tourists $.
Place is decent. Good drinks, food was just OK at this price point. Desert was below average. Tiramisu was sour and chocolate crumbles were just inappropriate.
I haven t been here for a few years. Last time it was 2019 and I remember it was a lovely place for happy hour. Today, I had brunch with my friend here. We got a table by the window facing the steam clock. It would be perfect for tourists but we were not. There was not enough room for me to sit across my friend at a small table for two. I guess that might be why they put my seat at the side instead. It was quite difficult for us to refill our own sparkling water, with one plate of starter and two plates of brunch and coffee on the table. We both ordered from the brunch menu. I ordered Black Stone Benny, which was a typical Benny with bacon and a small amount of salad. My friend had a salmon Benny. While the salads should be served cold, everything else was cold as well. The toast, the eggs, my bacon, my friend s salmon. The sauce was not even lukewarm. Each Benny costs about $22. Not too expensive but not cheap either. I would reasonably expect the food at least to be served hot. Fortunately, our starter tasted good, or I would be even more disappointed. I arrived late so when I was asked if I wanted a drink, I didn t have a chance to look at the drink menu. I asked if they had a matcha latte, I felt the server was making fun of me. It was not once, nor twice, but every other time the server came by again, they commented how matcha latte not being tasty, being difficult to make, and I should go get it somewhere else. They also tapped my shoulder when making the last comment. It was not me insisting on having one or asking for it again, so it was kind of strange for me.
A visit to Gas town for the day had us stop here at Water St. Cafe for an early lunch. The atmosphere inviting and upbeat. All servers appeared to be attentive and friendly. Service with a smile. Waitress was extremely attentive with us and helped me decide what to have from the menu based on dietary restrictions. Washrooms were nice, too! This restaurant has a very upscale and classy feel to it. There are some really unique dishes on the menu and all of the food wee had was delicious. They even threw in a complementary fresh fruit sorbet, which was such a lovely touch! Highly recommend!
Initially, I checked the website for this restaurant because it was close to where my friend works who I was taking out for lunch. I then looked closer at the very attractive online menu and decided to make a reservation for today. Lunch was very good as was the service. The interesting/inviting Brunch-Lunch menu that is available until 1500 hrs. seems like a great idea. It sure worked for us as the menu provided great variety. We told the staff that it looked like we had a found a new usual place for lunch.Well done to the staff (very friendly and helpful) and well definitely see you again soon.
Great place to meet up and catch-up with our niece. The food was delicious. I had the Classic Morning Carbonara and quite enjoyed it. A little expensive but a good experience.
Came here on a date night and had a really great evening. We really loved the Mushroom gnocchi! Our food was accompanied by great service too. Overall we had a good time. Food
I had pasta and gnocchi, and the noodles were fresh and delicious. There are floor-to-ceiling windows directly overlooking the steam clock, so the interior has a nice atmosphere and the service is very friendly.
Delicious food! Service was top
Enjoyed it! Would like more veg/vegan friendly options and maybe a little more greens. Was so happy to not be overwhelmed by potatoes!
Nice food and ambiance.
Loved the service! Really professional and friendly. Food was good as well.
Fabulous service - the wait staff are kind, direct, and know how to let you enjoy a meal. If youre lucky, they might seat you at the corner window in full view of the Gastown Clock.
Nice dimly lit restaurant with prime steam clock view. Servers are nice and helpful. Our dessert and night cap were delicious. Cute spot for date nights
I expected much better food and service from this restaurant. We were waiting for quite a long time to be able to order, eventho it was not a rush over, and the restaurant was 50% full only. But in general, it was not. You got Food
The food quality could be way batter for the given price. Crab Cakes and Bison Carpaccio were alright, nothing special. I understand that the traditional Carbonara doesnt include lots of ingredients, but the one I had lacked full body taste and salt. There was enough sauce, yet it felt dry and bland. I understand the food taste is a subjective thought, but I would add more fat from Guanciale to the sauce. Service was nice and friendly. I respect the constant water refills, although I had a feeling after 2-3 sips, I would get a refill even though my glass is still on 2/3. No big deal, just a detail I noticed. Atmosphere is nice, small space, and heritage woodwork details feel welcoming. Because of the small space inside, expect everybody passing by constantly if your table is next to the service path.
Amazing service! Great food and thanks for the recommendations Rabia!
Located directly opposite to the steam clock in Gastown, Water St. Cafe serve all day food, drinks, and live music performance. Service was amazing, very friendly and attentive. Water was constantly refilled without asking. Jazz performance was okay but unfortunately not to our taste. Food was average tbh, I was expecting more given the popularity, though perhaps this is driven more so from location versus taste. Morning Carbonara ($26.75) 5/10 Traditional carbonara served with egg on the top. I m typically a huge carbonara fan, but I found the flavour to be very heavy yet flat at the same time. Also, I thought they didn t use enough guanciale to add a depth of flavour. Bison Carpaccio ($19.45) 6/10 This was my first time trying out bison carpaccio. Quite an interesting taste, definitely leaner versus beef. Tasted a bit bland to me. Waiter did not clarify that bread was an extra $4 charge.
Excellent smoked salmon eggs Benedict. Excellent service as well. They care about if the meal was done right. Beautiful view of Gastown through huge windows, especially of the infamous steam clock.