Imagine going for a drive in a nice sports car, say an Alpha Romeo or maybe an Austin Martin. As you approach and enter, you appreciate the styling, the materials, the intent. Once seated you take a moment to familiarize yourself with the controls. You are politely offered assistance, but you get it. You are here to drive, and you've driven before.
You ease into the road with a light Riesling... more

5 stars for the foie gras unagi bowl. It's probably the best foie dish in Vancouver. And a rather good deal at $27. Mix it all together with the rice, soft daikon and it is a super satisfying dish. It'll be the reason I keep coming back here, so I hope they never change this dish.

The oyster shots with granita feel sort of mandatory everytime I go here, but I think I might pass the next time.... more

Wow!! I am utterly impressed by how amazing this place is. Every single thing we ordered was a 5/5. Excellent flavors in each dish!

We got the oyster shot, mushrooms appetizer, udon and clams, and the foie Gras rice bowl.

Highly recommend ordering any or all of those dishes above. We got a drink that only the locals are aware of and it was deliciously boozey.

I already can't wait to come... more

Wow just wow.. enough said. I dare you to order anything on the menu and not say wow. Everything from the light items like the shooters to the entrees.. unleashes all your taste buds

I really like this place, have been here about a dozen times and it's always been a great experience. Love the drinks as well as the food. I've also tried some feature menus e.g. chef collaborations, and they have already been very memorable. It's my go-to for fusion that is delicious without being overly gimmicky.

The pork belly rice bowl dish was simply out-of-this-world. This place is definitely a hidden gem and worth a visit.

My family and I had an incredible meal tonight at PiDGin. Starting with the cocktails, which were complex yet came together perfectly, the stage was set for a meal that presented a melange of ingredients we've had before but were presented in unexpected and delightful ways. My husband and I had the prix fixe with the wine and sake pairings, and the pairings took an already amazing culinary... more

When you make a reservation for 8 pm and are still waiting at 8:30 pm What then is the purpose of having made reservations? A well-run restaurant would not have this issue. Furthermore, we weren't updated on how long we are expected to wait

Spent our first evening in Vancouver at Pidgin and it was the perfect way to begin our incredible food journey. We sat at the bar and the bartender was friendly, knowledgeable and incredibly attentive. It's a fun atmosphere, not too crazy, but lively and yet relatively mellow at the same time. The food was out standing - we started with an oyster shooter with green apple granita, followed by... more

You know that feeling when you're walking out of a restaurant and think "Wow!! That was good!" Went to Pidgin last night and on leaving our conversation progressed from the meal was good..to no...very good....to no...very, very good.....to no....it was excellent!!

One of the most enjoyable meals we've had in a while. We had the tasting menu and enjoyed all of the 8 dishes immensely. From the... more

It's been a long time since I wanted to go here, and I finally managed to have the time to go. There was only two of us and we were promptly sat at our table we reserved. The hostess could've been better - just threw the menus on the table and left before we sat. The waiters were attentive and friendly.

For drinks, we had plum wine and a Siam sour cocktail. I didn't try the plum wine as it's... more

We had one of the top 5 best dinning experiences of our lives here.

We ordered a 6 or seven course meal with real Wagyu beef as the main event. It was incredible and perfect.

The service was amazing. Such an interesting place.

Expensive. I dropped about $500 dollars (which included a bottle of middle of the road bubbles).

Worth it winner.

Highly recommended. Go here now.

This was my 4th visit over the last 5 years and the evolution of Pidgin is certainly in the right direction.

We marveled at all of the fresh distinctive flavours in each dish and across all of the courses of the tasting menu. The citrusy white asparagus was an amazing experience in itself but the poached spring salmon with torched skin and venison tartare were also standouts.

Enjoyed a nice... more

Came here with a friend to celebrate their birthday and we made it in time to have happy hour drinks which were delicious. They were accommodating with the cake we brought in but there's a $5/person plating fee to keep in mind. We went with the chefs menu and it all come out very good! Definitely need to come back to see what menu changes are next season.

Whoa. Whoa. Whoa.

The food crushes.

One of my absolute FAVORITE cocktails of recent memory. (The rosemary bourbon one finished with local IPA)

Kickass interior.

Good jams.

Went here for a friends birthday and gotta say I was really surprised. The menu is always changing week to week to follow the seasons and what's fresh and available. I love kitchen's like this because it allows the chef more freedom and creativity. As a patron you are getting a truly unique experience. I teamed up with a friend on this one and we ordered a bunch of a la carte plates, allowing... more

We went to Pidgin on a Friday night and were able to get a table right away.

Ambiance:
Quiet, good lighting and pretty decor inside. Music was fantastic too. They played old school hip hop which cut the pretentious side of a fine dining type of restaurant and was pretty relaxing for a date. The place is in the heart of gastown and fits with the vibe of all restaurants so it was fun trying this... more

We got to sit right next to the kitchen window and see the food made! We went with the tasting menu which included so many dishes.

We started off with an oyster shot which I enjoyed but if you aren't a fan of raw oysters then you may want to skip. The grilled asparagus was served with smoked mayo and it was great. The fried chicken wings should not be missed. The mushrooms with the ramen egg... more

Definitely one of my favorite restaurants in Vancouver. Pidgin's approach to asian fusion food brings the genre to a whole new level. I was fortunate enough to get the opportunity make a mini-documentary featuring the restaurant. The amount of thought and effort they put into making their dishes really shows. If you are well versed in cuisines around the world, you can actually dissect each one... more

Went there for dine out. This is a course for two people to share. The food were all delicious. Especially the salmon and beef, must be the best cooked salmon and beef i have ever had, so tender and juicy and just melt in your mouth. The sauce was good too. The dessert wasn't type of tea though.

This may be one of my most favorite meals of the year.

Came during Dine Out Vancouver which allowed us to share 6 dishes for just $40 CAD each. We opted to add shishito peppers too.

But first the cocktails. A great creative menu with a bartender who knows his craft. I had the one eyed Samarui which was watermelon nirvana and the signature cocktail. It was nirvana.

But back to the dishes. Not... more

This was my favourite place for whenever I crave for Foie Gras. We just went for dine out today and the entire dinner was such a disappointment. The first course, fried mantou, were greasy and over fried. The mushroom course were over seasoned. And the most anticipated Foie Gras bowl was different than before when the Foie Gras was diced and seared on each side and now it was just a whole piece... more

There's 1 page for food and the rest are all drinks on the menu and you know you can never go wrong at a place like that! Their drinks are phenomenal. The rotating duke's martini is extremely strong! There are some tasty unique creations in there too like the Siam sour which is a whiskey sour with some ginger. I tried the rabbit mortadella without knowing what it was. It was 50% rabbit and 50%... more

- BOTTOM LINE:
Loved this place! We had trouble choosing our dishes so we went for the tasting menu. It came with more than enough food, and they seemed obliging for any specific dishes you wanted included or any dietary restrictions. We enjoyed the fusion element of the menu. It was a fantastic balance of interesting and familiar flavors.

- THE SPACE:
Pretty and spacious. The kitchen is open... more

I go here often and always really enjoy it, whether I stop by for a snack and a drink or do the full tasting menu. The food, cocktails and service are consistently on point. The menu is innovative. While some dishes are more successful than others, it is rare that I don't enjoy the food and some meals have been truly fantastic.

The menu focuses on local, seasonal ingredients with Japanese and... more

I went here with my girlfriend for our trip to Vancouver and have very mixed feelings about this place.

We had the Travelzoo deal, two seven course meals for $66! Amazing! However the meal itself and the vibes of this place threw us off. In terms of food: it was very lackluster for Asian fusion. The courses itself didn't flow well, and a lot of the food felt forced into an Asian fusion style.... more

Heard lots of reviews and was feeling fusion!

W ordered:

1. oyster shot - it didn't really have any astounding flavour, it was drenched in a sweet apple sauce
2."potato" mentaiko - had cod roe and nori butter on it, the potato were cut in tiny French fry sizes and cooked "al dente" to be honest I didn't like this dish as much, the potato didn't seem right that it was al dente, it was like... more

Our last night in Canada and oh boy if were we lucky!. Literally next door to to our Airbnb apartment is this beautiful restaurant. I guess the menu would be best described as fusion gastropub with definite Korean influences. We started with a couple oyster shots followed by the fried chickens wings. Then we moved on to the pork belly rice bowl and ended with the beef strip loin. Everyone hit... more

Wait was long in between the tasting menu... falling asleep... waitress was so busy ... she was nice to substitute the beef for lamb at no extra charge... since we don't eat beef

I'll be honest. We only went to this place for the happy hour. We loved it. Great service. Great drinks.
Gas town, we love it.
More should go 1030 ON!
We have decided soon we will be back for the food.

Food was good but blow my mind away kind of outstanding. Had the family style ssam, Korean roasted pork with many side dishes to roll in lettuce as an Asian lettuce wrap. Very refreshing idea to have chopped basil and mint to offer inside the lettuce wrap, but kimchi was weak and tasteless. Other than the refreshing herbs, everything else is pretty standard for a Korean lettuce wrap. The... more

Cute little restaurant in a not super nice neighborhood. We made reservations and pre ordered the half pig feast and it did not disappoint. The pig was super tender and juicy and all the little sides complimented the pig perfectly. We ordered a couple of different sides to go with our dinner. The squid ink pasta with clams was good. I love the fried buns with eggplant dip. The squid was super... more

Pidgin was a great find for our first time in Gastown. We opted for the tasting menu to get a sampling of the food there. One of the first dishes out was an oyster shot with apple, cucumber, and horseradish. Honestly it didn't sound appetizing at first but I'm glad I looked past the description because it was surprisingly good. My favorite dish of the seven had to be the mantou bread with... more

Great option for drinks and small plates but a good dinner option as well.

This place is Asian fusion with a very robust cocktails and mocktail menu. (I'm pregnant so very appreciative of the non-alcoholic options).

Online reservation is easy and text confirmation is nice for out of towners like myself that prefers not to talk on roaming.

Menu is simple but seems to be seasonal which is... more

Amazing food and great service! Beautiful restaurant with great drinks on the menu as well!

A fun place to dine and try out an assortment of asian fusion cuisine. They have a great drink list including some pretty tasty nonalcoholic cocktails too! I had the aunties high tea and it was very nice and refreshing cold drink that comes in a cute tea cup. Some of my favorite menu items ordered includes the foie gras rice bowl (very nice rich flavour and comes with a decent size of foie... more

Delicious food, so-so service.

The interior of the restaurant is cute and trendy, although the walk to the restaurant was a bit shady. I had the "grapevine" cocktail, which was pretty tasty. I highly recommend the potato "mentaiko udon" -- SO delicious and probably my favorite dish of the night. (Wish I could eat that again.. yum.) The pork belly bowl was also delicious (and popular! -- both... more

I saw this reviewed on a Vancity Buzz (Daily Hive Article) on December 26th about top 10 eateries that look nice. I am always looking for eateries with nice ambiance.

I came here right at 5 pm (maybe a few minutes after). I wanted to have my version of happy hour and dessert.

The bartender from Germany was really nice and we had a good food conversation. The place was quiet when I arrived... more

We were very excited to try this place on a Saturday evening expecting it to be over the top, but it was simply just OK.

We made the reservation for 6 pm and it was fairly quiet as we arrived, with only about four tables occupied. Then by about 8 pm, the whole restaurant was filled! I am guessing people love this restaurant, although I did hear a few tables stating this was their first time at... more

Very good Japanese

My wife and a friend came here last night and thoroughly enjoyed it. The food, atmosphere and service were excellent. Highly recommend.

Cool concepts

We came to the restaurant because of our friend's recommendation.
The menu had some delicious items, and I can still taste the flavour even though it was a few months ago.
The ambience is cozy, romantic and hip. I would say it is a good first to fourth date for couples :)

Great food

Menu items were very creative. Drinks were pricey, but excellent... more

Foodie Heaven

Once again we were wowed by the food at Pidgin! Having some personal favourites like the mushrooms/peas and of course the best duck ever, we were delighted with the new special additions this evening of duck wings and halibut ceviche that were outstanding. Service top notch as always. We will be back again and again. Thank you Pidgin!

Danny

Great Asian fuzion restaurant! Very good service and menu! The Foie Gras was my favorite!

Great food!

Food was amazing! Our server was great and was so knowledgable about the food and restaurant history. The oyster shots and pickle are delicious. Make sure to order those!

Went here with a couple of girlfriends; food was alright - kinda lacks creativity and "unique-ness". The potato dish was really salty. But either than the food, the service was amazing - love the servers here, and the drinks were good. I really enjoyed the mushrooms, sugar snap peas, egg, soy yuzu brown butter dish, and the oysters shots.

It was pretty good. Not as great as other reviews made it out to be

Great!

Food was amazing! One of the best meals I've had. Still on of the best restaurants in the city!

Best meal in Vancouver

It is not in a very good location… but then again Vancouver is so spoiled that it is really not that bad!
The cocktails are exciting and although we are wine drinkers, we drank cocktails during our entire meal. All were delicious!
The food is absolutely amazing, fresh, out there, tasty, tasteful, balanced, just delicious. We took the chef's choice... more

Great Japanese and French fusion

PiDGiN is one of the best restaurant in Vancouver for special occasion. I took my wife for her birthday. Foie gras rice bowl was, out of all the dishes we ordered, the best dish. A server was very friendly and knew exactly what we needed.

Delicious

Came here for my birthday and it was almost perfect. The food and the service was great. The servers were friendly, knew the menu well, and their recommendations were spot on. One of the best meals I've had in a while. I don't usually like fusion, but to my surprise, I loved this place. The menu items are supposed to... more

Wowzer!

Pidgin never fails to impress. From the oyster shooter, of which I can never get enough (had 2 for appies and another one for dessert), to the new pepper appetizer (OMG that was good), to the standbys of grilled octopus and halibut, the dinner was superb. The drinks were also totally creative and beautifully prepared - we took our server's suggestions and were never disappointed (between the 2... more

loved the food, loved the drinks, what a great experience

i came here originally to try the drinks, i heard the bartenders were spot on! great referral, i fell in love with all the drinks that were sent my way and decided to come back later in the evening for dinner. we were in for a treat. i brought a few of my friends and shared several of the plates.... more

Lovely date night

I left Pidgin feeling extremely full and happy. The food was very creative and well executed. The flavors were wall balanced on every dish. Our server was a kind gentleman and was very helpful even though we were indecisive. I would definitely go again. I wanted to try everything!
I highly recommend the miso and gorgonzola crusted beef brisket with beets and freshly shaved horseradish.

Interesting

The food was very good, not excellent. Care was done in its presentation, so visually it looked elegant. More care should have been focused on the food itself. Both lamb and pork dishes wer too fatty even for the "belly" cuts. The dessert did partially make up for the weaknesses in the main courses.
Principal complaint - the awarkedness of the tables. We were three. Two of us were seated on a... more

Lovely tapas and very interesting drinks make for an enjoyable evening !!

Pidgin never disappoints

Inventive dishes. Fabulous drinks. Friendly, efficient service. Pidgin never fails to impress and my most recent visit was no exception.

Solid

Service was great. From the server to the various people who served and presented the food. Excellent detail of the dish. Little details were met.

Dripping with attitude

The food is good, but Pidgin suffers from the worst kind of self-congratulatory narcissistic pretentious posturing. Since Pidgin seems to feel they are too good for their customers, the public should oblige them by staying away. Then they can revel in the glory of their own self-importance without the burden of anything so mundane as providing service to patrons.

Amazing Food Drinks and Service

We stumbled on this restaurant walking back to our hotel and the design elements were so appealing and out of place for the neighborhood that I was drawn to look at the menu in the window.
The restaurant is both beautiful and extremely comfortable and relaxed. The food is both finicky and approachable. Finicky in that there is amazing attention to detail and flavor profiles. Approachable in... more

Great ambience, impeccable dining

The service is extremely well organized, and the food was extraordinary. Put together with a niche wine list that paired harmoniously with the food and ambience and you've got your date night/romantic/getaway that will always be remembered.

Good food but

I visited with 4 friends and we decided to share several small plates. The servings are indeed small and don't lend themselves to sharing amongst 5 people, for example 4 duck wings. The obvious solution would be to order 2 of everything but that could get very expensive very quickly. (Our bill for 4 drinks, a bottle of wine and... more

Food was amazing. However, wasn't thrilled with the service. Not very friendly and inviting

I really liked the interior of the restaurant. It wasn't fussy, but still looked polished and upscale. The service was great and definitely meant to be shared. I was there with a date, but I think it would be better with 3-4 people (not that it was bad with the two of us!). That way you can sample more of the dishes. It isn't too loud inside, so it's easy to have a conversation and relax.I've... more

great value and service!

We chose Pidgin as one of our few dinners while visiting Vancouver and it was great! The prix fixe menu was such a good value and let us try a bunch of stuff on the menu, which was great since everything sounded so interesting. They even let us switch out one of the dishes in the prix fixe for a different one which we were more interested in. Service was very friendly, helpful and energetic!

Amazing and inspirational!

Great execution on interesting and insightful food and flavour pairings! Beautiful presentation and friendly staff. A great dining experience filled with a few eye opening dishes as well as wholesome food at a very reasonable price! Thank you pidgin

Unique dining experience

We decided to have our Father's Day Dinner at Pidgin, highly rated by Vancouver Magazine and others such. For those who love sampling small dishes, this is the place. The small plates we ordered were hamachi tartare, dan dan rutabaga noodles, and mushrooms -- all excellent. For larger plates, we highly recommend the duck and foie gras. The special was... more

Byob

Corkage charge if you bring your own bottle Tuesday through Saturday was $30. I would come again but only on a Sunday or Monday night when the corkage is $1.00.

Excellent food

Well prepared and creative food that would draw me back. I didn't care as much for the service which was a little too intrusive, although friendly. I came to enjoy a good meal with my wife. It does seem to be a certain style of relating to guests that is part of this restaurant's approach since I observed the other server near us taking the same approach.

Great food, so/so service

The food at Pidgin was creative, delicious and well presented. Oyster shooters and the mushroom dish were the highlights for us as well as the duck. The service left a lot to be desired. Our server was attentive.... but a bit too attentive, he interupted us on numerious occasions while we were in conversation, he described all but two dishes on the menu ( I would have preferred just a few... more

beyond amazing

the service, the cocktails, the food was beyond the beyond, a treat in every single bite..oh my, it will stay with us.

Most dishes were a hit! The Halibut was the best I'd had in years. The Meringue Dessert was awesome. Some dishes were a miss. perhaps that's just me with accustomed to Asian palettes. But I really enjoyed my meal! Sake and cocktail was ridiculously overpriced though. beware of that.

flawless meal

Excellent cocktails - a good way to start. Our group chose the prix fixe menu without really studying it - this added an element of surprise. Every course gave us the sense of a wholly new food experience and delighted us with its flavours. All presented with great care but zero attitude. So good and so Vancouver--at its best.

Great find!

4 of us enjoyed our experience at Pidgin. We shared each plate, giving us a wonderful variety. It's hard to go over everything, but a few highlights: oyster in a spicy salsa with an ice. Absolutely wonderful, creative and delicious. The scallops were so fresh, the halibut wonderful. Both perfectly prepared and presented. There was a ruttabagga salad and potatoes with roe. These we're tossed at... more

Great date night at Pidgin

Celebrated our anniversary here and it was a perfect spot to do so. Fabulous food meant to be shared, and the service was excellent. Some really fun cocktails on the menu as well. Would definitely go back!

Great Spot

The food presentation was great. They had lots of healthy options for my vegetarian friend. Fresh. I don't think I would crave there food but it was very good. Would like to go back and try more dishes!

Hidden Gem

Definitely hit the mark for Asian Fusion. Started with cocktails that were simple enough, but delicious. I highly recommend the "old school Negroni". We tried the Prix Fixe to get a good mix of a few things and it was totally worth it. The flavors are exciting and very complimentary. Some highlights were the oyster shot, seasoned mushrooms and the duck. Delicious. Service was also spot on. We... more

A tastebud thrill

Great restaurant for a "dining out for the main event" evening.
We sampled the tasting menu and were very happy with the selection and quality of food.
We especially loved the octopus and halibut entrees.
The atmosphere is boisterous but fun,staff are knowledgeable,efficient and hip.
The Chef is A-one.
The neighborhood is dodgy, downtown eastside,but don't let that keep you... more

Go.

Absolutely delicious. Starter cocktails were unique, flavourful and creative. The food was exactly what I was expecting in the best possible way. I think we ordered one of everything on the menu. Every dish that arrived was beautiful and filled with layers of unexpected flavours. One of our friends has special food requirements which were handled seamlessly. The ambience was absolutely lovely.... more

Exceeded all Expectations!

I had a friend visiting from out of town and wanted to show her a really unique Vancouver dining experience. So, we went to PiDGiN. We were a bit overwhelmed by all the great looking items on the menu, but then the waiter suggested the fixed price menu which was such a great idea! We got to sample all the best items and as my friend wasn't a huge seafood fan, they tailored the menu to be "meat... more

Anniversary

Made booking on Open Table and in the notes made the comment of a 10 yr anniversay and also
Mentioned to the host... Not done at the restaurant... Sour taste.

Excellent dishes

We had the Tasting Menu which was $55 per person. This included 7 courses of fabulous food...every dish was delectable.
I highly recommend this as a great way to try a variety of dishes you might not choose on your own.
Can't wait to go back.

Best place to dine in Vancouver

I have dined at many upscale and regular restaurants in Vancouver and not found a place comparable to Pidgin. The atmosphere, service and food is an experience not to be found elsewhere. Service and plates are beyond the affordable price and as such is an experience within anyone reach. The food is art and the flavors and textures a symphony in your mouth. I invited 2 visitors from Denmark and... more

Lives up to the Buzz

This was one of the best meals ever!
Food was delicious, inventive and creative without being weird.
The service was attentive and friendly. The server's advice spot on.
While not cheap it was definitely good value.
Stand out dishes: the foie gras rice bowl and the duck with carrot cake sauce.
A wonderful evening.

The emperor has no clothes

We were hyped up by the better of the online reviews. We ignored the poor reviews as the sputum of people who are unaccustomed to good food or the unusual. I apologize to those people. They were pretty mush bang on. I suspect at least some of those tendering kind words were too afraid to thought unsophisticated to admit the... more

All hype and no delivery

Very precious food...all done by a kitchen more concerned with what they want to do and not what the eater will enjoy. Almost mp nothing works. Self indulgent cooking at its worst.

Fantastic food !

Really enjoyed the meal at Pidgin! 3 of our group went with the tasting menu ($55 and I think it was 8 courses) which was a great option and generous portion sizes. Would definitely recommend that option as being the best way to experience the incredibly creative menu.

fine food and dining

four of us went for dinner and booked into Pidgin(booking recommended) we ordered a variety of dishes. all amazing, so much so we ordered more of the same throughout the meal. the duck confit proved my favourite.
The staff are friendly and professional, explained each and every meal quickly and to the point. This restaurant is truly outstanding. well worth... more

An Excellent Dining Experience

This was our first time dining at Pidgin, and we will definitely be back. Everything was top notch - the ambiance/decor was interesting and unique, the service was friendly, personable, and informative, and the food was amazing (food-highlights of the evening: the delicious pork belly rice bowl, and the smoked beet purée that accompanied the brisket - so good). Each dish was extremely well... more

Ask for the tasting menu

The restaurant was filled with a lots of people that were excited about food. The fresh seafood was creative yet simple and unmuddled. The later courses were unexpected gems... the mushroom with egg dish deserves a Michelin star on it's own, and the roast duck with carrot cake is worth the drive. The quality of their cocktails makes them a bargain, too (both traditional and virgin). Our server... more

Chef driven

Fantastic chef driven restaurant with a designer vibe. The food was creative without being annoying. Good range of prices too. Reasonable portions. Standouts include: rabbit pate with rhubarb special, gnocchi, pork belly. The only minus were the cocktails. Weirdly watery. Maybe it was an off night.

Creative, interesting, excellent

A bustling place with creative food and drinks. Fun and lively and interesting and very very tasty

Amazing and Interesting

The Foie Gras was almost too good. I enjoyed every dish and will be going bak. They could expand their wine list however.

Go see Nelson and Miles!

Excellent food. Great service. Definitely a wow factor at this place.

My friend and I, both female, found the neighbourhood a little scary so I would not recommend any of my friends going here for a late dinner unless they were in a group. We specifically made reservations for 5:45pm so we could leave while it was still light out.

Outstanding Food and Drinks

Great Ambiance. The Food and drinks are always consistently outstanding! The Service is top notch and the food just keeps coming. One of my favourite restaurants in Vancouver!!!

Great although...

Different and excellent ambience. Price point high for what you get. By we expected that. Boys in our group left hungry.... more

Great Place for Foodies

New place with innovative small plates using local ingredients. Great cocktails, good wine list, excellent service and chef driven menu executed flawlessly. I know this may sound like many places in Vancouver, including Hawksworth but Pidgin has raised the bar. It was my best dining experience in Vancouver.

Creative Dining at its Best!

Excellent restaurant in every way! Very creative menu with dishes that deliver on flavor & presentation. Exceptionally well trained staff who can explain in detail what they're serving - or not if they sense it isn't that important to you. Loved the decor, modern, comfortable, not fussy and yet you know you're in a high end restaurant by the quality of the food & service. The 4 of us shared the... more

Slightly over rated in a kind way but still tasty

I have heard so many great things about Pidgin so I decided to surprise my wife with a date to here.
My wife and I had 4 dishes in total and two drinks that totalled about $95 (tax and tip in). We ordered the potatoes with Roe (which I recommend), Pork Belly bowl (very tasty), halibut tartar (nice and fresh)... more

Great meal

Highly recommend Pidgin. Very thoughtfully prepared dishes. All were very meticulously plated and flavours/textures were very well balanced and delicious. There wasn't a dish we didn't enjoy. I had heard good things and it exceeded expectations. Great wait service too.

Eclectic, delicious, outstanding

This restaurant is simply outstanding. The menu is very different and eclectic - tapas style. We had the Rutabaga, Potatoes with Roe, the gnocci, squid and smoked ling cod. All were done with ingredients you don't normally expect - rutabaga with tofu and almonds. The flavours and textures were excellent. We paired the food with a wonderful saki. In addition... more

Pidgin is Excellent

Pidgin is amazing. Exceedingly well done. The only sore spot is dessert.
Every dish we had, had a tremendous amount of care put into it. The 'Dan Dan' Rutabaga, the Potatoes with Cod Roe, and the Duck were the standouts. It was the second-best duck I have ever had in my life. Absolutely incredible.
The only sore point on the... more

Downtown Eastside gem

This restaurant faced a lot of abuse from neighbourhood protesters who are against any 'gentrification'. We had dinner there recently with friends. The meal itself, the service, the ambience and the value were top-notch. Very unusual ambience and art work, but it really fits well with the overall space. The servers were right on the mark the entire evening. Explaining... more

Overhyped, underwhelmed, paid $ 127.00 & left hungry

We offer you this chronological review of our experience at Pidgin:
We park close to this restaurant located in East Vancouver’s drug and homeless district. A warm and pleasant reception within balances the cold reception outside. Thankful their was not protest outside as we were warned to expect.
DRINKS
We order a Vodka Gimlet and a Cosmopilitan. Surprised that this... more

Fantastic Evening

There were four of us. The food is all shared plates. We had the steak, the brisket, the duck toast, gnocchi, mushrooms, octopus, pickle plate and the caramelized apples. We were all full so that was more than enough food. Every dish was outstanding. My favorites were the steak and gnocchi. Quirk- there are no hot drinks so no coffee... more

We won't be back

I just noticed Tracie S' review, and feel like I need to chime in and agree. The service was poor from the start. This was however a Tuesday night, 9pm reservation so I could see how the ??WHOLE PROVINCE?? could be out of Prosecco. Had our reservation been at 7 there would still have been some somewhere im sure. Not... more

six stars

simply one of the best meals we have ever had. imaginative, creative, unbelievably good and tasty fusion. east meets west in the best possible way. service was great, so were the drinks but the food was beyond outstanding. go.

great cocktail bar

So we sat at the bar for a post-dinner visit for cocktails and couldn't resist ordering a few small share plates. We did do the oyster shooters which were refreshing. I honestly cannot remember what food we ordered which is unusual for me and even if I could remember, I'm not sure I was fit to comment on it. I... more

Waste of night out

We were recommended this restaurant and I really like asian fusion so was looking forward to it. Six of us went in on a Tuesday night. We tried to order a bottle of Prosecco which they were out of. We said ok we will split the price difference on the next bottle up which was almost twice as much. Server... more

Worth the trip and every penny

Simply one of our most delicious destination on this trip to Vancouver. Creative, flavourful, and savoury. The wine list has even a few gems at relatively good prices. Must go destination for anyone visiting Vancouver. We will be back !! Enjoy!

unique cocktail list

The bar manager definitely has a unique way of making cocktails. Start with the duck fat washed brandy cocktail and go from there. The menu is very good, with the duck entree nicely presented and full of flavour. Good for sharing. Lots for one.

Tasty Asian fusion dishes

Great menu with sharing items. Ask your server about the creative daily specials. Modern vibrant room with friendly informed servers. Great cocktails by bartender Robin. Wine selection is weak for a restaurant of this calibre. Attention getting soft drink bottles used for half litre wine pours. One of the best restaurants in Gastown.

very good

I have eaten here twice and both times were impressive. We shared a bunch of different plates and they were all very tasty (keep in mind that im a very picky eater). The flavours were great and blended so well together...I think the menu changes but both times, our favourites were the tofu noodle (dan dan?) and the braised beef...this... more

Great place

I have heard so much about the location of this restaurant in Downtown East and the fact that ever since they opened in Feb, they had been target of protesters fighting back against the gentrification of downtown East Side and picketing in front of the restaurant on a nightly basis. The location was not ideal, because it was across from... more

Inspired west coast smash up fusion

Deft balance of flavours with BC, Asian, Euro techniques executed to perfection. Dishes were exceeding well presented, and unique. Clarity and transparency of flavours of vegetables make central appearances in flavour profiles of each dish. Protein flavours are not masked (octopus, duck liver,pork belly,tofu). Atmosphere light, clean and and minimal, but comfortable. Kitchen viewable and... more

Blew my mind

Seriously awesome. Everything was great. Great company, great atmosphere, food was amazing, drinks were amazing. Can't wait to go back!

Smashing

An evening out for a great meal with great friends, and without kids: priceless.
Fun cocktails (I had to Google "Mary Ellen Smith"), wonderful service, tantalizing mix of flavours. We don't usually eat duck, but thankfully we listened to the waiter's recommendation. You must try the duck.

expected more

expected more - lots of press about the restaurant and the food, not talking about the picketing. Food was interesting, but lacked alot - an asian take on local/herbal/vegan mixed with ++asian influences.
Nothing was stunning or amazing to my tastebuds.
Very bland decor and almost starkness in style
Not wanting to go back

Hit and Miss service, OK food

It took longer to get our drinks than it did our main course. We were served by two friendly enough staff.
Plates are tapas size, 2-3 + a main will suffice however.
No protests outside.

Birthday Party

We were at Pidgin for a birthday dinner on Saturday night. We were a party of 10. To start we loved the room, it is very stylish white theme with some very unique lighting. It is a smaller space with open kitchen including a few chef's tables right up against the windows separating the kitchen and main dining area. On... more

An extra star for their efforts

Let's get the obvious out of the way first. Yes, there was a pathetic half-hearted "protest" outside with the usual characters in all political events, certainly not those most affected by the harsh reality of the downtown eastside.
The food itself was interesting with hits and misses. We had the $40 medium tasting menu. The oyster shooter was a perfect... more

Pacific Rim tapas

Hmmm. Nice decor , very trendy interior. Very good service. Food is in the 'interesting' bracket. Don't go hungry as portions are smallish and minimal. Delicious flavours, fusion inspired. Padron peppers with Parmesan , chicken wings especially good as was the braised beef and pork belly. Would recommend for something deferent !

Strange Expensive Meal

4 of us went to see what the buzz is about. Okay ambience. The cocktails were delicious. But they were trying so hard to be innovative with the food that they've forgotten it is supposed to end up with that pleasant feeling that you've enjoyed a delicious meal. We had the tasters' selection and tried things we would never have... more

Too bad the food doesn't match up to the service or ambience

Showing support for this business which is currently being picketed by professional east-end advocates. We brought the whole family for an early dinner last weekend. Unfortunately, the food didn't match up to the great service and ambience of this restaurant. Our first dishes took almost 30 mins to arrive (we were the first people to arrive and order). You can... more

Very Cool - Adventurous in just so many ways

My partner had discovered this restaurant somewhere on line, and decided that it would be the place to go on a recent trip to Vancouver. She thought it would be right up my alley, and she was right.
We planned to go with a friend who has recently moved to Vancouver and when we arrived, there were protesters outside demonstrating... more

pricey nice decor but unfullfilling

We went to Pidgin for a friend's birthday who lives in the area. We were greeted by protesters outside the establishment. This was no big deal, and one of the reasons we came, was to see what all the buzz was about. The decor was fantastic, the menu is "fusion" which means little slivers of various morsels of food on... more

Fantastic room, great cocktails, great service

We were really happy with our meal here. The service was perfect, and our waiter was extremely helpful with making menu suggestions and wine pairings. We tried a few of the house cocktails, which were as tasty as they were original.
We tried the sea urchin (which was surprisingly good), the steak ssam and the fois grois, which was the... more

Surprisingly delightful

During our weekend getaway (March 2013) in Vancouver, my boyfriend and I had dinner at Pidgin. It was close to a train station, which we appreciated as tourists. It was in a rather "shady" neighbourhood, but no biggie. The menu was fairly simple but the food was surprisingly delightful. Ssam was great and tuna was "melting-in-your-mouth" fabulous.

Overrated and good to try once

As im sure many have read the controversy associated with this restaurant and its location. Needless to say, once through the doors of this upscale cafeteria like- NYC style restaurant, one doesn't notice the outside world we just walked through.
The menu is fairly limited, tapas styled and asian-fusion based. Our waiter was very polite and courteous, however, the host... more

Savoury suprise along the Pidgeon Fray

took a great friend for her birthday, last monday. the mood was great - fresh rainy evening, walking through the doors peeled away the outside grit into a beautiful white interior of tin mix with walnut tables and industrial modern light fixtures.
had the a bottle of Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc paired with the food below. calamari, bacon, yakiudon market... more

Outstanding new tapas

The food was of high quality, imaginatively presented and delicious. The menu is not ext ensive but everything we tried was good.The service was very friendly and prompt in spite of the fact the restaurant was full. The ambiance was pleasant and not sterile regardless of the very simple decor.if you go you have to try the chocolate fritters.......!

Overrated by the hype

faced by east side picketers who are angry that the restaurants are invading the east side, this restaurant gained notoriety. don't be mistaken. it is not your Le Crocodile counterpart. Average food that is not particularly memorable. Like many new restaurants, they are trying hard to be innovative, cute, complicated. Food is average at best and expensive at most. Small... more

Poor pidgin for people with much money

Received a pleasant greeting. Decor - fresh, white, but boring and questionable booth/chair combinations. Not sure how "pidgeon" wing on the wall will handle dust. Odd choice of magnetized menu boards which stick on the metal tiles on the wall behind the tables. Small print on loose pages are hard to read - more cafeteria style than fine dining.
Prepare... more

Small Portions - Expensive Wines

First visit. Made a reservation for Friday night 06:45. Table was ready, not fussy about close together communal style seating. Otherwise the decor provides a warm cozy feeling. Restaurant was full. Service was prompt and dish explanations were helpful. Dishes are good to share but the portions on the small side are priced from $5 to $26.
Tried the beef... more

Pidgin - Correction of location

First of all, I would like to correct the location of Pidgin. It Is located at 350 Carrall Street in Vancouver's Gastown location, not Victoria. If you are a meat & potatoes kind of person, this is not the place for you. However, if you are willing to experiment outside of your regular comfort zone, then this IS for you!... more

Fantastic

Sea urchin! So fresh! Delicious.
The food was creative and very fresh. We ordered 5 dishes and each was excellent. Look forward to trying more. The calamari was very unique, similar to noodles.
Price was reasonable for both food and drinks. Cocktails were perfect.
Design is very original and impressive.