Go For The Soup

While my wife and I eat here every couple of years for special occasions during a recent visit had the most amazing experience! We always love the ambience, the well prepared and fresh entries, the excellent location on Denman overlooking English Bay, and super prices (especially for the quality of food offered). Would stood out on this trip (and it... more

Great service

I brought some friends here to catch the view of the sunset while we chilled. The view wasn't as great as I might have hoped for, but the service more than made up for it. Amy managed to put up with our group of Luddites while maintaining composure and class, and while remaining extremely accommodating. Thanks!!!!

Dined here twice in two days

We liked the food, the servers, the location, the wine list, and the Vancouver ambiance of the West End...hip, happening, but in a low key and great food kind of vibe. We tried many things on the menu and it is a great dining experience.

Price Gouging

Raincity Grill, a local institution, the restaurant has a good menu, and has the added bonus of being located in English Bay. During recent festivities, my guests from out of town, made a reservation and asked to be seated on the patio. The regular menu was not available, but only the "special" menu which it turns out provided a dinner... more

A delight

Late brunch on a busy Sunday - this place was a great find (and of courses, very close to the wonderful Sylvia Hotel). Fresh, local ingredients creatively combined and prepared, lovely drinks (a pineapple Mimosa!), attentive service that doesn't smother. Terrific place.

Great Food, Close to the Beach

Rain City has a wonderful knack for fresh, local ingredients, combined in surprising and interesting ways and presented artistically. Portions are right-sized, which means you don’t get tons of starch to fill you up and make you overstuffed at the end of the meal. There is enough to satisfy, and you eat every morsel.
The service is professional and respectful,... more

It was a great experience for group, reasonable prices and good food. Casual and unpretentious environment

Great Service, Unbelievable Food - Terrific Special Occasion

Made reservations for a birthday evening special occasion and were delighted to see that it was at the end of the hotel's block. Dress-code seemed to transition from beach wear and flip flops to classy cocktail in the dinner hour, but I don't think anyone was being turned away. We split a pea soup and scallop on root veggie appetizer... more

Very good

We found Raincity Grill mentioned as a pioneer in the sustainable food movement as we were walking down Denman St. and decided to give it a try for lunch, even after also reading that it might be a bit over the hill. We sat on the patio and enjoyed our overall experience -- it's not quite Forage, but it's quite... more

Good but not Great

Found the food tasty but without any "wow" factor. The beet salad was excellent with different tastes and textures. The halibut was bland and the vegetables and other highlights with it did not add much. A good evening with friends but the conversation far outweighed the food.

Good Experience

Some recent reviewers have cited bad experiences at this restaurant, but I came away quite satisfied today after a late lunch. I was warmly greeted at the door and told to take whatever table I wanted. Within a minute of sitting down, I was given a menu and asked what I would like to drink. I ordered lemonade and it... more

Good food but not services

The food was good but the service was not impressive. Our waitress did not remember our orders and slow. I took my boyfriend and his friends for his birthday dinner and I was disappointed.

A study in indifference

We are neighbourhood locals who have loyally supported this restaurant over the years: its concept of locally-sourced ingredients, its contribution to the neighbourhood, and its overall fine quality. But we will not back after tonight's fiasco.
We attempted to have dinner with out-of-town guests. After one hour, our starters had not arrived. After checking with the kitchen, our server advised... more

A study in indifference

We have loyally supported this restaurant over the years, but will not back after tonight's fiasco. We attempted to have dinner with out-of-town guests. After one hour, our starters had not arrived. Our server advised us that the kitchen had forgotten our order. There was no real indication that anyone on staff was particularly concerned by the situation. Many neighbouring tables appeared to be... more

Overpriced and overrated

Very disappointing dining experience. We were visiting from the US, and picked this place based on the number of positive reviews. The waitress didn't seem to be too familiar with the wine list, so we ordered a bottle of local Pinoit for 58 CAD that was served almost warm. The pork chop had the life cooked out of it, and was dry and hard to chew. My teenage kids ordered Fish and Chips that came... more

Fish and Chips Take Out Window - Amazing

I just finished eating half of my 2 piece beer battered fish and chips meal and I had to write a review. It was so good! Not overly greasy, so well seasoned that I almost forgot to use the tartar sauce. The halibut was thick, flakey and very flavourful. And as a bonus, the tax is included in the price,... more

Always good!

We celebrated our 10th anniversary here at it was a lovely evening. The service was outstanding - they even took a call from friends who had tracked us down to wish our happy anniversary and it was all done in fun. A great evening as always. Thank you!

Reliable value

All four of us opted with the early evening special for $30. The food choices were varied and our selections were very good. I had a cocktail, not from the menu, that was made perfectly and with no hesitation from the staff. Our server was excellent, we sat on the patio with the view of English Bay, we had drinks and dined with 3 courses each over a 2 hour plus period; we made a great choice... more

Horrible and waited long time between each course

It was my birthday and decided to try Raincity Grill's 7 course tasting dinner. While I recognize tasting portions are supposed to be small. It was unbelievable how small each course was!! As mentioned by other reviews, the service was incredibly slow. Almost 4 hours!! We arrived a little after 5:30pm and we didn't leave until 9:30pm. The last course... more

Great Food; tired restaurant

Took in Raincity's 7 course dinner the other night...delightful with appropriately sized portions. Fabulous tastes. However, the service was incredibly slow (3 hours and 15 minutes)...not the waitresses fault...the kitchen was slow in preparation. Secondly, the restaurant needs a face lift particularly the washrooms which look like they belonged in the 60's...take your pick which century.
Would... more

Should have read these reviews first

I was very disappointed at the lunch I had here today, and wish I had read some of these recent reviews first. I went by the warm recommendation in the Lonely Planet Guide instead. It is true that the food itself tasted pretty good, though the portions were extremely small and the presentation lacked flair. But the service was frankly... more

An Old Friend

we go to Raincity Grill every time we are in Vancouver for a few days and are never disappointed. I ate seafood every night for five evenings and the Halibut at RAincity was the very best ever!

Disappointing and Expensive

Service was very slow, portions were small, my food was cold, and prices were high. Appetizer for $12 was 2 cherry tomatoes and some butter lettuce!! Wanted to support this restaurant as fares are locally sourced..sadly will never go here again

Indifferent, inattentive service could not spoil good food in pleasant surroundings.

Good overall experience

The food was truly excellent. To start, I had the albacore duo and my wife had the pea soup. For entrees, I had halibut and my wife had a vegetarian pasta dish. For dessert, we shared a rhubarb dish. Everything was fresh tasting and done to perfection. It was probably the best halibut I've ever had. The view is great. The service was very attentive. At first they sat us at a table by the bar,... more

not what was expected

went to restaurant with a view to having a take away which was closed. despite the very limited menu decided to give it a go. the weather was excellent and the area very busy as were the restaurants around but this restaurant was not even half full which should have said something
we were given three pieces of bread for... more

Mediocre- limited menu, large plates, small portions

Recommended by the hotel concierge, and website looked good. Outdated decor, indifferent service, very limited menu; huge white plates with small portions reminiscent of California cuisine from 20 years ago. Had reasonably tasty scallops with pork belly- the pork belly was leathery dry. My wife had a relatively bland beet salad and a pea soup- tasty but off putting presentation.... more

Celebrating our Wedding Anniversary

I really found the idea that all the food I was eating was coming from within a 100 miles radius. Great food, great service, great view. Need I say more. We had a great evening.

Awful service, gave up in the end

Last night of a great holiday thought we would try Raincity Grill. Arrived at 7.30 got seated and had a drink. Placed food order and was immediately warned by waitress that it would take 30 minutes for starters to come and further 30 minutes for mains. We were given the standard 3 pieces of bread for 2 people!!! (I don't... more

the slowest service but good food

i went on a Wednesday night on in May. The weather was beautiful and the windows were opened to a beautiful view of English Bay. There was a problem of parking but after going around the block twice, I got a place a a meter which had a maximum of 2 hours limit.
We had the 7 course groupon menu.... more

A sure thing

Raincity Grill is always a good choice for a quiet gathering ...more Zen than Scene.
The kitchen is consistent so I rely on it when I have " new to Vancouver " guests. Nice intro to Vancouver's food scene.
An easy , peaceful feeling.......
Note: Use Valet Parking at The Boathouse , otherwise nearly impossible.

Beautiful view

We had a 7 course tasting menu (Groupon). Beautiful presentation! Food was sensible but not extraordinary ... more

Incredible food, terrible service.

I brought my mom to Raincity Grill after hearing how wonderful the food is, and I cannot disagree with that. The overall experience was horrifying, from the start we waited 5minutes to be greeted followed by server confusing leaving us again unfreeze at our table, by the time we had a server we had fully made up our mind ordering our drinks, appetizers and entrees. Our appetizers (two salads)... more

Huge Disappointment on a Big Day

HUGE disappointment to commit to a pricey mother's day brunch and to have incredibly poor & unfriendly service upon arrival, a long wait despite a reservation, drinks that came 1 hour after our reservation, wrong orders, forgotten orders and a long, painful wait for food. Clearly staff were over-worked but there was no attempt from the get-go to try and make it a pleasant experience. I know... more

Bad start, good finish.

The phone confirmation the day before informed me that there was a set menu (which was not posted at the time of the reservation) and 1.5 hours to complete the 3 courses. As it turned out the food was good, and because it was busy the wait staff did not hustle us out.

A Disaster

We were there for Mother's Day brunch. it was a set menu - should be very efficient. It took them 30 minutes to seat us and another hour before we saw the appetizers. All in all it took two and a half hours. The location and ambience are great, the wait staff were doing their best, but if you can't produce the food from the kitchen on time for a set menu, you don't have enough people in the... more

Disappointed

We went to the Raincity Grill on high recommendation and were disappointed. The service was slow despite there being few patrons. The hot meals were barely warm. Crab was unavailable leaving no seafood choices. On the up-side, the roasted potatoes were as good as we`ve had!

Nice Mother's Day brunch

It was a beautiful Saturday outside, but Raincity grill was a bit dark and dim, and smelled musty...Having said that the food for brunch was great. The English Bay breakfast was sumptuous, varied and very tasty. I ordered scrambled eggs and they were some of the best I have ever had! However, the delicious French toast was made on a baguette because the restaurant was out of Brioche.A few... more

Delightful food, ambience, service, and price. Recommended

We stumbled upon this location, and it was excellent on every measure. The location was very pleasant and we had a nice window view of the street and the bay. Perhaps what surprised us most was the high quality of the food. We didn't have too much, but what we eat was excellent. There was, for example, a delicious Apple... more

Service? #fail

Very nice room with a limited but interesting menu. However, the service is terrible and quality of some of the food mediocre. My two partners each ordered split pea soup special to start, also each having Ceaser salad as main course. I ordered the tuna starter with beef tenderloin as entrée. We also ordered a bottle of wine. The wine arrived promptly. but the appetizers took about 20 minutes.... more

Friday, April 25 2014 - Late dinner with my boyfriend. We ordered the oysters on the shell and the duck breast special. Oysters were very nice, fresh and delicious. The breast of duck on the other hand was very disappointing. The duck was mainly chewy and inconsistent in is tenderness. Out of seven slices of duck, only two of the inner most slices were tender. The other pieces were chewy to the... more

Disappointment

The ambience here is lovely and we have had very good experiences here in the past. But our most recent experience was a disappointment. We had an interminable wait to be served and the service was less than friendly. As for the food, the squash soup was excellent, but 2 of the mains (the pork belly and the salmon) were OK but not exciting. The beef tenderloin arrived cold. The waitress was... more

Glad to have bought this Groupon Coupon

Had a wonderful dinner! Service was great and fast. Came in for Groupon Coupon.(I seldom have a great buy with Groupon.) From wine pairing Suggestions to Food presentation to the Taste of Food It was excellent plus a great service. We had a wonderful time. Higly recommend their Tasting Menu with Wine pairings. Will come back soon.

Glad to be back

I've been to the Raincity Grill a couple of times over the years and I'm not sure why I haven't been going more frequently. We were reintroduced to it through a Groupon offer and it was great.... A multiple- course meal that was truly excellent. Service was also really good and I would highly recommend it. The decor is a... more

Family of 7 - 2 strollers

Great table by window, great service, very accomodating, drinks were very good, food was good, not up to our expectations from previous visits...my lamb cheeks were more saucy than tasty...caesar & beet salads were great. Felt a bit like we were rushed out, frustrating as kids were sleeping in strollers by then & would have topped off the evening to relax with another bottle of wine or... more

Tired restaurant.

We did enjoy the staff, but were surprised at the limited menu choices. I order the Pink Salmon and my wife ordered the surf and turf. The most disappointing thing about the restaurant was portion sizes, I am comfortable with the usually smallish portioning in Fine Dining but this was a bit ridiculous, the pink salmon was two inches by two inches and a half inch thick. The salmon was over... more

Always a great meal

Went to the raincity grill for a family birthday and had a fantastic meal. All food is local, sustainable and seasonal. Service was attentive and professional. We had the pork loin, salmon and beef and all were perfect! Yes, the menu is small (5 starters, 5 mains). but that is bc the menu is always changing to keep up with... more

Not the best Not the worst

Web site indicates food being offered for Sunday Brunch. Menu offering at the restaurant not as complete as web site, in fact menu items extremely limited. Had the English Bay Breakfast, two eggs, farmer sausage (extremely greasy) some smoked bacon (not very crisp) some mushrooms and herbed roasted potatoes and fresh fruit (3 slices of very thinly sliced apple) and... more

Terrific Beef Tenderloin

Been looking forward to Raincity Grill for a while and it didn't disappoint! We started with the tuna and then had the beef tenderloin as the main. The presentation of the food was excellent and it tasted good too especially the beef tenderloin, the service was quite alright, and I like the vibe of the restaurant. Highly recommended.

I purchased a Groupon for a 6-course meal and made a reservation 1 week ahead of time. We drove 45 minutes from New West, paid for parking, got seated, and they told us we couldn't use the Groupon as we had to tell them when making the reservation. I asked if we could just use the dollar value towards the regular menu and they said no again. So we left to come back again.

Returned one week... more

Big flavour , tiny menu

I made reservations for a group of 6 of us for a Sunday brunch. Our table was terrific, the service excellent and the food delicious. The one disappointment was that on a menu of 5 brunch items they were out of French toast as well as one of the 4 desserts. When the choice is so limited, it's hard to... more

Tasting Menu Amazing

We just had dinner at RainCity Grille for the first time last Friday night. We chose the 7 course tasting menu with wine pairings and certainly were not disappointed! Wow! Although every course was excellent, we'd have to say that the main of pan seared steelhead trout took the prize. Moist flesh with a well seasoned crispy skin melted in... more

Disappointed

It took 70 minutes from seating to arrival of entree. A request for additional bread during the wait resulted in one piece being delivered with tongs. Scallops were flavorless. Caesar salad was overly large but not delicious; squash soup WOULD have been delicious if it were hot. We cut our losses and skipped dessert.

Poor service, incorrect order

I chose this restaurant because of the amazing location and great menu for my moms birthday (3 adults). On arrival the staff was scrambled to hear we had a reservation. (Confirmed on Opentable) Our server was scattered and slow. Even coffees took far too long for brunch. She forgot to ring in our order and then didn't realize it until... more

Groupon Farm to Table

The professionalism of the staff was outstanding, the value of the Groupon $158.00 for 4 was not. This was not a 7 course meal it was a 14 bite Tasting Menu dinner. The ridiculous reasons as to why the bread was not forthcoming (they were baking it) and then when we asked for another basket the kitchen was closed. The... more

Cozy, with Great food

Raincity Grill is a wonderful, small and lovely dining experience. I will go here again. The portions are just right! The food is great! This is a very small restaurant overlooking English Bay. The tables are close to each other and it is NOT a party atmosphere. That being said, it is a wonderful dining experience to be able to... more

vancouver thrills

Sunday night dinner very low key, nice atmosphere. Good service! asked if the bread was made in house service didn't know??? I had salmon it was delicious!!!!

A poor substitution and disappointing experience

We used an $84 plus tax groupon for a six course tasting meal for 2 people toward the end of its date. The restaurant was full-service was slow and somewhat off. Lots of waiters' bottoms on our table as they cleared the crowded adjoining one, spoons handed across a barrier separating out table from the cashier speaks to their fatigue.... more

Top of my list

I have driven by the Raincity Grill on Denman street Vancouver for many, many years and last night I finally went in. Situated right behind the Smiling Buddhas at English Bay the Raincity Grill offers a tight menu that has something for everyone. Forks were flying everywhere at our table as we all wanted a taste of what was on... more

Farm to table concept, great food, fantastic ambiance

Had dinner at this place a long time with the FI..It was really nice..Food was delicious and service was outstanding. Great for romatic dates and if you are looking to support restaurants that supports local farmers.

Excellent dining experience steps from English Bay

This lovely little Bistro offers wonderful food using fresh local ingredients & is located on famous, scenic English Bay.It offers casually elegant atmosphere, -the service is friendly & efficient. A lovely place to dine, indeed.Recommended for visitors to Vancouver.

We had a Groupon for the six course tasting menu. Unlike some places that make you feel unwelcome if you have a Groupon (why do they sell them), Raincity treated us very well. They seated us next to the window with a great view on English Bay.

All the courses were great. The grilled trout in particular was excellent, cooked just right and very tasty. Even the dessert, which is usually an... more

What happened

Always loved the raincity grill. Especially their fish and chips. But last visit were made completely different! The batter was almost scone like instead of light and mouth watering. I use to dream of their recipe. Their cold slaw was just ordinary now. Hope they realize and go back to their mouth watering menu. Will not return until I hear... more

Several Blips from Previous Excellence

This was our 3rd or 4th visit to Raincity Grill. The past visits were flawless but this time, though most tastes were excellent, there was plenty amiss. We started with the beet carpaccio salad and it was lovely - look and taste. I had the wild salmon, which was not advertised "seared" or medium rare, so I presumed cooked fish... more

We have gone to this restaurant numerous times and the dishes never cease to amaze us. The place is cozy and less pretentious than most SSS restaurants in Vancouver. To best experience west coast cuisine, I would go for their six or seven course meals or their 100 mile meal.

Owing me 50$ since 2011

Food is good. Very good. We have sent many customers from abroad. But the way Raincity Grill treats its customers could be more respectful.
Raincity Grill has being owing me 50$ for more than 2 years after a database problem prevented them from honouring gift certificates back in 2011. They took my gift certificate, promised me they would fix the... more

Visited your restaurant on Wed. eve to take part in Dining out Vancouver. It was a great experience! The 'mushroom custard ' was delicious and quite novel! as was the sweet pea puree!

Two complaints nothing to do with the food- no Parking (visiting from WV) and I think you need to have a look at your web site! very hard to navigate - couldn't make a reservation or call up the special menu!

Visit this restaurant as part of Dine out. The food is delicious, the menu is interesting and offers good variety of vegetarian and gluten free dishes. The pana cotta was amazing. Portions are appropriate. The customer service and staff are extra nice and accommodating. Highly recommend this restaurant. The decor is quite intimate so it's perfect for a dinner date.

Not as good as it has been

The appetizers were very good however the duck entree was the worst I've ever had- grey flesh that was tough and very fatty-just a horrible dish. When the plates were collected not one comment from the waitress-despite the dish being almost as full as when it arrived at the table.
The dessert was ridiculous- it was trying too hard to... more

What a delight

The food was tops. Many choices, wonderful experience. we walked a ways to get there and were not disappointed. The reviews stated it was excellent and we agree..

I went to Raincity Grill for dine out this year, and the first impression was not at all what I had expected. I expected a clean modern interior, but instead found a dimly lit, warm, and elegant space.

As for the food, I had the roasted wild mushroom soup, which was okay, but not the greatest. The dill infused pearl barley risotto definitely hit the spot. But, it was so filling I couldn't... more

Go For The Tasting Menus

This used to be one of my favorite restaurants but it seems to have slipped as of late. The food is still very good and the tasting menus with paired wines are the highlight but the food quality is less consistent and for the premium price there are better more consistent options in town. Went tonight with the family. The... more

The place is not bad. Service was excellent, the waitress explained everything on the menu and knowledgable on the wine list. Ambient and atmosphere decor is out of date and felt like I was eating in a hotel lobby from the 80s. The food is fresh and pretty good but a bit out of date as well. I was expecting it to be more like campagnolo or fable in kits style of food. I think the flavors can be... more

Didn't like the deconstructed dessert

My family and I tried this restaurant for the first time last week. Regrettably, I don't think I'll bother to go back. When we arrived there, my sister-in-law was taken aback by the lack of ambiance. She had made the reservation and I think she expected something that looked a lot more upscale. It is pretty casual despite what shows... more

Good, but early bird not what we were expecting

We went here because, on a previous trip, we'd had good food, and had read about a slightly lower priced tasting menu available before six pm.
We arrived on time for our 5:45 reservation, were seated promptly, told "I'll be right with you." And then ignored for the next ten minutes. We had menus, but not even any water.
The... more

Yuck. I can't believe how expensive everything is and its hardly a fine dining restaurant. We went because of the reviews and wanted to try something new. One of the worst butternut soup. 99& cream. The decor is old and frumpy. The service took about 3.5 hours for 4 of us to dine. Servers not the friendliest either. Just fake.

There's this fine line between showmanship and pretentiousness which comes out in cuisine when you're delivered a dish and are stumped on how you should eat it. A course of a meal should not equate a level in Braid. After figuring out that forks don't go into one's eye, I wasn't really seeking another culinary enigma. When I enjoyed foie gras and brioche, I figured the creamy thing was spread... more

I ate here years ago and they left a very poor taste in my mouth,more metaphorically than physically. The service was so bad and

Recently I thought I should give Raincity Grill a try again. After all it has been years since I had such a horrible experience in their snooty restaurant. I have lived nearby for 22 years and have walked by their establishment on the way to countless restaurants surrounding theirs but not once stepped back inside theirs.
I contacted them recently... more

This place was really really really good. We came for my dads 60th birthday and got the 6 course regional tasting menu. The squash soup was amazing and so was the dessert. The mascarpone, caramel, poached pears and pear sorbet went together perfectly. The service was really friendly and the wine (kelowna Riesling) went really well with the meal. I would definitely come here again!

I recently went to Raincity on a Groupon and was expecting very little given how often I've experienced poor attitude and service with the GPon. Not at all the case here.

The staff are wonderful. Warm and gracious, really just downright lovely.

I was there to partake in the 6-course tasting menu and it was 90% perfection. Excellent flavours and portions - from squash soup to lamb - really an... more

When I come to Vancouver I want a great meal every night and I didn't get that here

I have to say that I have had great times here. It has been over 2 years and don't know what has happened. I guess some times one table everything just goes bad.
First drinks small. Ordered martini and was served in very large glass and half full. Was told that they do 2oz drinks. It didn't look like much.... more

Been coming here since 1998 every time we visit Vancouver. Still one of our favorite places to go. Staff is super nice and attentive. We had the chef's tasting menu this time around. We really enjoyed the dry rubbed tuna and squash soup.
Good location. Go for a walk along the beach or a stroll at Stanley Park before/after your meal. Will look forward to the next time!

Been coming here for fifteen years now and although this review is based on a little biased sentimentality, it's always been a good experience. For lunch their fish & chips are a great go-to for sure and dinners are always a foodie's experience. Great spot right across from the beachfront and a cool, dark decor sets this place well.

Lovely ambience and tasting menu

On a very rainy Saturday in Vancouver, I came here without a reservation but was promptly and graciously seated. It was early enough for the prix fixe menu but opted for the 7 course tasting menu. Although not huge, the servings were adequate enough by the end of the meal. I could have eaten a bit more greenery than the... more

OMG- fantastic

I have eaten here 4 times- live on the east coast so that's a lot. I have loved it every time. Bang for buck it is great and I have had a home run every time.
Everything on the menu is fantastic- I have had nor heard of a bas experience here!
Have had the tasting menu, a la carte... more

Fine cuisine, excellent service, ambience

We ate here with a group of 8 during a one night stopover in Vancouver. It was a lovely time, very relaxing. The food was beautiful plated and very yummy. I had the beet salad and halibut as my entree. Both were excellent. The service was great! Highly recommended!!

We've been to the Raincity Grill a few times over the past six years, and each time we've thoroughly enjoyed our experience. I am writing this after our most recent visit, and once again I can say the mean was excellent. We had the six-course regional tasting menu, and while each dish was very good, the highlights were the first course (North Arm Farm's beetroot with dill ash, goat-cheese... more

Beautiful 6 Course Meal

We took advantage of a Groupon to get this 6 course dinner at half price. The food was deliciously prepared and presented. Sometimes with this type of tasting menu you leave the restaurant hungry, not so with Raincity Grill. There was plenty of food to satiate my appetite. The experience was good value considering the 50% off Groupon, however, I... more

Beautiful menu in a lovely location. I really enjoyed the local seasonal ingredients prepared deliciously. The wine pairings were excellent. It made for a wonderful date night. Service was excellent. Loved it!

Maybe it's because I was starving, but I really enjoyed brunch here. Or lunch, I guess, since I ordered a lunch entree. The wagyu burger was perfectly cooked: so juicy and delicious, with a perfectly toasted yet soft bun, and seared heirloom tomatoes. My friends didn't seem to enjoy it as much. I also really liked the accompanying fries too and they didn't. However, the one thing we could agree... more

Inventive food, good people watching

We had a good meal here, picking mainly from the menu specials for the night.The food was inventive without being too high concept: a gazpacho-like tomato soup, wild mushrooms sauteed with lentils... more

Nice place

Nice place, we liked it! The kids just had a wonderful pasta with cheese and butter and they ate 2 plates each, and seen as we are Italian, this can be considered a great success! My husband and I... more

One of the best meals we have had in Vancouver!

This restaurant is located by English Beach and has amazing sunsets. If you can time your meal with the sunset you will have an awesome experience. We had the Crab starter (amazingly fresh, sweet... more

What a disappointment. This was not my first time at Rain City. I went with a large group who has made a pilgrimage every summer for the last 7 yrs. Last year was my first time- the food was good but not great. This year was really awful.

They seemed surprised when we asked for their special tasting menu (7 courses). The meal took 4 hrs- not because we were lingering- it was because we were... more

Have been to Rain City 2 times and both I was very impressed. My first experience was amazing and will be difficult to top. A group of six of us went, one of our party knew the chef well and flew in some 'truffles' and we had a 4 course meal made with truffle. The chef was very friendly and came out to explain each course and it was all paired with fabulous wine.

The 2nd experience I had here,... more

Love the take out window fish & chips!!

I generally don't review 3 star places, as this is what I expect from any restaurant whose doors are still open, but we're documenting everywhere we went on our honeymoon and this was our first "nice" dining experience in Vancouver.

The service was good. The food was good. There wasn't anything I would go out of my way to return for, but overall I was good with our dining experience. I wanted... more

Completely overrated, I love how this restaurant claims to be a 'fine-dining' experience, my experience eating there was far from fine-dining.

Let's start with the food. Yes the fish and chips are good, but it's fish and chips and it definitely isn't the 'BEST' fish and chips in Vancouver, we all know that (Go Fish Ocean Emporium anyone?). Having said that, the fish and chips was the best part... more

The food in this place is amazing.....located near the water. I have come here on many occasions over the years, always happy to go back.

Many local and organic options.
The rabbit and exotic mushroom pasta was amazing, and very rich. As was the frothy creamy parsnip soup with toasted hazelnuts. Eric had the halibut fish and chips and it rivaled Tides Tavern. Different coating, but better crispier fries.
Fennel sorbet was refreshing and exquisite.
Server was friendly and personable.

Would I go back to "Raincity Grill"? - Yes, it is a lovely restaurant in a beautiful area. The staff make you feel invited and the menu is constantly being updated with the seasons.
Would I recommend it? - Yes, especially with the "Groupon" deal we had. $50 each fed two girls with 8 plates each.
If you want to dine in a fancier environment, with a breathtaking view and beautifully plated... more

Great service from the host to the waiter that served us and dishes that were tastefully made made this a five star experience. The duck confit pasta was delicious. I had the $22 prix fix lunch menu which, in ky opinion, was worth the price. With the number of good downtown restaurants growing, this long established restaurant is still going strong.

I'm in the process of sampling everything on Denman Street but don't quite have the budget to try the sit-down menu at Raincity. So take-out window it was!

For $12 you get 2 pieces of cod+chips, $15 gets you 3 pieces, and $16 gets you halibut. I went for the $12 cod.

Portions were fairly generous. I suppose one of my pieces was a little small so they added a third one. Fish was perfectly... more

More than excellent food and thoughtful service. Dined on the eve of my engagement and the kitchen wrote congratulations in our dessert. We had the set menu with wine pairing and substituted the main for sirloin. We loved the staff and our meal really made our night special. Thank you Raincity Grill!

I took one of my contractors for lunch a few weeks ago. I have done been to rain city for a number of years and after leaving I asked myself "WHY"

the food was incredible, the service was intimate and personable. The chef brought us over freshly handmade macaroons. Everything, from the free flowing sparkle water to a generous amount of wine that was served to my guest all overly applauding.

I... more

Three of us went to the restaurant, I had items off the regular menu while my partner and his niece had Groupon tasting menu. I had the tuna appetizer and the lamb entree. The restaurant also gave me a complimentary oyster (my first oyster ever) and two macaroons off the tasting menu. The server seemed a little cold at first, but warmed up by the end of the day. We spent about two hours at the... more

Vancouver, BC is a food mecca. But I'll confess something: for some reason, when any place has the word "grill" in its name, I do slightly raise my eyebrow. It's an overused word that doesn't signify if it is a good place for grill.

With that said, I am STOKED to have found another place in Vancouver that meets their reputation. On my last trip, we stopped at Raincity (we made reservations)... more

Oh Raincity Grill, what a wonder you are. I have come here on many different occasions over the past 5 years, and there's nothing quite like consistency! If you are lucky and come here during summer, the whole experience is simply too much.

During my last experience with the new menu, (menus change by the season) I chose to select the Fraser Canyon White Rabbit which was a fabulous mix of... more

An amazing meal and wonderful service!

Although we arrived 30 minutes early for our reservation, we were greeted by a very accommodating and friendly staff, and were taken to a nice table overlooking the bay. Our server, Michaela, was very knowledgeable about the menu and wine, and helped us select a couple of wonderful appetizers- the Caesar salad and Sunchoke Veloutè, which we enjoyed with... more

3.5-4 stars for food, 3 stars for ambience

I had been given a groupon, for a 8 course tasting for two, for Christmas. It took a while to get the reservation, but luckily was able to get a Saturday night reservation.

I gave this place only 3 stars for ambience, as I prefer a nicer room. I guess this place has been around for quite awhile, but the decor is definitely not as nice as most of the... more

The food here is fantastic and is accompanied by a spectacular wine list. Great service tops it all off. I went back recently for Dine Out and was not disappointed, the food, atmosphere and service lived up to my memory and expectations. One of the other great features of this restaurant is its its location. During daylight hours, Raincity Grill has a fantastic view of English Bay and the... more

Nice service and atmosphere. Outdoor dining but no real view of sunset. Was not super impressed by any of the food, and it was expensive for the quality.

for occasions only
stomach joy, wallet sorrow
strong tasting menu

Menu is excellent, enough great choices and variety to make us want to go back and try other items.
Our server, Mark, was excellent! We were seated almost right away, at a table in the corner by the windows, but it appears that there really is no bad table. Service was exceptional, and Mark's timing was impeccable. He seemed to appear just when ever we needed something. Just like dining in... more

I have never been to Raincity Grill but I did purchase their Groupon and made reservations online. They phoned me and informed me that they had to cancel my reservations because they only took so many Groupons on any one night. The host I spoke to was rude and condescending. They did not view me as a future customer but as an annoyance to be dismissed. I would not go here because their customer... more

I went to this restaurant, previously my favourite restaurant in Vancouver, with 3 guests. 2 of us had the Groupon tasting menu coupon. We had a terrible experience. The food was mediocre at best. But the worst part was the service. When one of my guests ordered the tasting menu (as I and my son were having it using the Groupon coupon), she snapped at him "You know you have to pay $100. You... more

I can't believe I didn't think of trying breakfast here before. For $15 if you want your taste buds to experience heaven then try the smoked salmon brioche. The poached eggs were perfect and the hollandaise will have you wanting another order. If it's sunny then take advantage of the location with all the nearby attractions in English Bay or the sea wall.

Great dinner with a pretty view! Even though we stopped in casually dressed and without a reservation on Thanksgiving weekend, the service was good (a little slower than I am used to - but i think it is more "not rushed" than "slow". Like they want to give you time to relax and enjoy instead of getting you out of there) and the food was great. Ordered the mussels and the duck breast - the duck... more

A celebratory dinner that went off just as it should - excellent service, delicious food and a dignified yet comfortable atmosphere.

I called at nearly 5pm to enquire about sneaking 2 of us in for dinner - the gentleman on the other end of the phone assured me he could make some room, so off we went. We arrived shortly after 7, were warmly greeted and shown immediately to a nice table inside.
... more

Not impressed

Had a soupy halibut

Creme Brule was good but seriously not homemade!

Maybe I will try the takeout instead.. And the smell should have turned me around at the door!

Maybe they haven't cleaned for awhile?

Raincity Lunch Review.

We got here about 2ish to have some lunch and the location was appealing due to an afternoon walk to english bay. The patio seemed to be a nice location so we got seated there.

The wine list seemed to be ok, unfortunately this was a no alcohol week for me so I had to go with a plain ice tea.

Food wise I considered many options and I read previously about their... more

An absolutely incredible experience. The wait staff was attentive without being overbearing, the food was the best I've had in Vancouver and all locally sourced and the atmosphere was great. The restaurant itself is gorgeous. The prices - while somewhat high - are justified by the exemplary dining experience that Raincity Grill provides.

The Raincity Grill is my favorite Vancouver restaurant. Like Chez Panisse in Berkeley, Ca., it uses the finest locally sourced ingredients. There is a view of English Bay. Service is attentive without ever being heavy handed or obsequious. By Vancouver standards, the prices are reasonable, particularly if you eat early and request to see the early bird menu. Three courses are 30 CAD, add... more

Yum! We enjoyed our dinner here, which is in a great location next to a beautiful beach. Their "tastes" are like small bite-sized appetizers, which are a nice way to try several different things. The mushroom pappardelle pasta was delicious - creamy and flavorful. The only drawback was that service was kind of slow in the beginning, but the manager stopped by to apologize and acknowledged they... more

After walking the entire seawall from Coal Harbour in a perfect sunny May Saturday afternoon we decided to stop somewhere for brunch with a view without a long line-up.

We settled on Raincity as the Mimosas looked appetizing and indeed they did not disappoint. The staff are very welcoming an friendly and took us to the exact table we were eyeing from the outside. The sun-drenched patio has a... more

Delicious and fresh food at a waterfront location--- what more can you ask for? Fireworks! We had the perfect seat and reservation time to see the fireworks over the water! The pre-fixe menu had good choices- though a bit pricey. We were very happy with the 5-course meal. The dessert course was the only part that was just ok, but everything else was fresh and prepared well. The menu depends on... more

Unf@!%!**#~@#!!^&*y delicious food and great service, too. I had the ahi salad and it was incredible--and I don't even like ahi salad!!!

Was here on business and decided to meet nice friends in Vancouver for a fun dinner. They recommended Raincity and what a nice place. Only downside: why did the restaurant say there were no 7:30 tables on Tuesday when there obviously were when we got there a little later? Oh well. Delicious tasting menu (49.50). All foods are local, and our one friend had pork belly appetizer (which I would... more

I've been here a couple of times. The first time my boyfriend and I walked in on a summer day dressed casually (wearing sandals) and the waitress literally looked us up and down and said "sorry- we're full" when it was about 10% occupancy... We decided to give it another shot at dine out Vancouver and were VERY disappointed. The food was ok, portions small, the dine out menu was the exact same... more

Could be 4.5 (not 5 yet)

Very tasty, well prepared, quite fresh. Pricey but appropriately. Nice and cosy atmosphere.

Whereas spoons, appetizers and desserts were really good, main (entrees) can be a little bit disappointing. Less tasty than the remaining items and when you are told at least 3 times that fish is to be medium-rare, you can just be disappointed (and deceived) when it comes more... more

"""There are many great places to dine in Vancouver; unfortunately, this is no longer one of them. The view of English Bay is very nice, but the food should be a lot better for the price. A few years ago we found dinner here to be innovative and delicious,"""

Disapointing. Not sure what all the fuss is about.

Didn't live up to the hype.

"""Good choice on English Bay. Food is fresh and clean, strong service, good for recurring dinners out."""

Interesting & varied menu. Taken aback by waitress acidly commenting our wine choice was not as good as her recommendation of more expensive wines. We had assumed everything on the wine list was recommended!

"""The Raincity Grill offers up some of the best in west coast seafood and 100 mile tasting menus in the city, with a great relationship with local farmers, fisherman and butchers you are assured to get the best of what BC has to offer"""

"""Great place to go to watch the sunset. They had good """"early bird"""" menu but you have to ask for it."""

Great way to taste local food and wines from BC and Washington

"""If you want to be impressed by the stellar quality of Pacific Northwest cuisine in Vancouver, then Raincity Grill is an excellent choice. The menu is fantastic, and their wine choices are excellent. But it does run the risk of being slightly too precious."""

The largely seafood menu is full of west coast delights. In a beautiful location at English Bay Beach perfect for walking before or after the meal.

excellent have been back many times and it never fails

"""The restaurant needs a makeover, but the food is still good and it's a great setting on English Bay."""

Always excellent

Good seafood

Amid a plethora of bad, pretentious eateries along Davie and Denman streets, Raincity Grill shines as an oasis of great food and even better service. Vancouver and Victoria are notoriously bad when it comes to a lack of professional, consistent service, but Raincity never fails to deliver on this front. There are countless West Coast cuisine pretenders, but this place is not one of them.

We had a late lunch here and the place was nearly empty. Thus, our surprise that our server was scattered. She had to retake our food order as she had lost part of it. Our drink order was delivered incorrectly. At meal's end, we had to track her down to get our bill. The food was tasty, though the mint pea soup lacked depth to enjoy a whole bowl of it. The fish and chips were fabulous. The... more

wonder setting with great waiters. Food was quite good and very interesting

We had a great lunch there, everything was fresh and delicious! The wine list is not too big, but filled with some treasures. The service was nice and hekpful. That is really a good spot!

A wonderful Restaurant

Raincity Grill is the upmarket choice for a quintessential Vancouver dining experience. The food on offer here is exquisite and tucked at the foot of Denman they offer good views of English Bay. The patio is very nice if a titch small but they make the most of the space they do have. With an extensive wine list this restaurant most likely carries the wine you're looking for and sprinkles wine... more

Has been up and down over the years, but in the last few years it is consistently on the upswing. Food is excellent. Service is occasionally too slow and they seem to have difficulties maintaining consistent waitstaff. With no "corporate memory", I often feel I know their restaurant better than they do.

Great Westcoast fare here with a beautiful view of English Bay.

Great restaurant with an amazing view of English Bay. The patio is a must for a sunny summer night in Vancouver.

Impeccable service. We had to wait for a table for 20 minutes, so the ma?tre d' offered us both an appetizer and bubbly, free of charge, and also chatted with us amicably. The waiter knew the food and wine menus inside and out, and the food was very good. Charming, urban bistro feel: calm and quiet inside, while outside the windows Denman street was teeming.

The food is all local, and one can count on a lot of root vegetables and local game with the cuisine. All is very fresh and imaginatively prepared. The set menus are a very good value. The service is attentive, but the description of the ingredients in each dish as it was set down made me anxious that there was going to be a pop quiz after dinner.

If you're looking for local, this is it.

Perfect for brunch or any special occasion.

Food is always good, however, my reservations are never are time - I have always had to wait 10 minutes are longer to be seated at a table. Once they even set my table up in the walk way because they were so busy - I had made my reservation a good week i

Awesome place. Should win something.

very busy, noisy restaurant. Service a little slow, food very well prepared

Food is reliable, focusing on West-Coast. Love their use of local produce. Sit outside on the patio if you can. Service staff can be quite aloof.

How do they consistenly break the 'if the views good the food will suck' rule? Not only does Rain City Grill do a superb job of showcasing local ingredients - every server can chat with you about how the dishes are prepared and help you choose just the

excellent - whenever i'm in vancouver I can't stay away

A Vancouver legend that only gets to get better with each visit. Pacific coast seafood that is so fresh it seems like it was caught an hour ago. Great list of BC wines that compliment everything the kitchen turns out. Friendly service and pleasant, cordia

Sadly, I must report I've been disappointed more than once this past year. The selections are limited, and the value for money is low.

Overlooking English Bay, Raincity Grill has a wonderful patio that I like to sit in during the summer, especially for Sunday brunch. It uses local ingredients and the staff is always friendly.

Great location. Come at dusk to watch the sun set over English Bay Beach. Stylish innovative food. A very well-heeled crowd. Service with an attitude. I guess you have to dress up quite a bit to really fit in with the other patrons.

Great fun: great food. The locals recommended it and it was a winner.

would recommend food and service is excellent

Because this restaurant focuses so heavily on fresh, local foods, their menu changes often so don't expect to get your favourite dish twice in a row. This being said, you will be hard pressed to order something not to your liking at this waterfront eatery

Over rated. Dissapointing

Great Green table option. Fantastic setting, great service, delicious beautifully presented plates but small portions. The unique way Chef has focused on local, unique and delicious makes this a taste explosion for foodies, especially if you want innova

best restaurant in the west end

highly overrated, limited menu. GREAT Calif, Washington, Oregon, BC winelist

Great showcase for local ingredients.

Food and service was excellent. Local fresh ingredients paired with BC wines.

We only had the takeout fish and chips. Very good quality of both food and utensils. I had a problem with the cook serving my food. I don't think he washed his hands between handling my money and cooking my meal.

I dined here in the dead of winter - which isn't necessarily the smartest thing to do when eating at a local and organic inspired restaurant. I applaud the chef for her brilliant use of local ingredients - in fact, one of the courses was a BC spot prawn d

Decent restaurant. The service is good, the food is sometimes awesome and other times ok. The room needs a revamp.

This restaurant needs a good cleaning. Presentation is lovely but the plates always have fingers prints. Cutlery is grease stained.

One of Vancouver's best fine dining restaurants. Impeccable ingredients, most local, wonderful flavours and a knowledgeable staff. Not to be missed.

Excellent wine list, creative food, local ingredients and features organic vegetables, artisanal cheeses and salmon fished specifically for the restaurant.

Outstanding dining experience if you can get a nice day and an outside table. Otherwise, just a great experience!

Nice outdoor terrace. Menu ended up being better than the food.

Service not very attentive. Food

This top-starred restaurant is a gem -- arty in presentation, and yet completely unfussy in atmosphere. Raincity Grill was one of the very first restaurants in Vancouver to embrace the "buy locally, eat seasonally" concept. The menu focuses on seafood, game, and poultry, and organic vegetables from British Columbia and the Pacific Northwest. The room is long and low and intimate, perfect for... more

The view at sunset is wonderful; the smell of the adjacent garbage bin is awful. Although well recognized in the guide books and by hotel concierges, Raincity Grill was a disappointment. The wine list appeared extensive, but easy picks were hard to find. Some selections were simply not available and alternative wines by the glass (or bottles) were substantially more than one should pay in the... more

After a round of pitch and putt at Stanley Park my friend...

After a round of pitch and putt at Stanley Park my friends and I decided to walk to Denman for a quick bite. We decided on Rain City Grills Take Out Picnic lunches which include gourmet sandwich choice of salad and daily sweet mine was short bread cookies all for under 10 and packed in bio-degradable sugar cane fibre containers. I ordered the Tomato Braised Pulled Pork sandwich with classic... more

Casual but elegant restaurant where organics and local products are used in all dishes.

Raincity Grill: The Fresh Quarter

Raincity Grill was our great discovery of the weekend. We showed up at 8.15pm thinking that a table for two would be easy to come by and the hostess gave us a pained look when we told her that no, we didn’t have a reservation. A second look down her list and she finally asked: "Can you come back at 9pm?" Lucky for us we had had a late lunch and were more than happy to run across the road for a... more

Pacific Northwest Rules!

Of the many restaurant choices on the Westside's Denman Street, here is the one that combines the warmth of a neighbourhood favorite with casual elegance. This restaurant offers both a pleasant prospect of English Bay and innovative cuisine fashioned from the freshest of local ingredients.We were well cared for from the moment we arrived. Although there we two tables immediately available in... more

First, the good things: -Nice location; -Nice view of Enlglish Bay; -Superb halibut with wild rice. Unfortunately, the sablefish was just horrible... and I'm not talking about the seasonings, but the piece of fish itself. Furthermore, the service was very pushy, as if they were already thinking about the next reservation. Some items on the menu are overpriced such as the wine by the glass.

Likes The food is always fresh, well made, and locally bought. The wine list is extensive, interesting, and knowledgeable. I've been here 6 times and I think it is a lovely restaurant. Great View, lovely and romantic dining, great service Dislikes I didn't think that tamale appetizer which I tried was tasty. It was dry, overcooked, and did not do the restaurant justice- that was a mistake- I... more

Food: A great mix of both innovative dishes whilst still offering a nice selection of safe choices. The seafood (mussels and scallop dishes) were very fresh and the chicken was excellent. The lettuce yogurt and dill salad was also delicious. Dessert: Their menu's change depending on what is in season but the baked crabapple and walnut tart with vanilla gelato was superb. Service: Very friendly,... more

I recommend this place to anyone looking for a great breakfast

I recommend this place to anyone looking for a great breakfast

at a low price. Next time i see them them they tell me how brilliant
this place is

Delicious food, and a fabulous atmosphere. Ingredients are

Delicious food, and a fabulous atmosphere. Ingredients are

fresh, and recipies are classic. Excellent for large groups,

they have a number of set-price menus where a wide selection of

dishes are served family-style. Service is outstanding. Highly

recommended, especially for large groups.

eaten here a few times, and always had a fabulous meal...great to bring out of towners to..has alot of local ingredients and cheeses...the wine list is excellent

One of the very few places that I can take my vegetarian friends to - and not feel that they are being short changed. I am not vegetarian - but have always enjoyed my choices. Service has been excellent and knowledgeable regarding entree ingredients.

The elegant Raincity Grill has an exellent menu that changes with the seasons and offers vegetarian meals from around $15 while other selections start from $18 - $25.