🇨🇦 Vancouver Fine Dining｜Even Michelin Stars Can Disappoint 😮‍💨

Yesterday, my mom and I tried Barbara in Vancouver. This restaurant claims to hold a Michelin star, and we were super excited to experience their tasting menu… but sadly, it fell far short of our expectations. 😞 🍸 Drinks SIENNA: A non-alcoholic cocktail made with pomegranate, cinnamon, lemon, and soda. Refreshing with a noticeable cinnamon kick—great if you like cinnamon! 🍋✨ 🍽️ 3-Course Tasting Menu ✨ First Course • Marinated Mussels + Chilled Cucumber Soup: Served with smoked trout roe and herbed breadcrumbs. Looked fancy but tasted just okay. • Beef Tartare: With red currants, pickled radish, and fried onions. Way too salty—balance was off. 🧂😵 • Snack: Fried eggplant topped with honey and pickles. Sounded light, but again…too salty. ✨ Second Course • Halibut: With roasted cabbage, baby potatoes, and lemon-saffron broth. The fish was tender, but the broth was overly seasoned. • Veal Tongue: Served with onion and bell pepper in smoked beef fat. Pretty basic and forgettable. ✨ Third Course • Arctic Char: Arctic char with hummus, lemon butter, pine nuts, and pomegranate. Should’ve been fresh and light, but yes…salty again. • Dry-Aged Striploin: The beef was cooked well and tender, but the sauce was too overpowering. 🥩👎 🍧 Dessert Golden Plum Sorbet: Just average—not too sweet, not too sour. Only had a couple of bites. 🛎️ Service & Ambience • We hoped to interact with the chef at a Michelin-starred spot, but the chef never came out. • The staff seemed uninterested when explaining dishes—not what you’d expect from fine dining. • The restaurant is pretty small and not that comfortable. ⚖️ Final Thoughts Even with a Michelin star, Barbara let us down: • Dishes were consistently too salty and poorly balanced. • Service was cold—no engagement or warmth. • Ambience and location weren’t anything special. The price wasn’t high, but it’s still not worth it. If you’re looking for fine dining in Vancouver, skip Barbara—there are much better options downtown! 👎💸 Have you had a similar experience at a Michelin-starred restaurant? What’s your biggest fine dining letdown? Share your stories below! 👇💬 #BarbaraVancouver #MichelinStar #VancouverFineDining #DisappointingMeal #FoodReview #EaterVan #Overhyped #TastingMenuFail #FoodieRant #VancouverFoodScene #NotWorthIt #FineDiningExperience