Altitudes Bistro — Restaurant in District of North Vancouver

I have had nothing but terrible experiences at Altitudes the few times I have gone over the years. Last night's dining misadventure was no different. Our party of 14 did a group Grouse Grind and then headed to the bistro for a friend's going away party. We waited patiently while they organized a table, only to find it too small for our group. We were initally told they couldn't add more tables together due to 'fire regulations'. Finally, after much questioning and trying to squeeze ourselves in, did they relent and add another table. Our food and drink orders came out slowly and were 'auctioned off' at the table. The food is nothing to write home about, and given the location is overpriced. When my husband and I asked for our portion of the bill, we were told that a single, group bill would be provided and that we were not allowed to pay individually for our meals. Instead, one person would have to pay the $400 total and we would each have to pay them back. We questioned this; a number of us currently, or previously, working in the restaurant industry and knowing this NOT to be standard practice. We were told flippantly that "everyone does this" and sent to an ATM machine in the main lodge. Now, when you do the Grind you don't carry a full wallet, or even much cash. You have your Local's Pass and a Visa. That's about it. As I tried to explain this to the manager, Omar, he got quite argumentative and again told us this was just the way it was. He said he couldn't very well ask his serving staff to spend time ringing us each through individually while their other tables waited (despite the fact that this is, in fact, part of the job). We had now spent 20 min trying to figure out a solution. Our parking at the base had expired in the interim, something we had explained to the manager. The 'compromise' on the bistro's part was to provide us with a bill that at least had our food separated so each person would know who owed what. However, they even got this wrong with 8/14 of us. Finally, 30 min after trying to settle up, the server took individual payments. What a waste of time and energy. This dining establishment treats their patrons terribly. We were not accommodated to and left with an incredibly bad taste in our mouths. We were a mix of mainly locals but also some out-of-town guests and nobody was impressed. So, Altitudes, if your goal was to turn 14 people off the bistro for good, plus all the others we tell who stay away, and all those who read this review, then, well done. I, for one, will NEVER give you...

Nice place to grab a bite after doing the grouse grind!

My cousin and I had lunch here on a Thursday after successfully completing the grouse grind.

We ordered the following: Mountain Quesadilla Peak Burger Grilled Chicken Ciabatta

Pros: The quesadilla was really good and came out hot, fresh and crispy. I can't speak for the grilled chicken ciabatta but my cousin seemed to enjoy it. I had the peak burger with a side of fries and the burger tasted pretty good. The sauce that it comes with for dipping your fries was delicious.

Cons: The fries were just ok, they were very thin and somewhat similar to McDonalds in terms of size and look (not flavour), but it didn't really give the delicious dipping sauce justice. Would've preferred the fries to be a little on the thicker and crispier side.

Service: The service here was ok, it was like 50/50. We had great service initially when ordering...but the wait time for our food was definitely a lot longer than expected, perhaps it was a busier time of day or maybe understaffed in the kitchen. The water servers (I don't know what the correct term is) also rarely came by to refill our waters, so we had to usually reach out and call them.

However, our server Nick was great and accommodating. He was also kind enough to ask us for feedback about the food, service etc. and offered us a dessert with his recommendation, which was the Nutella donuts with ice cream.

The Nutella donuts were delicious! It wasn't too sweet even with all the caramel sauce which was great. My cousin and I also enjoyed the vanilla ice cream that came with it (I forgot to take a photo of the ice cream).

The interior of the restaurant was nice and cozy with amazing views of Vancouver. We ate indoors but went outside briefly to check out the views and take photos.

Overall, this is a nice place to grab lunch or perhaps even dinner because you'll get beautiful views of metro Vancouver...

As long-time Grouse Mountain pass holders (over eight years), we've visited Altitude Bistro countless times. While we’ve never expected more than a decent, casual meal, last night’s visit didn’t meet even the most basic standards for service or food quality.

It took over 45 minutes for our drinks to arrive, and when they finally did, only two of the three beers we ordered were brought to the table. When we asked about the delay, the only explanation given was, “the barman is busy.” To make matters worse, our server accidentally spilled a full beer on the table, soaking our phone in the process. The only “compensation” offered was a replacement beer, as though we were somehow responsible for their mistake.

The food took over an hour to arrive and was completely dry, likely from sitting too long under the heating lamps. No one came to check on us during the meal, and the overall cleanliness of the restaurant was disappointing. When the bill arrived, nothing was removed as a gesture of goodwill or accountability for the spilled beer or the overall experience.

For the first time in our lives, we chose not to leave a tip. It was a difficult and unfortunate decision, but the service and overall experience were absolutely insulting.

We’ve always considered Altitude Bistro a convenient spot for a casual meal after enjoying the mountain, but this visit was far below even modest expectations. Hopefully, this feedback prompts much-needed improvements to the service and...