1931 Gallery Bistro — Restaurant in Vancouver

Where should I start? Today I met my friend at the venue. This was the first time I visited since the rebirth of the Cafe as 1931 Gallery Bistro. I was surprised to see very few people, as in the past the cafe was always buzzing with people. A nice hostess by the name of Carol from Brazil greeted me. She said the kitchen was closing at 3pm meaning I had little time to order (it was 2:50pm) I said I would come to the counter to order when ready, yet she informed me that ordering was now "a la carte." I told her that I was expecting a friend and wanted to wait a bit. She was amenable. Shortly after a tall, robust man came to me. He said the cafe was closing and I had to order. Feeling pressured, I opted to order on behalf of my friend. Oh my! Prices are heft expensive. I assumed food must be gourmet. I ordered a tea and two deserts, each $18/$15. I asked the man to put two tea bags as I like my tea strong. He said I would have to pay another $4.00 for the extra bag. Feeling uneasy, I said "it is ridiculous" and canceled my request. When my friend arrived the carrot cake was at the table together with the tea. The tea water was not hot, but I opted to let it go. I asked the man for a knife to split the cake into two. He brought plates to do that. The cake was nicely presented, but the taste was off-putting for both myself and my friend. I hardly tasted like a carrot cake but we couldn't be bothered to complain. Shortly before 4:00pm (closing time), the man brought the bill. My friend immediately told him that the cake was very bad and that she preferred the cafe food before. She said she would not come back. I echoed the same. He sarcastically said "he would pass this on." His attitude was far from welcoming. His attitude was truly irritating for my friend and I. I then stated that he was "rude." Have a guess what what he answered? "It is you who are rude." He said I yelled at him which isn't me at all. He added... "please leave the restaurant now." I later asked Carol who he was. She said his name is Mark, and he is the manager. I can't believe how such a person could be hired by a reputable landmark such as the Art Gallery. He has no place in customer service, let alone in a high-class venue. Very disappointed, will...

This is my first time dining at 1931 Gallery Bistro. I had a such great time.

First of all, there is not many roof top restaurant in Vancouver, beside "Reflection", 1931 will be def my summer brunch and cafe to go place. Lots sunlight when the weather is good and right now the restaurant even offers more varieties of beverages.

Secondly, the service is great. The place is not very big and it's easy to get busy and crowded. However, people who work there managed to create this very smooth service flow. I got my water filled all the time and multiple check about the food even during their busy lunch time. Plus something on my personal note: I really like their clean and neat uniform.

Thirdly, let's talk about the food. Since I had brunch there, I really enjoyed my confit duck egg benedict. The amount of duck meat is just right for me. I actually had half of the benedict left over. Also me and my friends really love the plating. Last not the least, the price of the brunch and the dinner are extremely affordable at their level. I was quite surprise when I saw the price. (No food is over $30 from their dinner menu.) WOW.

I understand the restaurant is still under soft opening and there are places and spots to be developed further. I just hope they can do something related with Vancouver Art Gallery after all it's part of it now.

I will definitely go back with my mom and friends. Also the patio will be so good for events and press release as I work in the show biz. I am so excited finally there is one more place to go with beautiful roof patio, great service and nice affordable food at downtown.

Great Jobs Vancouver...

Since the Indonesian food festival ended up being a bust (we tried three places—only to find all of them closed or out of stock; it felt like they could have done better with inventory management), we decided to eat at the nearby, recently opened 1931 Gallery Bistro (part of the Vancouver Art Gallery). I had been here before for an event (they host large groups), so I wanted to try their regular menu.

Overall impression, the service could definitely be improved in terms of attentiveness, though I know they just recently started operating. We had to wait quite a while to place our order and to ask for the cheque. However, the food and coffee tasted pretty good and were reasonably priced.

For our lunch, we decided to share the following three dishes—which, somehow, all ended up being vegetarian (though not on purpose): Spring Vegetable Flatbread ($16): An unexpected favorite for me. It's a simple dish but wonderfully executed—perfect for hot weather. Crispy bread topped with zucchini, tomato, arugula, and goat cheese, served with a balsamic glaze. Cauliflower Steak ($25): A classic dish I usually enjoy; however, the execution this time could be improved. The smaller florets were quite oily, and the cauliflower itself was rather bland. The ratio of bean purée and herb chimichurri felt off compared to the size of the cauliflower. Mushroom & Pea Risotto ($23): This was definitely the prettiest dish, thanks to its bright green color. It tasted fine, but I was expecting a stronger mushroom flavor. The dish lacked the lusciousness you'd typically expect from a risotto (though the parmesan chips were...