Lift Bar Grill View - Downtown Vancouver — Restaurant in Vancouver

We attended Lift today for Happy Hour just prior to 4 PM on a beautiful summer day and indicated we would be comfortable sitting at the out-door bar. No table necessary. Despite there being ample spaces at the bar, we were told by the hostess that we would need to wait 10 minutes. We waited patiently as other prospective customers began to pack the entryway.

After 15 minutes, I asked why we had not been seated when there were many bar spaces available. We were told that the kitchen was backed up and management had deemed that customers could not be seated if they could not be provided prompt service. We responded that it would be much more preferable to wait for service at a table beside the beautiful scenery than wait with multiple other customers in a crowded entry area with limited seating. The hostess indicated it was management policy and offered to ask a manager to meet with me.

I welcomed this opportunity and when the manager arrived, I explained the situation and suggested that customers would be much more comfortable waiting at the many available spaces at the bar than standing at an over-crowded entry area. Her rude response was “that is your opinion, I work here and I have a different opinion.”

As I politely persisted she ultimately agreed to seat us where we then sat patiently but comfortably at the bar beside the water scenery until service was available.

It actually did not take much time to be serviced as we were only there for happy hour drinks. Our server was nothing less than delightful and offered excellent service.

By its nature, happy hour is a largely drop-in activity. To be forced to stand in a line up outside the restaurant when it is half empty makes little sense.

This is a lovely restaurant, in a great location with excellent (albeit expensive) food. But I am giving a 1 star across the board review because of the appalling service and rudeness of the manager who was on duty at 4 pm on Wednesday July 30, 2025.

I did my best to be polite and not escalate the situation but I felt it important to highlight our dissatisfaction. Simply sharing this information led to an inordinate level of rudeness from...

Well this was the first time I ever had something to eat hear. We could have picked a better evening but it was our 20th anniversary November 11th. The wind and hard rain stopped after about a 1/2 hour and we were on the top floor which is enclosed at winter with a very nice roof and clear plastic . The top floor also has many heaters and cool lighting with a large fire table at one end. The restaurant has been in this same location for 17 years just west of the bayshore inn and lots of underground free parking several hundred feet before the entrance to the restaurant. The staff were super friendly specially our server a very nice young man. The view of the water and area is fantastic, we will have to come back in summer to enjoy it. The main floor has the cooking area and on the other side of the restaurant is a large bar which is illuminated and pretty cool it glows in the dimly lit seating around the bar which also has a great view! We had a few drinks my wife had a cosmopolitan which she said was good and would have liked a little crushed ice in it. We ordered quite a few appetizers, the mussels in cream sauce was really tasty you can order it with clams also. This order came with quite a large order of thinly cut french fries. Also the large battered prawns with spicy mayo were so good we had 2 orders😊👌. Also the Cesar salad was also very good. I just had the appy's while my wife order the pasta with prawns and scallops cooked perfectly. The restaurant is super clean and well run. It was miserable weather that night so we were well attended to. Our server checked on us many times without being irritating. The main entrance has a large fish tank by the desk and is full of beautiful exotic fish . The restaurant is not that big and noisy you feel like you just walked into a very nice home for a nice dinner. Definitely we will be back when...

So we were in Vancouver so that my wife who is terminally ill could visit two nephews while she has the chance. One of her nephews who lives in Vancouver picked the restaurant and made reservations. Food was an absolute write off, completely cold and tasteless. Nice view of the kitchen from our table ! Too bad the folks manning it didn't know how to cook. Instead of trying to fancy up my cold steak by cutting it into pieces (my three year old grandson doesn't even need help to cut his meat anymore) maybe they could try serving edible food. And shoestring french fries that McDonalds can make better don't exactly befit a place that holds themselves out to be a cut above. There wasn't much point in complaining because it took so long to come out the first time, that with my wife's condition we would have to leave before attempt two would show up. Fortunately her visiting with her nephews went well. Luckily for the waiter my wife still gave him a very generous tip. The place wasn't even busy so don't understand what the problem was. I blame management . An earlier message that I sent through their own website with a request went unanswered. A subsequent message that I sent also through their website (which I directed to the owner) also went unanswered. These both despite the the auto response that they would reply within a couple days. So we spent $300 here for a dinner that was horrible and given different circumstances I would have spoken up, however, it shouldn't be necessary in the first place. My suggestion is that you take your money and business elsewhere unless you are just looking to get drunk on the patio, but then again, the beer is probably warm. Otherwise, don't feel surprised when you leave feeling like the only "Lift" that occurred is the money coming out...