Ophelia — Restaurant in Vancouver

My recent visit to Ophelia in Vancouver was unfortunately less than satisfactory due to several issues that need to be addressed for a better dining experience.

The service at Ophelia was inconsistent at best. Although the hostess who initially took our drink order was friendly, the main waiter did not demonstrate a good grasp of how to appropriately pace the serving of meals. Our appetizers and main courses were served together, leading to a cluttered table and our main dishes cooling down while we were still eating our appetizers.

The food temperature was a major issue throughout the meal. All the dishes were served cold, which greatly detracted from the taste and overall dining experience. The bone marrow tacos, for example, contained chewy meat, which combined with the low temperature, made for a less than enjoyable dish.

The absence of courtesy tostadas and salsas, commonly offered in similar restaurants, was a notable omission. This lack of attention to detail was disappointing and made the dining experience feel less hospitable.

Moreover, the process of getting our bill was unnecessarily prolonged. It took more than 30 minutes for us to receive our bill after we had requested it, an excessive wait that did not contribute positively to our overall dining experience.

Ophelia needs to address these issues to improve its dining experience. The service timing, food temperature and quality, and attention to detail all require significant improvement.

Another point of disappointment was a missed opportunity to acknowledge a special occasion. During our reservation, we mentioned that we were celebrating my girlfriend's 30th birthday. Unfortunately, this was not recognized during our visit. A simple acknowledgment or gesture could have added a personal touch to our experience, even in light of the other issues.

Despite the issues mentioned above, it's only fair to note that Ophelia did shine in one area: their cocktail menu. The two cocktails we ordered were well-crafted and flavorful, adding a bright spot to our dining experience. It suggests that with attention and care, there are aspects of the restaurant that can truly impress.

This feedback is given in the hope that the management will take these points into consideration and implement necessary changes. It would be pleasing to see these improvements realized for the benefit of future diners (if ever decided...

Went there over the weekend and had made reservations. As soon as we arrived, the hostess mentioned that there were reservations in two hours (which we didn't have an issue with to start). Took 20-30mins after we sat down before someone came to take our drink order and then an additional 30mins after that before someone came to take our food order which is where the issues started coming up. If you're telling us there are reservations in 2 hours then we would assume that the service would match according to that timeline.

Someone came around with an appetizer that was not ours and then we also saw what we believe to be our appetizer brought to someone else's table - a minute later, he came back with our appetizer (not from the direction of the kitchen, but from the direction of where it was dropped off at someone else table).

Bone marrow was good, however, small but the prawns and chorizo in my dish was good - hence the 2 stars, however, the skirt steaks in all of our dishes were so chewy we couldn't bite or chew it (poor quality). I would definitely not order anything with the skirt steak again nor would I recommend it.

We had finished our meals and dishes pretty empty and no one came to check in to see if they could take anything away/clear the table as it was nearing the time of the next reservation so as the hostess is looking at the time, she then comes rushing to clear the table in a hurry.

My friend's wife had mentioned to the waitress when ordering our meals that it was her husband's birthday (sitting next to her). They rushed to bring us the free dessert and placed it in front of my husband instead (10 mins before us having to leave the table).

The whole experience just felt off putting which was unfortunate as we were really looking forward to having a good time/experience and meal and our group felt as if we were not welcome and was an inconvenience upon the...

Another Michelin-guide restaurant, Ophelia serves Mexican dinners with weekend brunch options. I’ve visited twice to try out both menus and have some mixed feelings. Would say that their seafood optionsbeef for me. Really like the gothic and dark ambiance though it can be hard to talk over dinner (brunch was way more quiet). Service was pretty friendly.

Chicharron de Rib Eye ($24) 6/10 Ribeye with guacamole and Habanero refried beans, served with corn tortilla. I have mixed feelings about this one. Love the guacamole and refried beans, however steak was pretty tough….

Volcanes de Arrecharra ($22.5) 7/10 Despite also being beef, this one was somehow more tender (wish I had gotten this one instead). The corn chips and pickles also helped make the dish lighter, balancing the cheddar cheese.

Pulpo en Mole Blanco ($44) 8/10 One of the better octopus dishes in Vancouver. Crispy crunch from the corn batter, paired with fragrant cilantro rice and creamy white mole sauce. The chorizo, kale, and zucchini also managed to complement the whole dish.

Grilled 16oz Cache Greek Ribeye ($74) 5/10 The chorizo and cheese potato tasted great for the first few bites, and afterwards got really overwhelming. Steak was okay…. Happy they cooked it correctly to rare but wasn’t anything special otherwise. The villa amuhada sauce was great, but I would say get their non-beef menu.

Tres Leches Cake ($10) 8/10 As a fan of milk based desserts, I never missed a chance to get tres leches cake, which was soaked with three types of milks and rum, served with berry compote and lime whipped cream pistachio crumbles. Since the actual cake was extremely sweet, the zesty berry and lime actually worked really well to cut through the richness.

Prawn Ceviche Tostada ($18.25) Didn’t try since I’m allergic to shrimp. Heard good feedbacks from...