The Cider House — Restaurant in Vancouver

Unfortunately, despite the food and cider being pretty tasty I really cannot recommended this place as we had the worst experience here this evening out of anywhere we’ve dined in Vancouver.

When we arrived we were put on a waitlist for 30 mins and I asked not to be seated on the street patio where there are no heaters as it was a chilly night. Once our table was ready we were told that’s where it was and where there was available seating when we arrived originally? I explained we asked not to be seated there and was told by the host “there’s other people sitting out there too” in a sassy tone and as if that made a difference when we specifically waited for a warmer table. The other option he pointed to was a seat beside the door that had also been available 30 mins before when we put our names down. The seating here makes no sense when you’re put on a waitlist to ultimately be given a table thar was available when you first arrived. The portions are very small which is a shame as the food is pretty tasty, with a tip our check shockingly came to $100 for two small mains, a small plate of chips and tiny jar of guac with two 16oz flights. Our waitress was inattentive apart from when she’d rush in between us every few minutes to try and grab a glass or even the starter we were still eating.

The part of the evening that really ruined the place for us was when she came back around 5 minutes after we paid and stuck her hand behind me to take my glass that still had cider in it without asking and told us if we weren’t buying another round we had to leave as they needed our table back for someone else. There were several empty tables around us and I couldn’t believe after paying so much for very little food and drink that they had taken one from me while I was still drinking it to hurry me up. I expect to be given time after our meal to finish our drinks and get ready to leave and I’ve never been asked to leave a restaurant so soon after the paying the bill or while I still had a drink. It was our first time visiting the cider house and will also be the last after the unprofessional and rushed service. It’s basically a small bar with small portions but with restaurant prices and inexperienced staff who can’t offer basic customer service or even manage seating. I’m sure our experience won’t be news to the owners or make a difference considering the other reviews that mention the small portion sizes and rushed experience and still neither...

Pretty unimpressed with the lack of effort (there was zero effort) in complying with COVID regulations. The place itself is nice, but I thought the way they were running their service given the current risk of an outbreak was completely unacceptable.

Edit: Response from the owner was certainly not my experience. I do hope this is how they run their establishment ordinarily, but I can say they were certainly not adhering to these guidelines during my visit.

“Instituting guidelines to limit virus spread and keep our employees/patrons healthy.” – while this was true indoors, they encouraged people to congregate at the narrow entrance while waiting for a table and did not offer table service to the outside patio. This meant I had to brush shoulders through a gathering of no less than 10 strangers just to get into the bar to order. It was impossible to physical distance and with rotating groups waiting in front you would have to be in close contact with many individuals to make multiple trips to the bar. The bar waiting area also could only accommodate 3 (it might have been four) waiting spots that were marked as 6 feet apart, so as soon as the line got any longer than that it would spill out onto the patio, again making it impossible for patrons to physical distance from each other.

“Having PPE available for all staff and guests should they wish additional protective measures over and above the current mandates and guidelines from local, provincial and federal government authorities.” - I was not offered any PPE of any kind, nor were the staff wearing any of any kind.

“Hiring extra staff to direct traffic and ensure our customers are keeping 2 metres apart.” – as stated, completely inaccurate during my visit and staff made no effort to enforce this.

“Instituting mandatory masks for all staff during shift.” – again, not a single employee was wearing a mask while I was there.

All other points are either true or I do not know...

Only posting 2 stars as the cider was very good.

We arrived at the Cider House just before 5:30pm on a Tuesday night. When we put our name down, we were quoted 25-30 minutes for a table, which was reasonable as there were 2 groups in front of us on a sunny night. 45 minutes later there was still no movement on any tables, with 2 groups still in front of us. Another 45 minutes later (now 1.5 hours) we received a text saying our table was ready. Immediately after, we received a second text with a message "So sorry, [your table] is not ready yet."

1 HOUR and 52 MINUTES later, we FINALLY were seated at The Cider House. A female staff member apologized for the extended wait, which was nice to hear. As soon as we sat down though, she mentioned a 90 minute time limit, which instantly put a sour (not so good) taste in my mouth. We literally waited well over the mentioned "90 minute time limit" only to have a total of THREE tables leave during that time.

The male staff member who originally quoted the 25-30 minute wait when we arrived, brought us our drinks and food with no apologies. The blueberry cider was very tasty, and I would go back for it. The burger was good, although the burger patty was on the smaller side. What REALLY bothered me was the supervisor / manager coming to our table when our drinks were getting low to ask if we were going to order another drink or not, as we were using their biggest table, which they sat us at.

As this was a celebratory day for my wife and I, we were hoping for a nice evening out. Unfortunately, the sour taste in my mouth wasn't the tasty cider, but instead the lack of time limit enforcement until it came to my partner and I. I have no problem with an extended wait but if a 25-30 minute quote is given, don't have it last almost 2 hours. This is completely unacceptable to a couple who both used to work in the...