The Farmhouse — Restaurant in Vancouver

Honestly one of the more surprising well executed restaurants I have dine at in while. I read some of the negative reviews but after trying the restaurant myself I have to strongly disagree with all of them. We had the 'Be Our Guests' chefs tasting for two people and let me tell you it is the absolute best value on the entire menu. The kitchen will stuff you with food till you burst. We were so full we actually packed some of our pasta and entree home!

Our server was very professional and attentive to our needs. He was kind enough to ask us which two dishes we must try and we mentioned the sea urchin (uni) risotto and bone marrow which the kitchen gladly included in our tasting menu. The wine selection was excellent and I tried both a local BC wine and a regional blend from Italy.

The meal started with housemade bread, focaccia served with a side of extra virgin olive oil, balsamic and chili oil. The chili oil was super spicy but so delicious. The appetizers that followed was out of this world. First was an oyster gratin dish... I didn't see it listed on the a la carte menu but it was warm comfort, umami with the burst of ocean from the oysters. Second appy was steak tartare with pizzelle wheels and roasted bone marrow. This was so good. Buttery marrow, nicely balanced tartare with a garnish of bitter microgreens that paired amazingly well with each bite.

Our two starches included a rigatoni pasta and the sea urchin risotto. The sea urchin risotto in my opinion is a must get for anyone trying out this restaurant. Presentation wise they could have plated bigger pieces of uni, but I could care less because it tasted amazing! The spoonful bites with the uni, creamy risotto and crispy risotto was devine. The pasta dish was perfectly al dente rigatoni with simple tomato sauce, basil and some type of pancetta. For our main we were provided an 8oz strip loin with roasted root veggies and a walnut puree sauce on the bottom. This was really well executed and the walnut sauce surprisingly paired very well with the steak.

Lastly for dessert we were presented with some type of frozen chocolate cake, meringue and frozen fudge with fresh raspberries. This dessert reminded me of an upscaled version of the Keg's Billy Miner Pie. Anyone who had that dessert knows how good it is! Our second dessert was a panna cotta with raspberry coulee and a crispy cookie on top. It was so creamy and decadent, we polished it off even though we were stuffed to the brim.

Overall I would give this restaurant a 5 star. We had a wonderful dining experience. Don't expect The Farmhouse to be a pretentious fine dining establishment, with some snooty sommelier, because it is absolutely the total opposite. This restaurant has its own character and charm in a relaxed dining atmosphere. For the food quality, kitchen execution and level of attention to detail, the menu is offered at a very reasonable price point. I would...

A Lackluster Experience at The Farmhouse Vancouver

My recent visit to The Farmhouse Vancouver, fueled by anticipation of a familial Italian culinary experience, unfortunately, fell short on multiple fronts, leaving me with a sense of disappointment that lingered throughout the evening.

From the outset, the service was notably substandard. Our server, lacking the warmth and friendliness promised by the establishment, failed to check in on us after delivering our food. This left us questioning whether the underwhelming experience was a result of utilizing a promotional app or if it was simply an off day for the staff.

The culinary letdown extended to the dishes themselves. While the Burrata starter provided a nice and light introduction, the Truffle mushroom cannelloni failed to impress due to a lackluster presentation – the cannelloni appeared flat and dry on the outside, saved only by the redeeming quality of the sauce.

The Tagliatelle al ragù was a definite miss. The dish's excessive saltiness overwhelmed the palate, and the duck lacked freshness. Adding to the disappointment, the pasta was slightly undercooked and arrived lukewarm. Surprisingly, even the side parmesan cheese was not freshly grated, a puzzling oversight for an establishment claiming an authentic Italian experience.

To compound our dissatisfaction, we discovered that we had to add pepper to our dishes ourselves, an unexpected inconvenience that clashed with the restaurant's promise of familial treatment. The beverage choice, The Merchant of Venice, also failed to meet expectations. Instead of the anticipated rich and complex flavor, it tasted like watered-down ginger beer, adding to the overall sense of letdown.

In conclusion, The Farmhouse Vancouver failed to deliver on its promise of a familial Italian dining experience. The lack of attentive service, coupled with inconsistent and underwhelming dishes, created an evening that left much to be desired. Even seemingly simple elements, such as having to add pepper ourselves and a disappointing beverage, contributed to an overall sense of disappointment. I hope the establishment takes steps to address these issues and lives up to the potential for a more delightful dining experience...

Our lovely friends found this place and we were excited to try it together after reading the good reviews. We had reservations and were seated right away after arrival. The restaurant is cute and very cozy - decor was on point as well. We ordered our drinks and asked some questions about the menu before putting in our order. At that time there were only a handful of tables seated. It was after the appetizers arrived, that it felt like that was the turning point for the night.

We ordered the fresh bread, artichoke hearts and meatballs - all arrived at the same time but the wait for our mains took a very long time (about 20-30 mins). We noticed the restaurant started becoming more packed and a couple tables around us waited approx 30 mins before having their drink orders taken. Not sure if it was an off day or possibly short staffed but we felt very neglected especially since 2 tables directly beside us had a different waitress who attended to them very frequently. Our water was never refilled and we got checked on for food and how it was tasting after we've finished more than half the mains. Our server was also the bartender who made drinks for every table as well. I've been to other restaurants with tables treated with VIP service for their regulars however not once did I feel neglected by their staff.

The food itself was nothing to rave about unfortunately. The scallop risotto was warm and very salty. Duck ragu with the added burrata was also warm and very bland compared to the risotto. The redeeming dish was the trout which came piping hot, perfectly crispy skin and had delicious fresh veggies all around.

We really wanted to enjoy this place and it started off strong but that feeling of neglect just kept getting stronger and stronger throughout the night. Unfortunately this would be the first and last time we...