The Sandbar Seafood Restaurant — Restaurant in Vancouver

I just had a coffee, so I can only comment on that, the service, and the vibe. All were good. I loved the coffee. I think they use the same beans as the Tap & Barrell (nearby) because they're coffee is great too. Granville Island should be zoned for restaurants only, because the location is so picturesque.

-Edit: I returned in March 2024 for another visit. It was a cold wet winter day in Vancouver. But this didn’t affect my experience at all. The Sandbar has a great decor, atmosphere, vibe, and ambiance. It’s very warm and welcoming to everyone. Very photogenic. The food was great, the service was great, the view was great, and it’s quiet enough that you can actually talk to someone. Super important for a social activity like dinning out. I had a great visit with my family and they really enjoyed The Sandbar as well.

They had the Fish & Chips and the Cedar Plank Salmon, which they said was very good. I had the Signature Wok Squid, which was also very good. Spicy but not too spicy. I highly recommend it if you like Calamari. I also had a non-alcoholic beer. The nice server said it was a “blonde.” It must have been on tap because she served it in a glass. It was pretty good, if you’re into non-alcoholic beer.

The bathrooms were also good and I was very impressed with the hand towels. Extra heavy duty. The elevator ride was a little sketchy but it definitely added to the experience. The Sandbar has the smallest and weirdest elevator in Vancouver. I recommend checking it out if you like strange modes of transportation, or horror movies. I work in the elevator industry and I’d love to know the backstory on that elevator. The Sandbar is directly under the Granville Bridge and the architecture of The Sandbar building, the bridge, and the elevator…complement each other perfectly.

After the meal was over we walked around the Island and checked out the shops and markets. Granville Island is an eclectic space, to say the least. There's a lot going on and lots to see…especially if you’re a photographer. Although it does help if the weather co-operates a little.

Keep in mind that the experience of going to a restaurant on Granville Island...is one that extends to the entire Island. The restaurant experience includes the rest of the Island, the weather, the ocean, the people, etc. It’s a package deal. The design of the Island and how it promotes walking as the primary mode of transportation…creates a very immersive experience. It’s a unique situation that makes the restaurants on the Island,...

It is hard to find negative reviews of The Sandbar and we were very excited to try it on a recent trip to Vancouver. Reservations were limited on a Friday and we reserved seating for 3 people at 5pm. We really underestimated the time it would take us to get from our hotel to The Sandbar and had just boarded the Aquabus at 5. We called and told then we would miss our reservation and that we understood they would need to seat another group and not wait for us. The hostess on the phone said she would keep the reservation and for us to check in with her and see what they could do. This seemed unusual but very kind. We arrived about 5:30 and saw a hostess who had no idea what we were talking about and said our reservation had been cancelled. We were a bit disappointed but I had thought originally this would be the case . We got on the standby list and walked around the area (which is a great way to spend 45 mins. Very cool area.) 45 minutes later we got a text that our table was ready. At the hostess station we checked in and a woman with a nametag reading "manager" told us in a voice way too loud and peppy, "Just so you know there is a 2 hour limit on dining with us tonight." I've been to a lot of restaurants in a lot of places and this had to be one of the tackiest policies (and delivery) I've heard. Manager, that is your job. Make sure the service is attentive and efficient and no one wants to be seated at a restaurant for 2 hours. There are many ways to accomplish this (stop checking in, stop filling waters...) without announcing the time limit. Really tacky.. We were seated on the patio and the night and this was fine. The weather was nice and we missed our reservation so were happy to take what there was. The patio was crowded with larger groups (and so many young children just plugged into ipad devices or phones. Awful but a topic for another time.) Our server had a nametag "captain" but was Tommy and he was very good- warm and attentive and knew the menu. We liked him a lot. We ordered salads, 2 salmon dishes and 1 Ahi tuna. Both salads were excellent and one was split without any hassle. The sockeye was fresh and pretty good. The Ahi was, and there is no other way to put it, really lousy. It tasted old and was overcooked and the sauce on it was not what it needed to be. That diner was very disappointed. So overall, we expected something really fantastic and it was just OK. The tacky policy and poorly prepared Ahi were memorable (in a bad way) but the server, salads and the dining...

Setting the BAR high…

The last time I came here was over half a decade ago and it was one of the most genuine heart warming service I have experienced. Thank you Deb for keeping me warm and staying overtime during that cold windy night when dining on the rooftop, you really set the bar high…

Finally back here for a revisit. This place is located in Granville Island beside the Public Market; pay parking is available throughout this little touristy little island. The reception and dining area starts at the 2nd level of the restaurant which can be access via stairs or an elevator located on the ground floor.

Greeted and got a lovely seat by the windows and here were the food I ordered this time around;

Signature Caesar. It was okay, wish the juice was a bit stronger. Raz lemonade. Decent little drink for those who preferred a nonalcoholic beverage. Classic clam chowder. Very clean classic taste and loved the little tiny clams, thank you for not using the diced up big surf clam hack like a lot of restaurants do. Wok tossed local mussels. The mussels were big, juicy and plump. Plus the right amount of white wine broth, really enjoyed it. The Sandbar tower. Everything was fresh and tasty, except for the lobster. It was a bit overcooked and rubbery. 10oz prime New York striploin. Nicely flame grilled to my liking and tender.

Overall, our server was quite friendly and nice, however, I would say not quite the fine dining service I had like last time. P.S. serving 101, always clear the empty plates once done and scrape the crumbs off the table in between courses.

As for the food, everything was quite good and tasty. Like I said, the only thing I didn’t really like was the lobster from the seafood tower. Also wanted to order some blue fin tuna sushi, but was unavailable. Besides that, quite satisfied and over fed myself.

The layout was decently spacious and quite lively. A nice little causal place for some oysters and seafood when visiting Granville Island.

It gets very busy during peak hours because it’s located in a tourist area therefore reservation is highly recommended. The previous visit with the amazing 5 star service, the bar was set high. Unfortunately this visit fell a bit short, I would say a...