SandBar, the, Vancouver

The SandBar is a newer restaurant in Vancouver, attracting a unique crowd of hipster urbanites, cougars, and tourists. It's quite large spacially, with a nautical/west coast wood beam decor, three floors and a gigantic 3rd floor deck, an outdoor bar, live seafood tanks, fireplaces, a sushi bar, and a live DJ setup for the evening. It combines Vancouver's west coast cuisine of local seafood and Asian recipes together quite eloquently.

Not surprisingly, the SandBar is owned by Sequoia Restaurants (ie: Cardero's, Sequoia Hilltop Bistro, etc) - a company whose strength lies in its ability to find scenic locations, and open up restaurants with Vancouver-inspired cooking that caters to locals as well as tourists. While some of the wording on the menus looks similar (ie: Wok Squid and Wok Mushrooms is definitely Cardero's lingo), they maintain a unique identity in the Vancouver restaurant scene. For one thing, the SandBar is frequented for its nightlife as well as for its food!

When I first went to The SandBar, it was for lunch on a sunny May afternoon. The restaurant was packed, but not full to capacity. We sat outside on the deck, between 2 outdoor fireplaces, just over from the bar. We had a nice view of the downtown skyline, but the most prominent structure was the massive Granville Street Bridge directly overhead. The beams from the bridge almost weave into the architecture of the restaurant. The view is quite unique!

As for our lunch, the menu was a lot smaller than I expected, but there was still plenty to choose from. Worth noting is that if you arrive later, their dinner menu doubles in size once they start serving sushi.

Service was perfect - friendly without being fake, and always a step ahead - we never had to wait for anything! The SandBar is definitely a place I'd like to return to, though perhaps next time with a group of friends. I'd also like to check it out in the evening, to see how this restaurant turns into a popular nightlife spot!

Favorite Dish: We shared the Tuscan Flat Bread ($4.50) which was a plate of about 8 pieces of what looked like a pizza, except it was topped off with caramelized onions,
goat cheese, and cracked pepper.

My boyfriend ordered the Wok Squid ($8.50), made with chilies, garlic, cilantro, and ginger. It was presented in an oval dish and tasted very, very spicy!

I had a craving for something casual, so I ordered the Salmon Burger ($11.50) made with wood grilled wild salmon filet, homemade bun, and tartar sauce. It came with a choice of salad or fries. I opted for salad. The salad was delicious - made with mesclin greens, a homemade vinaigrette, topped with roasted pumpkin seeds.