Tonight we were at Lift for dinner. They are a popular hot spot in summer for their unique patio and view. So to enjoy them for their cozy lounge vibes tonight, was a whole different experience.
The dark of night poured in through the all glass walls that faced the water, with the city’s lights in the distance. However, the warm glow of their golden bar was enticing. With its shades of pink and gold and striational cracks, it reminded me of a Himalayan salt lamp inside out.
We would start our night here, perched up within view of the oyster bar where naturally began with a couple of cocktails.
The Rosemary Fizz was a unique one with their own house made barrel aged gin, chartreuse, rosemary, lime, and egg white. The woodsy barrel washed away much of the botanicals and left the spirit and rest of the cocktail with a lovely mellow characteristic, with the addition of egg white for sweetness. It would have been nice if the generous rosemary sprig was a little flame kissed, adding some depth to match that of the woody notes.
My guest got her favourite cocktail, an Espresso Martini with her choice of vodka or tequila, kahlua, and espresso. She was impressed by the size, it being a lot larger than most other espresso martinis at $18.
For round two I went for their Smoke & Mirrors cocktail, which is one you want to be at the bar to witness. It begins with the torching of a cinnamon stick and letting the smoke gather up under an over turned tumbler. A king cube is then inserted in, which helps to disperse the smoke. After the shaken cocktail of peated scotch, aperol, benedictine, and lemon is poured over as the smoke continues to waft. As he made it, our bar manager told us the story of how this cocktail got its name, after a customer declared it to be “magic”.
Sadly, I asked for a repeat showing of the smoke and I think the additional burn of the cinnamon gave the smoke an acrid flavour that found its way into the cocktail. Whereas I expected the cinnamon to be all toasty and reminiscent of baked goods.
My guest’s second cocktail was the Jasmine Leaves with sake, white rum, jasmine, lemon, and orange flower. This was a botanical mix with heavier floral characteristics.
In between cocktail rounds I switched to a glass of wine to best pair with a half-dozen order of oysters on a half-shell. Here, you have the option of them being the standard West Coast catch or to make it Premium East Coast for $4 more.
Our favourite appetizer was the scallop & pork belly in an apple cider reduction with apple slices. It was challenging to make out the scallop past the dominating pork belly, where the crisp apple helped to bridge the two with a refreshing sweetness and acidity. I liked the fattiness of the belly, but my friend wanted it more rendered. I thought its lush nature flowed well with the buttery scallop.
For something more comforting and better in line with the colder weather, look to their New England clam chowder. This is so good that it has been entered in and has won chowder competitions. This is a bowl of manila clams, bacon, and potatoes. It is more seafood focused than other chowders I have had, with the potato making it filling, and the bacon adding a nice salt and depth of flavour. Interestingly they add a whole lemon into the mix, and so long as you avoid biting into it, you get a lovely pucker and brightening acid. Much like how my wine softly cut into it.
The crab cakes came highly recommended by the bar manager, served with fried capers and their house-made tartar sauce. Truthfully, I am usually not a fan of crab cakes, as I find them too lean on their own. However, here with the tartar sauce, this is something I wanted to greedily finish. There was plenty to smother the cake, which is just the way I eat it. The crab meat was moist, unlike how I find most crab cakes, and is the reason why I shy away from them in the first place.
My guest wanted the waygu beef carpaccio which is thin slices topped with roasted garlic aioli, parmesan, flaked salt, and arugula. I found it all a tad too salty and too flavourful all together, with the need of the crostini as a base to soothe some of this out.
When it came time for entrees we shifted seats, and took to one of their corner tables with the greatest view of where the still night where sky meets choppy waters.
The grilled octopus was a show stopper. A whole tentacle perfectly charred for a hint of smoke, while still maintaining an easy chew. This was made into a complete meal with chorizo, fire-roasted tomatoes, fingerling potatoes, and smoked paprika aioli. A little on the saltier side, which the citrus and sauce helped balance some of that out.
By comparison the sablefish was very lean and clean. It was the beurre blanc that made it richer, soaked up by the slightly bitter wilted spinach and crispy capers.
The prawn tagliatelle was on a similar vein to the chowder above, with plenty or seafood in a cream sauce. This included their house-smoked candied salmon, prawns, wild BC mushrooms, parmesan, and cream. I appreciated that the salmon didn’t steal the spotlight, which I find is typically the cash with this bolder pink fish. Here, it kept in tow offering a very lovely mellow pasta with plenty of toppings, wrapped around thinner sheets of noodles, dressed in a good amount of garlic to flavour.
For a punchier pasta look to the eggplant ravioli as a terrific vegetarian option. Stuffed with eggplant and topped with a chunky fire roasted tomato marinara and parmesan. So fragrant and fresh it satisfied.
We also got a side of crispy brussel sprouts flavoured with a garlic aioli and parmesan. Based on its look and taste it was actually on the burnt side and came across slightly acrid. But this was not enough to stop me from enjoying and finishing it.
And as full as we were, we couldn’t pass up on trying local chocolatiers Hype Chocolate’s dubai chocolate bonbons, now also offered on Lift’s menu, as a smaller dessert option. Three bonbons perfect for ending such a satisfying meal with on a sweet note. You got the iconic wafer-like centre and crunch of Dubai chocolate, enrobed in Hype’s milk chocolate. It was more chocolate than filling.
My biggest take away tonight was the fact that Lift actually has complimentary parking. This is within the parkade at the base of the path, that leads towards the water and the restaurant. Available stalls are labeled and 3 floors down. Knowing this, there is yet another reason to return sooner than later to enjoy their romantic lounge this season again.
Lift Bar Grill
333 Menchions Mews, Vancouver, BC V6G 3H2
(604) 689-5438
liftbarandgrill.com
