When looking for a nice place to eat, there is none other than Notch 8, the lobby restaurant within the city’s only castle. Tonight we were here to try their updated fall menu. But first took advantage of their popup champagne lounge.
This was only available the duration of summer and we managed to get in on the last weekend. Set up is just before the restaurant’s entrance, this made for a wonderful start to our dinner.
This is a circular lounge with group seating and individual chairs at the bar. All sandwiched between Gucci and Doir, which further elevates the luxury moment. Here the only champagne being poured is Moe, available by the bottle or glass. Their selection covers their introductory Imperial Brut, which is also available in their mini bottle. Its Rosé counterpart. The Ice Imperial, the world’s first champagne designed to be served over ice. Their 2026 Grand Vintage at $330 a bottle and $72 a glass. And the French Bloom Sparkling, which is their non-alcoholic version at 0.0%. There were also wine and cocktails options, but why not get the feature?
My guest got the rosé as her preferred colour. I went for the Grand Vintage, figuring this might be the only time I get to try such a vintage and didn’t have to commit to the whole bottle to do so. It was incredibly refreshing with the tightest and tiniest bubbles. The easiest drinking dry champagne that I have had to date. I can see how and why it earned its price tag.
To pair with our sparkling, we ordered half a dozen oysters to whet our appetite with. Then enhanced it with the mini Moet bottle add-on. This was poured over the oysters in addition to the classic vinegar mignonette, cocktail sauce, and lemon wedges. I loved the extra texture and clean freshness the champagne added. It cut into some of the oyster’s salted brine and offered sweetness that contrasted any of the above dressing. This was such a fun and indulgent way to enjoy raw oysters.
We finished with an extra cheerful outlook and ready to head into the restaurant for a more indulgent meal. There, I switched to red wine to pair with the richer flavours of our meal to come; and my guest stuck to her colour of pink, with their seasonal summer cocktail. Sadly, she did find this a little too sugary for her liking and to be able to finish.
For food we started with the Foie Gras & Fig Terrine with brandy cocoa, orange apricot marmalade, and brioche. We really enjoyed how the sweet milk bread and jelly helped to balance out the richness of meat spread. There just wasn’t enough of it. And sadly when we asked for more we got sourdough slices instead. This was good, but it just changed how the dish was intended.
We also ordered the Black Kale salad to start, reading that anchovy was in the mix, and seeing as we both like the salted fish. This was alongside pine nuts, grana padano, buttermilk garlic anchovy dressing, and a butter brioche crumble. I appreciated that the mix of greens was more than just kale, but had frisée leaves as well. This offered a nice change in texture, alongside the crunch of the peanuts. The cheese was helpful in tying it all together, but I felt like I was missing a juicy element. This didn’t feel like a main, but a side to help balance out something richer.
For our mains we focused on their proteins, pairing it with more popular fall sides like the Broccolini and Roasted Acorn Squash. The first is seasoned with piperade olive pistou, preserved lemon, and hazelnut. Crunchy green stalks with a lovely char. And the latter topped with lemon ricotta and a cranberry walnut aillade with a warming and sweet profile, that melts in your mouth.
We had the Fried Chicken Diable with chou fleur bread & butter pickles, and sauce diable. I enjoyed the even, crispy breading, but found the flavour flat and the meat on the drier side. I needed the gravy puree and pickles to centre it.
The Duck A L’orange with citrus gastrique, parsnip puree, orange supreme, and canard glace was bright and light. With the sugars of the orange it ate like a canapé . I liked this one as is.
The Steak Au Poinre was a pepper crusted 10oz AAA striploin with in a green peppercorn cream. There was lots of flavour here, and a tad spicy from the heavy handed pepper. This I balanced out with vegetables above, using the squash as starch and the broccolini as a fresh element.
Although the meal was rich with creams and butters, we walked away feeling fairly lean and on the healthier side, thanks to our prioritizing protein and vegetable throughout the majority of this meal. And as much as my eyes and mind wanted it, I just had no room for the Baked Alaska for two, so had to leave that behind; thus making another healthy choice.
Notch 8
900 W Georgia Street, Vancouver, BC V6C 2W6
(604) 662-1900
fairmont-hotel-vancouver.com
