In this series of posts we were enjoying a weekend staycation at the historic St. Regis Hotel, a hallmark in downtown Vancouver’s sky line for over 110 years.
So we could not stay overnight without having a meal at their namesake restaurant. What began as happy hour turned to an amazing dinner, and honestly one I enjoyed more than our first at the property. I was impressed before and more so after I found out that St. Regis Grill is owned and operated by the same folks who oversees Gothams and Hy’s. Immediately the bar was raised and the team at St. Regis Bar + Grill rose to it.
Given that they are a hotel restaurant, you can expect the usual tropes: a familiar menu with “safe” food and drink options, curated to satisfy as many appetites as possible.
Case in point, the drinks available were highballs and familiar cocktails like Old Fashioned and Negroni. We would have one of each. These were nothing out of the ordinary, a solid stiff drink. Negroni with Bombay Sapphire gin, Campari, and sweet vermouth.
We also challenged the bar manager and having him get creative, going off the menu, based on descriptions of what we were looking for. What he came up with was and an Espresso Martini that was light like tea. Van Gogh espresso vodka, cold brew coffee, crème de cacao, and cinnamon. Double shaken for extra foam.
And in time for St Patrick’s Day a cocktail they have made for the occasion previously. This is the Celtic Warrior with a candy mint colour that matched its flavour. Jameson whisky, crème de menthe, simple syrup, and egg white. Double shaken and crowned with a house-dehydrated lime wheel. This was a fun one, think shamrock shake, but as a boozy treat. A drink that drank like dessert.
For dinner we started with their daily features. These are two dishes that rotates from day to day, not listed on any menu, the server mentions the option when taking your order.
The first was a Basil Pesto Chicken Penne. A simple offering, the ingredients and seasonings familiar. Nothing had this standing out, and it was bland by comparison to the rest below.
The Beer Battered Fish and Chips were scratch made with house made slaw and tartar sauce. Crispy and flaky it is exactly how you want your fish and chips to be. The sauce is the highlight here, heavy with dill and cream. The slaw echoes the sentiment, offering itself as a great breath of air in between all the fried bites.
The Outregis Fried Chicken was a fun one to say and a delicious one to eat. It reminded me of the chicken centric sandwiches from a particular popular Nashville chicken spot on Commercial Drive, all thoroughly dressed in a punchy Cajun spice. Spicy buttermilk batter, house made honey mustard slaw, and bread & butter pickles; all between a toasted potato bun. The thick crunchy breading is the stand out, and when I found bits of it flaking off, I went around picking them up and popping the into my mouth like chips.
The Regis Burger is the beef option with a premium beef patty, tomato, lettuce, dill pickle, sautéed red onion, American cheese, and Russian dressing. All sandwiched between a toasted potato bun. I could not help but compare it to the Gotham burger we had a few hours before, and this one was much more satisfying. I found the meat tender and saucy, and by comparison the last burger dry. The magic was in the oversized patty, and how it folded onto itself with cheese at the centre. This was closer to a smash burger in its moist and melty patty.
The Crispy Shrimp made for a nice side with its panko-crust dipped into sweet chilli sauce. I found the breading extra coarse, and gritty like sandpaper, but hand breaded evenly in fragrant herbs that contracted the sweet chilli well.
We would also compared Gotham’s Cobb Salad with the version we had at St. Regis Grill. Similar ingredient make up, but easier to eat as a bowl of shredded organic greens with chopped up grilled free-range chicken, bacon, hard cooked egg, avocado, grape tomatoes, and blue cheese. The greens were evenly dressed in a creamy ranch dressing, you stirred up to mix it all together. With everything chopped up into bite size sprinkles, you got an even bite each time.
In conclusion, I am glad I had a reason to visit this bar and grill, otherwise I don’t think I would have discovered how great their food was. I would return and would recommend them for a causal good time.
St. Regis Bar & Grill
608 Dunsmuir St, Vancouver, BC V6B 1Y6
604-696-5558
stregisbarandgrill.com
