Riley’s Fish and Steak is a fabulous new restaurant in downtown Vancouver that I was so excited to check out for lunch last month.
From the front entrance to the interior decor with all of its greenery, patterned seating, wine walls and beautiful light fixtures, we were in awe. It is a beautiful restaurant, and with it being the holiday season, they also had elegant Christmas trees in every room that added to the warmth.
We were seated on the heated outside patio. Our server, Samiksha, mentioned that it was her first time working that time slot, but she was great. She was friendly and attentive.
We had:
- Lobster Roll – Atlantic lobster, herb olive oil, avocado, dill slaw, served with fries. We asked for this to be cut in half so we could share it, but I am coming back to get this dish all on my own. It was absolute perfection. The bun was soft, the lobster pieces were thick. Lobster rolls are not traditionally paired with avocado, but Riley’s version is and it seems like such a no brainer. Yum! Also, I’m not someone who ever finishes fries, but these were quite possibly some of the best fries I’ve had in my life. At a certain point while we were heavily getting into our glorious other dish, my husband reminded himself out loud to “not sleep on the fries”, because they were that good. Great dish!
- The Grand Seafood Tower – fresh shucked east and west coast oysters, poached tiger prawns, snow crab legs, marinated mussels and clams, tuna tartare. The tower was a spectacular showstopper. The seafood was fresh and delicious. The accompanying sauces were divine. However, we did notice after when we were looking at photographs that although listed on the menu, we didn’t receive any clams. Either way, we enjoyed it so much that we won’t hold it against them.
Riley’s also had live music that added to our atmosphere.
Although this wasn’t a boozy lunch for us, judging from the enormous wine walls in two of their rooms, Riley’s offers a huge selection of wine.
We had a great experience. This classic restaurant is perfect for dates, business meetings and special occasions. It also looks like they may have private rooms where you can also host parties. I would definitely recommend it.
