My hunt for the best traditional Irish stew in Vancouver ended here. Very cool little spot above 'Sip Resto Lounge' with so many interesting menu items. I can't wait to return to try more. The lamb stew, filled with hearty carrots, onions, and potatos, was incredibly flavorful with minty undertones that made my mouth tingle. Although not served with traditional soda bread, the toasted sourdough was delicious. Run by extremely friendly people, as well, The Refinery is next on my list for places to dine. read more

The Refinery - Irish lamb stew special for St. Patrick's Day, best in Van! - Wine Bars Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

Went here for Dine Out Vancouver - nice casual atmosphere, music on the loud side. They create some interesting cocktails here in the $10 range, using their own home made ingredients - had the Jamaican version with ginger beer-very good and it had a slight kick to it. The appys were Carpaccio & Tuna Crudo, nice presentation. The mains - short ribs with polenta fries & Sablefish were very good, portion on the fish a little small. Dessert of Profiteros & Tart Tartin were also very good, didn't have regular coffee here, just espresso. Service here was great, attentive but not overbearing. read more

Very cool atmosphere! Just to give a picture of how our experience started, the very friendly hostess at the door explained to us the difference between Sip (downstairs) and the Refinery (including the latter's sustainability and food-cocktail pairing concept) and went to check that a table was available upstairs. She thought that we'd prefer the vibe at the Refinery, so upstairs we went. I didn't think that the cocktail list was overly big but there was an option to have the bartender create something unique, so I didn't feel like other possibilities were out of the question. My cocktail was more sour (with grapefruit bitters) and one of my fellow diner's cocktail was more fruity (mostly raspberry) and sweeter but not too sweet, and strong. Both were very good, depending on what type of drink you were looking for. I had the portobello mushroom stuffed with cashew and red pepper pate - it was so tasty! The mushroom was perfectly cooked and the cashew paired really well with the sweetness of the red pepper. It also came with a small tomato and greens salad with a really wonderful vinaigrette, which I loved (the salad itself and the fact that the mushroom came with the salad). My fellow diners shared the profiteroles and the veggie flatbread. They said that both were excellent. My only small complaint is that the menu isn't huge to begin with and didn't have a huge amount of gluten-free possibilities, but the quality of the food was great (hence 3 instead of 4 stars). read more

Good stuff! Hand crafted, gourmet cocktails and charcuterie, two of my favourite things! My stingy, cheap-ass, inner American still cringes at an $11 drink though. The service was fantastic! The waiter was helpful, friendly and funny. We ordered the pate, stuffed portebello, and tuna crudo, The pate was so tasty it sparked a week long craving. The mushroom was was cooked the perfect amount and the stuffing had just the right touch of spice. Perhaps I have been spoiled by living in Vancouver, but the salmon was merely adequate (the accompaniments were great, but the tuna was simply another chunk of fish). Our cocktails were lovely, the Woodland Sour and the Gunpowder were the most memorable. Mixed perfectly! I will certainly be ordering them again! read more

Participated in a private event. - 4 individual washroom stalls in total - Dark and red-ish interior and lighting - Somewhat difficult to hold conversation due to the music - Skilled and accommodating bartender (drinks were a little pricey) read more

Ok this is becoming one of my favourite places to eat around town. The menu is well crafted with a great mix of seafood and meats. The portions are great for sharing and the drinks are good. Some of the highlights include the flatbread, the fried Rissotto balls, Halibut Ceviche (this is excellent), the meatballs, the tiger prawns (on the spicy side). The only disappointment was the pork belly. The service is relaxed yet attentive and I like the décor. I believe they have a mid week special menu where you can pick a few things for a set price. read more

The Refinery gets 5 stars just on the cocktails created by the amazing Lauren Mote alone. The drinks at refinery I would have to say are top 1 or 2 in the city. They are unreal, thanks to the incredibly acclaimed Lauren and her team. The Refinery also has one of the most innovative concepts in Vancouver's food/drink scene: Cocktail Kitchen Try to keep up here: Cocktail Kitchen is once a week. Each week is new bartender. The bartender has to create three cocktails that are paired with three dishes that have been pre-selected, and run for a one month duration. The alcohol (a specific brand of vodka, gin, tequila etc) is also pre-selected for the month, of which they must create the pairing cocktails with. So once a week you can participate in this and get three courses and three amazing cocktails all for $30..huge win. read more

If you're coming for dine out, here's my choices. I was able to try quite a few selections for each course except the appetizers I tried all 3 for the starters. For the starter, is recommend the beef carpaccio or the salad. The tuna fell a little short. It didn't even taste that fresh. It was a bit bland; it could have done with more lime. The carpaccio was delicious. The salad was very nice with the figs and walnuts. For the main, we had the Arctic char and the pork tenderloin. The Arctic char took the cake. The texture was so tender, and there was a hint of sweet on the skin. It comes with a fancy shredded hash brown, which was really tasty. For dessert, I only tried the apple crumble. The crumble part was good, but it wasn't substantial enough to soak up he juices from the apple. It was pretty runny. It would have been a bit better with ice cream or whip; for presentation purposes too. However, for an $18 menu, the value is definitely there. I would definitely give it a go. The Refinery is a fun atmosphere. read more

The Refinery located on Granville Street, clubbing district. It is hidden upstairs on the second floor beside Sip Lounge and Le Chateau. There is two sections to the quiet restaurant (which would later be bustling with energetic guests): Bar and long high top tables in the front; and seated booths and long tables in the back. The atmosphere is casual, sophisticated but not stuffy. We were fortunate to be seated on a corner booth where Jess and I got to play catch up and exchange a few vacation stories. Our focus was on the tapas menu. A few good plates to share after a long week. TGIF indeed. Prosciutto Flatbread 14: Cured ham, pear, gorgonzola, walnuts, onion jam. Thinly crusted punctuated with sharp cheese. The amount was perfect - neither too much where the Italian blue cheese would overwhelm. God knows blue is not on my list of cheese heaven. Seared Scallops 12: Three giant sized baja diver scallops seared perfectly. Carrot puree wine syrup, and scallions lifted the flavours of the juicy and sweet center. Steak Tartar 13: I must admit I do find crostinis boring. That's why Tableau's waffle chips were such a delight. The tartar here was deliciously seasoned mixed with cornichon, capers and shallots. The creamy quail's egg yolk held everything together after you mixed it all up. Bacon N' Eggs 12: Crisp and fatty braised pork belly with two fried quail's egg atop of caramelized onion and apple. A bite of sinfulness as it melts in your mouth. After a few glasses of wine later, we wondered why we didn't just ordered a bottle instead. A bottle of Kiwi Walk was only 35 anyways. But that's the problem we you are in company of good friends, good food and good wine. | Kiwi Walk, Sauvignon Blanc, New Zealand 8/g, 35/b Next time, Charcuterie will be on my menu. read more

Project: Please those wanting to watch hockey and those wanting to eat before attending Obakki's fashion show - The Refinery's lounge fit the bill. Plates were nicely presented and tasty. Fries, perogies w/ sausage and calamari w/ corn and black bean salsa were good. Service was terrific and the atmosphere pleasant. read more

I have been meaning to update this review for some time. After a pretty awful birthday dinner here with friends the manager saw my review an called me quickly. He was apologetic and has offered for us to come back for another meal on the house. THAT is how you run a business ladies and gents! Our schedules have been conflicting this summer to get back together but we're hoping to stop in again for another try! And for that, at least for now, they get another star. Updates coming soon! read more

This place is exceptional and really puts other not-so-great fine-dining options on Granville St. to shame. Ambience, food, drinks, service - they nailed it all. We were a party of 3 served by Keith and was incredibly impressed by his care and timing in fulfilling our special occasion requests, asking how we're doing throughout the meal (with good humor), refilling our glasses at just the right moments. All of this reminded me of my first time at The Refinery some time ago and why I was so glad to be back. Their food's wonderful. I think I've tried several plates that were too similar in flavors (Ratatouilles, gnoccchi, meatballs, prawns), but I trust they have something for everyone. Next time I'm going for the scallops and charcuterie. read more

Let me start off with saying, I like to give people the benefit of the doubt. Here is a recap of my experience at the Refinery: I went in for the Living Social Dinner for 2. The hostess sat my girlfriend down and explained to her the menu, but the way the hostess was standing prevented me from sitting down, and she was not facing me, so when i finally sat down, she had left and I had heard 0 words from their conversation...not very professional, but hey...I was a server and host before too...let is slide... Food is just OK (not horrible, but not great). The Duck Appy was not tender and was slightly overcooked...very slightly...it was a bit chewy but acceptable. The Halibut was overcooked. The risotto they make here is hit or miss; The one with the Halibut was nice and original. The one with the Duck Confit was undercooked and tasteless. The salad...well...just a salad... definitely not stellar. Also how come our meals got delivered with a random order of appetizers and main courses? I guess its treated like a Tapa's menu...fine ok. Now our server...we asked for the bill cause we had to be somewhere in 10 minutes...well that 10 minutes definately passed, and another 10 minutes passed before we asked her again...not only can you tell she was trying to hold her attitude in...but for the past 5 minutes she was just chatting with another employee... We proceeded to only give her a 10% tip on the total before the coupon because of the poor service, and more attitude came our way. There's plenty of restos in Vancouver, and this one is definitely a non repeat for me read more

If you are a flavor-lover and flavor analyzer, you're going to love The Refinery. The art and science of flavors gets top attention here. In my opinion, they have the best original and intricately well flavoured drinks are made here. Lauren Mode does a great job of the mixology with her own house-made liquors and infusions that gets your taste bud and foodie brain sparked with flavor and intrigue. The drink list changes periodically, to reflect the season or ingredients. I love knowing that I'm getting drinks that I know where the ingredients came from and made recently in house, made by passionate artists and crafters, such as Lauren and Graham. My friends and I were treated to the Casa Bella shooter on our last visit, which is a delish recipe created by Graham. One of my friends who normally isn't big on mixed shooters actually exclaimed, "wow, that was the best shooter I've ever had!" Now, if you knew him, you'd know that is a huge compliment! The bonus? Food is wonderful as well, seasonal and local, pairs well with the drinks. I was fortunate enough to share a variety of appetizers, all well made and flavored, my favorite being the BC Spot prawn ceviche tartar. Also, they have a great cozy atmosphere that is chill while the sun is out still, and gets cozy at night. DJ on friday nights energizes the space. Look forward to my next visit, friendly team and atmosphere, what's not to love. oh, and getting to hear Lauren's awesome sultry voice too! haha I still think she could be a singer or somethin' ;) read more

I have been to the Refinery twice - once for Cocktail Kitchen and once for Dine Out....I had an amazing experience each time. Let me be honest - I like to say I'm a wine drinker....but then I also enjoy a lot of different beers (Vancouver Craft Beer Week - I'm talking to you!) but then again, I can really get down on a good cocktail and this place has 'em in spades..... Cocktail Kitchen pits local bartenders against one another week after week with a specialty menu that requires pairing. To make things a bit trickier, each cocktail pairing must contain one of the Refinery's house made bitters (that's what's in those glass jars decorating the walls people) and often a secret ingredient..... It's a fun and exciting challenge and a prix fixe meal that includes your drinks (they are a bit small - I'd recommend trying that fantastic cocktail menu while you wait!). For Dine Out there were wine or cocktail pairings - these suckas were not small - full sized cocktail pairings with each course (plus the two I had before dinner) made this a great night. My dining companion Muffin Cat and I decided to lie to her boyfriend about how much we spent on booze at a Dine Out dinner....but I'm pretty sure by the time we got to him, it was obvious.... Anyway, I digress - come to this place for the cocktails, stay for the food (and more cocktails). They make some beautiful flatbread pizzas, great pasta and have the one thing I require out of a restaurant - carpaccio. I will return AND recommend! read more

My girls and I had always wanted to go to The Refinery but in the past there were problems with reservations so we usually ended up at the resto/lounge downstairs, Sip. So we were stoked to try it when the Groupon came out, and made plans to have a nice dinner there before seeing a play. The restaurant has a cozy layout but it's quite small. In fact, they use the seat cushions as storage so my seat was a little unstable, although my friend's seat wasn't. The dining room really gave the feel of a nice restaurant except for the servers who were dressed overly casually, like a bright striped oversized sweater and leggings that looked like pajamas more than something you'd serve in. They definitely seemed out of place considering the atmosphere and the garb of all of the clients. Speaking of the service, it put a real damper on the night. The first man who greeted us seemed enthusiastic until we mentioned our Groupon, to which he replied "Of course, everyone has a Groupon." This is kind of a pet peeve of mine since the service should actually be better in this situation given that most Groupon users are first timers. Customers shouldn't be punished for getting a discount. Sure enough, we heard several other patrons using their Groupons, which seemed to be a confusion for the staff since each server told us different restrictions for its use. Also, we were waited on by no less than 4 different people, and I honestly couldn't tell you who exactly they were but none of them were any better than the others. They lacked personality, or even politeness, taking our orders with stern faces and nonchalant nods of the head. The food was delicious, although really pricey for it was. The desserts were heavenly! I had the pot de crème and my friend had the cinnamon bun cheesecake. The drinks were really complex but really great. You might need someone to explain some of the ingredients to you if you're not a bartender, or maybe just look them up on your smartphone since it'll be more helpful than the servers. Bottom line, I'd rather go downstairs to Sip than go back here. read more

The place is small, but it's soooo chill. The low lights puts you in a mellow mood and so does the DJ playing the music on a friday night. Nice place to catch up with friends or to take someone on a date. The menu isn't large, but it's a great place to share appy's. I like the salmon and the flatbread. The cocktail selection was modest, but each cocktail was elegantly presented. My favorite was the Organic Berry. read more

As we climbed the unfinished wood stairs up to The Refinery, I recalled a similar impression from a previous visit. I asked myself the same question; why would you want your entrance to be so blah? Maybe it's all about setting our expectations low so that we can be super surprised by the dramatic ambiance and the amazing food upstairs! (Yeah, that must be it.) As you arrive at the top, you almost immediately forget where you are. From the first site of the finished driftwood column, warmly lit at the bottom, to the wooden slats, sleek bar, the wall of wine and the rows of jars with curious herbal concoctions, the room takes form and you know you've arrived at a place of significance. The Refinery prides itself on serving delicious and well presented meals that have been created with fresh, locally sourced ingredients. The service is pleasant and informed. Our table enjoyed the Gnocchi, with it's aged cheeses and truffle oil undertones, the Pork tenderloin medallions served on a bed of blanched Brussels sprouts and astonishing pear puree. In my opinion, The Refinery deserves the accolades it seems to receive. read more

Visiting Vancouver, looking for a place to drink and maybe grab a snack, we really wanted good drinks. Instead we got great drinks, some of the best. Joel is a nice guy and really creative mixologist (I still haven't got used to the word, but bartender does start to sound pedestrian) and the drinks, especially mine which was tequila-based, were stunning. The food was also very good - we had a flatbread, seared tuna and a salad. The salad was probably my favorite of the three, but I'm prejudiced because it had blue cheese. Service was very attentive, the only thing I didn't really care for were the club beats, something a little more chill would suit the quality of the food and drinks. Oh, and if you're going for the first time, it's really confusing because there's two spots owned by the same people. The one downstairs (Sip) feels like a sports bar, take the stairs to the right of Sip to get to The Refinery. read more

We went for the flat bread and it was delicious. I would go back to try more items on the menu. We ordered a lovely dark stout - perfect for winter. I know everyone on here has raved about the goat cheesecake, but I wasn't a fan of the presentation. They have the cheesecake balls, blackberries, chocolate and crust all in separate piles and it was very messy to share and the portions were very small. I also don't know if I am really down with the goat cheesey-ness of it. read more

For being on the Granville St. strip, The Refinery exceeds expectations. I've been to this spot a couple times. The most recent venture was last weekend late (and drunkenly...) on a Friday night. I took my 20 y/o sister up to Vancouver for her birthday party and put this place on the bar crawl list and it did not disappoint. Service was friendly and quick and the drinks, while somewhat pricey (although on Granville, you're not going to find many bargains), were made well. I had 2 classic old fashioneds, which they made with a single, large ice cube, which I always appreciate when a place does that with their old fashioneds. If you're going to put ice in an old fashioned, that's how it should be done. My sister, being a 20 y/o girl and only knowing how to drink sugary alcohol, wanted a peach bellini. Unfortunately, they were out of peach schnapps, so she asked for an appletini instead for which they were out of the apple pucker schnapps. She ended up ordering the Current Affairs, which was one of their craft cocktails on the menu. It was pretty good in my opinion, but it was still a compromise. While it's probably my fault for bringing an unsophisticated palate to a place that certainly favors the savory drinks over the sweet drinks, I gotta take a star away since they were missing an ingredient or two for the drinks we wanted. My sister isn't the first "WOO!" girl to be on Granville and go to The Refinery, and she definitely won't be the last. It probably wouldn't hurt to have a couple extra schnapps bottles in the future for just such an occasion. The atmosphere is fun too. There was a DJ and an impromptu dance floor. There really isn't a designated place to dance, but some people started one anyway. All in all, a great place for drinks if you enjoy being classy whilst drinking. Fun crowd. Good drinks. Friendly service. What else can you ask for? I haven't eaten the food here, but I'd like to come in and give it a shot. read more

Was here with a friend last weekend for their dine out menu. I tried Sip Restro Lounge so I thought I would give this place a try as well. Wasn't super impressed with the food or service. Food was kinda meh. Nothing special and I wasn't expecting anything special either. I mean it was an 18.00 menu for a reason. I felt like we did food tasting more than anything. We felt rushed out because after they served us dessert and picked up our plates we didn't even have to ask for the bill but it just came shortly after. Both my friend and I weren't full but we paid and left to go somewhere else to eat. read more

Went here with a girlfriend because we had a LivingSocial deal, wow was that an amazing deal (~$40 for 2 drinks, 2 appys, 2 entrees, 2 desserts)! Service was great, our server was really funny and personable. Food was fantastic, the entrees we had were especially fantastic. My favourites were the pesto lamb chops and roasted duck breast, both were tender and cooked perfectly. I was also quite surprised at how generous the portions were. read more

Had such a great time here, had to cone twice during my trip in Vancouver. The bartender Tyler is awesome! His drinks definitely made the experience. The first night we came a bit late so we only stayed for a couple drinks. I tried the Whippersnapper, awesome drink. The bartender invited us back the next night to get the full experience of all the different drinks. After not being able to get a seat at the Shameful Tiki Room, we decided to come here. This time we left it up to the bartender to make us drinks. We each had several drinks and shots. I may say that none were disappointing. Every drink we had was amazing. Tyler absolutely took great care of us and you can tell he has a true passion for this. Also we found out that they cure all thier meats in-house. So the charcuterie plate is a must try. read more

I wish Yelp let us give half stars. I wouldn't give it a 4, but I would give it a solid 3.5. Highlights: 1. The menu has some great choices, I love the options for small/big tapas and I feel like it has something for everyone. 2. I REALLY like the decor. It's got old school wood stairs leading up, and I just think the atmosphere was chill and old-style modern (if that's even a thing?). It's not modern and sleek, but it is in a rustic-kind of way. I think it would make a fantastic date place, and I would likely come back. 3. The fried risotto balls - oh my god. Just give me like 30 of them and leave me be. I don't need anything else! 4. The portion size for the lamb chops was great, 3 big pieces, although they were pretty fatty in my opinion. 5. Our server was nice and attentive, not too in-your-face, not absent, but at the same time not overly engaging (not that it is necessarily a bad thing). Lowlights: 1. It's pretty pricey... the seared scallops are like $14 or $16 and you get 3 tiny pieces, like tiny. Definitely half-bites...see #2 2. The portion sizes don't seem to be standard across the board... the lamb was huge, pricey but you get a good chunk of meat while the scallops were basically the same in price and if you put all 3 pieces together your mouth still wouldn't be full. Basically, the food was good, but I am demoting them from a 4 to a 3 because of the random portion sizes for pretty expensive dishes. That being said, I would go back, but be mindful of what I ordered. read more

First stop in Vancouver and it was the best, everything from the food to the cocktails and the service was amazing! I highly highly recommend this place. read more

The Refinery - The brochette - Wine Bars Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

The tapas plates were amazing!! The chef personally brought out the meat plate and explained what was on it. It's a scratch kitchen and the bread was even made there! I cannot eat gluten so they had tasty crackers for me. My husband enjoyed the bread. One was a sourdough and the other had hazelnuts in it. They were both sliced super thin and toasted. It was such an amazing combination of flavors- raspberries with dried prosciutto, pickled celery, cinnamon pickled pears, duck with dark chocolate spread. I can't even remember what he said everything was, but it was excellent! We then shared the watermelon salad which had tomatoes, pesto, Parmesan cheese and fried basil on it. Incredible!! Following that, we enjoyed the best brisket I have ever had with mashed potatoes rendered in duck fat, pickled carrots and broccoli. OMG!!! So good!! We walked 7 miles that day so we were pretty hungry. The last thing we ate was the cod served with carrots, pea puree, pickled snap peas and pea shoots. The cocktails were also outstanding!! I had the Victoria's Secret and my husband tried the first cocktail on the menu. It was similar to an old fashioned, but better. Our waiter was also the bar tender, Casper. (?). He was very friendly and we enjoyed chatting with him. He gave great recommendations on the menu and was genuinely fun and interesting. read more

The Refinery - Best brisket ever! - Wine Bars Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

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I usually come here for drinks on the weekend but this is my first time actually eating here. My boyfriend and I were restaurant hopping and this was our second location. We ordered the calamari and sliders to share and to our surprise, the portions were pretty big. I don't think I'll be back for food, but definitely for drinks. read more

The Refinery - Sliders (left), calamari (right) - Wine Bars Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

What? I didn't review the Refinery yet?? Largely because the two other times I had been there, they were for events (Yelp Elite Event and VCBW). But I enjoyed the experience thoroughly because of the venue. The food they served at both events were superb and the cocktails prepared by Lauren, the bartender were so friggin' amazing that I wanted to come back. So I came for Dine Out earlier this week, as well as to celebrate. We shared a Dine Out 3 course and a prosciutto flat bread. The appetizer was a tuna crudo with a marinated fennel, lemon aioli, peach slices, and parsnip (maybe?). It was so delicious! I'm even drooling right now ask I type this. The flat bread was fantastic as well! What an amazing combination--prosciutto, pear, gorgonzola, caramelized onions! So delicious! For mains we shared the braised beef short ribs.. it wasn't quite as tender as I was used to--it was a little more together, than flaky. It was good, but not my favorite. The polenta fries it came with were quite delicious, on the other hand. And for dessert, we shared the profiteroles. They were good, and you could tell they were house made as the creme/custard inside tasted very fresh. But I think in retrospect, I would have preferred the Tarte Tatin which was made with pears. Oh, and the cocktails? We got 4 different ones between the two of us. I started with the Tung Ting Fizz which was quite delicious and perfect to start with. It had a good balance of sweet, tart, and alcohol. My dining partner had the N'Orleans which was really strong, and I think it would have looked better served in a shorter glass because it was in an already short glass, but was only half full since it was concentrated in liquors. The second one I had was the BC Woodlands--fantastic! It wasn't too sweet and definitely had a woody character to it. My dining partner got the Jamaican Diablo, and that was perfect! It was spicy, sweet, tart. Everything. Refinery, I shall be back. read more

We picked the Refinery to launch a girls night with dinner/ drinks for a weekend away in Vancouver. It's a very nice place on Granville, and seemed more like a bar that belonged in Gastown. The cocktails were really good and our waitress was fantasic at recommending them. This place is a bit pricey - we racked up a hefty tab between the 3 of us, but for a night out - it was worth it. The tapas style food was great. I loved the spice oft the salami flat bread especially. The only odd thing about this place is we made a reservation for 5:30pm on Open Table and the place was dead! They didn't have any reservations available in the 6 - 7 o'clock hours, but no one seemed to come in during that time. I think Canada doesn't quite get happy hours, because it seemed like this place needed one to get things going a little earlier in the afternoon. Loved the decor too. read more

Hip. Yummy food. Good service. Eye candy. A little pricey. Feels exclusive. Definitely coming back for more eats. read more

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Stopped in on a Thursday night and there weren't many people so we were able to chat with the bartenders for a bit. They crafted us some Off-the-menu cocktails really tailoring them to our liking. They were fabulous and I wish there was a bottomless option they tasted so good! Also cheap Jameson shots! We tried the tuna poké bowl which was awesome well! Try this place out for sure! read more

Came in on a Mad Hatter Wednesday. The restaurant staff and some of the patrons were sporting some interesting headpieces. The rooster was pretty memorable - how cocky! :P I wasn't feeling the best and to be honest, the food had TOO much flavour for me. I know I know, like what?!?!?!?! It had too much going on, and the sick me couldn't take it - the herbs, seasoning, spices, etc. Bf was happily munching away though, so I can only imagine the normal me would love the food here. So take this review with a grain of salt. My favourite was the Duck Breast. Great balance of lean and fat; but could be more tender. Portion is small and on the expensive side. If you're also going to drink, be prepared to drop some loonies. Not sure if I can say it's worth it. read more

We went there because we had a surprise farewell party for a friend. They had set us up toward the back which can be sectioned off as a party room. Unfortunately, the room does not have a TV and we couldn't watch the playoff games. The service was satisfactory. The food...we ordered quite a few different kinds of flatbread, but we find the best one was the sausage flatbread. The smoke salmon came a close second. The grilled chicken sandwich was kind of lacking in taste. Creme brulee was nothing out of the ordinary (ie, don't try it unless you have never had one). Goat cheese cake are for people who actually like goad cheese. Dark chocolate torte was the best out of the 3 deserts. Portions-wise...most items are small for the price that we had to pay. They have a nice wine and bar selection. One of our friend was sick that day and was asking to see if they have tea...they don't have hot water in the house. read more

What do you do after you leave a twisted fork? Get refined at The Refinery. Drinks like the Yuuzu inspired fusion called the Yuzu Bastard Rum are delish. The Charcuterie board with cheeses and fruits and toastets fill you palet and ad tingle to the taste buds. Cheesy! yes! Organic Berry drink? What could be healthier? Top Notch and great live music that night. read more

DINE OUT 2010 Review: I really dug the decor in this place. It's on the second floor, so it felt very "lofty" with a very "sophisticated indie" appeal. A great place for 20 something, artsy hipsters to go and sip wine and talk about pop culture and pretentious music. I loved the tables, made out of neato pressed wood. Food was pretty decent. Warm and filling. Somewhat rustically presented. I had the coq au vin, which was nice, because I've been meaning to learn how to make it, and now that I know how it's supposed to taste, I can attempt it now! Mind you, I think they could have taken out some of the onions and replaced it with something equally as sweet, just not as onion-y. As much as I love cheese and cheesecake, I have to say I found the goat cheesecake a little...odd. This is probably more a personal preference thing, than a problem with the restaurant, though. read more

I finally reluctantly checked this place out recently, after dodging it due to it being on Granville, and me being in a lifelong effort to avoid Granville at all costs. But let me tell you, I was very happy that I braved downtown for this! Do you like cocktails? Do you like surprises? If you answered yes to both of these questions, then you will like The Refinery. I tried a few different options, but my favourite option by far was the Surprise Cocktail. You tell your bartender what spirit you'd like to be used, and they make something up and have you guess what it is. Mine was a tequila drink that was one of the best tequila cocktails I'd ever had. I cannot remember our bartenders name, otherwise I'd mention it and give him public props because he was not only an ace mixoligist but super friendly and fun as well. All in all, yay! I'm a fan. read more

The place felt like it was trying to be clubby yet farm to table. There was a very odd dichotomy with jars of pickled and preserved vegetables and other produce separating the front rustic room from the back broom with a more clubby feeling. Service was super friendly from the time of arrival to leaving, therefore on this aspect alone, FIVE STARS! We tried a few dishes. All were tasty. We tried the prosciutto flat bread, the meatballs, the scallops (less than stellar) and a larger course of lamb that was on the specials menu at the time. This lamb dish proved to be a difficult one for the kitchen to get out in a timely manner so the manager was kind enough (5 star service nod) to swoop in with a gratis plate of beef carpaccio. For my first dining out experience in Vancouver, I was pleasantly surprised. I enjoyed this place and would recommend it to others headed to the area. read more

We strolled in for a late dinner and cocktails on a Friday night and were pleased with the food, libations, and atmosphere. Fun people watching and good small plates - some better than others. The Thistle cocktail was especially delicious - give it a try. read more

Carmilized Onion and Goat Cheese Bruchetta - OMG Heavenly! We went to The Refinery last night with a living social voucher. The staff were warm and welcoming and very helpful with suggestions as thier cocktails are not your regular fare. Both our cocktails - mine from the dessert menu - Paddington Station? - and my husband's were very tasty and strong. This is a good thing as I like to get a bit of a buzz on. The tapas were also delicious and the chocolate cheesecake dessert huge and wonderful with it's caramel sauce but the winner by far was the Bruchetta or Bruchette that was recently added to the menu. The onions melted in my mouth and the mix of sweet onions, raspberry flavour and goat cheese with the crusty bread had my husband and I fighting over the last bite! We actually had to order a second order it was so great! Had me inspired to pay more attention to my own cooking as the flavour creation was what made the difference. Bravo to the team at The Refinery. We will be back! read more