Popped in Sandbar for a late afternoon bite while on Granville. Nice rustic atmosphere inside with excellent views of the harbor from the elevated dining room. We tried the crab dip appetizer which sounded like it should be terrific, however this was a great disappointment. No crab and zero crab flavor. Just bland and thick. The clam chowder, despite looking on the grey side, was actually quite nice. Full of flavor and clams. Dozen oysters were fresh as can be very satisfying. Sandbar's service staff is outstanding. Very attentive and knowledgeable and professional. I would try them again and explore the menu a bit more. read more

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The place I wanted to go was closed for Spring Break. The cab driver suggested this place instead for brunch. Located on beautiful Granville Island, I got to the front door three minutes before opening, and was one of the first five people there. Once inside, I was quickly taken to a patio table overlooking the water. A beautiful view! My server was friendly and efficient. I got a Caesar Salad and one of the daily specials, lobster ravioli with shrimp in a rose sauce. The Caesar Salad was lovely, creamy, just the right amount of salt. Fried capers added a touch of salt and some nice crunch, a nice change from the usual fried pork bits. The lobster Ravioli and shrimps were perfectly cooked. The shrimps were meaty and sweet. I sometimes find lobster ravioli gets too heavy, but this lobster ravioli was just rich enough. The arugula mixwd.in gave a wonderful peppery highlight to the bite, the gem heirloom tomatoes gave a nice pop of freshness, and the rose sauce was rich and sweet and I could have drank a cup of it. I would definitely return any time, although to be fair, I did also have a nice warm day. But the indoors looked very spacious and warm for a rainy day. read more

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Sandbar has been on my list to try for a pretty long time. Somehow I never got to dining here until recently. I didn't want to deal with parking and weekend crowd and generally being lazy to drive all the way here on weeknights. The stars aligned. My friend drove and she wanted to explore Granville Island as it had been a while since she last visited it. We got here around 5 pm. We missed all the happy hours. So parking is free from 6 pm which was a nice surprise. $4/hour for 5-6 pm. We had an hour to browse the shops and market. The shops mostly catered to the tourists with lots of Vancouver and indigenous centric items which would make nice gifts. Back to Sandbar, it's located a bit away from the market area since it's at the Creekside area. We walked along the perimeter by False Creek. The big boat is our guide. From there we found out the dining room was upstairs. There was also an elevator, great for people with limited mobility. It was close to 6 pm when we arrived with no reservations. It was not that busy then and we were seated shortly. By the time we left an hour later, the place was bustling with people waiting for a table. It was good to see restaurants thriving on a Monday night. Our server was wonderful. Very attentive and made great recommendations. Our water glass was refilled constantly without being asked. The food was excellent. My friend enjoyed the grilled arctic char. I tried a bite and it was tender with perfectly crisped skin. I had the seafood hot pot in coconut red curry broth. I substituted the bread with rice. Good suggestion by our server. Coconut jasmine rice. The whole dish reminded me of Thai food. I was worried it would be too spicy but the heat was just right. Not overpowering and it went well with the rice. The pot was filled with plenty of seafood - mussels, prawns, squid, scallops, cod and salmon. Nothing was over cooked and rubbery. When we left, we noticed The Sandbar was part of the group which included Tea house at Stanley Park and Seasons at Queen Elizabeth Park and Cardero which all had equally good food. I'll be back again to try other food here. read more

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We visited this location for lunch. I had the wok spicy green beans and shrimp. The shrimp tasted very fresh and this was a wonderfully flavorful and spicy dish!! Others ordered hamburger which looked delicious and they confirmed it was. Another friend ordered and loved the tomato soup. Drinks were good, views were nice from the window overlooking the waterway and the staff did a great job. We got there right at opening and by the time we were leaving there was a long wait at the door. I would return as there were several menu items I would have loved to try!! read more

Someone recommended me this place and it was good but for me is just another seafood restaurant. The food and service was good, friendly staff and good ambience read more

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Ate here on a Thursday evening and the wait was about 15 minutes. Extraordinary ambiance if you sit on the rooftop overlooking the false creek and city skyline! Appetizer: ordered the pressed salmon roll (forgot the full name but it was on the daily special menu). Came with 6 pieces and the fish was lightly torch charred with a tasty miso(?) glaze. Highly recommend this dish as an appetizer. Main dish: ordered the arctic char and the fish was seared and crispy on one side and succulent on the other. Easily one of the best fish dishes I have had in Vancouver and totally worth the $40 price point! The food took about 50 minutes to come out which was not ideal, but the high fish quality and ambiance more than made up for the slight inconvenience. Would definitely eat here again! read more

Enjoyed the oysters, manila claim pasta, and the happy hour from 3-5pm. We sat upstairs and it was quite lively. read more

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After reading the reviews here, we were hoping for a better experience. We found the food, service, and atmosphere to be "OK", and a poor value. On arrival we asked if we wanted to eat inside or outside and were told the views outside were nicer. Well, that might be debatable as we had a very clear view of a bridge that had netting to prevent birds from roosting. Unfortunately there were many birds trapped, some dead, some almost dead and some being pecked to death by other birds. At first we tried to ignore, but honestly we should have been asked to be reseated as it was just sort of a bad vibe. Service was very casual, and there were a few forgotten items during the course of our meal. We came as we wanted the dungeness crab, and this was simply boiled and quite plain. The crab was indeed tender, but compared to say a garlic crab at Crustacean in San Francisco, this was a pretty tasteless dish, served with unimaginative sides. The crab cake app was oily and just not that good. We were out celebrating, and I would not say the atmosphere, food or service is of the caliber for a celebratory meal. Your mileage may vary, but I would say this is a pass if we visit Vancouver again read more

The Sandbar Seafood Restaurant - Crab cakes, tasted more of oil than crab - Seafood Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

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Great meal at this beautiful spot on Granville Island. Great oysters, awesome Wok Squid + Shrimp Cocktail. Dungeness Crab were in season so two of us had those. Best I've had. Daughter loved her Sesame Crusted Albacore. Server Graham was outstanding. Professional, upbeat and friendly. A true pro. Only negative was too many big names on the wine list; Clicquot, Moet, Whispering Angel... the Louis Bernard Rose was so good we had two bottle. Overall amazing experience! read more

The Sandbar Seafood Restaurant - Shrimp cocktail - Seafood Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

This restaurant is by far the best seafood I have eaten in a long time ! Our waiter , Sam offered impeccable service ( lunch ) . My recommendations are the POKE bowl , I added fresh Tuna and Fish and chips ! Trust me , it melts in your mouth and is accompanied by delicious , house made coleslaw And fries ! Great room that keeps with the sea wall location ! 5 stars! read more

We ate at Cardero's for dinner and then tried Sandbar for lunch the next day which was recommended by all my Vancouver friends who were not wrong. We enjoyed our meals; fish and chips, poke bowl, chowder and kids chicken strips etc. Our server, Gordon made spot on recommendations and was a real professional at his job. The location and view are amazing and the entire lunch was delicious. read more

Lovely location with beautiful windows overlooking the harbor. We came and tried several dishes as a light bite and were very satisfied with the rich flavors and fresh seafood, especially the sauce served with the scallops, which we ordered additional bread to soak up completely. Our server was excellent; when we asked for recommendations for our evening plans, he gave detailed and tailored information about various bars and comedy clubs in the city. Generally, food was 4 stars as it wasn't always min blowing, but the sauce they have with the scallops made that particular dish worthy of 5 stars. Happy we stopped by and will keep in mind for the next time we visit! read more

The Sandbar Seafood Restaurant - Half crab, scallops, shrimp, clam chowder - Seafood Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

The sushi was absolutely amazing! Omar was our waiter and he was very nice! The piano woman was very good, and the restaurant smelled really nice! In all, I'd give 10/10. Also, the restaurant is close to this super cool market and I'd highly recommend checking it out too! read more

The Sandbar Seafood Restaurant - Sushi & Sashimi Combo (Half Eaten!) - Seafood Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

It was a beautiful afternoon, we decided to have our dinner by the water. The sun was down and the reflection of light on the water created the mood for the oncoming night. The music from live piano was creating a memorable moment. The quid was mild spicy . The seared scallops were tasty. The hot pot made us full and the Belgian chocolate pudding had a great finale . We had a great time . One of the best seafood restaurant in town. Love to come back again. read more

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We came here for lunch on a recommendation from my sister. It has lovely views and wasn't very busy when we were there. The staff were friendly and the service was at a reasonable pace. I really enjoyed the food and the portion sizes. We also split a bottle of rosé and found the pricing to be reasonable. read more

The Sandbar Seafood Restaurant - Linguine and clams - Seafood Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

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The best seafood! If you're in Vancouver, this is a must. And the ambience is perfect.

Have been coming to Sandbar for many years for special occasions like Birthdays. For my Mom's birthday she asked for Western cuisine that has crab cakes so I booked for Sandbar on a Sunday night. The restaurant was very busy at 6pm and it took awhile for the host on the ground floor to let us go up to the main hostess stand. Once we were allowed up after 6 minutes of waiting, we were immediately greeted and seated. The restaurant on the main 2nd floor was busy and during our dining time, every single table was occupied at one point or another. Due to how busy it was, unfortunately the service side did suffer for our table though the other servers around us seem to be able to manage their tables just fine. For example, we were the only table where a bottle of water wasn't refilled and when our server took our empty one, we never got one back or got any of our waters refilled until we had to flag her down after 10 minutes of waiting around. Even for a photo, we had to end up flagging someone else as the candle on my Mom's complimentary dessert was starting to melt way too much after waiting and waiting. The food is still decent though both my boyfriend and I remarked our cedar smoked fish (his the salmon and mine the sablefish) no longer has the deep rich smokey flavour that the Sandbar is known for. The cedar smoke taste was barely there, which was a little disappointing. Also, our server forgot one of our appies which she suggested to be served with our mains. We had to dig into our mains as they were getting cold before we had to again wait to flag down our server and ask what happened to our wok green beans. Apparently the order got missed and due to the slow service we asked for it to be canceled so we wouldn't somehow end up the green beans for dessert. Unfortunately both service and food has gone downhill a little so might be awhile before we re-visit the Sandbar but it absolutely isn't bad - just requires some patience and time. read more

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We were on a day long tour and stopped for lunch. Saw this restaurant on the way to the Public Market. Good choice! Food was very good and view was great. We shared the Brussel Sprouts appetizer and a salmon burger. read more

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The Sandbar is a cool restaurant nestled underneath the Granville Bridge on Granville Island. It boasts an impressive view of the peninsula on the other side of False Creek. Food at the Sandbar is very similar to its sister restaurant, Cardero's, on the opposite side of the peninsula. We started with the Har Gow, shrimp & pork dumplings, which were served with hot mustard and chili sauce. My companion had the Clam chowder, and I had the fire-grilled sablefish (black cod). Both were very good. As at Cardero's the accompanying vegetables are nothing to write home about. Service was pleasant, and you can't beat the view. read more

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Can't recommend sandbar enough, we celebrated our anniversary here. I still miss the food we had here. My favorite was seafood hotpot. It was the best seafood hotpot I have ever had. They made our anniversary extra special with a free dessert. Love the views from this restaurant. The restaurant was quite busy but servers were quick to accommodate. Can't wait to come back soon here. read more

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The food was exceptional, and the service surpassed my expectations. The seafood was incredibly fresh and bursting with flavor, making for an unforgettable dining experience! read more

It was okay, but the kind of place I recommend only is you are looking for something in the area. Went for lunch on a weekday and even though it was more than half empty, it felt rushed. We got our main dishes when we were only 3/4 done our appetizers. And they wanted to serve dessert the moment we were done the mains. The seafood itself was good but the vegetables were slightly overcooked and really salty. The rice was also somewhat overcooked. The salmon burger was okay, didn't have proper tartar sauce in it. Service was a bit weird. Waitress did a nice job, but we had some other wait staff also ask us how the food is and stuff so we had to answer questions multiple times. View is nice as long as you're not sitting facing the cement factory or the bottom of the bridge. read more

If you're in Vancouver, BC, you must visit this popular spot. Expect it to be busy. We stopped a bit earlier than supper time and got a table outside. It was lovely, and we had nice weather that day. We had a good view of the water and bridge. 4 of us, and we all shared an app and ordered separate entrees. Expect it to cost a bit, too, although if you arrive early enough, there may be some happy hour specials on drinks and food. We took advantage of that. Overall, the service, food, and vibe are excellent. Highly recommended when in Vancouver. read more

The Sandbar Seafood Restaurant - Patio - Seafood Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

Very good! We got this recommendation from one of the tour guides in the hop on/hop iff trolley. Thanks Kenny! Great service, good food, nice drinks menu. Highly recommend! read more

Stopped by for a late lunch and really enjoyed the food, relaxing atmosphere, attentive and friendly staff, and the views. Upon entry is a seafood bar on the left and stairs that leads to the dining and bar areas on the second and third floors. My party of 5 sat by the windows and enjoyed views of the passing boats, water, and weather. We ordered the following: Kids chicken nuggets with fries- good sized portion of both items Cheeseburger and fries- large and juicy burger with a cup of fries! Yum! Ahi poke bowl- big bowl of perfectly seasoned ahi poke with avo! Arctic char with rice and broccolini and baby carrots- cooked to perfection with a crispy skin and accompanied by a scoop of jasmine rice and some veggies. Loved this dish! Chicken and corn chowder special- loved the flavorful chowder that had a large amount of potatoes, carrots, corn and chicken. This had a little heat from the chili flakes but was not a problem for my 11 yo who loved it. Beet and goat cheese salad special- I omitted the goat cheese and added a side of shrimp. This was a delicious and light salad with the perfect blend of flavors and textures. The vinaigrette was light and not too much and the pumpkin seeds added a nice crunch. 2 iced teas- they have sweetened and unsweetened and they are both refreshing. Service was fast and our waiter (Chad?) was great! I was impressed with his ability to take our order and remember all items including modifications. read more

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I don't understand the low score. I went to many restaurants in Vancouver, including some with Michelin recognition, and The Sandbar was my favorite. I almost skipped the squid because I was worried they might not prepare it well, but I'm glad I ordered it. It was the best squid I've ever had. The sablefish, or black cod, was also fantastic: perfectly cooked and uniquely seasoned. I also really enjoyed the red berry compote cheesecake, which was fresh, savory, and creamy. Service from Gordon was excellent. He had a great attitude, knew the dishes well, and was quick. The restaurant itself is beautiful, with warm wood interiors, a comfortable noise level, and a great view of English Bay framed by the Granville Bridge. I liked it so much that I had to go twice during my stay. read more

This place was incredible. The food was unmatched, the service was fantastic and the view and ambiance can't be beat! We were lucky enough to find this while exploring the island and I can't say enough how much we enjoyed it! read more

The Sandbar Seafood Restaurant - Seafood Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

When you're atGranville Island, the sandbar is a great place to go. Food is always good. There was a promo at the time for a bottle of oyster bay wine, and a dozen oysters for $65 if I remember correctly! We also got the salad with chicken, which was huge and the scallop entrée with potatoes. I heard good things about the pistachio dessert so I want to get that too, but we were too full from all the food! read more

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We sat on the patio. Fun atmosphere, food and staff were great! We had the happy hour oysters, the sushi and dungeness crab.

YES! YES! YES! I rarely give five stars, but this restaurant deserved it. We ordered the Cedar Plank Salmon with truffle Parmesan fries and a side of a lobster tail. My BFF and I split it and it was the perfect amount of food and it was so delicious. Our servers name was Amanda. She was very kind and let us know that she had split the meal so we didn't have to split it and we were able to get more fries. I would highly recommend coming here for the views, the service and the food. read more

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Had thought there would have a better ocean view... This was only the 1st Disappointment. Food was very substandard for a traditional "Seafood Boil", so many small potatoes and most of the small clam shells were empty, with very few muscles. Lobster was good, but they completely forgot to serve any of the 1/2 dozen Jumbo Prawns. Management did reach out to me immediately, We discussed my experience and they made it clear this was not the normal situation here... I feel confident that they are trustworthy and am going to try dining there again this Summer. read more

The Sandbar Seafood Restaurant - That was the extent of a water view... The Boat is actual mounted as an Art Piece. View of the ocean (False Creek) was nonexistent. - Seafood Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

Food and service was outstanding! Highly recommend! Our server was very attentive and knowledgeable read more

The Sandbar Seafood Restaurant - Sablefish was so buttery and lightly seasoned with miso soy! - Seafood Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

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Had a wonderful lunch. The food, drinks and view were amazing. Had the best service by Gordon and he makes the best Caesar! Thanks for a fantastic dining experience. read more

The Sandbar is one of those classic Vancouver spots that blends stunning views, fresh seafood, and a lively atmosphere into a memorable dining experience. Located right on Granville Island, this place feels like a go-to for both locals and visitors looking to enjoy the best of the West Coast. The setting is beautiful--right by the water with views of False Creek and downtown. If you can, grab a seat on the heated patio or the upstairs deck. The vibes are upscale-casual, with live music playing most evenings which adds a nice touch without being too loud. Seafood is obviously the star here. The cedar-plank salmon is a solid favourite--perfectly cooked, tender, and smoky. The sushi bar upstairs is a bit of a hidden gem too, offering surprisingly fresh rolls. The calamari and seafood linguine are also worth mentioning. Portions are fair, but prices are on the higher end (you're paying a bit for the view too). Good wine selection, and the cocktails are well-crafted. Their Old Fashion is a solid pre-dinner pick if you're into classic Canadian drinks. Chloe, our server, was great--friendly, attentive, and on top of everything. However, we weren't happy with the other server who was helping her. The guy in the grey suit wasn't the greatest and ended up charging us for a dish that was taken away, even though it was barely touched--maybe only 25% eaten. It was removed even when we offered to take it home, and that was not a cheap dish either. That part of the experience felt disappointing and unnecessary. The Sandbar still nails the West Coast dining experience: fresh seafood, waterfront views, and a laid-back but polished vibe. Perfect for date nights, out-of-town guests, or just treating yourself after a walk through Granville Island Market. read more

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Visiting Vancouver for a long weekend after riding The Canadian from Toronto. The Sandbar was easy to reserve, had a great selection of local (and other fresh) fish and seafood. The salmon was cooked "medium", but was a little underdone to our liking - ask your server if you want it cooked more. Our server was knowledgeable about gluten free items and substitutions where possible, responsive and efficient. Great view from under the bridge and overlooking the bay. The live piano was a nice touch! Recommended and would come back. read more

Great location at Granville island overlooking the water Pros - good selection of seafood and drink specials. One of the few places to get freshly chucked oysters. Large interior with several floors. Fast and reliable service. Cons - bit pricey Great place to enjoy some fresh seafood and overlook the water and downtown Vancouver read more

The Sandbar Seafood Restaurant - Seafood Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

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Very accommodating staff- we wanted roof top seating and they allowed us to sit with our drinks downstairs until there was a table large enough to seat us, which was so nice! The roof top offers a lovely view of the bay and downtown. The food was really good, enough veggie options- good tourist spot read more

The Sandbar Seafood Restaurant - Seafood Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

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Very good! Was surprised bc we didn't plan on eating there. Very good staff and theming if the restaurant. The fish and chips were amazing.

One line review: Nice spot for a special dinner. To be honest, Sandbar is at a higher price point than our usual night out. But a generous friend gave us a a gift certificate, and we were very happy to try it. We ordered: - Caesar salad - Wok tossed squid - Scallops pan fried - Wild sockeye salmon grilled After the salad, which was only average (mild, no anchovy flavour), everything was well-executed. The calamari was tender and well-fried (not oily). Our entrees were good. The views from the restaurant can be really nice. Our window had a somewhat obscured view, so we had to move a bit to get the view. Parking can be a bear at Granville Island, but we found one of the free spots with a bit of hunting. Bottom line: Not cheap but good. A nice night out if you can afford it. read more

A good seafood restaurant must have excellent Boston clam chowder. The Sandbar's chowder was very, very good. Our waitress, Carlee, had to hop around to take care of my requests. She did so with good cheer and efficiency. read more