Dining at The Bar

[jamiemaw]

Do you enjoy dining at the bar? We do all ther time, for the industry gossip, for the fact that our server won't get lost, and occasionally because the barman (or, occasionally, barwoman) adds humour and action to our experience.

Do you have favourite bars where you enjoy dining and that enhance the experience? And favourite bartenders that elevate your day, whether you're dining or not?

Edited May 15, 2005 by jamiemaw (log)

[SBonner]

The lunch bartender at one lounge is great; he knows my regular tipple and lunch favourites. Bucky at the Irish heather also knows my drinking habits and always has something inciteful or provocative to talk about. Helen and I enjoy dining on the wood; you meet great diners, usually get a "miss-poured" drink, and hear all the trade gossip. If dining solo you always make friends. In London, the drinks team at Bluebird, always have great bottles of Champagne open and tasty mosels they recommend from the restaurant above.

Stephen

Edited May 15, 2005 by SBonner (log)

[*Deborah*]

I've only eaten at the bar at two places in Vancouver: Hamilton Street Grill and Wild Rice. That was my first time at Wild Rice (during Dine Out), and I've been meaning to go back, Trevor was knowledgeable and nice and didn't make me feel at all odd for eating alone (which I must say has happened from time to time in restaurants, and it really cheeses me off). HSG, of course, is HSG

It's great when you're alone as you get to have your back to the room and there's someone to chat with from time to time. As long as you keep drinking (not usually a problem for me ), they're happy to have you.

HKDave ate at the bar at Feenie's many times while he was here in town, maybe PM him, Jamie, if you want to know about his experience (I don't think he's spending a lot of time in the Vancouver forum these days).

Edited May 15, 2005 by *Deborah* (log)

[Zucchini Mama]

I had a funny experience eating at the bar at West, shortly after they'd changed their name. It was during a street fair and they'd decided to do lunch for this occasion to try it out. I sat at the bar next to two to guys in plaid jackets. They kidded with the female bartender: "You should call it egg Benedict, since it's just one egg!" There were only three of us in the restaurant and they didn't allow us to sit at the "real" tables. (Strange.) The waitress was cute, and she even winked at me at one point, which was cute, but a rehearsed bit of cuteness.

My partner and I ate at the bar at Feenies once. I don't like it, because it's uncomfortable. I have chronic back pain from an old barrista injury (don't ask), so it's not worth it for me. I dine alone often, and have done so completely comfortably in Canada, Britain, and Europe for years. I've never felt uncomfortable, except once in Plymouth, where the waiter had just read an article about the unfair treatment of female solo diners, and so he made a really big deal about giving me "good service". (He was very sweet, actually-like my highschool science teacher)

I like sitting at a deuce, somewhere where I can disappear into the woodwork and absorb the food and atmosphere. Occasionally, I have sat at the bar and chatted with the bartender, but as a mother (often oversaturated with converstation) I, like Garbo, "just vant to be alone".

Having said that, there are chatty waitstaff that I grow to be very fond of, and really miss them when they change shifts or leave, along with their witty banter. I have worked with many sweet bartenders, some of whom I'd love to have taken home, but never did (honestly).

Oddly enough, what I hate is going to the cinema by myself. I've read too many macabre mystery novels, I guess.

Zuke

Edited May 15, 2005 by Zucchini Mama (log)

[Andrew Morrison]

9 times out of ten I sit at the bar when I dine out. It is often the best vantage point to survey how a restaurant works. I never get tired of the fact that servers ignore the patrons at the wood as if they don't exist, coming up to the bartender and talking shit right in front of you:

"Where the fuck are my martinis for 63, dude? I ordered them, like, 15 minutes ago, assmonkey. Your tipouts gonna suck if you don't step it up, newb. Now work it, biyatch! Pour those muthas!"

"You call these espressos, Bungtard? They'd shoot you in Italy, you know. Jesus!"

"You see that chick in the 50's? Seat 4. The blonde. Posterwoman for silicon, bubba. Now give me my champers before I tread water on yer nads, you dumb lemming diddler."

And I agree with Mr. Maw that you never lose track of who is serving you and you get to hear the news.

Josh and David at Chambar are awesome. I've enjoyed the bar at Lift the few times I've been in, though there seems to be so many people behind the bar that it's tricky to get a handle on who is who. Fiction is great. The folks downstairs in the Opium Den at Lucy Mae Brown are chatty before it gets too busy. Mr. Jones at West (is he still there?). Adesso (if you're tall enough to sit on the bar stools and not feel like you're from Lilliput) just to watch Travis work his stations.

I love restaurant bars. If they were a day long, I'd have a great day.

Edited May 15, 2005 by editor@waiterblog (log)

[Daddy-A]

I've only eaten at the bar at two places in Vancouver: Hamilton Street Grill and Wild Rice.

My two favorite bars in Vancouver too! Granted, I'm usually eating lunch at HSG. Another we used to frequent was the bar at Monsoon. "J" and I just got back from a weekend in Seattle (recap to come in the PNW forum) and we dined at no fewer than 3 bars! Then again, they have this marvelous thing called "happy hour" ... DAMN marvelous I say.

A.

[merlin]

9 times out of ten I sit at the bar when I dine out. It is often the best vantage point to survey how a restaurant works. I never get tired of the fact that servers ignore the patrons at the wood as if they don't exist, coming up to the bartender and talking shit right in front of you....

←

"Spot on" observation...I have chuckled under my breathe more than a few times having heard something said as I regularly sit up at the "wood" when dining alone.

[jamiemaw]

9 times out of ten I sit at the bar when I dine out. It is often the best vantage point to survey how a restaurant works.

Josh and David at Chambar are awesome. I've enjoyed the bar at Lift the few times I've been in, though there seems to be so many people behind the bar that it's tricky to get a handle on who is who. Fiction is great. The folks downstairs in the Opium Den at Lucy Mae Brown are chatty before it gets too busy. Mr. Jones at West (is he still there?). Adesso (if you're tall enough to sit on the bar stools and not feel like you're from Lilliput) just to watch Travis work his stations.

←

To Andrew's list I would add these fine folks, amongst others:

Trevor at Gramercy

Chris Stearns at Lumiere Tasting Bar (currently on leave at DECCA77 in Montreal

Jason at Quattro

The entire crew at Bluewater

Jay Jones (soon to resurface at Nu, as I understand it).

[Mooshmouse]

Two more for the count: Cru and Fiction.

[Andrew Morrison]

That was my first time at Wild Rice (during Dine Out), and I've been meaning to go back

Two more for the count: Cru and Fiction.

Speaking of Fiction and Wild Rice, I mentioned other venues were in the works... "A Taste for Fiction" is game on.

"Spot on" observation...I have chuckled under my breathe more than a few times having heard something said as I regularly sit up at the "wood" when dining alone.

I'm guilty as all hell of doing just this. Whenever I'm working I have to remind myself that there are people within earshot of our banter. But hey...it's a bar, right?

[gerald]

One of the best bars to dine at in my opinion is Gotham, Steve Schmietenknop (yes thats his name) AKA BOOZY is awesome, mixes a great drink and is as friendly as they get.

the room is great, and they always have some action

[gerald]

The most fun I've had was once in SF my wife and I sat at the front row to the kitchen at Rosa Pistola, the place was jumping and the order printer was right in front of us. The printer was going crazy and I commented to my wife that they were in the weeds, upon hearing the terminology the sous chef at the printer, asked if we were industry, after our response, he blew us away, every item he prepared was a little over portioned, so my wife and i sampled most of the menu. Awesome, restaurants don't do kitchen gallery seating enough, if I ever was crazy enough to open another full service restaurant I would definitely put a bunch of seats by the kitchen, its the best action going.

[lauraf]

Another vote for Fiction! Especially if Sean is behind the bar - and no Sean, I'm not just sucking up to you because you're my client. Okay, maybe a little.

We're bar people too - the drinks come quicker.

[PaoPao]

My wife and I awhile back wanted to go to Bin 941. It was a 25 min wait or we had the option to sit at their bar immediately, so we took that. Have to say we had a great time talking to the Chef and watching everything get prepared.

[barolo]

I like sitting at a deuce, somewhere where I can disappear into the woodwork and absorb the food and atmosphere.

←

I share Zucchini Mama's preference when I'm alone. When I'm not alone I might be more inclined to sit at the bar, but so many of the seats are uncomfortable that I usually avoid them. However in the spirit of inquiry I think I'll check out the bar at Fiction soon.

[janevm]

and another for Chambar. Bartender David Fesq is the guy to pair Belgian beer and food (in his own words: "Wine, I'm so over that").

[BCinBC]

There's been a bit of eating-at-the-bar talk lately so I thought I'd revive this thread. One very important feature that every proper bar must have, yet so many are missing, is an under-bar coat hook. You know, it sucks having to either hold your coat on your lap, or place it on the stool to sit upon, especially if it is raining outside.

Although it's been much too long since my last visit, my favourite eating bar in town is the tasting bar at Lumiere. Other bars I've recently been to or seen include HSG (they have coat hooks ) and Diner (very authentic diner-ish bar to enjoy an adult milkshake... and that damned Milkshake song just popped into my head).

[chrisstearns]

"Where the fuck are my martinis for 63, dude? I ordered them, like, 15 minutes ago, assmonkey. Your tipouts gonna suck if you don't step it up, newb. Now work it, biyatch! Pour those muthas!"

"You call these espressos, Bungtard? They'd shoot you in Italy, you know. Jesus!"

"You see that chick in the 50's? Seat 4. The blonde. Posterwoman for silicon, bubba. Now give me my champers before I tread water on yer nads, you dumb lemming diddler."

←

Andrew, when did Elmore Leonard open a restaurant? (Or was it Tarantino?)

BCinBC, as for not being in to Lumiere Tasting Bar forever... drop by sometime and introduce yourself. Sunday nights are very civilized.

Edited November 2, 2005 by chrisstearns (log)

[Andrew Morrison]

One of those is an actual quote, while the others are fairly representative of things I've overheard at restaurant bars I've sat at or worked at over the years. I've worked with some pretty witty/abusive people in my time who take cajolery to literary heights, so the Elmore/Tarantino quip isn't too far off.

I wrote that months ago, and I still overhear service staff discussing the relative pros and cons of their customers, co-workers, and managers as they wait for their drinks at the bar pass. I don't know why, but it almost always seems to be the case that a few people on the floor crew believe the bar to be some sort of casual sound vortex where no one can hear them spout. As I wrote way upthread, it's one of the reasons I try to sit at the bar whenever I dine out (tonight, it's Fiction for the game). In contrast, Michelle and I sat at the bar for dessert at Brasserie L'ecole last night and no abuse was thrown about.

Edited November 2, 2005 by Andrew Morrison (log)

[makanmakan]

i like popping by parkside for the occasional dessert or nibbly at the bar. that way, my lemon drop is made right in front of me and i don't have to wait the 10 seconds that it would take to get to my paws! i also like the kitchen bar at bin 941 and like bcinbc, the lumiere tasting bar. this has no bartenders but i also love sitting at the bar at the guus. love watching those guys toss about the kimchi fried rice "one armed wok style".

[Memo]

I refer to restaurant bar dining as bottle feeding.

I've always had a great experience at the (feels-like-private) bar at Aurora Bistro.

Same goes for Brasserie L'Ecole in Victoria. (Bartender Steve is the man.)

I'm more curious about the bar experience from the servers' perspective.

Seems to me they pick up a lot more of the customers' gossip from behind the bar.

Memo

[Paul B]

I'll throw in another vote for Wild Rice. A couple of months ago I was with my family in that neighborhood and we stopped there for a meal. We could only get seats at the bar. The kids felt rather awkward (never having eaten at a bar before) but the bartender was great to them and the owner made a point of coming over and talking to all of us.

[kurtisk]

I've always had a great experience at the (feels-like-private) bar at Aurora Bistro.

Memo

←

I love it when people dine at the bar. You get to be within yelling distance from the kitchen, everyone keeps an eye on you, and if you're really lucky- you get to hear me curse when a keg inevitably blows right at the busiest point in the evening.

k.

[fud]

Another good spot for bar goodness...sushi bars! You get to talk to the chefs AND watch them expertly filet fish and make sushi. It's really worth it. Plus when you come in next time they tend to waive at you and yell "Arashi-masen!" Always a nice way to enter a restaurant.

I'm really digging the new places that have BIG wide bars with the forethought of people actually eating there. Really cool beans.

At Senova they have a bar that runs from the front of the restaurant to the back. Half the bar is in front of the open kitchen which is neet (but as we found out hard for someone to get food from the kitchen across people seated). The "tapas" menu is ONLY available at the bar. Another cool concept. It's like being in an elite club. oooh you're sitting at "the bar", here lemme fetch you the 'special' menu.

[kontemporary]

I've always had a great experience at the (feels-like-private) bar at Aurora Bistro.

Memo

←

I love it when people dine at the bar. You get to be within yelling distance from the kitchen, everyone keeps an eye on you, and if you're really lucky- you get to hear me curse when a keg inevitably blows right at the busiest point in the evening.

k.

←

It's too bad the Aurora bar can only fit three though... maybe you guys should think of expanding that sometime