Finest At Sea Seafood Boutique

The fish and chips here have gone down hill and last week was the worst yet. The fish was way too greasy and the chips had so much salt that I couldn’t even finish half of them. It’s been three strikes for me now so I am done with this place.

I had a meeting with a lovely songwriter I had never met face to face before. She suggested a lovely little seafood restaurant that was close to her house so I met her at her place and we walked over.
I fell in love with the shop immediately. Displays were immaculate and everything looks so tasty! I took 2 photos through glass so th photos don’t do them justice.
Following Susan’s lead I ordered the halibut and chips. She chose to go batter less but I could not resist. Fish and batter were cooked to perfection and french fries were the best I had had in ages.
Very lovely seating — maybe holds 20? Some communal seating for groups. One side is cafeteria and none side is sea food deli. I will definitely go back to try both menu and deli items!!!
Was just complaining to a friend that I had not been able to find a place like this in vancouver and then magically, the next day one appears!

This is a review for the bistro only. I think the owners of this place should stick to selling seafood and stop their sorry attempt at running a bistro. The fish and chips I ordered were really as sad an excuse you could find for fish and chips. Greasy fish and cheap fries made me wish the $ 10 I had spent were still in my wallet.

Really sweet place. They have tuna steaks there, and the price for them isn’t horrendous either. I’ve only bought tuna from here, but their other fish looks fresh and fantastic as well. The people at the counter are quite knowledgable and friendly. You can also choose from four marinates to have your fresh fish lathered in! Bonussss.
They also have a great selection of salads to choose from. Watch out for the beet salad though, as a pretty freaking small container of it came to around $ 9. Ugh. It was delicious though…

If you love oysters I urge you to check out Finest At Sea, a seafood deli with a little in-​store restaurant that serves, in my humble opinion, the finest and freshest seafood in Vancouver.
Sadly it took me several years before I discovered this gem concealed in a little strip mall on Arbutus Street just a few blocks south of the Arbutus shopping mall, a location previously reserved for the neighbourhood cognoscenti.
I use any excuse to detour and drive by this location. The other day I tried out their pan seared cornmeal breaded Fanny Bay oysters. OMG, six plump, sensuous morsels arrived on a platter cooked to perfection that just melted in my mouth. Served with a light lemon aioli sauce, which I kicked up a notch with a splash of hot sauce, the meal came with a refreshing mixed greens salad tossed with a tangy vinaigrette dressing and thin crispy French fries. For just $ 12 this was a summer meal made in heaven. The only thing it was missing was a crisp Chablis to wash it all down.
Other items on the deli menu worth checking out are their seafood salad, with generous chucks of wild sockeye salmon, sable fish and juicy jumbo prawns; a superb beet and yam layered side dish and the best damn Ceviche I’ve had outside of Peru. Actually you can’t go wrong with anything on the menu.
Operating since 1977 Finest At Sea was originally established as a ’boutique-​style’ seafood company in Victoria and has since expanded to several locations in Vancouver including a new food truck often parked near Robson Square.

Just to be clear, this is a review of the fish and chips in particular, not the shop as a whole.
Such expectations. This is a very fine fishmonger and so how could their fish and chips fail? I’m astonished. There are three things to fish and chips: The fish, the batter and the chips. That’s it. The fish is good because they have great fish there, but the rest is major disappointment. The batter was thick and greasy and the portion was really tiny. Okay, so it was only $ 8 for one piece, but don’t sell one measly piece. Charge what you want for a proper portion.
The chips are the real crime here. Freshly cut fries? NO! Frozen, seasoned chips. Not made on the premises. Perhaps McCain’s or something like it. This is unforgivable for a place that should be serving quality.
Of all the serious fish and chips places, this is about the worst. I hate saying this. The fish store looks excellent and has a lot of great looking stuff and live tanks, which is why this is just so shocking. Oddly, they have some great reviews. I really don’t get it.

I’ve enjoyed a couple of lunches at this unassuming little neighbordhood seafood shop. Since Finest at Sea is nowhere near the water, you wouldn’t think of seafood in this part of town. Which is precisely why it’s a pleasant surprise to be able to find some decent fish and mollusks here. Of course, if you’re familiar with their smokery in Granville Island (next to Lobster Man), then you know they’re the real deal. But here on Arbutus, they also operate a dine-​in or takeout deli and bistro.
The prepared food on the deli side looks delicious. The house cured salmon (peppercorn coho, sockeye, sockeye with dill, candied, etc.) look absolutely top-​notch and the sliced terrines (especially the octapus) look amazing. However, I’ve never actually tried these items, since every time I’ve come it was for the fish n’ chips.
Over all, it’s a decent fish fry, and one of the better ones in the city. I do agree with others that the fish is too bland — a little seasoning beneath the batter would help tremendously. FRIED SABLEFISH is good, though the sablefish seems too delicate and naturally oily for such a preparation. It retains its moisture, but falls apart too easily so that you end up eating most of the batter and fish separately. FRIED HALIBUT is surprisingly moist (I often find it too dry elsewhere) and the FRIED LINGCOD is okay, too. Again, just bland, so go ahead and reach for the salt.
FRENCH FRIES are average thick-​cut fries, the ones that taste like they were frozen from a package. A quality package, to be fair. COLESLAW has a hint of «Asian» flavor (sesame oil?) but is otherwise bland.
CRAB CAKES are pretty good and worth of try if you like ‘em. As for the PAN-​FRIED FANNY BAY OYSTERS, I didn’t like the cornmeal batter: too coarse for such a delectable and delicate bivalve. Still, for $ 12, I was surprised to see that many oysters on the plate (about 8 or 9), along with fries and salad.
WEST COAST CLAM CHOWDER ($ 5) is tasty enough, though I still prefer the primarily cream-​based New England variety. SEAFOOD BISQUE is okay, too, but not particularly memorable.
Anyway, I’m a fan of this place, especially since it meets a need in this part of town, but I hope a little zing and pizzazz will find their way into the food. Freshness is often best left alone — I agree — but I’m also all for some appropriate enhancement.

As far as retail sales are concerned, I really love Finest At Sea. Their fish, although on the pricey side, is always extremely fresh. During spot prawn season you will always find a tray of the freshest tails for a reasonable price per pound. They stock the usual broad assortment of fresh BC fish as well as smoked fishes, terrines, crab cakes, salads, soups and pastas. With a fish purchase you can choose to have your fish marinated with one of their five complimentary marinades.
The store itself is divided in two sections– the retail counter and then a bistro section with cafeteria style service and seating.
To summarize our experience at the bistro part of the store in one syllable, it would be «ewww». With that said, I am happy to report that the friend that I coerced into having lunch with me there still likes me despite of the meal.
I ordered the «Japanese Style» Salmon Filet on Caesar Salad and my friend ordered the 2 piece Sable Fish and Chips with fries and coleslaw. My salad was overdressed within an inch of its life and my salmon was prepared apparently for carbon dating. My friends fish and chips were so oily that we were tempted to call in Halliburton to clean the spill on her plate.
This was my second (and final) time to dine there. The first time was a few years ago at dinner time and the place was dead. If I recall, the food was okay, but not great. This time at lunch, the room was packed with people waiting to place their orders and for tables to free up. I find it hard to believe that we were the only ones with tragically bad food but they had no shortage of customers so one would hope that the others were having a better experience then we did. Normally we would return the meals to the kitchen but the place was so busy and we were in a bit of a time crunch so we simply walked away hungry and close to $ 40 poorer. Lesson learned, never again for the deli.
Retail Counter 5. Deli 0

I come to Finest at Sea, in a tiny strip mall in Kerrisdale, for the prawn and avocado salad with olive oil, sweet onion and tiny diced pieces of red Bell pepper. So scrumptious, especially the firm, meaty prawns which have a delectable texture. If they were machine peeled, that machine did a good job with minimal water. On one side of the shop is a long glass case for fish, seafood, salads, antipasti and frozen items they make like canoli with seafood filling. Customers buying fish or staying there to eat order at the main counter and pck up their hot food near the kitchen. The fish and chips is good but I prefer the rich, brown seafood bisque with a bit of what looks like aoli in the centre of the bowl. It is the perfect food for a cold, rainy day and the stock is made from fish bones. Also recommended is the gelatine strata (terrine) of octopus. I like the fact that the kitchen staff, visible behind the counter, is consistent. Sitting at a table you can watch well-​heeled women park their expensive cars and come in to buy fish and various seafood salads, seemingly without considering the prices. The shop also has a few shelves of prepared food like homemade crostini, olive oils, spices and fresh bread. There is soup and stock to take out in a refrigerated area. I am very disappointed that when eating there one can’t order prepared food on reusable plates and everything cold is measured into plastic takeout containers with lids.

* The bistro has slipped *
While the fish counter still has a really nice selection of lovely fresh seafood, the bistro counter has seriously dropped in quality based upon my latest visit. This is really sad, as it used to be amazingly good.
I had/​tasted:
— Cod fish and chips: The breading was soggy and way too thick, the chips were an odd consistency as if they had been fried 3 or 4 times, the coleslaw it came with was not fresh tasting. Not what it used to be at all!
— Clam chowder: This was super watery. The clams (the few that were in there) were very fresh though. It came with a corn muffin which was dripping, and I mean DRIPPING with oil. It was not edible.
— Smoked sablefish: They gave a crappy tail piece, and it was tough. Very tough. It came with an overdressed salad where the greens had not been dried properly so they made all of that excess dressing very watery. It also had a small rice serving which was overcooked and mushy.
I’m sad. This place used to be a great spot to grab a casual seafood bite. Not any more.

I just went here on recommendation from a friend as being «the BEST fish and chips in Vancouver», and she was not exaggerating! It definitely beats out some of the pricier places I have been to on Granville Island and in White Rock.
Two of us shared the two piece halibut and it was more than enough for a very reasonable price. The fries were also delicious — crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Perfect in my opinion!
While this place does not have the waterfront scenery (it’s the reason I rated it as 4), it is still a delicious option for lunch or an early dinner. There is even a deli where you can purchase fresh fish to cook at home and I noticed you can get free marinade with your purchase.

I had my doubts when I first entered the place. I mean, this deli had live seafood, cooked seafood, and a coffee stand inside, but hey, the place was awesome. It’s like Go Fish, but not. The live seafood is reasonably price, and the takeout menu is yummy. You can get a halibut dinner which comes with roasted potatoes and mixed greens for $ 15. Next time I’m trying the Manila clams, or the Mussels with Frites, or the steamed Sablefish. Yes, I will be back.

I have had the fish and chips (halibut) there 3 times. I have found the fish fairly bland. Fries were good and I really liked the coleslaw.
Go Fish, the little fish and chip place on Granville Island have way better fish and chips in my opinion. Bud’s on Denman used to be awesome, went downhill when they went fish and chips/​Korean and I haven’t been there for a long time.

Bob Fraumeni bought his first fishing vessel in 1974, and he hasn’t looked back since. After selling for many years to the Asian markets, Fraumeni yearned to have his product available to folks locally, and Finest At Sea was born. This of course, is the very abridged tale but for all intents and purposes, it tells it as it is. Fraumeni now owns and operates eight fishing vessels off of British Columbia’s coast, while employing over one hundred local fisherman and upwards of twenty five local service staff for its stores and the like.
The Granville Island location serves as a commercial processing and smoking plant, as well as a retail store, lucky for us! My first visit was met by two ladies who were busily preparing the Finest At Sea Christmas store window, an annual tradition (and competition) amongst businesses on Granville Island. The twinkling fairy lights and shiny green holly made for a beautiful vision and created a lovely atmosphere. Yes, you can create atmosphere in a fish shop, believe it or not!
After having a poke about, to their refrigerated section that held prepared bouillabaisses, soups and mayo’s, amongst other items, to the bottled import olive oils and balsamic vinegars, and jarred Okanagan fruit, I finally perused this area enough to work my way over to the fish counter. Along with a prepared fish section with hot smoked teriyaki salmon strips, escabiche (Portuguese style ling cod) and of course, very fresh fish! Finest At Sea is responsible for supplying much of the fish you eat in restaurants in BC and therefore, quality is of top priority.
There is also a deli counter here, serving up various items for lunch or dinner, from fresh seafood bisque to seafood salad items and grilled fish as well. I ordered a container of the escabiche after sampling it and I have certainly found a new food item to obsess over! The staff were so friendly and gracious, I look forward to coming back again.

I’m a seafood fan. I love fresh prawns and lobster. It must be the east coast in me that adores the food of the ocean…
Then it must be the Korean in me that loves the karaōke machine…
It must be the German in me that loves the schnitzel…
Wow! Enough stereotyping already.
If you have a little Newfie in you that loves the sea, check out The Finest at Sea. They have fresh seafood all the time and have deli dishes that you’d usually find in a regular deli, only here they’re made with seafood. Like crab meat shepard’s pie or wild spot prawns that are so rare and delicious. You can have a bowl of lobster bisque that will have you saying «Argh Matey!».
The seafood is so fresh there that you may cringe at the taste of something that has come directly from the ocean to your plate, but give it a chance. It’s reasonably priced ($ 4 for the lobster bisue) and your heart will thank you for eating healthy and well.