Hy’s Encore

Clearly the best steak in the downtown area. Service was great and the environment warm and relaxing. One never feels rushed while dining here. So if staying at the Fairmont just walk a block and a half and get a great steak dinner. I prefer the ribeye due to the marbling and flavor but had the newyork and that was great also. The house red is good and reasonably priced. Give it a try and you will be pleased. Stay away from Gothoms Steakhouse unless you want to be just a number and pushed to speed through dinner.

Anyone that misses this outstanding establishment is missing something else. It is that good.
On an overnight escape to Vancouver, there was no question where I’d be having dinner. I’ve been in before and have never forgotten it: Excellent food, excellent service and beautiful rooms to behold. It starts at the reception desk; as a single diner, I expected to be seated in the lounge (and would gladly have accepted just that). But no, I was shown to the main dining room – and offered a choice of tables!
I could not have known it, but I selected wisely. My waiter was Blair. Any staff member or regular client of Hy’s knows exactly who I’m talking about – and for good reason. I don’t recall ever receiving better service, nor witnessing a more professional performance. This gentleman should be writing The Book: The Way It Is Done – for the entire industry. I’ve been in it for a long time, and I’ve worked with some top-​shelf talent. Blair is a thoroughbred and nothing less. It was an honor to be served by him.
The food at Hy’s is always excellent. I kept my choices very simple this time: A tossed green salad with House dressing, a ten-​ounce New York medium-​rare, no starch, creamed spinach and Hy’s Only sauce. Blair then suggested the cheese toast that I’m now addicted to, helplessly and for life! It was exceptional, as was everything else. This is a professional kitchen, and the efforts of its brigade are consistently delicious.
Two quick words about tableware: It matters. Hy’s understands this also. The equipment they are using is of high quality, and it makes a real difference.
It’s an outstanding establishment. You don’t want to miss it.

Definitely 5 stars! No doubt about it. I decided to take my family to Hy’s to celebrate mother’s day on Monday to avoid the crowd on Sunday.
We were greeted once we entered and our hostess brought us upstairs. Each of us were given a menu along with the wine list. They asked if I needed to see the cocktail menu and brought at my request.
Water was poured into our glass to start us off and our server suggested we start off with their famous cheesy bread. I declined as I remembered dining at Gotham that the unnecessary carbs prohibit me from finish my steak (which should be the star of the night).
After being told what the dishes of the day was and studying the menu, we decided to order:
–Steak Tartare (4/​5-​$ 20.95): This was done table side. We were also asked whether we like some spice with it. We, obviously, said yes. I normally have my steak tartare with some Tabasco mixed in. It was served with some toast and a hardboiled egg and anchovy on top. It was amazing watching how James plated it with such finesse. The tartare was good. I personally found it a bit too spicy (haha) and would have preferred it with a raw egg yolk.
–Porterhouse (5/​5-​$ 73.95): We got this cut in medium rare with a side of rice pilaf. Presentation-​wise, this was not the best but the porterhouse was cooked to perfection. Love this cut. Since it was 22 oz, we got this to share.
–Bone-​in Ribeye (5/​5-​$ 58.95): Beautifully marbled cut. Our server suggest we get this one medium instead of medium rare due to the fat content of this steak. We went with her suggestion and it was amazing. The fattiness of this steak made it so much more succulent and juicy. Got the baked potato with this dish. Toppings were brought out to us to choose and Kim noticed midway that we need a refill on the toppings and brought us some more. How nice!
–Filet Mignon (5/​5-​$ 49.95): Initially I wanted to get the steak diane for the tableside service but was afraid it would too small of a cut so our server suggested that I go with the 8oz filet mignon and have the brandy sauce as an addition (+$ 5.95) which comes up to the same price and a bigger piece of steak. Another difference is that the filet mignon is grilled instead of pan fried. Also got this piece for medium rare and I personally think this one was done the best. The brandy sauce was super delicious. It was enjoyable to watch Kim explain each step as she make the sauce in front of us. If you do get the same as I did, ask for your steak to be pan fried. I felt the grilled taste overpowered the brandy sauce. The sauce tasted a lot better with the other steaks we ordered.
–Banana Foster (5/​5-​$ 14.95): Also done tableside. We were skeptical about getting this dessert since it’s flambeed. With my past experience at several restaurants, any flambeed dessert left a strong alcohol taste to the dessert which ruins it overall. So before ordering, I asked Kim and she assured me that since it’s done tableside all the alcohol taste would evaporate once it’s flambeed and she was right! A very enjoyable and entertaining dessert. Those who love bananas should definitely get this!
–Cherry Jubilee (5/​5-​$ 14.95): Not on the menu. Very similar to the Banana Foster but it’s done with cherries and grand mariner instead of rum. Despite the presentation looking less compared to its counterpart, this one tasted better (in my opinion). I could be bias, since I love Cherries but those who favoured the banana foster later on said that the cherry jubilee was indeed better.
Overall, fantastic service! There was not a time where I felt pressured to order something. Kim & James weren’t pushy about us getting the cheesy bread nor cocktails. They gave us all the time we needed to decide on which steak and what size we wanted. Kim was helpful with her suggestions. The servers here know their stuff. There wasn’t a question they could not answer. Food was also really good. It did not disappoint. Next I’ll try some surf & turf.

Came here with our friends. We were a table of
4, the service was absolutely terrible. The steak was OK. We were expecting so much better! The atmosphere and vibe was nice and romantic and cozy. But again the service was terrible it did not give us a full dinning experience that you would
Expect

Hy’s makes no apologies for being a steakhouse. The usual steakhouse dark wood red chair décor, the usual steakhouse menu. What makes Hy’s special is they deliver unusually great steaks. Every time. A consistency many steakhouse miss. At a very reasonable price.
Appies and side dishes are average. No wow factor there.
About the matryoshka like wine list. The massive list posted online bears no relation to the modest (yet sufficient) list presented when you sit down. Yet that modest list bears no relation to what they actually have in stock. Out waiter disappeared optimistically three times into the cellar only to return empty handed. However this was handled professionally when they offered us to select a wine $ 60 more for the same price.
Service is excellent from the front door to table to front door.
The upstairs renovation is complete and the new lounge is a nice pre meal stop. Great drinks!
We’re fans.

The other half and I chose to celebrate our 7 year anniversary at Hy’s. Let me tell you, if you’re planning to go all out for a special occasion, Hy’s is the place to go.
We were absolutely blown away by the incredible service we received.
To start off, we made a reservation a week in advance, as we heard Hy’s can get fill up pretty quickly. In the reservation, my fiancé noted our special occasion. He arrived before I did, so he went to the bar to take advantage of happy hour (as he arrived right before 6pm). I arrived shortly after; the hostess, after seeing me find my fiancé, wished us both a very happy anniversary and gave us the option of finishing our drinks at the bar or moving to our table. We chose to move our table; the very kind hostess, who was all kinds of sweet and bubbly, took our drinks to our table for us.
After we sat down, a number of different servers came by to wish us a happy anniversary. We both loved the attention!
We were asked on two occasions if we wanted to sit next to each other — instead of across (we were given a table for four, with three place settings). Personally, I prefer to sit across from my partner so I can actually look at him while we’re talking, but I appreciated the gesture.
As for the food, wow. Where do I began?
We heard that when you go to Hy’s there a couple things you have to have: the table side Caesar salad and the cheese toast. So, we got both. I loved watching the Caesar salad get made. It was like nothing I’ve seen or tasted before! Caesar salad with egg yolk in it? Yum! Oh, and that cheese toast! It was more cheese than toast and that’s what made it AMAZING!
Of course, our steaks were spectacular too, but that’s to be expected.
They even put a candle in our cheesecake!
When we finished dessert, and paid, our server let us know that she’s already had valet bring our car around (yes, yes, we went all out. Valet and all. For $ 11, it was worth it), but that we could take our time finishing our wine.
Sure enough, when we were ready to leave, our car was outside waiting for us.
The whole experience was fantastic. I don’t say this often, but it was the perfect evening.
If you’re like us and want to indulge every now and then, but don’t want to spend a ton of money, check out Costco. They sell $ 100 gift cards for Hy’s for $ 80.
Thank you Hy’s for the lovely experience and great service!

When it comes down to it, there is no better cut of meat than what is served at Hy’s. The ambiance is that of a traditional steakhouse so expecting the trendy, pompous atmosphere of other Vancouver chop houses will leave you disappointed. Nowhere have I ever had such consistent quality in the cut of meat and how I requested it prepared. This restaurant does not struggle with a blue rare request, they season their meat which shows confidence in their skills, and the vegetables are cooked to perfection and never swimming in oil or butter. You will leave feeling satisfied — like you honestly ate food worth the price on the menu.
I was on a set menu this evening but enjoyed the beefsteak tomato and onion salad to start which is simplicity at its finest and the 8oz filet (blue rare) for dinner. Again, the steak was cooked perfectly and practically fell apart under my knife. Brilliantly prepared! Thank you!!!

While the food was ok, not superb, the atmosphere was not what I expected of a «high end» restaurant. Both steaks ordered were a little under done, but still ok.
The music was way too loud. I don’t want a big screen tv with hockey on while I am paying $ 50+ for a steak, I expect that at White Spot.
Our experience was tarnished even more by the rude loud mouth dropping F bombs next to us and being quite rude to the wait staff, as well as the very loud table of 14 men, so definitely not the quiet dinner for 2 we had hoped for.

One of the best dining experiences I’ve ever had. Despite the fact that it was just me, I had the Chateaubriand. Naturally I brought half of it back to the hotel with me. It was cooked and prepared perfectly. It had potatoes, stewed tomatoes, steamed broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, and mushrooms with it. it was also served with Sauce Bernaise and red wine reduction sauce. I also had a couple of Whistler Pale Ales and a glass of Hess Cab, which went perfectly with the steak. And who knew you could elevate cheese toast?! It was mindblowing! I wanted the perfect meal for my birthday and I got it. It was a beautiful restaurant. And the service was top notch. If you’re in Vancouver and looking for a great dining experience, this is definitely a place that should be near the top of your list. You will not be disappointed.

My bf and I were in Vancouver and it was my birthday and we were craving steak. We tried this restaurant based on such marvellous reviews however were really disappointed. I had the New York and my bf had the steak Diane. I wanted my steak rare while my bf wanted his steak medium. Once they were out my bfs steak was too rare for him to swallow and mine was too medium! Absolutely ridiculous! For such an upscale steak house I expected to have the steak done atleast right. We decided to swap the steak avoiding the hassle of waiting for new ones since we were both so hungry. None the less the steaks were okay. The steak Diane that I swapped with my bf came in two pieces. The bigger piece not being as tasteful as the second. The second literally melted in my mouth but was too small to enjoy anyways.
We also had two amaretto sours. When the bill came out he actually charged us for a double! WHO ASKED FOR A DOUBLE? We were too disappointed to care so we paid the bill and left. Definitely was not worth $ 200 save yourself and try something else.

Very elegant restaurant
The NY strip was very tasty, but I had too much fat on the steak. The green beans and carrots were not soft enough. I couldn’t even stick my fork into the carrot to cut it! The double baked potato was delicious.
Reason for 4 stars is because I expected a little more for the price.
When prices get high, you start to get picky.
The fat on my steak was way too much, the vegetables were not soft enough, and I was bummed they did not have some fresh warm bread before the meal :(
Would I come back? MAYBE
If my meal for two people is $ 120 (not including tip) I expect excellence. Maybe if they had an amazing view of Vancouver, then that would be a winner!

I surprised Chewy on his birthday by bringing him to Hy’s. I knew this was a good choice since he really enjoys his steaks. I don’t mind a nice cut of red meat but it wouldn’t be my dinner of choice.
Anyways, Chewy was excited to try Hy’s once I surprised him a few hours prior to our reservation. (I have a hard time keeping surprises to myself and accidentally blurted it to him). Hy’s is in its own standing building with mansion-​like features like dark oak, rich red velvet upholstery, and a brick hallway leading from the lounge to the dining room.
We were seated in a romantic two person table with a great view of the steak grill. I did my Unilocal homework prior to arriving and knew what menu items we had to try. I ordered the table side Caesar salad, cheese bread as appetizers. We’ve never had table side service before, so having the waiter prepare the Caesar salad from scratch and within 5 minutes was a very unique experience we thoroughly enjoyed. Not to mention it was the best Caesar salad we both had ever had. The cheese bread was delicious too! Very buttery and extremely cheesy!
For entrees, Chewy ordered his favorite cut– bone-​in rib steak. I opted for the steak and lobster since I love seafood. We both had the steaks medium rare with mashed potato as the side. The entrees were perfectly prepared and delectable! The steaks were a perfect medium rare and flavored to perfection– not too salty (my previous experiences from steaks is its far too seasoned). The lobster tail was also perfectly prepared and came with hot butter that remained hot with its own candlelit burner. The mashed potato had the option of being dressed with scallions, sour cream, bacon bits, and butter– just like a baked potato! Chewy said it was one of the best mashed potatoes he has ever had.
We were very stuffed from the appies and entrees. But since it was a birthday, we had to order dessert. Our server, Bonnie, recommended Hy’s famous cheesecake. He says it’s like NY cheesecake with berries. In my OpentTable reservation, I had mentioned that we were celebrating Chewy’s birthday. So it was great that he brought out the cake with a candle. Bonnie even sang Happy Birthday with me to Chewy.
Upon leaving, Bonnie told us to go upstairs to the second lounge and check out their happy hour menu which is offered Monday to Friday, 3:00 — 5:30pm. This was a great tip since I didn’t even know Hy’s offered HH. It’s not stated on their website. After we got our coats from the hostess, we ventured upstairs. Their HH offers excellent deals on some signature items like Caesar salad (probably not prepared tableside) and cheese toast! We look forward to trying those selections in the near future. We also saw Bonnie’s photo– apparently he is one of the original servers!

For a $ 200 dinner, I expected a lot better.
Service was excellent, when we had it… Instead most of the attention was focused on the large tables beside us. Our waters weren’t even refilled promptly. I also ordered a cheese toast that was never delivered, and all I got was a sarcastic apology.
Food, we got the Steak Diane and the Bone in Ribeye. The Steak Diane was exactly what we expected, tender and full of flavor from the sauce, but the Ribeye was not like any other I’ve seen at a steakhouse. Instead of a big thick cut steak, I got a big, flat, skinny steak that was a little burnt.
For dessert, had the chocolate cake with bourbon sauce, which was incredibly and overly sweet. We wanted to go somewhere else to get dessert but the server convinced us to stay. Should have stuck with our gut.
I’ve enjoyed Hy’s in the past, but looks like it’s run its course. Will just hit up the Keg next time for better food and service.

We came here over the weekend for a friend’s birthday celebration. We were seated in a private room with two large tables. Service is fantastic — from the door man to the old school tableside service.
We started with the scallops in passion fruit sauce. The scallops were cooked to perfection but the passion fruit sauce was too tart and overpowering. Next, we shared the filet mignon with lobster and the beef wellington. Both were great dishes and the beef was tender and cooked nicely.
Overall, great service and ambiance but incredibly pricey. It’s a nice place to splurge for a special night. I wouldn’t say it was the best steak I’ve ever had but the experience as a whole was very nice.

This place deserves 5 star everything: dinner, cocktails, dessert, and especially service. Shout out to John who made our night incredible! Must haves:
–Caesar salad
–Filet mignon
–Pistachio crème brûlée
Only downfall was the bill but for a special occasion it is well worth it!

I’m a bit of a meatatarian, so to my husband’s delight I requested for my birthday to have a moderate-​to-​large quantity of succulent juicy steak. He had been to Hy’s for a guys’ dinner out and really enjoyed it so we made reservations.
The layout of Hy’s Encore definitely gives it that ol’ steakhouse vibe, with the leather booth chairs and separate bar area… with a magical stone tunnel that takes you to the dining room or the Land Where Steak Is Consumed. All of the staff are very courteous and service is prompt. We opted for the chateaubriand, which feeds two people and is prepared tableside. For dessert we had bananas Foster, which I had never tried before.
The food was delicious and like other reviewers had said, the bites of beef just melt in the mouth. The bananas foster was fun to watch being prepared, since it gives off an impressive WHOOSH of flames when the waiter lights it on fire. Presentation was on-​point, and I noted that an adjacent table was eyeing our food despite the fact they had already finished eating.
Due to the restaurant space being not capacious (this is downtown, after all), noise levels can get high depending on the other diners. There were probably about 3 other large birthday parties going on, with one in particular getting pretty boisterous despite being in a separate room (many rounds of shots were heard to be consumed). So, I would say Hy’s is great for a date, but maybe not so great if you’re looking forward to soft, romantic conversation.
That being said, I’d be back for the food alone; the quality of food and service make up for the higher price point but for a special occasion it’s worth every penny.

Superb, and superbly expensive. Great service, had a good chat with the waiter. The ambience is just what you’re looking for if you’re dining to impress: rich leather, dark sumptuous interior.
I’d definitely suggest asking the sommelier to come to your table — he took his time, heard what we were ordering, and recommended something surprisingly delicious and perfectly complimentary.
The Caesar, prepared tableside, was rich with anchovy without being annoying, nicely balanced and very fresh.
The bacon-​wrapped filet was amazing, tender, flavorful, beautifully presented, and delicious. As it should be.
The key lime pie was perfectly smooth and not oversized. When you’re spending this much you expect the best, and it was.

Pretty delicious. Obviously if you’re here then you’re ready to spend a little money.
This was the first time I’d had beef wellington. It was fantastic, though I don’t think foie gras is going to be my thing.
Really good old fashioneds.

Went for a birthday dinner. Hy’s was very accommodating from the moment we arrived, arranging flowers on the table and having champagne upon arrival as per request.
The Valet was nowhere to be found for quite some time when we first arrived but that was solved shortly afterwards.
We sat in the hallway style area which had its advantage and disadvantage — it was a bit more private however you didn’t feel like you were part of the restaurant since you were not in the main dining room.
Our server was very polite and knowledgeable. Started with the cheese bread, which is good as usual but not quite sure if it is worth the price tag. Then on to the table side Caesar salad which was absolutely divine, not overdressed and jhust the right amount of complex flavours.
We also had the tableside steak tartare which was just ok. It used to be more of a show when they would let you approve your cut of steak and then grind it tableside. Now it is pre-​ground and just mixed tableside. There wasn’t a lot of flavour to the tartare other than tabasco. I think I will pass on it next time around.
For mains, there was steak and lobster — both of which were cooked to perfection. And the mixed grill which was 3 samples of steak, two lamb chops and prawns. All were cooked perfectly.
To finish the meal, we had bourbon chocolate cake which was fudgy and melt in your mouth delicious.
Another amazing meal. Thank you, Hy’s!

Long-​live the steak dear all!
I adore the old jazz-​age-​décor room and I can imagine the Rat Pack mesmerizing away in the backdrop, I also appreciate the attentiveness of the servers, and I drool over the meat broiling audaciously through the window. Wine list on ipad reminds you that you are in the 2.0 age as you tap through the screens for wine selection.
I appreciate the crab cake which is ONE sizable lump of crab meat with in a crispy shell and creamy sauce on top, while the richness of the crab is balanced with a side slaw. At $ 18.95 per serving… what do you think?
And the cheese toast that everyone raves about… it is good, it is alright, but it is definitely not worthy of $ 7.95 for a round bread with some cheese that is a size of approximately 20cm…
Those aside, everything else is wonderful — Lady Germain the cocktail was made with Moet & Chandon, my Whiskey Sour was shaken nicely, the Caesar Salad that is made at table-​side is divine! The porterhouse is brilliantly broiled and sliced for us to share, and Alan got a complimentary cheesecake for his birthday.
Cheerio!