Royal Dinette

Did a family style dinner for a larger group, and the staff handled it very well in terms of pacing and service. Always felt like we had a new dish in front of us and drinks were refilled at a good pace. The waiter checked on the table at the right frequency, and he had a pleasant and professional demeanor.
The food was eclectic, a ‘farm to table’ and ‘based on available ingredients’ theme was explained by the wait staff which I sort of bought into, but my hunch is that you can expect a similar menu. But that’s not to knock the food here, as it was really good.
First of all the share plates were a good size, and nobody left the family style dinner hungry. We sat about 3 people per plate.
The plating of the dishes was great throughout the meal. Some of the dishes were unorthodox but worked well. The beef tongue and squid was an example of this. Beef tongue was super tender, and the squid wasn’t chewy at all. There were a few other interesting combos like fish and raspberry purée, but all of them worked pretty well with ingredients in harmony. The uni pasta was fantastic and rich. I’m usually on the fence with tartar, but the lamb tartar with balsamic glaze was really quite good and a favorite with some of the diners in our party. Oddly the dish I liked the least was dessert — they de-​tuned the sweetness, and for the pie used a cream which tasted more like sour cream. Chocolate mousse was perfect though, and tuning down the sweetness there really brought out the richness of the chocolate and highlighted the texture of the dish.
The cocktails were on the adventurous side as well, but again the eclectic mixes of ingredients clicked, and everyone who ordered a cocktail was impressed.
Lastly, the venue itself has a cool vintage vibe, and is connected to a bar upstairs and a barber shop near the entrance. I’ve seen the style done well in other places like Parlour and Homer St Café, and Royal Dinette does it well too.
At the price point, it was also a pretty good deal. For that many courses it came in around $ 55 (sans drinks).
Highly recommend!

Dine-​out Vancouver 2016 menu.
Incredibly underwhelmed. My order was octopus/​short rib/​chocolate cake. I tasted my friend’s ling cod entrée and panna cotta dessert.
Bland uninspired flavours throughout. Presentation is nothing to write home about. The appy was of impressive size and was the best of the three. My entrée had a tiny piece of beef and a scattering of garnishes, one of which was sliced yellow squash (?) and was both raw and burned with zero flavour. My friend’s fish tasted as if it was prepared from a previously frozen filet. Again, no flavour, except for salt.
Dessert: well, the panna cotta was OK, and the chocolate cake was just that — a slice of cake. With some beetroot ice cream on the side — this had a flavour that I really didn’t appreciate. Presentation is lacking any interest.
I am sorry to be so disappointed, had high hopes after looking at the Unilocal ratings, but was completely bored.
Wine pairing for the dine-​out menu was $ 20. Service and ambience were adequate. Bread basket is extra $ 5.
This restaurant needs to kick it up a notch if it wants to survive the fierce competition.

A wonderful, innovative dinner that celebrated local produce and contemporary dining. Along with matched alcohol, this was a huge hit for me, a highlight of my dining in Vancouver this winter.

I wasn’t expecting anything exceptional when we sat at the bar, the place was well put together but not anything special, in what I would describe as hip casual atmosphere. The service was the same feel but when the food came my perception changed. Not in the presentation but in the artistry of Taste: Spectacular. The cocktails were inventive and good. Want to go back next time I’m in town for sure.

Strictly okay, though a vast improvement to the previous restaurant in the same location.
They must be commended for excellent portion sizes and value.
Where they fall flat for me is taste. Everything is bland and boring. I had the Ling Cod on one occasion, where the skin was prepared incorrectly and the salsa verde was the least flavourful I have ever had. On another occasion I had the beef shortrib, and this again was strictly okay.
I never had a chance to go to Farmer’s Apprentice, but the flavours here are incredibly boring and bland. The thought of this restaurant reminds of me of eating white wonder bread.

Admittedly, when I saw the location, I was concerned it was a high end approach to pub food. Don’t let the location fool you. Royal Dinette is an entirely independent operation from the Donnely establishments surrounding it. Not to slag the Donnely Group, but they are not known for their progressive menus and handcrafted dishes.
Royal Dinette was a pleasant surprise. The service was exceptional and professional. I felt tended to yet not suffocated.
I rarely order the specials but on this inaugural visit, I ordered both the starter special and the dinner special. The scallops were cooked perfectly and were seasoned and paired perfectly lightly with garnish. The Cornish game hen was a treat for the most part although these birds can tend to get a little dry. They did a phenomenal job maintaining flavours despite some bites not being as tender as they could have been.
I also ordered dessert which is something I do maybe twice a year. I’m glad my guest ordered as well as his came with the spruce gelato that I couldn’t leave without trying. In the end, my server brought me a small sample of my own.
Overall, a great experience with skilled serving staff and some notable dishes.

Dining here was one of the highlights of our trip to Vancouver. The service was excellent. All the dishes were inventive and fresh. No point writing about the dishes since they probably changed the menu. Everything we ordered was so delicious. The squid ink pasta was wonderful. The salmon was terrific but the cut of the salmon was small for the price. One thing that I tasted there that I never had in my life was melon cucumber. It is a size of a grape tomato. It taste a bit of lime and cucumber. These things were divine. I would love to just snack on them. Not sure where you find these things as I have never seen them before. Anyway, Royal Dinette is a solid choice for downtown Vancouver.

A surprise dinner party for 15 people, organized by an Asian woman who can’t count was made astoundingly successful — unlimited thanks to the help of wonderful front-​of-​house and back-​of-​house staff at Royal Dinette.
Informing the restaurant last minute you’re increasing the number of guests by «just 3» is an asshole move (whether you mean it or not) on the staff especially when they have a large corporate function happening at the same time. Please, responsible diners, if you incorrectly estimated the wrong count under the circumstance that the restaurant was almost at capacity, do not be entitled dickheads and expect them to pull magic out of a hat for you. And if the restaurant was able to accommodate, show your gratitude by tipping exponentially or buying beer for the whole crew.
Given the circumstance, the restaurant was able to move our table to tightly fit 15 guests (again, this is 200% my fault, yes I was THE asshole). Chen-​Wei Lee, manager, the master mind behind our seating arranging kept everyone happily liquored and pot-​bellied. Mr. Lee rocked it like a Superstar.
While early bird guests were waiting for the rest to show and surviving the ordeal I caused, we nibbled on complementary smoked olives. The smoked olives were delicious; smokey, flavorful but not salty. I had many olive haters at the table who couldn’t stopping picking at them.
I can’t speak for the drinks as I didn’t have any but the food was spectacular! Five burning red stars, no less. We left our fates in the hands of talented competent kitchen staff. We had no idea what the menu looked like as we weren’t presented with one and frankly it was a very pleasant arrangement because the unknown made ever dish thrilling. As we were a group larger than 8, our food was served family style = sharing style. We picked our price range and the journey began!
Appetizer: fresh raw oysters (lightly drizzled over with a different take on Mignonette sauce) AND charcuterie plate (excellent cured meats and a good variety of cheese) with VERY good crusty warm bread
Salad: watermelon salad/​heirloom tomatoes (winner) AND radicchio/​date purée/​anchovies AND burrata cheese with champagne grapes served with toasted bread
Pasta: linguini with sausage and lobster mushroom (very flavorful) AND Fusilli with chard and squash (light and summery). Pasta made fresh in-​house.
Main: PERFECTLY seared ling cod with octopus and chanterelle mushrooms AND tender pork belly/​sauteed spinach, pork cooked to PERFECTION
Dessert: goat cheese ice cream with fragrant sliced poached pears AND cantaloupe sorbet, julienne cucumber and crispy pavlova type of goodness
The quality of ingredients, the cooking technique, pace, service were all impeccable. I had many food enthusiasts that night and they were all blown away by the creativity, the complexity, and the deliciousness of the food.
A big thank you to every staff who accommodated patiently and tirelessly. You took me and my guests on a spectacular culinary journey that will undoubtedly be remembered and talked about for many years to come.

3.5 stars. Food was decent — agnolotti, the duck, smoked oysters were the highlights. Cocktails — 4.0 stars — East of Eden.
Service — 4.0 stars
Room a bit too noisy to carry quaint convo. The farm to table concept is good but management and operations is very ‘Donnelly’.

The newly opened Royal Dinette restaurant located below the formerly two-​storey Blackbird Public House & Oyster Bar comes from acclaimed Farmer’s Apprentice and Grapes & Soda chef/​co-​owner David Gunawan in partnership with the ubiquitous Donnelly Group (a silent partner). Taking over Blackbird’s previous first floor dining area (and the Keg Caesars before that) on Dunsmuir Street, the freshly renovated space is gorgeous with a classy, sophisticated look and feel in a neighbourhood dominated by chain restaurants.
Head chef Jack Chen heads up the 80-​seat farm-​to-​table eatery’s menu of locally-​sourced seasonal ingredients in keeping with a philosophy of sustainable dining. This preview night dinner – filling the entirety of the newly finished restaurant – was actually the staff’s first experience together serving any diners. Cannily, they served two different menus alternating from table to table.
To drink, I was delighted by the Amaro et Café cocktail (made with Elysian cold brew coffee, Amaro Montenegro, and orange) and its strong but welcoming mixture of tastes. Likewise, the classic French 75 (with gin, prosseco, pressed lemon, and orange oil) was also a light and refreshing pre-​dinner libation. Both cocktails are featured on the L’Apéro (apéritif) happy hour drink menu from bar manager Wendy McGuiness for your enjoyment while you wait for a table or your meal to be served.
To start, the salt baked beetroot (with summer berries, cheese, and sorrel granite) was predictably filled with fresh, simple flavours. I found it pretty refreshing.
As for the mains, the black pepper pappardelle (with zucchini and parmesan cheese) was serviceable but somewhat lacking with a very mild taste. The house made pasta was delicious and well-​made, but for me, deserved something more substantial topped on it.
The ling cod (with grilled cucumber, mussels, caramelized whey, and dill) was subtle, well-​cooked, and quite tasty as were the mussels in the sauce (enjoyed with some of their naturally leavened bread). The dish was understated but satisfying.
Royal Dinette is aiming for variety and complementary dishes with fresh pastas, tasting menus, sharing plates, and drink pairings as they’re going for a full dining experience. For dessert, I was quite taken with the well-​prepared stone fruit (with salted white chocolate, milk sorbet, and candied hazelnut) for bringing so many sweet flavours together sublimely.
For their very first outing serving anyone, let alone media and only hours after putting the finishing touches on the restaurant, Royal Dinette’s familiar yet welcoming menu of flavours is already fairly appealing. Coming to the table with such a strong pedigree from front of house to back, I only expect things to improve on a promising start in refining their menu and tastes.

A wonderful experience from start to finish. Slow paced, dim lit, New York feel. Food is rich, rustic and flavorful — experimental but not trying too hard. Whoever curated that wine list deserves a medal — they had a rare sparkling wine from Naramata and a Blaufrankish blend that I had never seen in Vancouver before. Take a date or a group of friends! Royal Dinette is something special.

Beautiful décor and venue, much improved from what was here before the renovation. It has a fairly limited menu hence not much for me to choose from. Food portions are on the small side. Service is attentive and friendly, not pretentious.

We two stopped in for a drink and light dinner.
AMBIANCE: 3.0. Good place for young groups.
SERVICE: 3.0. Friendly.
FOOD & DRINKS:
— 2.0. Salad («Garden») with Heirloom Tomato, Watermelon, Goat Feta, Nasturtium. The sugar, especially the large quantity, surprised us unpleasantly.
— 2.5. Wines. Had two glasses of red wine. Experience didn’t match the price.

Oh my word, this place is amazing… This is the first restaurant downtown that I have been impressed with– thank you David Gunawan. Props to indo!
Ok, on with the review.
Then décor is a mix between industrial and old Italian joint. Love it. I secretly hope no one finds out about this place so there won’t be long lines ;) Not surprisingly it draws a business crowd which is fine. In fact, I was here for a business lunch! It was hard to talk too much business because the food was such a distraction!
We ordered the 2 course prix fix.
Heirloom tomatoes with watermelon and goat cheese: decadent… Like summer in every bite. I licked the plate clean.
Gnocchi with chanterelle Swiss chard: I am a sucker for gnocchi and believe that it is a true test of a chefs ability to cook. These were just pillows of heaven. The mushrooms and chard added an earthy flavor. Oh and the corn. Oh the corn… It was wonderfully fresh and crisp. I could eat this again and again and wouldn’t get bored.
Salmon with harvest vegetables: the salmon was cooked perfectly at medium rare. It was so fresh.
I would come back here in a heart beat to try other items on the menu. Apparently the menu changes every week so I guess I’ll be back on a weekly basis!

Used Unilocal to research restaurants in Vancouver as our previous favorite was fully booked and we discovered a great new find.
This place has only been open a short time, but should become one of the best.
It offers a farm to table theme with some French and Asian overtones.
The only negative we observed was that they played background music which was a bit too loud, but not terrible.
We tried the tasting menu which offered a variety of smallish, but adequate, dishes, each of which was incredibly flavor packed and outstanding. Each dish was a piece of art and exciting to the palate. Despite some comments of other reviewers, we were quite satisfied with the quantities.
The tasting menu offered a variety of dishes including seafood, chicken, beef, veggies, pasta and desert. Service was quite good.
Highly recommended.

Hats down! Thumbs up!
Everything on the menu was like the Fourth of July fireworks took place with my taste buds. Simply delicious!!!
Ambiance reminds me so much of Hell’s Kitchen restaurants, with the tile floors and open air concept. This place took me back to NYC.
You will not be disappointed…
And their drinks?! I like «Something Wet» menu selection.

Hearing the hype that the owner of Farmer’s Apprentice opened up this new establishment just 3 weeks ago, I knew I had to come here last week to try it out.
The seasonal menu offers a farm-​to-​table theme using fresh ingredients and organic plating. The plates are meant to be shared. We came here for dinner and tried the following:
D’Original Charcuterie Plate, House Mustard ($ 18)
Beet Salad
Spring Salmon with Clams ($ 24)
Tamworth & Berkshire Pork ($ 28)
Pasta with Speck (Special of the Night)
Berry Bourbon Dessert
The pork was everyone’s favourite of the night. Cooked perfectly, flavourful, and paired with tons of fresh veggies.
Kentucky Waltz (bourbon, vermouth, apricot, bitters, & finished with 10yr Ardbeg whisky $ 14) = fun times.
Great service and ambiance. The kitchen is completely open with seating all around — bar style. This place is definitely on the more pricier side in terms of value for portions — better saved for a special occasion.

Recently came into Royal Dinette for lunch and was blown away.
I started with a cocktail, one of my favourites the French 75. It was everything that I could have asked for: fresh, light and bubbly. My friend and I then shared one of the cheese plates which had delicious accompaniments and one of their freshly in house made pasta dishes.
The service was fantastic as well. I sat waiting for my friend for a while when I first arrived and the GM came right over to introduce himself to me and to tell me about the restaurant. Later he sent over some olives for us to try. Our server was really great as well. He made sure to tell us all the specials and his personal favourite menu items.
I can see that this place is going to blow up soon! They’re only going to keep getting better as the months go by. Great work Royal Dinette!

The food here was delicious! We were sent her by David, a concierge at the Fairmont since we were looking for a farm to table type of restaurant. A major plus was that they were accommodate our party that had a wide variety of dietary restrictions (gluten sensitivities, lactose intolerance, and vegetarian). Our server was able to answer all our questions and was able to recommend dishes based on the dietary restrictions of our group.
Atmosphere was hip, but not so much that not everyone would feel comfortable dining here. It is very casual and relaxed.
Some of the reviews complain about the prices in combination with the portion size of the plates. The plates are served with the intent of sharing, like family style. It’s about the quality of the food, not the quantity. If you are looking for a place to stuff yourself silly or have leftovers for days, this is not the place for you. What you get here is really high quality food without the snobbish atmosphere that you normally get with fine dining. With multiple plates and drinks, our party averaged about $ 50/​person after tax and tip. On a side note, we were all very satisfied and did not need to get additional food afterwards.
This somewhere I would definitely go to again next time I’m in the area!

We were given a tip by a local who knew of a snappy new restaurant being opened to the public for the first time (that very day) so we decided to give it a whirl. Apparently the talented chef/​owner has another successful restaurant in Kitsilano called the Farmers Apprentice, & he favors fresh locally sourced ingredients. Sounds good, right?
In short, we ALL loved it. First, everyone (including our charming waiter Travis) was super friendly. But the food (& beverages) were even more amazing!
We decided to try the fixed prix menu with drink pairings, & sorry to say I didn’t snap a picture of the menu (or all the dishes) — so not sure I can remember all the detail of what we ate. But I do know that everything was simply superb, wonderfully executed & presented.
Memorable favorites included a lovely dish of burrata cheese with plums, plus a peppery pasta with garden tomatoes & lots of other deliciousness. Also loved the sorrell with soft cheese & lime meringue sorbet served as last dish in the series.
The drinks went well with each dish, & I especially loved the sour beer.
Although a bit pricey, I’d say it was certainly worth the splurge. If you’re in Vancouver, check it out. I highly recommend it, & would return in a heartbeat.