The Belmont Bar

Went here for dine out Vancouver. The menu looked great. Unfortunately, the food was terrible. Appetizers I had risotto balls, the were actually good. For my main I ordered the stuffed chicken breast. It was extremely overcooked and tough so I sent it back and I asked for the pasta. I fingered you cannot screw up with pasta as it’s the easiest thing to cook. The pasta was a stuffed mushroom ravioli, it was decent, not bad. For dessert I had the flourless chocolate tort/​cake, it was ok.
The service very slow, however the server was good (if that makes any sense). She was very friendly.

They play a lot of old school music compared to the music they’ll play back in Orange County.
Cover on a Friday night is only $ 6.

3.5 out of 5.
Nice basement level bar on Granville Street, with an above average selection of beers for the Vancouver’s ‘entertainment strip’ (20+ drafts on tap).
The food menu is pretty limited, I wouldn’t recommend heading here for dinner. However, If you’re just looking for something to snack on there’s some fun items available. My personal favourite is the awesomely named Sausage Party (3 different sausages, bread, condiments). Yes, I like sausage parties.
Avoid the lounge area on live music nights as the acoustics are way above comfortable conversation levels.

Unilocal will not let me delete this review.

Classy place with live music from 7 – 10. The bar is downstairs with spacious seating area. The appetizers were good and music by the house band was phenomenal. Hope to come again! Only deter was some 18year olds got wasted and caused commotion.

It was a fat security which doesn’t talk very nice to patrons.
Was rude. Didn’t get to the place itself though.

I came to the Belmont after a Women’s World Cup Game and they were amazing. The beer list was good, and my party split appetizers. Everything was really good! The service was excellent. Our food seemed to be taking a little long and when we asked about how much longer our food would be, they were right on it and exactly correct with how long it would take. The DJ was also on point. Looking forward to coming back in a few weeks.

Came here on a Saturday, was busy but too extremely busy to the point of people are walking into each other. Like the vibe, it was very casual and no cattyness. The crowd and the music was good. Dance floor isn’t huge but fits a good amount of people. Unfortunately the blond male bartender was super slow. There was 3 people waiting for drinks and we stood there for 20 – 25 mins because he was so slow (did he just wake up?). He had no emotion and was not personable what so ever. We ended up going to get drinks by the bar in the back and it was way faster.

We were looking for a nice venue for a special birthday party that could do dinner, drinks and dancing. Based on previous visits, as well as the helpful review of Nelson C., we decided this was a safe bet, and The Belmont came through with flying colours! A bit tricky to find at first – even if you’re looking for it – but you will not be disappointed.
Atmosphere: A–
I came here back when this was called The Cellar, and though they had a dinner menu, it was very dark, and the food was standard pub grub. The new renovations really turned this place around. A very nice looking bar, with great lighting, and some booths near the back of the main seating area. The staff are all well dressed, the new food and drink menu is awesome, and everything really came together with their new look. Claire’s live music was an excellent choice, with a very lounge-​y feel; props to whoever found her. It set the mood for the entire evening, and her music shifted more towards pop music covers as it came closer to changing over to club music.
Dinner menu: a solid A
Their dinner menu is fantastic, with EVERYONE (a party of 12) loving their food. I shared the Harvest Salad, Steak Frites and Lamp Chops (both rare) for dinner, and it was among the best I’ve had. The lamp chops and salad were excellent. The dressing and pine nuts on the salad were a perfect match for the chops, which were every bit as juicy as Nelson described in his review, and the pesto was a very nice touch. I was happy they had a good sized wine menu, and paired dinner with a bottle of JLohr and was extremely satisfied.
Note — I also sampled the scallops and bacon, which were a real treat. The ‘bacon’ is an amazing piece of pork belly (and sadly does overshadow the scallops a bit), and really can’t do any wrong.
Dessert: A
Admittedly, I was full after dinner, but half of our table saved room for their crème brûlée and chocolate torte. There was nothing but a bit of sauce left on the bottom of the plates, and the girls were VERY satisfied with their dishes. So much so that they pretty much all shared plates so everyone got to try both. I don’t think I would’ve gotten any even if I asked: o
Drinks: A+
I’m a HUGE fan of The Refinery and Sip lounge, solely because their bartenders are among the best in the city and can really cater drinks to your preference and taste. They know their drinks, flavour profiles, and can quickly learn what you like. Daniel and Luke, with their smaller stocked bar, are every bit as good. They offered our group a cocktail tasting of three drinks!
The first was called a Highway 76. I’m thinking this was just to cleanse everyone’s pallets and get ready for what was to come. It was delicious, and went down very easy. Despite being a sampler, most people had a sip and finished the rest as a shot. Good mix of sour with a hint of sweet.
Next up was a cran/​raspberry (not sure?) twist on the classic Mai Tai. This drink really won everyone over, and got us ALL talking. It was delicious! A perfect mix of alcohol and flavour.
We finished up with a vodka martini. Luke added a hint of drambuie and some green tea for flavour. It was very unique (in a good way), and an extremely refreshing end to the tasting.
Dancing/​Music: B+
We loved the live music, and the transition over to the DJ was near seamless. They even had a full band later in the night to cover some top 40 hits (Uptown Funk pretty much emptied all seats and filled the dance floor). Only reason they don’t get an A is because I know live music not for everyone (one of our party wasn’t up for it). Still; great DJ’s for the nightclubbing crowd, and great live music for dinner/​drinking lounge!
I’d highly recommend this place if you’re looking for something different than the usual night clubbing experience. An awesome dinner menu, and even better drinks.

Hahaha, horrible place. Not only is staff rude, arrogant, and unprepared, this place is one of the worst bars I have ever been. Bouncers are is a joke, door cashiers are bitches, and bar tenders have no idea how to make the simplest drinks. I paid $ 45 for 4 shooters with literally 1 shot of liquor. When questioned the bar tender didn’t even know what he was talking about. Absolutely horrible. Never worth a dam.

We were looking for a place to hang out at after dining and tried this: loved it!
We felt like this is a place with a very nice crowd of all ages and horizons where you just dance like you want to, nobody judging you, enough place to dance, good music, didn’t try the cocktails but beer was very good! And this place closes at 3am, still early for Europeans but better than most places in Vancouver, so you can have a nice long party night!
We will definitely be back!

Really loved that this was down stairs from my hotel (Comfort Inn). The staff if super friendly, the food is delicious and so are the drinks! It turns into a club at night & I can truly say it’s a blast! I spent the weekend up there for my birthday and they made it a great one!

This was the old Cellar and now called the Belmont.
Came here with some friends to chill with a drink and listen to some music. I really like the place, it’s not that big and can get pretty packed, but it has atmosphere. The place doesn’t look like one of those trendy dark night clubs, but a cool bar with lots of baroque design touches all around.
There’s a few long communal tables and a few smaller tables where you can have dinner. As the night progresses on, they remove the tables at the front and it becomes a dance floor. There’s a live band and a DJ during intermission on a Saturday night.
It’s pretty relaxed and you don’t have to dress up, but you can if you want to. Crowd is a mixture of all kinds and pretty friendly. Bonus: there’s ample seating around when you get tired of dancing and it’s not just reserved for VIPs :)

So I finally came here for the food. This was during dine out and I chose the harvest Salad, Lamb Chops and Chocolate Torte. (Which surprisingly on the normal menu would have cost the same as the regular menu at $ 28. The bonus was the crème brulé which I’ll discuss later. But when you think of it, that’s pretty inexpensive for a 3 course meal with live music and in a beautiful space such as the Belmont.)
The Harvest Salad: I loved how the oven dried tomatoes tasted by themselves but paired with the apple vin the flavor just popped. When taking a bite of all the flavors you’ll note the blue cheese first, followed by the notes of the sweetness of the apple vin and tomatoes and the crunch of the pecans and pears. Its a very interesting taste sensation and probably the best salad I’ve had! What’s that line from the Simpsons? It’s like there’s party in my mouth and everyone’s invited. (From the Flaming Moe episode.) Yes, I just used that reference to a salad. But it’s true! You have to try this salad!
Second dish was the Lamb Chops. 3 chops. Mint couscous which is house made as told to me by the bartender Luke, candied pine nuts and arugula pesto garnished with parsley. The lamb chops were plated very neatly and were perfectly seared on the outside and moist and juicy on the inside. Cooked to rare medium the lamb chops were excellent. The couscous on the other hand… were OK. They were cold on the outside of the plate and then warmer as you got to the center heated by the lamb chops (which is to be expected. I just almost never eat couscous and do prefer it warmer when I do eat it. However they were light and fluffy like they should be.) By themselves they were OK but when you mix them with the candied pine nuts they formed an excellent taste combination. Overall this was a very good dish! Highly recommend the lamb chops but mix the couscous with the candied pine nuts. (I do like how the chef plated this dish and separated the couscous, pesto and candied pine nuts and would recommend they keep doing it this way. Its just my personal preference to eat it this way.)
The petite chocolate torte, with raspberries and crème brulé (I’m not sure but I think the crème brulé was the bonus for the dine out.). The chocolate torte was piping hot!!! I knew they made it fresh because it was ALMOST too hot to eat initially. How do I describe this dish? It tasted almost like semi-​creamy chocolate fudge goo in a nice brownie shell. Its was good. Especially when you mix in the raspberries. The crème brulé was excellent! Very nice hard shell surrounded by creamy sugar goodness. I enjoyed the crème brulé the most out of the two.
If I were to summarize this «bar» I would actually call it one of the most inexpensive value packed fine dining experiences in Vancouver. And that’s the hidden value proposition that I hope more people discover (you certainly will if you used to eat out a lot around Yaletown, Coal Harbor and around the financial district.) From the neatly dressed staff including the bouncers, the knowledgeable bartenders that can explain the science of beer and beer craft (and wine), to the friendly hostesses, wait staff and coat check girl, the manager and the wonderful performers every night. From the fact that if you really want, you can stay after dinner to enjoy the venue as a club or walk upstairs with your beer (after paying for it*) for a different vibe and back down again (you’ll need a stamp after 10pm to do this. *Make sure you pay for your food/​beer first before doing this!*) And the location! It’s in the heart of the Granville entertainment district! As I finish this review the day after I woke up with the memory of the seared outside of the lamb chops on my brain and how I recalled the savoriness of the dish. Yum!
Although you may miss it on a first visit, after experiencing the Belmont over many visits it’s hard to give anything less than 5. I don’t usually give five stars for anything unless it’s a unique experience, the best in a specialized niche, or it has done something to wow me but I have to say the Belmont has grown on me especially after trying the food. In fact it’s the food that pushed me over the normally 4 stars I give a great establishment. It’s really good and you must come try it! Especially around 7 when there is the live performer. (Call and find out, I don’t know exactly when it starts.)
Special note: I came at 9:50 which was 10 minutes before the kitchen closed and was pleasantly surprised that they would take my order at 9:55. Compliments to the chef because I can understand having to work a little bit more after your shift ends. But 2 bartenders confirmed that yes, they do take food orders up to a minute before 10.

so much fun!!! best time,
we had bottle service, Zorro the manager was great… the bartenders as well!
Music was great rb and hip hop !!! great crowd

Used to be the Cellar.
Upscale looking place now where you feel like you’re in a Moroccan jazz club with a dance floor.
The same bartenders suck as they ignore you to go clean a glass or sing or talk. The only exception is the lady «bartendress» with dark lipstick and black hair — she rocks!
No real drink specials. 7.75 for shiraz wine that tastes old and sour and not measured. $ 6.50 Coronas. Went up to the bar 3 times and still could not get an order until I wavied my hands like I just don’t care!
There are bands, singers etc. — they are trying to be the Roxy! They actually are better than the Roxy I think. The only problem is that it’s cheezy to have bands in a nightclub while you call in new patrons from the street to fill up the space.
The place empties fast and is sparing in customers even at 11:30PM and then fills up again later in the night.
Odd crowd and vibe — groups of men from one country who have no sense or class about how to treat a woman, 3 guys wearing the same type of shirt, mentally unstable people, girls who use one woman as bait to draw in men and opt for daring acts of whatever in a public setting, people’s jackets and items being stolen, glasses not being cleared away or sometimes excessively.
No comments on the food because I haven’t tried it. Looks good though in passing.
Music is so varied and confusing that I don’t know if I feel 9 or 90 years sometimes.
Dunno…something is missing

We were looking for a spot on Granville to go dancing, and I remembered I had been to bar that was in the location the Belmont now is. We were able to get in without a cover (hallelujah!) and walked in. It was pretty dead at 10:30 on a Saturday, but quickly filled up. We stayed for an hour and half, but at that point most of the songs we heard had been played twice before, and we felt like most of the songs were songs we heard at middle school dances. I even told my boyfriend that I’d wear SeaHawks gear for the game the next day if we heard something that had been released in the past year.
Let’s just say I was still a Broncos fan come the next day. A good spot to grab a drink, but we probably wouldn’t settle here all night.

I miss the Cellar. The Belmont Bar is another example of the direction clubs in Vancouver are heading. Hey what time is it? «Quarter past douche» Oh, must be time to go to The Belmont Bar !!! Never have I been so rudely treated in my life at a bar or club. I had a complementary drink ticket that said «Good for free drink » Now all I wanted was a rum and coke but the bartender, who was a combination of both a jock and a sloth said to me «This is only good for a Vitamin C». Now he says it’s $ 8 for the rum and coke you made my pour and holds my complementary drink ticket hostage saying I don’t get the Vitamin C drink until I pay for the Rum and Coke. Wow, I’m speechless at this point, I don’t have cash so start to walk to the bank machine that will charge me a $ 4 service fee and a probing. Now remember it’s Halloween, we are in costumes, mine a huge pot leaf, so my leaves are getting in peoples way a bit. This «night manager» Scott Disick type comes up and says «Hey your gonna have to keep that costume under control or I’m gonna have to ask you to leave». This was what he said to me while I was on my way to the bank machine to get my drink out of the POW camp it was being detained in by bartender G. I Slow. After I pull out cash and start to head to the bar the Disick manager walks up again and says «No, I just seen you smack like 4 people with your costume, you gotta go » Yes I know a giant pot leaf not the best costume for a club but IT’S A PUB CRAWL. If you didn’t want people in costumes bumping into other people than maybe you shouldn’t have signed up for the crawl but you did sign up didn’t you and you know why.? because money tastes good doesn’t it Belmont? Yeah I hope you’re reading this. I should also mention I do not in any way shape or form look like I come from or possess any large amounts of money. Which is why I believe I was treated so rudely by the staff at The Belmont Bar. , The Belmont Bar is a cashist and I am a victim of their Cashism Don’t become a victim too, the only thing separating them from every other club is their great attitudes. Waste your money elsewhere Vancouver
You Have Been Warned !!!

Can I say «Wow!» The new Belmont has definitely made drastic changes from the old Cellar! The place has been turned upside down into a sharp looking lounge serving delicious food and drinks. We went there on a Monday evening and they had a very talented musician on stage! I love places with live music and food!(what more could you ask for?)
I had originally wanted to order the scallops and bacon as the photos on Unilocal looked delectable but they had ran out so I ordered the braised beef short ribs instead and it was cooked to perfection with mashed potatoes and mushrooms, the dish was only $ 15 too which was excellent for the quality. Minus one star for not having the scallops but I will be back to try them! I would highly recommend this place to anyone that likes live music, a stylish scene and quality food for a reasonable price!

Came here last night with the boy for date night and have to say I was pretty impressed with the place. If any of you have been to the cellar night club it’s the exact same venue but they renovated and turned it into a lounge. The food and drinks were great, seating was comfortable and the music was chill. Currently they are doing a «soft» opening to work out the kinks so give them a break if things aren’t perfect. The official grande opening is November 6/14…will definitely be back.