Blue Hat Bakery & Bistro at Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts

We went for The Bear Dinner. While each dish had its strong points, the money we paid - $125 + tax per person - was not worth it. The starting focaccia was rock hard and cold. It seemed like it was made this morning. You can cut the top of your mouth when eating it. I was expecting soft, warm, and buttery bread. The whipped ricotta dip and spicy honey was good though. The asparagus with quail egg was tasty, but it could have come with a little bit more ikura (and don’t market it as caviar). Again, maybe a few more asparagus would be nice! The cavatelli texture was great in my opinion- cooked al dente. However, the sauce was too salty and no one around us got any guanciale, even though it was listed as an ingredient. The flank steak was cooked nicely, and well seasoned, and cooked medium rare, but 4 slices instead of two would’ve been a better value for money. Two carrots, instead of one, would’ve rounded out the dish nicely. Before the dessert was served, they brought out dinner rolls. We were all confused as to what to do - eat it first? Is it supposed to be dipped in something? Then the dessert came. The salted caramel was overly salted, but the hazelnut mousse was ok and the chocolate pretzels were fine. The last thing were macaroons. Service was average. Our server wasn’t very friendly and never smiled. When I pointed out the missing guanciale the server did not come back for a follow-up. My overall experience was mildly disappointing and I would not recommend going next year. At $125 + tax you’re paying Michelin-level price, and this missed the mark.

Hosted an intimate Wedding Dinner here - 38 People (Our whole wedding at the church was over 100 people) Best Choice Ever. Intimate Gatherings, especially at PICA/Blue Hat Bistro are so in. Food served was amazing, service was top notch and what a beautiful venue space they have! (Inside and Out!) Would not hesitate to host another event here again the future! Thank you for a memorable wedding dinner!

I had been wanting to try this restaurant for quite some years now. Finally, I met up a friend here for our birthday back in the summer. Sadly, it turned out they did not have the restaurant anymore, just a bakery and bistro, but we decided to try it anyway. The menu was quite limited. Both our food and our drinks were only lukewarm. They did not taste bad, but it would be more enjoyable if served hot. This was a bit of wasting such a nice location.

I used to love this place and I came almost everyday. The Chicken and Bacon Sandwiches, soups, and sourdough breads were some of my favorites, and with reasonable prices. But since this place renovated, some of the prices increased or doubled. I stoppped coming for awhile, but today, I decided to pay them a visit. I saw the same friendly staff who used to help me, Lily, who greeted me enthusiastically. I ordered a Mediterranean Tuna Sandwich on multi-grain. I loved the artichoke, and the textures and flavours were also amazing. I'm glad to come back.

The food was very good. Large seating area and outdoor patio. When dining in I would prefer that they take the food to your table rather than yelling out your order, I can understand if getting a coffee to go. Clean ...but I did not see any wiping down tables between customers. Staff were friendly. $$

We tried them out during Dine Out Vancouver 2020, and we were very impressed. Our server was very attentive, patient, and funny. He made sure we had a great time. And the food? Excellent, right from the plating down to the dessert's smallest morsel. Highly recommended.

This review is strictly on the baked goods and pastries and not on the restaurant food. I ordered the black forest, mille fueille and a berry danish to go. The total came up to around $19-20. The black forest was definitely on the sweeter side. The cherries on the inside are soaked in alcohol which I liked as it is a black forest. The cake itself wasn't too dry but I felt like there was too much mousse and it was just too sweet for me personally. The mille fueille was definitely the best out of the three desserts. The layers of puff pastry was nice and crispy and light. Very buttery. The diplomat cream wasn't too sweet and was well balanced. Berry danish was the biggest disappointment out of the three. It was not crispy at all, almost to the point where it was tough. It wasn't flaky and pretty disappointing. Overall the items were pretty disappointing especially for the price. I did love the decor and this would probably be a great place to chill and catch up with friends but not for the good but for the ambiance.

Blue Hat bakery & bistro is located at the entrance of Granville Island public market. The quality of bakery they provide is very good and fresh brew coffee large just price at 3 CAD. Today we ordered a cup of large coffee and a piece of carrot cake to share with. The windows open to Granville harbor, very relaxing to sit there and enjoy a moment of tranquility.😊

Hazelnut mousse cake is really good orange chocolate mousse was very delicious as well flan tart was not very sweet at all but after heating it up it tasted sweet lots to choose from prices are great

Rather disappointed. The desserts were beautiful, but we were hoping for a bit more variety. Pastry selection wasn't great at all (we swung by just after opening). We were hoping for really amazing, foodie desserts (we brought two home). But the flavors weren't anything special. If you want really good desserts or pastries, visit the bakeries in Granville market.

Sweets. Savories. Entrees. Deliciousness!! The tasty vegetarian pizza with fresh mushrooms, a rainbow of peppers, little crunches of cornmeal on the crust, and the smoothest cheese called my name last weekend. This little gem is Bakery 101, and is tucked into the main floor northeast corner of the square brick building which houses the Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts. Oh, mouth heaven! How did I ever miss this tasting station? The baked goods display case, situated on the left as you enter, held green tea mousse, chocolate croissants the size of a cruise ship, lemon meringue tarts, and other temptations. The pecan cranberry tart jumped out at me. Topped with a generous oval of smooth whipped cream with a chocolate spiral, underneath which nestled some totally rich dark powdered choco - was beautiful to look at and sensational in the mouth. Not too sweet, nice crunch to the pecans and a satisfying snap to the cranberries. Pastry with a nice flake to it. I will pack my silver pastry fork for my next visit, though, as the plastic fork was not up to the job. Oh, so good. Yes, I am blithering about this place. The entree of the day was squab, topped with Hunter Sauce, sided with spring veg, priced at $5.95. With all the yummies prepared by students, the selection varies, depending on what's being studied that day. The folks at the table next to me were moaning with delight over their selections - their first visit too, but not the last! On offer is Mighty Leaf tea, the one with the little gauze tea bag. Black iron bistro sets, a view of the culinary kitchen, complete with students, and the best prices for Granville Island. In the time it took me to savour the pizza and tart - waves of taste seekers purchased most of the desserts of the day. This place rocks! Perfect perch on a blustery Saturday, or any time!

Their cinnamon buns with cream cheese is to die for! It's soft on the inside and crusty on the outside. Perfect pairing with coffee! I really enjoy their fruit danishes as well especially the pear and apricot It's super dangerous for me as I work so close to the bakery. The struggle to resist getting a baked good everyday is too real!

Bakery 101 allows you to have delicious, freshly baked breads and pastries for the price of a stale doughnut from Tim Hortons. The students from the Pacific Culinary Institute supply the wares in this bakeshop located adjacent to their school. The key is to arrive earlier in the day as many of the goodies sell out early. Their chocolate croissants and scones are not only delicious but huge and super cheap. Their signature "pasuwa" is good enough to send a chocolate lover into a choco-coma. Not all of their offerings are available every day but I think it is possible to special order cakes or pastries with notice. Obviously the instruction that the students receive is quite good because the products that they make are fabulous.

Fantastic baked goods and great coffee from the culinary school cafe. Some outdoor seating, nice location beside Granville island. Considering the lack of decent coffee shops on Granville island this is worth walking a little further.

Stopped here today for a loaf of bread, a snack and a coffee and was impressed (once again). We ate @ the restaurant a few years ago and discovered that in addition to good value for the dollar, that the food was very tasty. The bakery portion of this endeavour is no exception to these rules. Our loaf of bread was fresh out of the oven and while probably not as diverse in taste as the multigrain loaf that we bought at Terra Breads minutes before, it was much bigger, had a thick and chewy crust and it was almost 1/2 the price ($3 vs $5). I ordered a latte and it was delicious and at $2.50 for a medium, an excellent deal. Finally we shared a chocolate chip cookie ($1.50), and while it was not the tastiest one I have had, it was fresh, large (6" dia) and overall excellent value. I will return to this bakery for any of the three things that we bought, and aim to try the selection of premade sandwiches that they offer ($3-5) in the future!

Great baked goods and pastries - in particular, the stollen was the best I've had in years. Perfect texture and flavour, highly recommended. I look forward to future visits.

Starving, we made a beeline for the Bakery 101. Meals at culinary institutes are often very good, with both cooks and servers doing their best to shine - alas, this was not the case here. The people behind the counter seemed to be working without coordination, so the line moved slowly and service was chaotic. That could have been forgiven, if the soup (a bland curried cauliflower) had been less so-so and I had not made the mistake of ordering the rock-hard, ganache-filled tube of someone's idea pâte à choux masquerading as an éclair. These student wares, offered at market-rate prices are hardly a great advertisement for the Institute.

For students working here the food & pastries are as good as a professional shop. I only gave them a bad review b/c of the culture they try to instill into the student. Yes its important to be respectful to your mentors but they instill fear into the students. The call the leader Chef. Yes chefs are skillful & talented but they should not place their importance in line with doctors or airline pilots. What they do is not lifesaving. Its like an episode of a Gordon Ramsey cooking show. That culture of fear can lead to abuse of staff & unsafe work conditions & for that alone I take off 3 stars. Chef Ned Bell of the Yew is one that I admire. He had a show once in Calgary called "Its Just Food" & that says it all.

One of the best deals in the city for scoring some well prepared pastries by the students of the culinary school. Great 3 pack deals on desserts and savory items. Cheap and baked better under professional training than some of the other bakeries. I come here to get some bread when I am going or hosting a get together. Hint....arrive early. They close at 5, however, most of the good items are gone by 3. I agree with Jeff with the culture that is fostered in the culinary arts which is part of the reason I dropped out early, however, technically these pastries are within noticeable merit for what they are.

The best place in town for French pastries and birthday cakes.always fresh and friendly service, highly recommended.