Water St. Café

Best place is the ambiance. Thank you for the dining experience. They have private rooms upstairs for hosting. Excellent service, 5 stars. Only critique is that the food was wayyyy too oily. Like the oil from the food and vegetables soaked through the take out container, through the paper bag. It was that soiled.

I enjoy dining here while listening to the small live performances on weekends. The food is consistently excellent, and the Sunday evening tasting course is truly outstanding. The staff also provide exceptional service, which makes the overall experience even better.

We were a party of 6. Booking online was easy. The ambience is warm and cozy. Our host was very friendly and prompt. The food and drinks were amazing and service was great. I had the seafood gnocchi which was amazing. Would definitely go back.

We really enjoyed eating here. They had a happy hour menu, which made it to where you could try several things. All the food was excellent. The servings and atmosphere were great. There was also live music. If you're in the area, you definitely need to try them out.

Came here for brunch and ordered their Classic Morning Carbonara, Lemon Pepper Fries, and Garlic Cheese Toast. I love the ambience in the morning, so cozy while watching the Gastown Steam Clock. The food is good and service is great. Accompany myself with the warm tea to start the day. We came again the next day to try their pasta. We ordered the gnocci and the roasted chicken spaghetti a la pomodoro. The truffle in the gnocci is very tasty. I also like the roasted chicken they served.

Location is perfect that located in front of gas town steam clock. Food and service are decent and surprisingly price is reasonable. We enjoyed brunch there on a Sunday. Waiter even said feel free to pop out for picture then back. It’s a good place to bring visitors there.

Great location at the Gas town. Rustic interior, welcoming and friendly staff. I found some foods were good some weren't. Notably the deep fried ravioli. I thought it would be more crunch and crispy but rather dry and tough. Salmon and crab cakes were really good though. Lots.of flavour, cooked thoroughly without being overcooked. Overall it was good and good value especially if you go during happy hour which runs till 5 30! (Quite late for happy hour :) )

The perfect Gastown lunch spot to catch up with a friend. I met a friend for lunch here recently, and it reminded me why Water St. Cafe remains a Gastown staple. From the moment we walked in, the atmosphere was spot on, classic, elegant, but welcoming. We were lucky enough to get a table near the window, which offered a great view of the cobblestones and the steam clock, adding a great backdrop to our conversation. The service was impeccable, attentive without being intrusive, which is exactly what you want when you are deep in conversation. As for the food, it did not disappoint. It’s rare to find a spot that balances high-quality food, historic charm, and great hospitality so effortlessly. Highly recommended for anyone looking for a memorable lunch in the city.

We came here on Saturday night at 6pm during Vancouver dine-out festival without a reservation. We asked to be seated on the 2nd floor where they have live music and tapas style food. The guy at the front told who helped the maitre d us that they were fully booked due to the festival even on the 2nd floor. But he really wanted to help us so they spoke quietly and finally he said he could seat us toward the back of the room but we could still see the live jazz music. They had lots of specials for the festival and we ordered 3 appetizers for $20. We ordered duck spring rolls, lemon garlic fries and mushroom. Instead of the mushroom we got the Burrata and we didn't mind it but we brought it up to our waitress in case we had someone else's order. They apologized and asked us to just enjoy it and brought the mushroom dish free of charge. I also had the bourbon whisky sour with egg white and aperol and it was really delicious. It was a really enjoyable night and I would like to thank all the staff at Water Street Cafe to accommodate us during their busiest night of the month. We will definitely come back again when we are in Vancouver!

Bucatini Cacio e pepe was ok needed more giancuale, as tasty but seemed a bit lacking, and the Breakfast Bolognese was too acidic, too tomatoee. Tomatoe overpowered the whole dish. Lastly their utensils were worn out and rusty. Even had a dirty spoon...In general the restaurant looks worn down from the inside. Would not recommend personally. Service was good though! The green tea was good! I don't think they made it though!

This restaurant is located in a very lively area of Vancouver and is a great place to enjoy a quality meal close to local attractions and transportation. The staff are kind and attentive and offered great suggestions when it came to ordering. I ordered the lobster and 8oz PEI Grass-Fed Striploin. I always order my steaks medium rare. This steak came out slightly over cooked, but was still fantastic and had a great glaze. The lobster tail was rich in flavour and cooked to perfection. The lemon pepper fries were seasoned well and had a great taste. After dinner we decided to order the tiramisu for dessert. It was extremely decadent and delicious. It was definitely too large a portion for one person and was easily shared between 3 of us. I would highly recommend ordering it though if you go. If I'm in the Gastown area this will definitely be a spot on my radar.

Upscale cafe smack dab in the heart of Gastown. People watchers, rejoice, gaze upon tourists looking at the steam clock and wanderers about. The tall glass windows give you bright and light vibe inside. The service across the board is fantastic. Attentive, polite, not overbearing. The menu isn't gigantic but a nice variety, including Brunch options til 3. The food is good, it will deliver exactly what you hoped it would be, nothing more. My grilled chicken sandwich was a huge chuck of meat in a smaller focaccia bun. While my chicken did have a bone in it, it was tender and delicious. The fries that came with it were almost a thrown in afterthought. If someone asked me if they should go here I would confidently say yes. But I wouldn't go out of my way to recommend it. It's exactly what you want it to be, without standing out beyond that. There's something to be said for that.

WOW. The food was 10/10, great wine list, friendly staff, super cute interior, and great location around other shops and restaurants! We got the full rack of ribs and it was so full of flavor and the accoutrements were so unexpected. I absolutely loved the baked orecchiette with truffle chicken and cream sauce, everything I could ask for

Service was perfect and beyond perfect I should say. Ambiance is dark & quiet, while there's music on the second floor. Food is not as good as I remembered, being here a few years back. *West Coast Crab Cakes: not bad, quite a taste of crab *Prosciutto e Melone: this dish was very, very good. The honeycomb made a big difference *Spaghetti Alle Vongole: this dish is good although it tasted 　 more buttery and lacking the white wine sauce. *Oven-Roasted Chicken a la Parmesan: oh my was this dish disappointing. The chicken Parmesan was surprisingly so bland. *Garlic Cheese Toast *Roasted Wild Mushrooms: *Braised Lamb Shank: tender and fall off the bone yummy. *Tiramisu: an Italian classic that had a good amount of liqueur *Warm Apple Upside Down Cake: love this and this is a must try! I will have the Prosciutto e Melone and the Warm Apple Upside Down Cake again anytime. Unfortunately the appetizers and the Extras were better than the mains.

Located directly opposite to the steam clock in Gastown, Water St. Cafe serve all day food, drinks, and live music performance. Service was amazing, very friendly and attentive. Water was constantly refilled without asking. Jazz performance was okay but unfortunately not to our taste. Food was average tbh, I was expecting more given the popularity, though perhaps this is driven more so from location versus taste. Morning Carbonara ($26.75) 5/10 Traditional carbonara served with egg on the top. I'm typically a huge carbonara fan, but I found the flavour to be very heavy yet flat at the same time. Also, I thought they didn't use enough guanciale to add a depth of flavour. Bison Carpaccio ($19.45) 6/10 This was my first time trying out bison carpaccio. Quite an interesting taste, definitely leaner versus beef. Tasted a bit bland to me. Waiter did not clarify that bread was an extra $4 charge.

Well... great atmosphere, high price for we all felt was average food. Service was very good, we're seated immediately. Great bread and parmesan which were both an extra charge. Once again, nice atmosphere, great service but not likely to return. However, would suggest it could be worth your time to try.

The main thing the Water Street Cafe was going for it is that it's across the street from the steam powered clock and in a tourist area. It was later in the afternoon and we were hungry, so this cafe looked like a good option. We were sat quickly but the server did take some time to get our drink order. I placed an order for my toddler with the drinks as she was a bit fussy. Thankfully the noodles for her came out quickly, but nothing else about our meal was fast. Refills took time and the food took much longer. I was also surprised when the salmon burger I ordered came out as a grilled salmon fillet on a bun (I was thinking this would be a pan fried salmon patty). The menu did not indicate what kind of "burger" I was ordering, so I recognize I should have asked. The salmon itself was more on the bland and dry side and just overall a bit underwhelming especially when taking into consideration the pricing. The fries were good, however, and my toddler demolished the butter noodles. With that being said, we would not return to this restaurant.

This review is based on my First Table experience. I was very pleasantly surprised at how much we loved the food, service and atmosphere here! We were kindly greeted and placed close to the window which had an amazing view of Gastown and the steam clock. It felt like we were in the middle of a holiday card. Loved that they came by with an amuse bouche for our table which was celebrating two birthdays, which turned out to be one of our fav dishes. Very well balanced and aesthetic. We didn't hold back and ordered crab cakes, burrata, foccocia bread, bison carpaccio, 14oz ribeye with lobster, seafood gnocchi and ragu. All were delicious, it's hard to name a fav. If we had to choose, the amuse bouche, steak and gnocchi were def standout. We ended with the seasonal caramel creme brulee which was very nice and light. Perfect end to the night and they even added a candle. Would highly recommend Water St Cafe for an intimate dinner or a date! I believe there's even live music upstairs. Our bill for 3 ppl ended up being around $150 plus tip with First Table.

Incredible food and the staff is so much fun. Can't wait to go back. This place makes you feel like you're at home.

I was not a huge fan of this place, even though it was highly recommended. I made reservations which I am thankful they have the option. The location is in the heart of Gastown and the building is beautiful with an upstairs (where the washrooms are) and downstairs. Plenty of seating and tons of people watching available! I ordered the Breakfast Gnocchi (Zucchini, asparagus, snap pea, broccolini, pistachio, basil pesto, fried egg). I removed the egg and added a side of grilled Halloumi (menu in house differs from online). There were no snap peas and it was overly oily (see pics). The dish was a miss for me. The oil was just too much. My friends got the crab benny (loved it) and the chicken sandwhich (it was a huge chunk of chicken on homemade focaccia with little sauce and the best fries but was advertised as lemon pepper fries but just tasted like salt). For me, this was not the best experience. Service was basic with little interaction (we were not fussy). Food was a miss for me.

You cannot give this place less than 5 stars when they hit every single mark. First off, obviously it's the ambiance that you adore. They are located directly across from the famous steam clock (it goes off every 15 mins). The service (5 stars for Igor) was absolutely incredible and beyond 5 stars. The food? The crab bisque was fresh and delicious! My smoked old fashioned was perfection. I'll be back next year when I return to Vancouver!!!

Charged $$ for asking for extra Pam cheese; Great place for good food while people watching around the steam clock. It was the right restaurant at the right time. Would I recommend or return? Unfortunately no, simply out of principle. We asked for a little extra Parmesan cheese. When we got the bill, we were shocked that tablespoon of extra parm was $5. I've never been charged for parm before, not a good look.

Great spot with service and really nice quality food. Fries are great. Salmon burger is definitely worth it and so is the premium beef burger. We also enjoyed the pale ale 16 oz beer draft and white wine.

Imagine this, I'm not inclined to offer a favourable review for the final simple reason that pushed me over the edge - I did not get my measly item of food, BUT it was on my bill. And now I see everything else unfavourably. I was expecting my leftovers to be packed when it was taken from me, but alas, NO! The music was too loud (Jazz fest) but we were instructed not to talk loudly. The food - the 2 fish dishes were dry, and nobody came to check on that. Overall, I'd give this place a skip, and Joe Fortes , Forage, and Boathouse even Fable would beat this place for value, ambiance, & food quality

Vegetarian/vegan items. The menu has a little leaf they use to designate vegetarian items. But either their recipes have managed to turn dishes you would expect to be vegetarian (warm olives? Berry Salad?) into something else. My guess is they are confusing vegetarian and vegan; while nice they are trying this is something that should be fixed. After that little rant, they have a limited number of items that appear to be vegetarian sprinkled about the menu and a very small number of potentially vegan items. We came for desert and to listen to music. The Tiramisu and Chocolate mousse cake were both good/ok, considering how busy they were the service was very good, and the crowd was enjoying the music which made for a very pleasant end to the evening.

Cute cafe/restaurant located in Gastown by the steam clock. They have seating available on two floors and they offer both indoor and patio seating. We ordered: Blackstone Benny $22.50 Crispy French Toast $21.25 Breakfast Sandwich $20 The French toast is made with vanilla-infused brioche, nutella-stuffed, maple syrup, and whipped cream. It was unique and delicious, but it was a bit too oily for my liking. With every cut, oil would drip out. The Blackstone benny and breakfast sandwich came with lemon potatoes. The potatoes were delicious and had the perfect texture. Overall, I would be coming ba n to try more dishes and I would recommend for you to visit them too

Food was fantastic Service exceptional Ambiance - you are right in the core of Gastown - it gets no better than

We came here for a team lunch today and I have to say I was happy with my food. The stand out was the bison carpaccio, which wasn't on the menu, but the waitress heard us talking about it and offer to bring it out for lunch. It was excellent. We had two for the table and I honestly could have eaten more. Second favorite was the Dungeness crab Benedict with tons of crab meat with soft poach runny egg, buttery toast and extra crispy lemon potatoes. Third was the seafood gnocchi and it was mouth watering. We were so full but I couldn't stop eating it. Tons of seafood and cooked to perfection. The prawn still had the crunch and not rubbery at all. Clams and mussels were plenty. The gnocchi was soft but had a slight crust from being pan seared. The beet salad was terrific as well. Avocado could have been softer, but overall very enjoyable.

Probably the worst experience I've had at a restaurant. My family and I went here a few weeks ago for our parent's anniversary. We made a reservation a week ahead by phone for a table of 6 for 8 pm. When we arrived, there were 4 people ahead of us waiting so we decided to wait patiently. After a few minutes, I walked to the front and told the man handling the reservations that we had made a reservation at 8 pm under my name. His response is, "Oh, your reservation has moved to 8:30 pm." Confused, I tell him no, I'm positive that I had made the reservation for 8 pm. "Oh, I guess no one called you." Then he walks away. At this point I'm even more confused and also quite upset. If the restaurant had decided to move my reservation, no problem. At least let me know ahead of time. Food was mediocre, no apologies whatsoever in regards to changing our reservation. Will never go back.

I really wanted to try their traditional pasta, but i was too full unfortunately... Monday morning in Water St. Cafe was quiet busy, so I decided to come back around 3pm which was their happy hour (I didn't expect that). I ordered a scotch and appetizer (clam) and they both were super cheap. Staffs and server were very friendly and kind, food was awesome, and the view was great!!

Rushed. I thought it was only in the US where restaurants clear plates faster than you would like. We were having a late lunch around 2:30. The restaurant was practically empty. I had a side dish and they cleared it before I was finished. A few minutes later I had a significant amount left of the main dish and they came for that too. We were not dawdling. They were polite and apologetic. But I guess they are in the habit of moving people in and out. Otherwise, it was fine.

Came here for lobster madness since my girlfriend LOVES lobster. Service was good, quick and friendly. The ambiance provided a nice dim dinner experience. The food looked amazing, BUT... the taste wasn't quite there. For the price we paid, we had high expectations. But everything was very mild in flavour. Perhaps their regular menu items pack more a punch? Lobster madness ended up making my wallet more mad than anything.

Gastown area has its charm and this corner cafe add more to the whole experience. After enjoying my stroll, I stopped at this cafe to enjoy lunch and again to enjoy dinner with live music Food is superb . Just try anything and it will be perfect in taste , quality and quantity. I am not a fan of gnoshi but they did good job in cooking it. Pesto salad was great. Best were the deserts Seated by window gives you view of the street but makes it awkward to eat as every passerby is watching you eat. But overall a good romantic meal can be enjoyed here

The service with Robertinho was amazing! I ordered a Mushroom Gnocchi. Warm, very creamy with touches of parmesan cheese and garlic. The number of champignons is overwhelming so, if you don't like mushrooms this is not for you. I loved this dish. 10/10. The focaccia was crispy and soft at the same time, toasted to perfection and served with Olive Oil. The ambience is also great. They're very simple but trendy, and the music is nice and on point. Cons: it's more expensive than other places, but that's all.

Was excited to try this place out. To be honest, I was disappointed. I asked for a table for one and was told the wait would be about 20mins. (I said I was fine to wait as I didn't mind) The couple in front of me was told the same thing and was sat a few minutes later. The host the asked me again how many I would be and then said it would now be about a 45min to an hour wait.... I then said that's fine (as I know from working in a restaurant that once a table is cleared i'll be able to sit and that it actually wouldn't take that long) I was then told I could sit upstairs and listen to the live music, but that I had to pay a $10 cover fee. On a weekday a lunch that seemed a little strange to me. But felt pushed to do so, therefore I went upstairs. (the whole interaction felt unwelcoming and made me regretful with my choice of coming there) I then ordered the three course meal, and listened to the live band, which unfortunately took a break for majority of my time there. The warmed olives were okay, all had pits in them. The waffles and duck was actually well done and balanced the flavours good. Then I had the tiramisu for dessert which was also good. Nothing too special and the service lacked in my opinion. For the price you're paying there are SO many more cool spots to go to that are more worth it.

Location. Location. Location. This is one key. First, it's on one of the busiest pedestrian-focused street corners in Vancouver. So, simply by playing the numbers game, this place isn't going to roll snake eyes. Secondly, passport passers-by patrons would likely assume they're eating on the sacred grounds of Canadian history that would earn a penned postcard memory home. The food is fine. You won't be sorry you ate here, even though you likely passed a dozen or so other options. But, the street corner amature Richie Sambora guitarist crooning everything from Bob Dylan and Kenny Rogers to Oasis and Beatles made it a good night to have a fun night, sitting outside, taking in Gastown, tourists, and enjoying the sounds, sights, and smells of summer. Sure I had glorified spaghetti. It was fine. My wife had some sort of Gnocchi with stuff in it. She ate it. So, I assume it was fine. But, I don't think you care about what I ate, do you? Look, you don't go to Water Street seeking Michelin Star cuisine. You're exploring Canadian history that Gassy Jack made possible. You got hungry and you fell onto this review. Hopefully, it backs your decision if you are on Water Street, overwhelmed with your choices. This place will do you just fine. Enjoy.

Great spot in Gastown to enjoy dinner and enjoy the view. Service is prompt, despite being busy. A great venue for a date night.

We came here for Sunday brunch! The eggs had a feta cheese layer in the middle which was really good. I used hot sauce to give it flavour. The potatoes were well seasoned. The staff did try to rush us in the end, even picking up my friends plate before she was done with her food. Yikes! The restaurant was very empty, not sure why we were being rushed.

Two stars, one for the food and another one for the hostess. Walked in by myself for a causal lunch but it turns out to be a huge mistake. Drink was served fast. But I have to admit, I wasn't expecting to sit alone with that drink for almost 45 minutes. The spaghetti was served 10 mins after the Gastown Steam Clock sang twice (it singings every 15 mins). And nobody talked or served me during these 45 mins. NOBODY. The waiters served all the tables sitting white ppl around me but never care to even tell me about where is my food. I have to ask to get the answer which is "it's lunch time, and there are other orders before you so u have to wait". But the fact is, the place wasn't packed at all. Just WOW. As an normal Asian, here is my advice, please do come if you want to be discriminated. :)

A quintessential Gastown restaurant, Water St. Cafe is both rustic and classy with decent food and fairly good service. The live music is also a treat! The steak was a nice medium-rare, and the fries were battered and crispy, although a tad salty. My sister found that her pappardelle was overcooked, and the meatballs were a bit mushy. She did enjoy the tomato sauce though. The best dish from the evening was the beef short rib--incredibly tender and flavorful. The drinks were decent as well. Sangria tasted more like a cocktail, and the virgin mojito was refreshing. I found a small bug in my beer (it likely flew in), but the server was quick to replace it when I let her know. Our server was really friendly! I was surprised to see that none of the wait staff were wearing masks, as every other restaurant I've been to still mandates masks for their employees. It did take a long time to receive our bill (~20 min) after we asked for it, but I can understand that the restaurant was fairly busy. Although I'm not sure I would go back, I'm glad to have given this Water St. mainstay a try.

Good food, great view and scenery, and friendly staff. Just got into town to start sightseeing and was hungry. I did a Yelp search on the best restaurants in Gastown, which came up as number 1, so I decided to try it. I asked for recommendations, and one was the Dungeness crab benny, and I opted to try it without the hollandaise sauce. Shortly after ordering, a nice plated Dungeness crab egg benedict came out with a nice arugula salad with a light vinaigrette dressing and some pan-roasted potatoes. The potatoes had an excellent seasoning and were crisp and delicious. The Dungeness crab was delicious and plentiful. The caramelized onions were good but a little too sweet and weren't the right fit for me with the rest of the dish. It was a good meal, right by the steam clock, of which I got some fantastic pictures and videos. This is also a good restaurant if you like to people-watch. Highly recommend giving this place a try.

So many things wrong with this place. I was bamboozled by the people sitting on the window. It was saturday and I was looking for a spot to brunch. Restaurant was busy, but it was because everyone was sitting waiting for food. This is the tactic they did to get people in. I was super hungry and put in my food order right away. Prices were very expensive for food. They had an advertisement for lobster month madness. Also a trap. 45 mins sitting and no appetizers. Talk about being hungry. At this point I was angry and sleepy. I saw the clack across the street go off 2 times, indicating that I've been here for an hour now. Crab cakes - cold and not notable. Lobster roll $37.5 - lacking and full of mayo. Barely any fries to even compensate the roll, which was served in a hot dog bun like bread. Most expensive lobster roll I've ever purchased. MORE THAN VEGAS. Lobster Bisque - $14.50 Where is the lobster? Tasted like a cream soup topped with chives. Cold. I had to call the waiter over. The said they blend the lobster in? Why..... what a waste. Very underwhelming and took forever to get the waiters attentions. They did it on purpose. Sitting people at the windows to make the restaurant looked filled. We all sat there, staring at one another's table since no one had food. What an expensive and disappointing lunch.

The happy hour menu items reduce the portions by a lot. The crab cakes came with one singular crab cake and the crispy chicken cake with one chicken tender. The only decent tapas order was the potato salad. They seemed understaffed. They were serving Italian food and some other cuisines like Spanish and Asian but this place looks like an Irish pub. I think this restaurant is having an identity crisis.

Nice spot in a great location in Gas Town. Service was pretty good. It's a small place, so I felt crammed in there. I had the salmon sandwich which again was good, not great. It tasted a bit gamey and not very fresh. The fries that came with it were nicely done and tasty.

Top points for coziness and live music. The upstairs setting is absolutely magical, with the steam clock tooting every quarter hour and intimate lighting. The food and service is underwhelming. Upon arriving with a reservation, the bar was apparently backlogged, and we weren't served our glasses of wine for a full half hour after being seated. The server apologized, but I was expecting them to make it up with a generous pour or little sample, etc, which did not happen. I planned to order the lamb but was told upon ordering that it wasn't available. I would have ordered a different wine to start had I known that the lamb main wasn't available. I ordered the chicken instead, which was described as coming with arugula. There was no arugula on my plate, rather, a pile of sad grocery store 'mixed greens' with unripe tomato slices. Honestly, if it's not in season, why serve it? The serving of food was generous, but I would have preferred a smaller portion of higher quality ingredients. And then, at the end of the music set, the musician spoke loudly to capture the attention of the room to advertise his tip jar. Note that we pre-paid for the music cover charge and also added a tip in advance. The band did not consider thanking us for our pre-paid tip. This was off-putting and distasteful and made me wish we'd not been so generous with our pre-tip. For the price that we paid for our evening (cover charge plus meal and drinks), I left feeling underwhelmed. The staff had ample opportunity to make up for the series of blunders and yet did nothing to make our night special. There are so many other places to go in Gastown that I don't see a reason to go back here.

My partner and I had a wonderful dinner experience. The Water St Cafe team go above and beyond to provide a great customer service experience. The food and drink is excellent and fairly priced. The live music a Jazz Trio was perfect for the setting and made it a magical evening. Thank you all! Rod & Eve

On vacation visiting, checked out amazing Gastown area! Incredibly convenient location close to everything. Had late lunch with wife. Seated fairly quick, took about 6 minutes before being greeted. Ordered Pinot Noir carafe to share, very tasty. Wife ordered Cobb salad, I ordered Seafood Gnocchi. Food came in a timely manner and was pretty good. Salad was a little light on dressing and gnocchi portion was on the small side. Server asked if we wanted fresh cracked pepper and we obliged, she never returned. No follow up on taste of first few bites. Pleasantly surprised on meal based on other so-so reviews. Location helps keep this place open. Decent experience.

Came tonight for the special 1/2 price pasta for their food bank drive until the 21st and the live music. First live music in a very, very, very long time. You must book on line to be seated on the 2nd floor for the live music. Cost is $12 per person. A list of entertainment is also on their website. Lots of plexiglass separating the tables and performers. For dinner my friend and I had: The drinks-dark and stormy and virgin raspberry mojito. Didn't like the dark and stormy but it's probably me as I'm very particular on this drink. The mojito was good. To start-Calamari Caesar salad. A classic Caesar salad with perfectly deep fried calamari and peppers. Simply delicious and my favourite of the evening. The portion is huge so more than enough for 2 people. For the pasta-we had the Spaghetti carbonara and Orecchiette Pesto. Both arrive at the table piping hot which I liked. Portion size is smaller than expected but we were full from the salad so the size was good for us. The pasta was al dente and nicely coated with the sauce. For dessert- we had the tiramisu and the flourless chocolate cake. The tiramisu was a disappointment for me. It is listed as a "classic" but felt it wasn't in comparison. The taste was on the tart side which I found strange, cake was moist but not a soaked lady finger and the whip cream too heavy. However, the flourless chocolate cake was moist, creamy and just melted in your mouth. A very satisfying chocolate dessert. Overall, I had an enjoyable evening with the live music and good service. Some of the food items were a hit and others not so much. The atmosphere was relaxing and certainly in a beautiful Edwardian building. I would like to be back to try happy hour or brunch. Parking in Gastown has also gone up. Street parking is $4-6/hour from 6-10pm within 3 blocks from the restaurant. If parking $ is a concern, park further than 3 block away or take transit. Waterfront station is just a short 10mins walk.

Good food with a view of the steam clock. Crab cakes are good but small. Ling cod was well prepared. Gnocchi was very soft and a good sauce.

Absolutely delicious!! I stopped in for a late lunch and ordered the Caesar salad and the mushroom gnocchi and it was FANTASTIC!! Great service, too - the perfect balance of attentive but not intrusive. This is a great place to people watch on the patio and enjoy a great meal!

The restaurant was recommended by the hotel we are staying in. Unfortunately I was extremely disappointed. I ordered the Cod with mussels, the bisque had run out so the food was brought out in a water substance that was totally tasteless, completely ruined the cod, mussels and broccoli. Bland is an understatement.......also had to sit in my padded thick coat as it was so cold with the wind and rain coming in from the open windows. Would not recommend!!!!

Cool rustic/pubish interior. Great food. I really loved they mushrooms and pasta. Good drinks. The staff took care of us very well. Even though it's in a tourist trap area, I recommend. .

When indoor dining was still restricted, we were looking for places that had patio reservations. To my surprised, I was able to reserve a table the night before (yay!) The patio area wraps around the restaurant and it we got a nice view of the Gastown Steam Clock, enjoyable if you don't mind the sound and people watching. The only downside of the patio was how tight it was to get to the table, they had barriers that we that were too wide and made the walkway difficult. I saw customers and staff struggling, and walking sideways to get in/out. The food offered was typical for a brunch scene. My partner ordered the crab cake bennies, and I had the stuffed french toast. The crab cakes were on the smaller side, but the stuffed french toast was generous enough to share and not overly sweet. Price wise, pretty typical and somewhat reasonable? Maybe just a little over priced for the small crab cakes. Overall, the restaurant is worth a try. I enjoyed the view and the sweets, a bonus was reservations.

Came here for a happy hour on my birthday. We were seated in a large comfortable booth seating on the patio but there was no cover. Luckily it was sunny the day we went. We ordered the meatballs, bison carpaccio, calamari, mushroom gnocchi, and eggplant involtini. Out of everything, I liked the mushroom gnocchi the most. I found the eggplant dish to be too salty. Prices were decent for appies and drinks but none of the food was stand-out. Service was great! Read my full review on my blog: https://sincerelyloewe.com/water-street-cafe-happy-hour-in-gastown/

I love the food here. it's always fresh and service is great. they even have live music upstairs on the weekends.

Our dinner in Gastown, was held at the Water Street Cafe located directly across from the famous Gastown Steam Clock. We enjoyed a table with a clear view of the busy sidewalk filled with guests from all over the World. Our meal included: a fine bottle of wine, mussels in a miso sauce, rigatoni with Italian sausage and a shrimp gnocchi dish. All were a joy to consume.

Water Street Cafe is offering 50% off their pasta until January 21. Bring in non-perishable goods in exchange for half-priced pasta. They are located in the heart of Gastown, with super cozy vibes. We've ordered the Meatball & Pappardelle, Spaghetti Carbonara, and Pappardelle Bolognese. All three pastas were delicious. The herbs in the red sauce pasta was simple, yet flavourful. There were three meatballs and they're actually all different. The meatballs were probably our favourite because it was moist and packed with a lot of flavours. However, the pasta sauce was on the saltier side. The portions were decent, but it wasn't large enough to fill us. Covid Protocols We felt safe dining in at water Street. We made a online reservation ahead of time. Upon arrival, we got a text message informing us our table was ready and that we can head into the restaurant. The tables were spread 2M apart, with plexiglass between some tables. All the employees were wearing their masks. We were given cloth napkins instead of disposable napkins. Which is totally normal at a restaurant, but maybe not during covid times?