Yaletown is one of Vancouver’s most Notable hubs for young professionals to live, work and play. Although the neighbourhood’s residents are known to be fiercely loyal to the area, recent sentiment has been somewhat negative in reaction to the large amounts of chain restaurants setting up shop. It seems the originality and colour of the district has seen better days.
Enter The Parlour, a refreshingly original and locally owned restaurant now open at 1011 Hamilton Street. Its Gastown ambience, paired with an unpretentious menu of wood=fired pizza and comfort food, is good reason for locals to make a reservation in their own backyard once again.
The Notable team was on hand to celebrate the grand opening event. Owners Chris Holland, Sean Holland, and Paul Rivas played gracious hosts for the evening, welcoming media, industry pros, friends and family. Guests braved the rain to gather in the cozy space, and were quickly welcomed with a glass of wine after shaking off their umbrellas.
The Parlour’s decor is casual and rustic, and the distinctly laid back vibe created an atmosphere of fun and good cheer as the crowd marveled at the trays of treats roaming the room.
The wood-fire oven was ablaze in the open kitchen as a team of chefs tossed dough into the air preparing a selection of their signature pizzas. Servers passed around the Dirty (loaded with pepperoni and meatballs), the Yaletown (rare tuna, onion and avocado) and the Hamilton Street (blue cheese, pear, arugula, walnuts and caramelized onions).
The kitchen showed off the rest of the well-rounded menu with passed meatball minis, salmon tartare and delightfully flavorful broccoli skewers.
The bar was alive with action sporting a DJ at one end and a stacked team of bartenders at the other. Both wine and beer were on tap with a carefully crafted selection of BC varieties. The winning cocktail of the night was a sweet combination of homemade vanilla infused vodka flavored with star anise.
Drinks were flowing, food was devoured and as the night wore on it was clear to see that the locals have welcomed The Parlour to Yaletown with open arms.