It has long been a frequent favourite of established movers and shakers around the city, but also garners a strong following amongst young professionals in search of a hot spot to land for some post-work sun. You’ll find that atop their rooftop deck that features a huge wraparound bar and mixed seating options. Having been expertly redesigned a few years ago, the deck provides a garden-like setting in the middle of the hustle and bustle (and even allows for the occasional game of bocce to take place).
For our night out, though, we opted to park ourselves in the centre of all the Joe Fortes action and bee-lined it for the lower bar and lounge area, where you really and truly get a taste of why this restaurant is such a must.
There’s no playlist on queue at Joe Fortes; rather, live music wafts through the entire restaurant courtesy of their resident pianist who you can’t miss jamming away on the landing of the establishment’s massive central staircase. Without being too loud, the tunes only help add to the overall fun and friendly vibe of the scene.
After befriending our server, we nabbed a signature Joe Fortes Caesar that features a jumbo prawn garnish and their special blend of seasonings that add just the right mix of fresh flavours and spiciness.
Our first few bites came recommended to us by Frenchy (Robert Gagne), a charismatic constant at Joe Fortes and maitre d’ extraordinaire. A dozen mixed, seasonal oysters arrived served with house-made cocktail sauce, fresh grated horseradish and a tasty-tangy mignonette. We’re glad we let Frenchy take the lead in choosing, given that Joe Fortes offers about 16 different varieties of oysters on any given day.
Next up, we enjoyed their seasonal heirloom tomato salad with extra virgin olive oil, handmade mozzarella cheese, fresh basil and seasonings before turning to our next ‘starter’ dish: the King Crab Tempura (a definite must when you go).
The King Crab Tempura is just crisp enough on the outside without being too greasy, and the crab meat is succulent and juicy, wrapped in smoked bacon with a sweet soy reduction and chilies.
By this time, we’d polished off our cocktails and migrated to wines with a little help on selecting one that would go with our fresh sheet seafood platter set to arrive next. A Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand won us over amidst an award-winning list of more than 300 choices.
Fresh sheet offerings provide you with a selection of several seasonal seafood items (we chose Spring Salmon and Arctic Char) and comes accompanied by mixed vegetables, potatoes and sauces to keep you satisfied.
As if we weren’t stuffed already, dessert magically appeared before us in the form of their Key Lime Pie, which is a meringue key lime brulee topped with fresh raspberry coulis. The perfect way to end an outstanding evening.
Located at 777 Thurlow Street, Joe Fortes is open for lunch, dinner and weekend brunch. Discerning young professionals searching for post-work bites might also want to take note of their Happy Hour selection served between 4pm and 6pm).
* Notable Vancouver readers: Watch for a special Joe Fortes contest going live tomorrow.
Cover Image Courtesy Of: Sarah Baker Photography