Bar Bravo is the newest restaurant on the block on Fraser Street in Vancouver, BC. It takes over the now shuttered Ubuntu Canteen. This new seafood forward spot was bustling on a Sunday night, just over one week into their grand opening. We were able to snag an early evening reservation but the space quickly fills up. There’s a row of booth seating as well as tables down the center of the restaurant and a lovely bar area. It’s a small space, but the lively atmosphere is infectious. Check out my full review of Bar Bravo Vancouver below!
Bar Bravo – Food Menu (Small Plates)
The food menu is short and tight at Bar Bravo with a focus on local produce, fresh pasta and of course, seafood! The menu reads like a dream to me, and if I had the stomach space I would have got one of everything.
However, I do not, so we had the difficult task of narrowing our choices to the following:
- Livia Sourdough ($6.00)
- Gravlax Toast ($7.00)
- Hokkaido Scallops ($24.00)
- Mussels & Clams ($28.00)
- Cacio e Pepe ($23.00)
Starting off strong with three dishes at once we had the Livia Sourdough with whipped butter and Maldon salt. As always, bread from local bakery Livia Sweets was a delight. The perfect crust with a chewy and airy crumb. Delicious!
Next up, was the Gravlax Toast. This was such a decadent half slice of bread toasted topped with cafe de paris butter, fresh herbs, and ikura. There was a generous serving of gravlax on top and the herbs adds just the perfect amount of freshness to the dish. I would definitely order two next time so I don’t have to share!
Finally, to round of our appetizers – Hokkaido Scallops. This was the dish we saw on Instagram that convinced us we absolutely needed to come to Bar Bravo immediately. Beautiful fresh Hokkaido Scallops are sliced and topped with tapioca, apple, cucumber and crispy jalapeno. This is a perfect summer dish. The delicate scallop slices really shine through with the light and tart ‘salad’ adding a refreshing touch.
Bar Bravo – Food Menu (Large Plates)
Following our appetizers, our mains came in short order. The Mussels and Clams are cooked with a red curry lobster bisque and it is exquisite. The bisque had such a rich and deep flavour from the lobster and there was a generous portion of mussels and clams in the dish. Note, this dish does come with a side of sourdough. If we knew that, we wouldn’t have gotten the bread as our starter. However, it turned into a blessing in disguise because the extra bread was perfect for soaking up every last bit of bisque.
We finished our meal with the Cacio e Pepe. Such a simple dish requires excellent ingredients and this dish delivers. It features gargati, pecorino and Parmigiano. Gargati is a fresh egg pasta from the Veneto region in Northern Italy. The pasta was a perfect al dente and the cheese and fresh ground black pepper complements the pasta perfectly.
Bar Bravo – Cocktail Menu
The cocktail menu, like the food menu is short and sweet with some very intriguing cocktails. Check out the full menu below.
We played it a bit safe and went with:
- Three Amigos ($15.00)
- Second Wind ($14.00)
I went with the Second Wind. It was recommended by our server and the moment he said ‘like an Espresso Martini’ I was sold. I adore Espresso Martini’s and this one looks great on paper (spoiler alert: and tastes even better!). This cocktail features Wyborowa Vodka, Cynar Amaro, Salted Caramel Liqueur, House of Funk cold brew and cocoa bitters. It was smooth, coffee forward and very easy to drink. The salted caramel flavours really come through. I think I’ve found my new favourite coffee cocktail in Vancouver. The Three Amigos features El Jimador Reposado, Bruxo X Mezcal, orange curaçao, lime and egg white. This cocktail was really smooth and refreshing. If you’re a fan of Mezcal this cocktail is definitely for you.
Worth a Try?
Absolutely. At the risk of jinxing it, I have been having very good food luck recently and Bar Bravo continues the streak. Service was attentive and friendly and our server had great recommendations. We loved every dish we had and we cannot wait to be back. By the time we left at 6:30 pm the restaurant was completely full, so I highly recommend you make reservations to try out Bar Bravo soon! They are open Wednesday – Sunday for dinner service starting at 5 pm.
Bar Bravo
Address: 4194 Fraser St, Vancouver, BC V5V 4E8
Website: http://bravovancouver.com/