Dovetail is a brand new restaurant in Yaletown, taking over the former spot of Nightshade. The opened relatively quietly, but the reviews on Google are stellar (4.9 stars) and they are starting to build up some hype on Instagram. Dovetail’s menu is quite varied, with an emphasis on Italian. But you’ll also find dishes like butter beef tataki, tuna tartare and bang bang shrimp. The menu is quite eclectic and diverse and reminds me a bit of Birdies (the other new Cali inspired joint that just opened in Burnaby). Dovetail is currently open for lunch and dinner, and I came by for dinner earlier this month. Overall I enjoyed the food, but there were some misses as well as an overall uncomfortable dining experience. Check out my full review of Dovetail Yaletown below.
Dovetail Yaletown – Cocktails
Dovetail has a nice list of signature cocktails as well as beer, wine and non-alcoholic options. Pricing is also fair with the most expensive signature cocktail being their take on an Espresso Martini. We went with:
- Ripxo ($19.00)
- Dovetail Sour ($18.00)
The Ripxo came highly recommended and features Patron Reposado, luxardo espresso, espresso, brown sugar, bitters. I quite enjoyed this cocktail and it was smooth with a nice coffee taste. I like the addition of brown sugar as it adds a touch of sweetness that pairs well with the bitterness of the espresso. The Dovetail Sour Casamigos Mezcal, el gobernador, passion fruit, guava, lemon, honey & ginger, almond, vanilla, egg white. It was not bad, but it wasn’t exceptional. It was an unmemorable drink and we wouldn’t get it again.
Dovetail Yaletown – Small Plate, Sides and Pasta
The Dovetail food menu is divided into Small Plates, Salads + Sides, Pasta, Large Plates and Dessert. For our dinner we went with:
- Butter Beef Tataki ($20.00)
- Brussels ($14.00)
- Spicy Vodka Pasta ($29.00)
- “Carbonara” ($34.00)
We did not get off to a strong start with the Butter Beef Tataki. This dish features crispy shallots, butter soy sauce, cilantro. The beef was cut quite thick and as a result was pretty tough. The butter soy sauce was way too salty and the dish was missing an acidic element to balance it out. I would not recommend ordering this dish, although I will say the portion size is quite generous.
The Brussels was our favourite dish of the night. It features a black garlic aioli, lemon, grana padano. The brussels were done perfectly and I am in love with the black garlic aioli. It was so flavourful and rich and I think it could make cardboard taste good.
We got their two pastas to share. The Spicy Vodka Pasta with lumaconi, calabrian chilli, pecorino. The pasta was well cooked, and I loved the lumaconi pasta shape as its great for getting all the sauce. But I found this dish to be a touch on the sweet side, and not spicy enough (for my taste).
The “Carbonara” features radiatore, double smoked bacon, soft egg, black pepper, pecorino. Again, the pasta was cooked well and I really like the pasta shape. The dish was very creamy and the double smoked bacon was lovely. But overall, I did feel the dish was quite bland and the primary taste I got was nutmeg (I could be wrong though.)
Worth a Try?
Yes and no. The brussels were good and the pasta was not bad (just not 100% to my taste). However, the one thing that will prevent me from going back is the ambiance. It feels like they jammed as many tables as close together as possible to fit in as many people as possible. What would regular be a walkway in most restaurants they managed to squeeze in some more tables (which is where we sat). Therefore the space was incredibly tight and I kept getting knocked into as I had a table behind me and a table to my left.
Additionally, it was also very very very loud. I had to almost shout to have a conversation and we had to keep repeating ourselves. This is not the place for a nice relaxing dinner. I genuinely felt like I was dining in a nightclub. I don’t know if this was the vibe they are going for but it honestly made for an incredibly uncomfortable dining experience.
The food was okay, the cocktails were okay, the service was good, but overall I won’t be rushing back here.
Dovetail
Address: 1079 Mainland St, Vancouver, BC V6B 5P9
Website: http://dovetailrestaurant.ca/