The recently opened Fanny Bay Oyster Bar & Shellfish Market on Cambie Street, in downtown Vancouver gives me a bit of hometown pride. Growing up in the Comox Valley, it’s great to see a new locale from one of my local hometown companies.
One of the best things, for me who does not eat oysters, about Fanny Bay Oyster Bar, is that they have so much more than just oysters. Of course there are plenty of fresh oysters, straight from the waters of BC and around the globe. Sitting at the bar, the friendly staff work double time to shuck the shells and get them trayed and on their way to the table with their house selection of vinaigrettes. Billy enjoyed the first appetizer tray enough to order another batch of oysters with his meal.
In addition to the Raw Bar, the menu is broken into Small Plates; chowder, salad, ceviche, calamari, crab cakes, or Big Plates; fish & chips, grilled ling cod, bouillabaise, steak & frites, mussels & clams. The brunch menu is similarly split and I look forward to trying items from that menu soon too. A nice touch, while we were perusing the menu, is the cup of freshcut, house-made potato chips.
In addition to oysters, Billy ordered from the Big Plates, Salish Mussels and Manila Clams (which comes solo or mixed). It was a generous sized bowl of steam shellfish served in the signature house broth.
I ordered a Small Plates duo of large Chefs Salad and Crab Cakes. The salad was an impressive work of art, colourful, crisp and fresh. The Crab Cakes were very nice too, served with a zesty chipotle aioli and tangy-dressed arugula. Everything we ate was flavourful, fresh and simple. We definitely look forward to trying more from this menu.
In addition to the Raw Bar and kitchen menu the Shellfish Market offers fresh and frozen shellfish for you to cook at home. A wide selection is on display, oysters, clams, geoducks, lobster, crabs and more are ready to go, highlighting their From Tide To Table slogan.
The Fanny Bay Oyster Bar and Shellfish Market is located at 762 Cambie Street (near Robson) in the Hotel Blu complex. The kitchen is open from brunch until late 7 days per week and the shellfish market is open from 10am – 6pm daily for retail/wholesale purchases. Happy Hour is 3pm – 6pm daily with a rotation of menu and bar specials.