For my birthday, I was treated to one of Vancouver’s finest restaurants…Bishop’s. After having lived two blocks away from Bishop’s for over seven years now, I am almost ashamed to admit that I had never been. Well, this August 9th…that changed as Mr. John Bishop and his highly skilled staff made this a night we won’t soon forget!
Now picture this…Bishop’s has held court on Fourth Avenue and Yew Street in the heart of Kitsilano since December 1985! I’ll save you the math…almost 22 years! Yes, breakdancing was cool, Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller’ was destroying the Billboard charts, and Expo ‘86 was on its way to town. These were good times. Now, on to the experience…
From the second we walked in the door, we were welcomed by the entire staff. If you haven’t been, Bishop’s occupies a very small space split into two levels. The decor, the menu, the furnishings and the dynamic are, put simply, just right. From an extensive wine list (which made me very happy - we selected a 2004 Pinot Noir from Morning Bay on Pender Island which was fantastic) to an organic and locally sourced menu (7 starters and 7 entrees) who’s flavour jumped off the plate, Bishop’s has the ‘restaurant thing’ down.
Now, as you may have guessed from: 1) my other posts; and 2) the whole point of this blog, I’m big on service and I want you to know about it! Well, having the owner (John Bishop) of the restaurant come and talk to us THREE times, the maitre-d (Abel Jacinto) checking in on us multiple times throughout the night, the front page of the menu kindly requesting guests to forward all mobile phones to the restaurant’s main line, the chilled cucumber buttermilk appertifs we were given to cleanse our palettes before our wine, and the staff ensuring we had adequate transportation home were HUGE touches of class. Despite the fact that I could walk home while holding my breath and wasn’t in need of a cab…I really appreciated these touches.
I’m not a restaurant ‘critic’ per se so you will not find me rambling on about the dishes and how they are made, instead, I focus on the SERVICE we received and bring that to the surface for you to do what you will with it. Suffice to say that the organic and locally sourced system that Bishop’s adheres to makes the food here taste like something you need to experience. Honestly…go and see what I mean, and if you can, have your birthday there…you won’t forget it!
T&D Rating: 5 plates (out of 5)
I’m happy to say my son works in the kitchen - gare mange - preparing appetizers and dessert - I will forward this to him
Please do, Jenny. It was an amazing night and everyone was certainly involved.