Tony's Fish and Oyster Cafe - Granville Island, Vancouver

[thisisarestaurantblog]

THIS IS A REVIEW:
I had somewhat of a rotten day on Friday, so the boyfriend decided to cheer me up with a nice long walk to Granville Island, along with some fish and chips.

I'm afraid I don't have any pictures of the actual food, as I remembered that I was supposed to be taking pictures just as the waitress took away our empty plates! ^_^;;; So I just grabbed a shot of the shop itself.

After we ordered our Granville Island beer, I asked my boyfriend, "So, is Granville Island Brewing Company actually on Granville Island?" He pointed over my shoulder, to the warehouse building across the street with GRANVILLE ISLAND BREWING emblazoned on the side. So I guess you can really get fresh beer here. GIB's motto "It's good to be here," always makes me hum that old hymn "'Tis Good, Lord, To Be Here", though.

I've been to two fish and chip places in Vancouver so far, and both of them serve salmon and chips, which feels vaguely rebellious. I actually ordered the salmon both times, since it's my favorite kind of fish, and it's available pretty cheaply in BC.

My two-piece salmon came with coleslaw, chips and tartar sauce for $13.50. Each piece of salmon was a bit bigger than the palm of my hand, but even so I only finished one piece (I ordered two because I knew my boyfriend was hungry). The batter was light and flaky flour-based, no breadcrumbs. The table provided malt and white vinegar and ketchup. Gordon got two-piece halibut and chips for $14.50 and enjoyed it. They also sell cod, which is cheaper than either salmon or halibut.

We also got a bowl of clam chowder, which was delicious--miles better than canned Campbell's, that's for sure! I particularly liked the seasoning.

In addition to fish and chips, Tony's also sells raw and pan-fried oysters, steamed clams and mussels, sauteed salmon and halibut filets, and a variety of fish burgers. There's even a bananas foster dessert, although at $7.25 it seemed a little pricey.

There was only one waitress for the whole place (and at one point the place was full) yet she never seemed overwhelmed or frazzled. We could watch everything she did and she was very efficient in her movements, never making any wasted trips. It felt like the service we got was just as fast and attentive as if we had been the only ones there. After everyone else cleared out, we chatted with her for a bit about the difficulties in restaurants obtaining a license. (Tony's is licensed for beer and wine, but not spirits.)

It seemed like a number of the people around us were on their way to see a play. Granville Island has a number of theaters, and I think Tony's would be a good choice for such a night-out, because you can get your order quickly.

I liked Tony's but I think I preferred the value and taste of the fish and chips I had in Deep Cove (at the inventively named Deep Cove Fish and Chips), even though that chip shop was even less authentic, with its breadcrumb batter and seasoning.

THIS IS A SUMMARY:
Name: Tony's Fish and Oyster Cafe
Location: 1511 Anderson Street Vancouver BC V6H 3R5 604 683 7127
Prices: $10-20
Service: Very professional. The single waitress on duty did an amazing job and made it look easy.
Food: All seafood, all the time. Indulge yourself with fish and chips, or choose a more healthy filet and rice pilaf.
Recommended?: It was pretty good, yeah. :)