Vancouver Good

Next time you’re in Gastown go to the Pourhouse, a restaurant and bar serving comforting, delicious food with a killer bar.

I’ve been to the Pourhouse a few times now, each experience memorable:

The first time at the Pourhouse was Saturday brunch last fall. I remember the Americano I ordered was great – the first coffee I’d ordered in Vancouver that was comparable to the heaven I drank daily in Italy for three weeks in October. And then I spent an embarassing 10 minutes waiting for the bathroom to be “free” only to realize the door wasn’t locked, the knob just didn’t turn! During my visit yesterday I noticed an added note that says “push” for people like me.

Another time at the Pourhouse was a warm winter’s evening, a friend and I decided to have our own little bar hop around Gastown, visiting four different bars that evening. But the Pourhouse was the best. We slid up to the bar and my friend, who’d recently decided to start drinking whiskey, asked for a good whiskey based cocktail. The excellent bartender started him on a gentle Old Fashioned, changing up the whiskey/bourbon with each round. Good times.

And yesterday I was at the Pourhouse for lunch, which was a crispy grilled cheese sandwich with tomato soup – sounds basic, but was it ever good. The sandwich, buttery fried bread on the outside with gooey, oozing cheese on the inside, and you get that perfect “crunch” sound with every bite. A little greasy yes, but so worth it. And the tomato soup, garnished with a sprinkling of fresh chives, a rich (but not creamy) flavour and a  gorgeous deep orange/red hue. We added a little plate of fries to share too – thick cut, soft on the outside and fluffy on the inside.

The room – cozy, real old-school, and charming. A great place for meeting one person or a group of people for drinks or a meal.

The challenge for all my future visits? Ordering something other than that cheese sandwich.

The Pourhouse
162 Water Street (East of Cambie)
Vancouver
604-568-7022