The Refinery

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1. OT

   OpenTable Diner

   Vancouver

   10 reviews

   2.0

   10 reviews

   Dined on 5 October 2010

   overall2food2service3ambience3

   Was not too pleased with the food. The dishes seems to use the same sauces and sides (eg. all had the same tomatoes). Make sure you are aware it is not really a dinner place, but just a snack place to go with your wine, cocktails.

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2. VD

   VenusDelight

   Vancouver

   6 reviews

   4.0

   6 reviews

   Dined on 12 September 2010

   overall4food4service5ambience4

   I would be very happy to return again. Nice spot for Granville street. Friendly / helpful staff... Great tasting fresh food and drink.

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3. HP

   Hungry4Pasta

   Vancouver

   56 reviews

   vip
   5.0

   56 reviews

   Dined on 10 September 2010

   overall5food5service5ambience4

   What a gem! Great to find it! Love it! Will be back!

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4. OT

   OpenTable Diner

   Vancouver

   5 reviews

   3.0

   5 reviews

   Dined on 9 September 2010

   overall3food4service3ambience4

   Great food! Perfect for nibbles after work. Be prepared to order a number of menu items if you need to satiate a big appetite. Will definitely go back to try their Cocktail Kitchen.

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5. OT

   OpenTable Diner

   Vancouver

   13 reviews

   3.0

   13 reviews

   Dined on 27 August 2010

   overall3food3service3ambience4

   We had received a gift certificate from family members for our wedding and had waited for a good chance to try it out. There was a group of 4 of us. When we arrived around 8 it was about half full but had a funky atmosphere and we sat looking over Granville Street. The servers are very friendly and casual, but they do give off a bit of the vibe that you get in some Vancouver restaurants that they would rather be socializing with their coworkers. We all order differently and while the seafood board was amazing, the entrees of the duck and the lamb where not as appealling. The menu for entrees is very limited and the couple that were order were not very imaginative. I would probably return here for late night snacks and drinks.

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6. OT

   OpenTable Diner

   Vancouver

   1 review

   4.0

   1 review

   Dined on 26 August 2010

   overall4food4service4ambience4

   Attentive service, despite a large function occurring in the main room. Exciting beer selection, and excellent food. The goat cheesecake was unique and delicious. The server and bartender did an excellent job creating cocktails to suit my husband's taste. I'm looking forward to returning on another Thursday to try their cocktail pairing event.

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7. OT

   OpenTable Diner

   Los Angeles

   2 reviews

   5.0

   2 reviews

   Dined on 21 August 2010

   overall5food5service5ambience5

   Found this place occasionally during winter olympics. Loved it so much we came back in six months specifically for theirs cocktails. The best cocktails I ever had. Nice friendly service. The kitchen was busy so they gave us a complimentary appetizer while we where waiting for ordered food. Their lamb carpaccio is must-try.

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8. OT

   OpenTable Diner

   Vancouver

   10 reviews

   3.0

   10 reviews

   Dined on 20 August 2010

   overall3food4service1ambience3

   Food was delicious with the ingredients being very fresh. This was the saving grace as the drinks made by the mixologist wasn't the greatest and service was very poor. In a fairly empty restaurant it took forever to get our drink. Grabbing the attention of servers was near impossible. Literally - just come here for the food.

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9. OT

   OpenTable Diner

   Vancouver

   13 reviews

   3.0

   13 reviews

   Dined on 30 July 2010

   overall3food3service4ambience3

   Good find on Granville...good food, good service...pretty decent overall.

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10. C

    Connie

    Vancouver

    3 reviews

    2.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on 16 July 2010

    overall2food2service2ambience4

    Menu selection looked great! The $9/$13 plates sounded delicious. When an adjacent table was served, the food looked delectable as well. I ordered the scallop wrapped bacon, accompanied w/ a very small salad. While delicious, I felt it should fall under the $9 menu. I also ordered the prosciutto flat bread as my main & the onion jam was spread on way too thick and the bread was dry. I just ate the prosciutto/brie. My friend had warm mushroom salad which was quite tasty. Had I know that there was some sort of meat, maybe ham, only seen when he dug into the salad, I would have ordered that. It wasn'ton the item desc. He also had the Osso Bucco which was way too salty. Our server took our order standing w/her legs 2ft apart!?! Nice decor/wine

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11. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    Vancouver

    21 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    21 reviews

    Dined on 2 July 2010

    overall4food4service4ambience4

    I went quite early in the evening so not many people were there. Street parking was available all around but nothing free, at least nothing I found. Their portions are small but since this is more of a bar than a restaurant, the sizes were not a surprise. Overall, the quality of the food was quite good and the service was done well. Not much of a desert selection but a great bar and wine list... we had house red, which was better than most. I recommend this place for drinks and quality small bites, mostly people that enjoy great flavor.

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12. ES

    EileenS

    Vancouver

    4 reviews

    2.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on 8 May 2010

    overall2food3service3ambience2

    Staff was friendly, food interesting and enjoyable, but very over priced for the size of portions served.

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13. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    Vancouver

    1 review

    4.0

    1 review

    Dined on 4 May 2010

    overall4food4service4ambience3

    This was my first time there, as I've seen adverts of the restaurant in many magazines. The food was really good and the wine/ beverage menu quite extensive & vibrant.

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14. S

    Sam19

    Vancouver

    23 reviews

    4.0

    23 reviews

    Dined on 2 May 2010

    overall4food4service5ambience4

    Really liked the set up of the restaurant; smaller in size but not squishy. The tuna tartar was tasty as was the coq au vin. The goat cheesecake was delightful as it was different; rich and flavourful. The service was prompt as well. We were contacted a few times to confirm our reservations, and greeted by friendly staff.

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15. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    Vancouver

    1 review

    3.0

    1 review

    Dined on 30 April 2010

    overall3food3service4ambience3

    I think they said that this was their first year participating in Dine Out. I can`t say that I was overly impressed by the meal I had from that menu, but the food that was off of the regular menu -- the market deli selections -- looked delicious! The ambiance was cool, I liked that it had a hole-in-the-wall feel to it. Overall good, but nothing special.

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16. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    Vancouver

    2 reviews

    3.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on 28 April 2010

    overall3food3service2ambience4

    The food was... "ok", but probably not worth the price. The speed of service was somewhat silly -- the table beside us; who ordered the same thing as us -- was not only seated after us, but served before us, and paid and left before our main course was cleared. :( Also -- the "wine flight" seemed to be whatever they had open -- no real pairings with the menu despite being called a "pairing". :(

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17. v

    vanessa

    Vancouver

    19 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    19 reviews

    Dined on 21 April 2010

    overall5food5service4ambience4

    loved it!! the tomato boccacinni salad was SOOOO good. got the BC platter - delicious apricot jam and caramelized onions. dessert, the creme brulee was also SO GOOD, loved the salt crystal chocolate biscotti thing it came with. best cookie ever!

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18. MS

    MSGBri

    Vancouver

    3 reviews

    4.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on 6 April 2010

    overall4food4service5ambience4

    The servers were excellent and attentive. They all had a good sense of humour and when asked, had some very good recommendations. The cocktails created by Lauren Mote were excellent. I tried the L'Epicée Verte, which was the perfect blend of spiciness and alcohol, as I'm not into sweet cocktails. The food was done well and overall it was a really enjoyable time. We happened to go on a Tuesday so it wasn't very busy but it was really nice atmosphere inside.

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19. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    Vancouver

    3 reviews

    2.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on 26 March 2010

    overall2food3service4ambience2

    Too noisy, we could not hear each other properly.The service was good and efficient. The food was good, betweens tapas and dishes. We did not appreciate the wine list that we found overpriced: no bottle of red under $45 (Chile wine). Not likely to return.

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20. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    Vancouver

    1 review

    4.0

    1 review

    Dined on 20 March 2010

    overall4food4service5ambience4

    A couple girlfriends and I went to the Refinery on Sat night - service .. amazing! The menu is interesting and food - fabulous. We had lamb carpaccio.. would have ordered 2 more of them, albacore tuna, vegetable flatbread pizza.. all great with a good local winelist. Would definitely recommend this restaurant

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21. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    Vancouver

    7 reviews

    vip
    3.0

    7 reviews

    Dined on 13 March 2010

    overall3food2service3ambience3

    this was my second time dining at the Refinery. Was very good the first time which is why I came back. The food was just kind of average this time.

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22. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    Toronto

    9 reviews

    2.0

    9 reviews

    Dined on 27 February 2010

    overall2food2service3ambience2

    Main course portion (mushroom ragout) was smaller than expected for a main and was under-seasoned. A ten dollar glass of Gamay Noir was probably 21 degrees. For me, kinda like a Salt wannabe - lacking the ambiance, service and product quality.

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23. YT

    YTFC

    Vancouver

    7 reviews

    vip
    2.0

    7 reviews

    Dined on 13 February 2010

    overall2food3service1ambience3

    Food was fairly good, but the service was really off. Not only did I receive the wrong dish initially, but it took quite a while to get the right one. When the bill arrived, I found that I had been charged for both items, which also took a while to get corrected. Apologies offered were pro forma at best. As an added bonus, the restaurant built in an almost-20% tip on top of the with-tax price. We were not a large party and the restaurant was not busy at all, so I can't think of any rational excuse for this poor service experience.

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24. n

    nataliedg

    Vancouver

    11 reviews

    5.0

    11 reviews

    Dined on 6 February 2010

    overall5food5service4ambience4

    Excellent food and service. Would be great for a group.

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25. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    Vancouver

    1 review

    2.0

    1 review

    Dined on 6 February 2010

    overall2food2service2ambience2

    Was really looking forward to going to the Refinery, but was honestly disappointed. The music was so loud I could barely hear my boyfriend speaking across the table. Service was quite slow and food was not as good as I thought it would be. Don't think I'll go back.

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26. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    Vancouver

    9 reviews

    4.0

    9 reviews

    Dined on 23 December 2009

    overall4food4service5ambience4

    This restaurant is one of my faves. Service was great, the food was a bit different than last time, but still delicious.

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27. C

    Cooperscalling

    Vancouver

    20 reviews

    5.0

    20 reviews

    Dined on 4 November 2009

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    First visit. Excellent food with unique flavours. Interesting menu -- flat breads and "boards" are fresh and have good variety. Goat cheese cheese cake was superb! Service was consistent. Will def return!

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28. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    Edmonton

    13 reviews

    5.0

    13 reviews

    Dined on 24 October 2009

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    What a great place for group dining! I had 2 amazing cocktails: the Red Ruby and one that the bartender made up with earl grey-infused vodka, chai-infused vodka and some other ingredients. Others in the group liked the beer and wine selection. We all shared the white bean and truffle hummus (wonderful blend of flavours), 3 flatbreads (all perfectly sized for our group of 10 and had the most amazing toppings), a mushroom ragu, a mixer board and a chef's board. My personal favourite is the prosciutto, brie, and balsamic onion jam flatbread; I have never had such wonderful prosciutto!! The Refinery is definitely now on my list of faves in downtown Vancouver.

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29. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    Vancouver

    2 reviews

    4.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on 19 September 2009

    overall4food4service4ambience4

    Liked the meat and cheese plates...too bad we were in such a hurry to get to a concert, Could have taken our time and enjoyed it a lot more. The Stella girls were on scene this night with fun trivia and free beer...added points : ) Great wine, food and service. Great find and highly recommended - thanks Paul J. for the tip !

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30. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    Vancouver

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on 16 July 2009

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    We had a great dining experiance here, food was top notch and memorable, and the service was great without being in your face. I would and will be recommending The Refinary, and I can't wait to come back!

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31. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    Vancouver

    16 reviews

    vip
    2.0

    16 reviews

    Dined on 10 July 2009

    overall2food3service4ambience1

    The food, drinks and design are pretty sophisticated and the staff are great - unfortunately the clientele is made up of Granville Street party goers and it's hard to enjoy the $14 cocktails and the $30 mixer plates when there are several groups around you who wouldn't want to interrupt their shooters with food. Is it a party bar or a restaurant? They need to decide. I certainly wouldn't go back despite really enjoying the food, drinks and service and I would struggle to recommend it - which is a real shame.

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32. TC

    TammyC

    Vancouver

    4 reviews

    4.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on 9 July 2009

    overall4food4service4ambience4

    Great martinis. Creative and tasty food. Will go back.

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33. RD

    RachelD

    Vancouver

    6 reviews

    4.0

    6 reviews

    Dined on 3 July 2009

    overall4food4service5ambience4

    We had a great meal at the Refinery a few nights ago before going to a show at the Commodore. We shared the arugula and mushroom salad, the spot prawns, and the BC board of local meats and cheeses (2 of each). All were fantastic! I look forward to going back with a group of friends to order a bigger board in order to discover more new cured meats, cheeses, etc. Service was great and the upstairs space (which was once a sugar refinery) is very cool and focuses on sustainable products (recycled flooring, etc). They've been around for six months but business is just picking up as the construction on that section of Granville is now complete. A nice (and casual) dining experience; very recommended!

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34. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    Vancouver

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on 30 May 2009

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Excellent restaurant. Will definitely be going back. Would be great for a group or simply a couple. The staff were amazing - very friendly and helpful. We loved it.

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35. ES

    EdwardS

    San Francisco

    9 reviews

    4.0

    9 reviews

    Dined on 25 April 2009

    overall4food4service4ambience3

    Not bad for a first try. We were seated too far from the appealing light coming in from the front windows and our server forgot to order one of our dishes. Food was good, cheese was good and the wine list is more than good. Although tasters were offered they might to better to have both small pours and flights.

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36. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    Vancouver

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on 3 April 2009

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    It was fabulous. We were there for a before theatre dinner so it was early and quiet. As we were leaving it began to fill up and we wished we could stay. The menu was different enough to be interesting but there were also familiar items which kept it comfortable. Loved the seared tuna and the Guinness steamed mussels. The friendly and informed staff were a real pleasure.

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37. j

    jonesy

    Vancouver

    8 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    8 reviews

    Dined on 27 March 2009

    overall4food4service4ambience3

    Food was great, service was great, will be back. Wine list could have used some more affordable options. 90% were over 60$.

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38. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    Vancouver

    12 reviews

    5.0

    12 reviews

    Dined on 26 March 2009

    overall5food5service5ambience4

    The service was outstanding with the waiter taking the time to explain the menu which is quite limited due to lack of full kitchen facilities, but outstanding for what they have to work with. Great place for sharing lots of appies. The waiter also made knowlegable suggestions for wine pairing.

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39. LP

    LindaP

    Vancouver

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on 14 March 2009

    overall5food5service5ambience4

    Our dining experience was outstanding. The food and wine were a treat for the tastebuds.

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40. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    Vancouver

    4 reviews

    vip
    1.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on 12 March 2009

    overall1food1service1ambience1

    Horrible, will never go back, loud, the staff were odd and obnoxious, the food overpriced and not worth it. Complete waste of money.

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