Summary: Generally underwhelming. Beautifully presented dishes that were often over salted, and lacking the finesse and complexity I was expecting for $100/person (we ordered one glass of wine each).My wife and I came here on our first date in a long time (#baby) and were really excited to come here given its ties to Published (which we love).We wanted to give it a try with the tasting menu but things were off to a rocky start and never recovered.Review of our tasting menu:1. Stratciatelle with clamsIgnoring my personal bias against the seafood/cheese combo, the focaccia was light and airy and did a good job of soaking up the flavorful (if a bit salty) oils. I really didn't understand the combo of shelled clams and cheese though; was just rich on rich and the pickled daikon didn't do enough to lift it up.2. Smoked Trout RilletteTasted a bit too close to canned Rio tuna with marscapone cheese. Lacked any sort of smokyness from the trout. Too salty and lacking depth and complexity (or even just acid), and added chilli was overpowered by the salt. Also, disappointed to see a second dish served with the focaccia from the first course (when a cracker to add texture would have paired much better).3. Gem SaladLooked a bit too much like a Keg salad, and just generally lacking imagination. The dressing tasted ok, but a bit mayo-like in texture. Was expecting more creativity here for something that sounded simple. Also disappointed to see the pickled daikon reused here in this dish.4. PorchettaThis was probably the biggest offender of the night. The crackling was very hard and difficult to break off, the fat on the porchetta had not been rendered properly so when you took a bite you felt like it was 90% fat in your mouth, and the sauces were disjointed and didn't make any sense (the harissa in particular, since it was quite overwhelming). The herb crust was not herby enough. We didn't eat a lot of this as it was mostly unrendered pork fat.5. Grilled TroutDebatedably best dish of the evening but even then was imperfect. Trout was overcooked, chickpeas and labneh were ok but dish missed balance and complexity; nothing to lighten the dish up. I can understand the middle Eastern twist but then why not throw in some Sumac onto the crust of the fish to brighten the dish up?6. Coconut Tapioca w/ "Raspberry Sorbet"I'm used to coconut tapioca being a more fluid dish, but when this showed up the tapioca pearls and coconut had fully solidified (like they were cooked in straight coconut milk and left to harden). The sorbet was nice, but based on the colour and flavour I was guessing it was blackberry rather than raspberry, or at least a mix.The servers were nice and friendly but after I asked for the bill it took nearly 20 mins to settle up (and the restaurant was not full), and 40 mins for our third dish to arrive (restaurant was nearly empty at this point).Maybe unfairly, I was just expecting more; finesse with execution of the dishes, thought behind the marrying and layering of flavours, and creativity throughout. Pretty tough to recommend this to anyone.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 3
Y S
We are a party of 4 and tried the chef's menu for dinner. There were 3 appetizers, 3 main courses, and 1 dessert. It's served family style. Everyone liked the octopus dish because it was very well done and soft. However, we found all the food a bit too salty, except for the dessert. Portion was good for 4 people.Parking: There's free 2 hours on the street. If you're unlucky, there's a paid lot close by.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Grilled Octopus
Dr Robert Armitage
Only stopped for cocktails, beautiful artisan cocktails. Price point on the higher level.
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
Hornson C
《⭐ FIVE COURSE DINEOUT MENU ⭐》- DINEOUT 2024 = $65 -- trout rillettes or wagyu beef tartare -- susu bread + butter -- panzanella -- pork collar or sablefish -- chocolate mousse -- buff scrumpy = $21 -- leafy day cordial = $8 -I've been a huge fan of Novella Coffee ☕ and always wanted to try Bar Susu, but when their original space was damaged by a tragic fire, I was sure I'd have to wait forever. I'm so glad they have decided to temporarily operate out of Novella because the experience was spectacular.I was so surprised when I arrived to notice that the decor at Novella was completely transformed for the evening service. Even though the space was the same, the entire mood was elevated.The favourites of the night were definitely the first and fourth courses. The trout ? rillettes was rich and creamy, and each bite had the crunch and pop from the tobiko. Tasted delicious spread on top of the soft milk loaf. ? The wagyu beef tartare ? definitely had some japanese influence, might've been ponzu, but it had some citrusy notes that worked really well with the tender beef and the deep fried taro chips!The fourth course (the entrees) featured the pork collar and the sablefish. The pork collar had the better flavour combination of the two. The pork was SO tender and the tangy mushroom mustard sauce was amazing with the fattier cut of meat. The roasted shishito peppers served on the side were almost like a palette cleanser between bites. The sablefish was really good too! Super tender and fatty, and the skin was perfectly crispy. The sides were a bit more plain in comparison however.Now that we've been to both Novella and Bar Susu, I'm looking forward to finally trying out Published on Main too and completing the trifecta! ✌️
Great atmosphere. Food was a little underwhelming and overpriced for what it is. Wine was good.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 2
Amee Barber
I went to the one on Main Street. I had the Trout, endive salad and bread and butter. The Trout sat on a bed of chick peas that was delicious. The endive salad had too much garlic and the bread and butter provided too much butter (a bit of a waste) but the atmosphere is gorgeous and the service was super knowledgeable and kind (even knew what unique spice was in the chick peas that made it so good). I was there the night of the 25th
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Jessica Breen
Went for a friends birthday dinner and we both chose the chefs choice menu for $65/each.We were served the mushroom toast, trout rillettes, porchetta, grilled trout and the citrus desert.If we priced per the menu, the chefs choice was actually 9$ more than just ordering a la carte.Value for food was obviously not there- I felt that serving 2 trout dishes was a bit overkill when there were other option the menu for both starters/mains.The trout rillettes were the star, as was the citrus desert.Service was good, albeit a bit slow but was kind and made great drink recommendations- both wine and NA.Overall I came out of there saying it was ok- but not somewhere I would rush back to, nor would I recommend the chefs choice tasting.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 4
hammy pie
Still an excellent restaurant. I think I enjoyed the flavors at the original Bar Susu a bit more. The balance of flavors were really good still and the ingredients were high quality. We had to Susu Bread and Butter, Mushroom Toast, Kentucky Fried Maitake, Stracciatella, Porchetta, and Grilled Octapus. Favorite dish was the Octapus , Porchetta, and the Fried Maitake. Service was really good as expected. And the interior is really beautiful.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Alfonso Chen
Great food and wine pairing recommendations! The menu also changes frequently, allowing diners to enjoy a different experience involving new dishes every few months. This place can get busy, so make a reservation at least a week in advance if you want to have a table!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Gina Trinh
Excellent casual wine bar with interesting food options, that were generally all very good. Started with a cocktail, that was ok, but the true star is their selection if wines. Our server was excellent in giving suggestions, and we have several glasses of different ones that are very unique.The kentucky fried maitake is excellent, and a surprise favourite is the endive salad - easily the best I’ve ever had. They did a special pork shoulder cutlet that evening and I wish it was tenderized and flattened, instead of a thick, very rich piece. Small detail aside, would definitely go back. Nice concept.
Coffee shop by day and wine bar by night, Bar Susu will be sure to impress those looking for creative dishes and a fun glass of wine to accompany it. Their rotating natural wines along with their seasonal food offerings will keep each visit a unique one. For those familiar with Vancouver's renowned Published on Main, Bar Susu is the sister company and will have adjacent flavours. Must trys from this establishment are the kentucky fried maitake and grilled octopus. If you can't find a table at Published on Main or just looking to try, Bar Susu will be the perfect laid back spot to sip on a new wine and dine Michelin recommended fare.
Sarah Farrell
Gorgeous thoughtful food, warm service, electric atmosphere. Get in there while you can!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Jenny
We sat at the bar and it's super cool just watching the bar tender make cool drinks in front of us. We did the dine out, main was quite good, the appi salad is kinda bad, but the portion was quite small we had to order extra to be more
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Joey
Great service tonight with Josh and amazing food.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Patrick Soledad
My friend booked this spot for my birthday ~3 weeks before, they called to cancel our reservation 4 days before. Now I’m left with no reservations on my birthday and scrambling to look for a different restaurant.
Summary: Generally underwhelming. Beautifully presented dishes that were often over salted, and lacking the finesse and complexity I was expecting for $100/person (we ordered one glass of wine each).My wife and I came here on our first date in a long time (#baby) and were really excited to come here given its ties to Published (which we love).We wanted to give it a try with the tasting menu but things were off to a rocky start and never recovered.Review of our tasting menu:1. Stratciatelle with clamsIgnoring my personal bias against the seafood/cheese combo, the focaccia was light and airy and did a good job of soaking up the flavorful (if a bit salty) oils. I really didn't understand the combo of shelled clams and cheese though; was just rich on rich and the pickled daikon didn't do enough to lift it up.2. Smoked Trout RilletteTasted a bit too close to canned Rio tuna with marscapone cheese. Lacked any sort of smokyness from the trout. Too salty and lacking depth and complexity (or even just acid), and added chilli was overpowered by the salt. Also, disappointed to see a second dish served with the focaccia from the first course (when a cracker to add texture would have paired much better).3. Gem SaladLooked a bit too much like a Keg salad, and just generally lacking imagination. The dressing tasted ok, but a bit mayo-like in texture. Was expecting more creativity here for something that sounded simple. Also disappointed to see the pickled daikon reused here in this dish.4. PorchettaThis was probably the biggest offender of the night. The crackling was very hard and difficult to break off, the fat on the porchetta had not been rendered properly so when you took a bite you felt like it was 90% fat in your mouth, and the sauces were disjointed and didn't make any sense (the harissa in particular, since it was quite overwhelming). The herb crust was not herby enough. We didn't eat a lot of this as it was mostly unrendered pork fat.5. Grilled TroutDebatedably best dish of the evening but even then was imperfect. Trout was overcooked, chickpeas and labneh were ok but dish missed balance and complexity; nothing to lighten the dish up. I can understand the middle Eastern twist but then why not throw in some Sumac onto the crust of the fish to brighten the dish up?6. Coconut Tapioca w/ "Raspberry Sorbet"I'm used to coconut tapioca being a more fluid dish, but when this showed up the tapioca pearls and coconut had fully solidified (like they were cooked in straight coconut milk and left to harden). The sorbet was nice, but based on the colour and flavour I was guessing it was blackberry rather than raspberry, or at least a mix.The servers were nice and friendly but after I asked for the bill it took nearly 20 mins to settle up (and the restaurant was not full), and 40 mins for our third dish to arrive (restaurant was nearly empty at this point).Maybe unfairly, I was just expecting more; finesse with execution of the dishes, thought behind the marrying and layering of flavours, and creativity throughout. Pretty tough to recommend this to anyone.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 3
We are a party of 4 and tried the chef's menu for dinner. There were 3 appetizers, 3 main courses, and 1 dessert. It's served family style. Everyone liked the octopus dish because it was very well done and soft. However, we found all the food a bit too salty, except for the dessert. Portion was good for 4 people.Parking: There's free 2 hours on the street. If you're unlucky, there's a paid lot close by.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Grilled Octopus
Only stopped for cocktails, beautiful artisan cocktails. Price point on the higher level.
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
《⭐ FIVE COURSE DINEOUT MENU ⭐》- DINEOUT 2024 = $65 -- trout rillettes or wagyu beef tartare -- susu bread + butter -- panzanella -- pork collar or sablefish -- chocolate mousse -- buff scrumpy = $21 -- leafy day cordial = $8 -I've been a huge fan of Novella Coffee ☕ and always wanted to try Bar Susu, but when their original space was damaged by a tragic fire, I was sure I'd have to wait forever. I'm so glad they have decided to temporarily operate out of Novella because the experience was spectacular.I was so surprised when I arrived to notice that the decor at Novella was completely transformed for the evening service. Even though the space was the same, the entire mood was elevated.The favourites of the night were definitely the first and fourth courses. The trout ? rillettes was rich and creamy, and each bite had the crunch and pop from the tobiko. Tasted delicious spread on top of the soft milk loaf. ? The wagyu beef tartare ? definitely had some japanese influence, might've been ponzu, but it had some citrusy notes that worked really well with the tender beef and the deep fried taro chips!The fourth course (the entrees) featured the pork collar and the sablefish. The pork collar had the better flavour combination of the two. The pork was SO tender and the tangy mushroom mustard sauce was amazing with the fattier cut of meat. The roasted shishito peppers served on the side were almost like a palette cleanser between bites. The sablefish was really good too! Super tender and fatty, and the skin was perfectly crispy. The sides were a bit more plain in comparison however.Now that we've been to both Novella and Bar Susu, I'm looking forward to finally trying out Published on Main too and completing the trifecta! ✌️
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Pork Collar, Chicken Liver Rosette, Grilled Sable Fish, Beef Tartare
Great atmosphere. Food was a little underwhelming and overpriced for what it is. Wine was good.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 2
I went to the one on Main Street. I had the Trout, endive salad and bread and butter. The Trout sat on a bed of chick peas that was delicious. The endive salad had too much garlic and the bread and butter provided too much butter (a bit of a waste) but the atmosphere is gorgeous and the service was super knowledgeable and kind (even knew what unique spice was in the chick peas that made it so good). I was there the night of the 25th
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Went for a friends birthday dinner and we both chose the chefs choice menu for $65/each.We were served the mushroom toast, trout rillettes, porchetta, grilled trout and the citrus desert.If we priced per the menu, the chefs choice was actually 9$ more than just ordering a la carte.Value for food was obviously not there- I felt that serving 2 trout dishes was a bit overkill when there were other option the menu for both starters/mains.The trout rillettes were the star, as was the citrus desert.Service was good, albeit a bit slow but was kind and made great drink recommendations- both wine and NA.Overall I came out of there saying it was ok- but not somewhere I would rush back to, nor would I recommend the chefs choice tasting.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 4
Still an excellent restaurant. I think I enjoyed the flavors at the original Bar Susu a bit more. The balance of flavors were really good still and the ingredients were high quality. We had to Susu Bread and Butter, Mushroom Toast, Kentucky Fried Maitake, Stracciatella, Porchetta, and Grilled Octapus. Favorite dish was the Octapus , Porchetta, and the Fried Maitake. Service was really good as expected. And the interior is really beautiful.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Great food and wine pairing recommendations! The menu also changes frequently, allowing diners to enjoy a different experience involving new dishes every few months. This place can get busy, so make a reservation at least a week in advance if you want to have a table!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Excellent casual wine bar with interesting food options, that were generally all very good. Started with a cocktail, that was ok, but the true star is their selection if wines. Our server was excellent in giving suggestions, and we have several glasses of different ones that are very unique.The kentucky fried maitake is excellent, and a surprise favourite is the endive salad - easily the best I’ve ever had. They did a special pork shoulder cutlet that evening and I wish it was tenderized and flattened, instead of a thick, very rich piece. Small detail aside, would definitely go back. Nice concept.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
Coffee shop by day and wine bar by night, Bar Susu will be sure to impress those looking for creative dishes and a fun glass of wine to accompany it. Their rotating natural wines along with their seasonal food offerings will keep each visit a unique one. For those familiar with Vancouver's renowned Published on Main, Bar Susu is the sister company and will have adjacent flavours. Must trys from this establishment are the kentucky fried maitake and grilled octopus. If you can't find a table at Published on Main or just looking to try, Bar Susu will be the perfect laid back spot to sip on a new wine and dine Michelin recommended fare.
Gorgeous thoughtful food, warm service, electric atmosphere. Get in there while you can!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We sat at the bar and it's super cool just watching the bar tender make cool drinks in front of us. We did the dine out, main was quite good, the appi salad is kinda bad, but the portion was quite small we had to order extra to be more
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Great service tonight with Josh and amazing food.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
My friend booked this spot for my birthday ~3 weeks before, they called to cancel our reservation 4 days before. Now I’m left with no reservations on my birthday and scrambling to look for a different restaurant.