Five Sails Restaurant in Vancouver

Five Sails Restaurant at the Pan Pacific Hotel Vancouver

Reviews
The view of Coal Harbour, Stanley Park, and the Coast Mountains is utterly magic. And somewhat surprisingly, given that this restaurant serves the enormous Pan Pacific Hotel atop Canada Place Convention Centre, the food at Five Sails is very good, too -- inventive without being too clever. Seafood is where the menu really shines. Try the Voyage of Discovery, a fresh seafood platter featuring Pacific prawns, Dungeness crab, clams, and sushi. Other inventive appetizers include an ahi tuna carpaccio and smoked B.C. salmon. Main courses feature pan-seared halibut, oven-roasted lobster, crispy sea bass, and a slow-roasted B.C. sockeye. Duck, beef, and lamb are also on the menu. The cellar offers a substantial list of wines from B.C. and around the world.

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This is a special occasion restaurant. The views are one of the reasons to bring someone here: Stanley Park, Coal Harbour, the mountains, and the Lions Gate Bridge are amazing backdrops for the restaurant. Seeing the progress of the convention centre was a bonus. We were fortunate enough to have the sunset while we were dining which made it even more special.

The décor is stylish, elegant and understated. It looked like a space created by Sarah Richardson of design inc. The Pan Pacific is about due for a renovation and it was refreshing to see that Five Sails was ahead of the curve in terms of modern furnishings. The entrance has a sleek bar and a gorgeous lounging area with a unique fire feature, which is nicer than the typical fireplaces in most restaurants.

We started with an amuse bouche of lobster bisque served in delicate espresso cups. The bread was a combination of slightly sweet and savoury breads that were a step up from the breadbaskets seen in many restaurants around the city.

The starters were all very nicely presented and could stand on their own as entrees if they were larger. Crab was sweet and matched well with the artichoke aioli. The tuna was rich and flavourful and from a distance almost looked like beef. The lettuces had light toasty flavours with the infusion of walnut oil and the baby vegetables really added vibrant colour and crispness to the dish.

The halibut was perfect for my companion who ordered the crab salad. The crab was a continuation in the ravioli, followed by sorrel mushrooms that complimented the halibut. My other companion enjoyed the savoury duck two-ways. The foie gras added an elegant depth and the sauce from Okanagan cherries was an embrace of local flavours. I am fascinated with foam these days and the seared sea bass did not disappoint. The lemongrass foam was light but had a definite statement. The fish was moist and buttery and paired well with the subtle kick of the wasabi potatoes.

I shared my desert of banana and chocolate tango with my companions. The nutmeg ice cream was a great balance to the rich chocolate and banana. It was topped with a thin wafer drizzled with a rum sauce. My dinner companions are not into dessert and they really enjoyed it.

This restaurant is fine dining - period. It will be a memorable experience.