For this year’s birthday dinner for my hubby, I took him to Provence Marinaside in Yaletown. We previously had gift certificates given to us for our wedding gift, and hadn’t used them yet, so thought this would be a nice romantic dinner for two. I made reservations online and requested a nice quiet table within the restaurant. Upon arrival, I noticed that the restaurant was quite empty on a weeknight aside a group of patrons sitting at a corner booth. We were taken to our seat near the window overlooking the unused patio and view of False Creek.
I ordered their house special Caesar with extra pickled green beans as well as the Shellfish Steamer appetizer to start. The Caesar was a delicious start to the meal – garnished with pickled green beans, peperoncini, olives, and a giant prawn. It accompanied the Shellfish Steamer quite well, which consisted of fresh seafood including mussels, clams, scallops, and prawns. The mussels and clams were fresh, prawns large, yet the scallops were overcooked. The fresh bread was welcomed while we waited for our mains, along with the olive tapenade dipping sauce.
Our meals shortly came after finishing the appetizer. I ordered the fresh seared halibut, on top of asparagus rice and fresh market vegetables. I really enjoyed the asparagus bamboo rice and the market fresh vegetables, a myriad of fresh grilled zucchinis, asparagus, green beans, carrots and red bell peppers.
My hubby ordered the AAA Beef Tenderloin accompanied with fresh green beans, shitake mushrooms, pomme frites, with a red wine and peppercorn jus. My halibut was flakey and tender, topped with roast tomatoes. The pomme frites were similar to shoestring fries and devoured quickly that I didn’t have a chance to take a photo of it. The tenderloin was soft and juicy, with the perfect red wine reduction. However the green beans were a tad overcooked as well.
Overall the meal was very tasty, and we ended up not needing to order anything else as we had filled ourselves with bread and pomme frites. A staple restaurant in the Yaletown Marinaside community, Provence Marinaside is still worth the visit for a nice brunch or dinner. Although dark and not as welcoming in the Fall on a rainy Vancouver day as some of the more trendy restaurants nearby, I’m sure it’s nicer on the patio on a nice summer day.
