Best oyster bars in Vancouver

Jun 2 2016, 12:59 am

Oyster aficionados in Vancouver are blessed with some of the freshest product around, thanks to the city’s close proximity to salt-laden waterways.

Whether you like to eat these slippery, salty, bite-sized, culinary pleasures sans toppings or loaded with all the trimmings, read on to discover which restaurants serve the best oysters in the city.

Rodney’s Oyster House

Photo courtesy of Rodney's Oyster House

Photo courtesy of Rodney’s Oyster House

It’s all in the name. Rodney’s Oyster House does indeed offer a huge selection of oysters, sourced from waters between Vancouver Island and Prince Edward Island, and the Sunshine Coast and Washington state. Plated by oyster-shucking professionals, Rodney’s serves their oysters with a range of house-made sauces, from the delightfully sweet to the quick-pass-me-a-drink fiery. Slurp down plump juicy oysters at “Low Tide” (offered Monday through Saturday, 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.), when selected freshly shucked oysters go for $1.50 each.

Address: 1228 Hamilton Street
Phone: 604-609-0080

Address: 52 Powell Street
Phone: 604-685-2005

Twitter: @rodneysvancity

Chewies Steam & Oyster Bar

Whether they’re steamed, stewed, or served nude, Chewies always has a wide range of fresh oysters on offer, from both the West and East Coasts. The selection changes daily so be sure to ask the staff which oysters they have fresh on the day you drop by. Thrifty diners looking for a great deal, should make a point to hit up Chewies’ Happy Hour, which is served daily from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. and features Buck-a-Shuck B.C. Beach Oysters.

Address: 110 – 1055 West Hastings Street, Coal Harbour
Phone: 604-620-7634

Address: 2201 West 1st Avenue, Kitsilano
Phone: 604-558-4448

Twitter: @ChewiesOysters

Joe Fortes

Photo courtesy of Joe Fortes

Photo courtesy of Joe Fortes

Downtown’s iconic seafood and chop house Joe Fortes serves a large selection of freshly shucked West Coast and East Coast oysters, which are presented with lemon wedges and a few complementary sauces. Joe Fortes also offers Buck-a-Shuck oysters on their Happy Hour menu, which is served from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. daily. The oysters plated at Happy Hour are locally-sourced from Vancouver Island. Grab a seat at Joe Fortes’ oyster shucking station and watch masterful shuckers delicately open these shelled beauties.

Address: 777 Thurlow Street
Phone: 604-669-1940
Twitter: @JoeFortesVan

Merchant’s Oyster Bar

Merchant’s Oyster Bar almost exclusively sources their oysters from the West Coast, and more specifically from a “mom and pop-style” oyster farm, called Sawmill Bay Shellfish. Shucked at competition speed Merchant’s oysters are served with a mignonette sauce, lemon wedges, and horseradish flakes.

Address: 1590 Commercial Drive
Phone: 604-258-0005
Twitter: @MerchantsVan

Boulevard Kitchen & Oyster Bar

Photo courtesy of Boulevard (Leila Kwok)

Photo courtesy of Boulevard (Leila Kwok)

Boulevard Kitchen & Oyster Bar serves a seasonal selection of West and East Coast oysters along with an array of sauces that include shallot mignonette, a house-made cocktail sauce, and Thai espuma, as well as fresh grated horseradish. Boulevard also offers Buck-a-Shuck oysters during their daily Happy Hour from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Address: 845 Burrard Street (at the Sutton Place Hotel)
Phone: 604-642-2900
Twitter: @blvdyvr

Blue Water Cafe + Raw Bar

The long list of oysters offered at this well-regarded, sustainable-driven seafood restaurant is almost entirely soured from the West Coast, with a few East Coast varieties thrown in for good measure. Served on ice, Blue Water Cafe’s line up of oysters include the delicate briny flavoured Beach Angel oyster, the plump mildly Salty Read Island oyster, and the ultra-smooth Gorge Inlet oyster.

Address: 1095 Hamilton Street
Phone: 604-688-8078
Twitter: @bluewatercafe

Beach Bay Café

West Coast Oysters (Jess Fleming / Daily Hive)

West Coast Oysters (Jess Fleming / Daily Hive)

With approachable ocean-centric fare being the name of the game at this relaxing sea-side eatery, it should come as no surprise that Beach Bay Café serves up a delicious plate of West Coast oysters. Currently, Beach Bay Café offers Little Wing oysters, sourced locally from the Desolation Sound in the Okeover Inlet. It’s an Ocean Wise product and served in a traditional way–freshly shucked on the half shelf with house-made apple mignonette.

Address: 1193 Denman Street
Phone: 604-685-7337
Twitter: @beachbaycafe

Ancora Waterfront Dining and Patio

Soak up Ancora’s waterfront views while enjoying a plate of freshly shucked oysters. Primarily sourced from the West Coast, Ancora’s current oyster line-up includes Kusshi (Baynes Sound, B.C.), and Royal Miyagi (Cortes Island, B.C.). During both regular hours and cocktail hours (3 p.m to 5 p.m), Ancora offers oysters on the half shell, which are served with a spicy ponzu, lemon wedges, and freshly shaved horseradish. Baked oysters also appear on the menu.

Address: 1600 Howe Street
Phone: 604-681-1164
Twitter: @ancoradining

Coast Restaurant

Photo courtesy of Global Restaurant Group

Photo courtesy of Global Restaurant Group

This seafood-focused restaurant has an amazing selection of oysters, including Kusshi (Cortes Island, B.C.), Joyce Point (Cortes Island, B.C.), Sawmill Bay (Read Island, B.C.),  Read Island (Read Island, B.C.), as well as Malpeque (Price Edward Island) and Shigoku (Puget Sound, Washington). During Coast’s Cocktail Hour, which runs from 2:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. daily, select oysters are half price.

Address: 1054 Alberni Street
Phone: 604-685-5010
Twitter: @Glowbal_Group

Oyster Express

Delivered daily, oysters at this Chinatown eatery are served three ways: raw, steamed, and fried. Depending on the season, Oyster Express sources their oysters from both the East and West Coasts. Diners can expect to discover 12 to 15 oyster varieties on any given day, as well as $1.50 priced oysters at Happy Hour, which is offered Tuesday through to Sunday, 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Address: 296 Keefer Street
Phone: 604-684-3300
Twitter: @OYSTEREXPRESS

WildTale Coastal Grill

Photo courtesy of WildTale Coastal Grill

Photo courtesy of WildTale Coastal Grill

Sourcing heavily from the West Coast, seafood-forward WildTale has a menu that includes oysters in several iterations, from freshly shucked and on ice to gloriously plump and fried.

Address: 1079 Mainland Street
Phone: 604-428-9211
Twitter: @wildtalevan

Bao Down Gastropub + Raw Bar

Bao Down’s recently launched Gastropub + Raw Bar in Olympic Village features prawns, poke, and $1.50-a-shuck oysters, from bot the East and West Coast. These fresh seafood products are served alongside a range of Pan-Asian eats, as well as Bao Down’s signature fried chicken bao sandwich.

Address: 115 West 2nd Avenue
Twitter: @baodowngastro

The Fish Shack

Photo courtesy of Glowbal Restaurant Group

Photo courtesy of Glowbal Restaurant Group

Coast’s sister location, The Fish Shack, also has a wide variety of West Coast and East Coast oysters. The nautical-themed restaurant offers Buck-a-Shuck oysters, and a $1 feature oyster, which is available all day, seven days a week.

Address: 1026 Granville Street
Phone: 604-678-1049
Twitter: @Glowbal_Group

Jess FlemingJess Fleming

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