Notch8 Restaurant and Bar is a stylish space located on the main floor of the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver. It’s the hotel’s main restaurant serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. It’s also open for happy hour, brunch on weekends and like so many Fairmont locations also offers afternoon tea.
Our stay at the hotel was short—three nights centered around a Pearl Jam concert at Rogers Arena. That, along with a guest room on the Gold Floor which included daily breakfast, we didn’t have any full meals here. We did however enjoy cocktails and snacks during a lazy afternoon on our second day, and post-concert drinks at the bar.
On both occasions, service was very good and the eye-catching, contemporary design of the restaurant is energizing. All in all, a fine place to grab a bite and spend some time—and I’m sure on a longer stay we would have booked a breakfast and a dinner here (the menu looks good!).
We were impressed by the variety of inventive signature and seasonal cocktails available and took more than just a moment making our choice…
Once we chose, for him— the Hickory Old Fashioned, pretty much exactly what the name implies: a classic Old Fashioned with a hickory-infused bourbon. Rather than simple syrup, the cocktail is sweetened with maple syrup to complement the woodsy, hickory flavour. Nicely done!
I particularly enjoyed my Garden Margarita (a seasonal cocktail), with its zingy-fresh red pepper and cucumber purée blended with the more traditional lime and tequila flavors. It was refreshing, delicious and had a very pleasant zip. Pretty to look at, too!
A generous charcuterie board rounded out our afternoon treat with crostini, lovely cheeses, cured meats, zesty olives and pickled veggies.
We enjoyed a very relaxed, low-key pleasant time here in the afternoon. When we returned again post-concert for a night cap, the place was transformed, absolutely hopping with hotel patrons and concert goes. A boisterous, lively atmosphere with live music, too. Fun!
Notch8 is definitely a place worthy of checking out when staying at the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver.
For more information about Notch8 Restaurant and Bar, visit www.notch8-dining.com
