Update: The Vancouver project is named Bar Haifa and it opens Nov. 24, 2023. Read more HERE. Original article follows.
Named for a town in the north of Israel and launched as a take-away window in Toronto during the pandemic, The Haifa Room has gained steady acclaim for its menu of approachable Middle Eastern dishes.
Now The Haifa Room is planning its westward expansion, setting up a restaurant location in the heart of Downtown Vancouver on the ground floor of the Deloitte Summit building on Georgia at Homer.
The Haifa Room will occupy the space on the Homer Street side of the building (Giovane Caffe's second Vancouver outpost is on the western side of the Westbank development. When Deloitte's new B.C. headquarters opened earlier this year, it signalled a shift in how employees in the post-pandemic era are feeling about returning to office.
For its menu, The Haifa Room offers Palestinian and Israeli fare, with modern touches. Dishes on offer in Toronto include a boneless lamb shoulder with shawarma spice, toum (a garlic sauce), harissa tahini, and sumac yogurt, served with pita, as well as honey butter harissa "Nazareth" hot chicken, hummus, and cocktails. The restaurant is also known for its casual Middle Eastern street food fare, like sabich (a pita stuffed sandwich with fried eggplant) and falafel. The Haifa Room also serves brunch.
Middle Eastern food has grown increasingly popular in Vancouver in recent years, with restaurants like Yasma, Zarak, and Delara drawing raves. This fall, some of the talent behind Superbaba - which began as a food truck and now has a Mount Pleasant brick-and-mortar - will be opening Mishmish, a Middle Eastern bakery-cafe.
Plans for the Vancouver Haifa Room location remain unknown, however, signage is up outside of the space in the Summit building.
Deloitte and The Haifa Room did not respond to inquiries regarding the new venture.
