This month, downtown Vancouver welcomed a new modern European restaurant called Seraphina.
The venture occupies the ground-floor space at 905 Dunsmuir St, which had been dormant since March 2020, when the operators of Royal Dinette (then known as the Donnelly Group) announced the closure of the farm-to-table restaurant at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and its associated restrictions in B.C.
In 2015, Donnelly (now reorganized and re-branded as Freehouse) teamed up with acclaimed Vancouver chef/restaurateur Dave Gunawan to open Royal Dinette, one of the group's first chef-driven (and non-pub) restaurant projects. Upstairs was the Blackbird Public House & Oyster Bar, one of Donnelly's many pubs, which also closed in 2020.
Recently, Vesper Lounge took up operations where Blackbird had been. (For its part, Freehouse has been busily selling off many of its other remaining spaces.) Below, the Vesper team is running a companion restaurant, Seraphina.
The space has been spiffed up a bit, with the more casual come-as-you-are styling of Royal Dinette swapped out for a slightly more formal-feeling dining room. Despite the refined air and the tinkling of piano keys on the sound system, every few minutes during my dinnertime visit, an alarm stuck in some kind of malfunctioning test cycle bleated out sharp notes.
At the bar, where employees gather to chit-chat about a variety of topics (including a few that should be saved for when customers aren't around), a video plays on a loop showing some of the elegant dishes on Seraphina's opening menu.
Talented chef behind Seraphina's food menu
The menu is the work of Chef Rory Byrne, who came to Seraphina following a year or so running the kitchen at the now-defunct Vivace on Commercial Drive. For those who visit restaurants for the food, Byrne's dishes were the best thing about Vivace, which was leaning quite a bit on its legacy as a neighbourhood hangout spot and watering hole.
Fortunately, Byrne landed at Seraphina, and is turning out plates that go a long way in making up for some of the missing big-picture elements the just-opened restaurant will hopefully address as it gets on its feet.
Seraphina's menu straddles the line between upscale and casual dining, though all the dishes I tried were assembled with terrific attention to detail. (To be fair, Seraphina describes themselves as "premium casual" on the restaurant's website.)
For example, one of the best things I sampled was the burger, called the Pure BC Wagyu Burger. The juicy patty was enveloped by a fluffy house-made bun (with a beer-infused dough) and came on a wooden board with a generous heap of crispy fries and a zingy house-made ketchup. This is elevated pub-style eats at their finest; they're even plating it on the faux newsprint sheets a fish & chip shop would use.
Many menu items more on the upscale side
However, Seraphina is also offering some very elegant plates, pushing itself more towards the upscale zone. Lamb with mint harkens back to England, and here they are doing a beautifully pink and juicy set of chops crusted in pistachio with a gently minty pea puree and a French-style "gratin dauphinoise" - sliced potatoes baked in cream.
The ling cod dances between light and decadent; it is served with a caramelized wedge of fennel and a tapioca "crisp" with a sweet-tart hint of rhubarb. A bison tartare has lovely earthy flavours and comes with a plate of housemade chips. Unfortunately, while the chips are beautifully crisp and salted, they are too thin to use as scoops for the tartare. Instead, you'll have to use your utensils, which again pushes the food away from being fully casual.
Dessert is both delicious and fancy. I tried the chocolate mousse, which comes with a hojicha (roasted tea) cream and spiced apples. It was a lovely signal that fall is on the way and offered an elegant sweet punctuation to the meal. Pastry Chef Archia-Angeli Natividad (who I recognized from a previous post at Jungle Room) is highly skilled, and I would order from any dessert menu she created.
A sibling operation to Vesper Lounge upstairs
Seraphina operates under Vesper Lounge, which I did not see, but positions itself as being "visually stunning" and ideal for all kinds of gatherings, with cocktails and a menu reflecting a selection of dishes available at Seraphina (including duck wings, salads, and the burger).
Both venues have happy hour menus, with discounted food and drinks. At Seraphina the Happy Hour menu is offered from 2 to 5 p.m. weekdays and all day on weekends, while at Vesper it is offered 2 to 5 p.m. daily. The savings are slim, but if you are keen to try the burger (for $25 instead of $28) that might be a great time.
Seraphina showcases the work of two talented chefs whose culinary skills are evident in every dish. As the restaurant gets its footing, fine-tuning its service and sharpening its identity will be key to fully realizing its potential.
Video: Here's what I ate at Seraphina, downtown Vancouver's new modern European meets PNW restaurant
@forkingawesomevia New Vancouver restaurant: Seraphina. Here is what I tried at this downtown spot. They do lunch, dinner, and happy hour. #forkingawesome #vancouverbc ♬ Brunch (Lofi) - Muspace Lofi
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