Review :
This was my first time at the restaurant, and I was extremely pleased. I consider myself a serious food-snob, too, having dined in some of the finest restaurants around the world.

The evening started with a serving of fresh, warm sourdough bread, whipped butter and these big cracker-style breads that had tons of rosemary baked in.

I started with the lamb sausage appetizer, which was paired with the recommended wine. It was superb. It came to my table hot, and presented well. The rosemary crackers in the breadbasket were just the perfect addition to this.

The main course was the Alder-smoked salmon and crab. It was nothing short of spectacular. The salmon was cooked perfectly, tender and moist, and it held together nicely when cut, but it wasn’t all fatty, either. The smoke-flavor was thoroughly infused in the fish and *just* lightly seasoned with a sauce that complemented it and the crab, which was served on top of the salmon. THAT was just awesome, too!

The portion was quite generous and I was full. (I’m about 6”5” and about 250lbs.) The vegetables were plentiful and firm, not overcooked: little red potatoes, asparagus, squash, and beets. Just marvellous. Again the meal came to the table HOT. I actually skipped dessert, but seeing them being served made we want to find room for them. Looked really good.

Service was very good, too. Everyone seemed to be on the ball – the busboy was quick to clear the table, refill water, bring bread, and check on us during the meal to see if we wanted anything else.

Most of the menu is priced around $30.00 per entrée. Wine is listed at around $8.00 to $12.00 per glass, and appetizers and desserts run the full spectrum from $6 to $16.00. Overall, our dinner with wine came to about $150.00 for two including tax and tip. It’s a slight bit more extravagant than a lot of other places in the region, but still a bargain by comparison to the rest of the world. Then again, they also have a great prix fixe menu for $49.00 for three courses per person, or including wine pairings for $75.00. Great deal! The wines are all decent BC wines, as well.

The view is just what every first-timer to Vancouver should see: Stanley Park, the water, The City etc. The décor is a little bit worn, but it’s comfortable, too: lots of native art, paintings, carvings, and boats suspended from the ceiling. I don’t think it detracted even a little bit from the experience.

I’ll definitely be back!

Review :
For some reason I've been giving Salmon House on the Hill numerous chances to redeem themselves from my previous visits but I'm always disappointed with their fish, which should be their number one offering. I find the fish is usually dry and does not have much flavour to it, which is really too bad because the restaurant is beautiful and it has a really nice view that would be great to enjoy if the food was good. Salmon House is also a big tourist destination and if we're giving tourists what they think is Vancouver's best salmon, we're going to start losing tourist dollars! The service is always pretty good and everything else about the restaurant is a must see, which is why I keep going back every couple of years to see if they've enhanced their cooking methods. Oh well, maybe in 2009 I'll have better luck?