Five Sails Restaurant

This review is only for their 2016 Dine-​Out menu, a 3-​course dinner for $ 40. I ordered the Seafood tasting for appetizer, the Duck Breast for entrée and the Lemon Mille-​feuille for dessert.
The appetizer tasting of seafood consisted of salmon sashimi, tuna tartare and shrimp in wonton skin. The sashimi, while good, is not the best I have, I’m kind of disappointed that it’s actually not wild sockeye. The tuna tartare is a definite win while the shrimp in wonton skin is just ok.
The duck breast main is delicious. I like how fatty and ‘gamey’ the meat tastes. However, the skin can be a tad more crispy than served. The pineapple and potato side dish was a surprisingly delicious combination for the duck meat. I love this entrée.
The lemon mille-​feuille is a hit-​and-​miss for me. It’s a layered lemon cream separated by paper-​thin wavers that tasted more like deep-​fried wonton skin. The dessert is not as ‘solid’ and packed as I would have liked and the waver is an odd contrast with the delicious lemon cream. The lemon cream itself is so airy, light and delicious.
Overall, a good 3-​course menu. I’m looking forward to come back and try their classic menu.

Came here for Dine Out a few minutes earlier than our alloted time and we were lucky enough to snag the last window seat. Yay! Nothing beats a fancy dinner with a lovely view.
Our server provided us with the menu and explained that in addition to their dine out menu is a foie gras terrine for $ 16 and we can choose to put add-​ons to our mains as well. Eg. pan-​seared foie gras, half a lobster tail, and caviar.
I started the night with a ice wine cocktail which didn’t turn out that well. It tasted like prosecco and nothing like the ice wines I happen to like. I guess that means that night can only get better. We were brought out a basket of bread which consists of a brioche, a buttered bun and a cranberry and wheat square (one of each). We both thought this was kind of stingy for a fancy restaurant like this to serve a variety of bread but having the diners fight for a certain type of bread.
1 st course– Amuse bouche (⁴⁄₅): Butternut squash served in a espresso sized cup. «sip like a cappucino» is what our server told us to do. And so we did. It was silky smooth, rich with cream and butternut squash.
2^nd course-​Seafood chowder (3.5÷5): There was ample seafood in the chowder. I’d prefer it to be a bit thicker and a bit more salt. But overall, not bad.
2^nd course-​Tasting of the sea (³⁄₅): Tuna tartare with avocado was nice. There was only one slice of smoked salmon with some horseradish cream on top. Can’t comment much, it’s just smoked salmon. Didn’t really taste any horseradish though. The wonton wrapped on jumbo prawn was thin and crispy. Delicious! The plating was not that great and when the server brought it to our table, I could see my wonton rolling from side to side.
3^rd (additional course) — Foie gras Terrine (⁵⁄₅): Smooth layers of foie gras. It was separated by a sweet jelly. On the side were some greens to help cleanse the palate for another taste of foie gras. Totally exceeded my expectation.
4^th course (Mains) — Smoked duck breast with caramelized pineapple, parsnip purée, potato pave and and topped with pan seared foie gras (⁴⁄₅). Two thick cuts of smoked duck breast. Tasted good but I’m more familiar with thin cuts of smoked duck. Totally love the pineapple and potato pave. Sadly, the pan seared foie gras didn’t tastes as good as the foie gras from the course before. It was dry and a bit tough?
4^th course (Mains)-Baked sable fish with a cauliflower purée, apple & celeriac remoulade and pickled apples (⁴⁄₅): The sable fish was soft and buttery. The cauliflower purée and the brown butter sauce pair well with the sable fish. Absolutely spectacular. Wish there was more of the sauce. The pickled apples and the apple the remoulade didn’t really do it for me.
5^th course (dessert) — Lemon Mille-​Feuilles with berries (2.5÷5): It was way too sour. I couldn’t help but close my eyes when eating this. I had a moment of wanting to sending back because I could not take the sourness.
5^th course (dessert) — Banana & Chocolate tango (⁵⁄₅): This was delicious. We both agreed that it’s one of the best desserts we’ve ever had. Banana and chocolate is a win but the smoothness of the vanilla mousse went so well with the banana and the chocolate was not overly sweet. It was just right. The ice cream was also pretty good.
Service was at it’s minimum, which is ok at a restaurant like this. I didn’t have any requirements and much prefer my servers to let us chat and eat in peace-​come when we were done with the course.

I was not really impressed. I went with one of my friends during dine out Vancouver and the dine out menu was okay. The appetizer I chose was the ahi tuna tarte, salmon sashimi, and a tempura style prawn. The ahi tuna tarte was flavourful but the salmon was not as fresh as I would have expected it to be. The main course I chose was the saba filet. It was extremely moist and flavourful. Now on to the dessert, it was a chocolate mousse cake infused with banana mousse with house made vanilla bean ice cream on the side. I was so incredibly unimpressed with this. The mousse was so dry and tasteless. My ice cream had already mostly melted once it was served to me. As for the service. What service? I understand it’s dine out and it may be a busier time of the year however that is no excuse for poor service. Our server was really no where to be found unless it was for the bill of course. Over all I was really unimpressed with the service considering the reviews and the price point I’m paying. The view is remarkable so if you do decide to go here tip of advice — go early evening or for lunch then you can actually appreciate the view because at night the windows are too dirty to see anything through them.

Went during Dine Out, and it was absolutely amazing. Nice atmosphere, great service, and delicious food. The complimentary bread and squash soup before meal & chocolate after meal were lovely. For appetizer, we got the tasting of seafood and seafood chowder, and both were really yummy. For main dish we got the sable fish and duck breast, which had great texture and well-​balanced flavours. The desserts were not too sweet and a nice finish of the dining experience. Excellent restaurant!

We unexpectedly stumbled upon this restaurant as we were looking to find a place to eat while attending a conference downstairs. Lovely atmosphere with a wall of windows on one side over looking the harbour.
It was Dine Out so we were pleasantly surprised that they were able to find a table for us as walk-​ins. We were a little under dressed as we hadn’t planned to find such a fine restaurant to eat at.
Food was delicious, well prepared and presented. We enjoyed the seafood taster, clam chowder, sablefish, chocolate banana cake (fabulous, not sweet), and lemon dessert.
The older waiter wasn’t very personable, but did his job.
Well done, Five Sails! You’ve earned yourself a regular customer!

Came here for Dine Out just tonight and it was top quality, taste and service.
We ordered one of each entrée, appetizer and dessert and most were things we couldn’t stop fawning over. For the appetizers, the salad is a bit salty and there nothing special about it, the tasting trio was my favourite with the jumbo prawn spring roll plump and fishy in the best way. Also, the chowder was smooth and creamy but not too heavy with extremely fresh seafood!
The entrees were all great in their own way! The duck was cooked great although again, a little salty and we even added foie to the duck which was my dad’s absolute favourite. The potato gnocchi was very tasty and soft, pillowy without being too starchy. Lastly, the sablefish was super tender and the small accompanying purees and flavours complemented so well!
Dessert was my favourite part of the night and for good reason! The chocolate banana tango was filled with banana pieces, a creamy mousse and a chocolate base, it was amazing! This came with vanilla ice cream and it was a perfect sweetness and heaviness. My mom got the lemon mille fuille and she ADORED it. I thought it was too lemony but that was exactly what she hoped for! It wasn’t too heavy again and was balanced very well.
Overall, this was my parent’s favourite for dine out this year with a nice view, extremely attentive servers and deliciously classic food. Yes, prices are high but the quality over quantity wins tonight.

Had dine out here and it was a really lovely experience. The view was beautiful and the ambience was lovely. The chowder could’ve been warmer, and I would recommend the seafood trio for the appie. Both the duck and fish were fantastic and the dessert options were delicious!

Thankful to have had the unexpected chance to try this place via Dine Out Vancouver. It was an excellent experience!
We were seated by the bay windows, which had a great view of the water. Service was kind, timely, and we had mutiple people check in with us as to how our dining experience was — which was very nice. My waiter suggested a wine pairing with my order and even went out of his way to check in if I liked it since he notice I hadn’t drank much of it yet and offered to get me another drink if I didn’t like it. (Nothing was wrong with the wine — I was saving most of it for the entrée round).
Amouse Bouche of butternut squash soup was an unexpected treat. We definitely had to «cheers» to that.
Appetizer: the tasting of seafood — smoked salmon, wonton wrapped prawn, and tuna tartare with avocado was delicious, as was the seafood chowder. All were very nicely plated and a great way to start off the meal.
Entrees:
Sable fish (I just learned this is another name for black cod :)) was cooked perfectly — it was moist, flaky, with a really great seasoning to it. Just melted in my mouth.
Honey glazed roasted duck breast — this has to be the best duck I have ever tasted. Moist, tender, rich depth of flavor, slightly crispy skin and just divine. Still thinking about it now!
Dessert: Lemon mille feuille was refreshing and just the right amount of sweet and tarte.
Chocolate and banana tango was very nice as well.
I really can’t think of anything that could make the night better: from the amazing view, the service, the food, the plating, …All four of us cleaned every plate and we all left full, satisfied, and definitely feeling taken care of. I was super impressed and am excited for everyone else who gets to try out this fantastic spot for Dine out Vancouver and beyond.

To be given the opportunity to dine with a spectacular view is truly a gift. The atmosphere was so relaxing that I felt relieved from all the constant thoughts running around in my head. I recommend Five Sails to anyone that wishes to enjoy an extraordinary dinner with a divine view of what Vancouver has to offer. I would definitely say that this was one of the best dining experiences I have had so far. Ambiance is key… more indepth review and photos at BentonTheIncrEDIBLE

Wow — what a spectacular view! It is admittedly on the high end of the price spectrum, but the overhead obviously demands the high prices. The food was top notch, the service was excellent, and the room (i.e., the view) is beautiful.
The owner was on the premises and came to our table twice to check on our meal. I feel this is the sign of a well-​run establishment, with an owner who really cares.

What a view, what amazing food, what a night!
I came here with my mom for Dine Out Vancouver a while ago. I ordered the vegetable terrine and my mom ordered the carrot ginger soup for appetizers. I wasn’t too big of a fan of mine, and regretted not ordering the soup as the flavours blended exceptionally well together. I had carrot soup at another place and was turned off, hence why I didn’t order it.
For our mains, I ordered gnocchi and my mom ordered lobster. Both were fantastic. My gnocchi was served in a cream sauce which was not too thick or overbearing. The vegetables that accompanied it were tender.
We both ordered the mille feuilles for dessert. Inside was lemon filling and on top were raspberries. Perfect combination if you ask me. All in all, an unforgettable meal at an unforgettable place. This place isn’t cheap, hence why we chose to come here for Dine Out with a set menu costing $ 38, not including drinks mind you. Even still, that’s the cost of one meal on their regular menu so this is something we could not pass up on.
I would recommend coming here for Dine Out if you’re on a budget, and if you do choose to make a reservation, do it early. Spots book up quickly and you definitely don’t want to miss out on this extraordinary restaurant.

The most breath taking views in town. I started off with their cappuccino which came with the most moist and scrumptious biscotti. Then moved on to a delicious creamy butternut squash soup which was Devine, and finished it off with the juiciest Halibut over Quinoa. Halibut was on a pricey side being $ 37 dollars but was worth every bite of it. Will definitely return next time when in town!

Came here for a romantic friday night dinner with my man.
OH EM GEE. It exceeded my expectations! I love love love how it is located in the pan pacific hotel on the R floor.
The restaurant has views of the entire ocean, it feels like your on a boat. The servers were extremely friendly and so professional. The wife (owner) greeted us which i loved!
Appys and food was delicious, and we watched the most beautiful sunset, it was such a magical experience. We were seated right by the window.
This is my favourite restaurant by far!

My hopes weren’t too high since I assumed that this is just another tourist to do place
But I was totally wrong
I loved the food here way more than the actual view!
Amazing amazing amazing food! I must repeat this three times because everything was very very very delicious,
Everything came in with beautiful plating and most importantly, the perfect temperature! Everything including the plate was still hot even after all the photos!
From appetizer to dessert, even the service was spotless !
A truly wonderful place for any special occasions.

My wife and I went to 5 Sails as a post Valentine’s Day date night. We went for the tasting menu with wine pairings for each course for myself. The food is perfect from its presentation, to its taste to its cooking. The service is very professional without fussing around you. The view from our window table was nothing short of spectacular, with views of the harbour, Stanley Park and the North Shore mountains.
All in all 5 sails is the perfect place for a romantic dinner or just to have an amazing meal experience. Owners Gerry Sayers and Chef Ernst Dorfler gave worked hard to provide a must go restaurant.

Amazing! Came here for the first time for dine out 2015 and was impressed from start to finish. To begin, the ambiance of the restaurant is classic fine dining… quiet, beautifully set tables, good lighting, and excellent service… was very pleased.
The meal started with a complimentary amuse Bouche (celeriac purée with lobster foam soup) and the most delicious pretzel and cranberry buns.
Every course was delicious and unique. If you can’t decide on what to get the duck breast was amazing! I can only imagine what the food in the regular menu is like.
After the dessert course we were brought complimentary squares of chocolate ganache with our bill. Was such a nice touch. Will be coming back for dine out 2016!

Just Amazing! This place is an experience that will change your dining standards. I came here for dine out on the 16^th at 9:30pm as that was the only available spot and I’m happy i did as it was the best meal of my life.
We received a really cute sample of a seafood soup in tiny tea cups. It was delicious. Then we had the seafood sampler — the crab cake, squid and salmon all had great sauces and the garnishes went really well. Then we shared the foie gras, which came with raincoast crisps. It was like butter. The sea bass was melt in your mouth delicious and the duck was really good too. The dessert we could have done without as we were both stuffed at this point. The entrees stole the show. We also got two really cute fudge squares with the bill, which was a very nice touch.
Service was ¹⁰⁄₁₀. This will be my go to special occasion restaurant. Everything was perfect.

We were here on a friday night in the private room that we shared with another party of 8 (for future reference if you need a place to host a dinner).
First things first, the view is spectacular!
We had a group of 8 and they were able to accomodate us with a roomy table.
Two dishes that AMAZING were their Atlantic lobster salad with avocado and their Crispy Sea Bass. So perfectly cooked that my boyfriend had to stop me from ordering another portion; a must try!
There was a lag between our dinner and dessert order but overall service was top notch — our water glasses were always full and wine flowed throughout the night.
Would recommend trying if you haven’t been.
Ambiance ⁴⁄₅. Breathtaking view but relatively empty and quiet restaurant
Food ⁴⁄₅
Location ⁵⁄₅. Close to skytrain and downtown core
Price ⁴⁄₅. Great portions and you leave full compared to other fine dining restaurants. (if you eat moderate sized meals for a 5 foot nothing asian girl :))

Five Sails is definitely situated in one of the best spots in Vancouver, with an amazing vantage point over Coal Harbour. The entrance of the restaurant is particularly flashy, with a dynamic, glowing door frame, while the interior is furnished to be quite upscale but accommodating.
The staff are all very friendly, unpretentious, and very professional. The service here is sublime and we liked the fact that the restaurant employed people from all parts of the world, clearly representing Vancouver’s multiculturalism.
The view of Coal Harbour was definitely the star of the show, but the food was quite good as well. My ravioli appetizer was cooked perfectly but unfortunately, I felt that the size of the dish was too small. The entrees were both fairly well portioned; one being a piece of fish and the other, a tender slab of short rib. The desserts here are created meticulously and served beautifully plated. My lemon cake was tart but it complemented the sweet cream quite well while the chocolate cake was composed of rich, dark chocolate, which is definitely a favourite.
Overall, we were very impressed by our meal here but unfortunately, I had a bit of an upset stomach afterwards. If it were not for this unfortunate incident, I would have given Five Sails 4.5, but I decided to round down rather than round up. I also believe that their portions of food should be a tad bit larger for the price that you’re paying.

Five Sails restaurant is located in Pan Pacific Hotel. I totally forgot about this restaurant after it re-​launched after 2007. How could it be!!!
I picked it for my birthday dinner with my hubby and best friend. We got seated by the window and viewing the cruise dock and North Vancouver scene, we all know it would be fantastic and enjoyable dinner!
Amuse bouche — Fresh tuna and cream mushroom soup, excellent! It’s absolutely fresh and perfect to start with!
Appetizers:
Beef tartar — The portion was generous and taste awesome!
Chilled prawns cocktail — Jumbo prawns were good!
Pan seared Scallops — Holy moly! Super jumbo scallops! It’s so delicious!
Entrees:
The catch — it mixed ½ fresh lobster, caramelized scallop and halibut with lemongrass sauce perfumed with coconut soup.
Marinated Sablefish — Sable fish was well-​seasoned and smooth. The sautéed shimeji mushroom was delicious too!
Halibut — Halibut was perfectly cooked and creamy sauce so rich.
Desserts:
Chocolate opera was the star! Pitchasio ice cream was brilliant and opera cake was perfect!
Banana chocolate was great too!
I would say totally worth it for such top-​notch service, quality of food, excellent view for dinner and complimentary mini slice for my birthday.