Griffins Restaurant

At the thought of dining at the Fairmont, I immediately thought «super upscale» and «majorly expensive». As it turns out, I was only right about one thing.
I enjoyed the lounge setting of the restaurant. We weren’t very dressed as it was casual Friday. We arrived at 8:00pm and noticed that the place was not very busy. A table was set up for us right away.
If you’re hoping to spend a nice evening at the Fairmont without puncturing your bank account, now is the time to do it. Griffins is having a summer special 3-​course menu for just $ 30. You may also opt for the 2-​course menu for $ 28. Items on that menu include the Ahi Tuna appetizer, Shin of Lamb entrée and Chocolate (Mousse) Cake dessert — those were my choices! It also featured two bottles of wine, one red and one white, for $ 25.
My hubby and I were dining out with our friend and her husband, so wine was naturally in order. We had the Viognier, and it was fair.
The Ahi Tuna appetizer was very, very small, but also very, very good. We looked for it on the menu, just out of curiosity, and saw that it costs a whopping $ 19 on a normal day! Yeah… Not THAT good. The Shin of Lamb was a nice, big piece of leg on bone. It wasn’t as tender as it looked, but still quite good. I never liked polenta, so that’s the end of that. The winner in this meal has to be the dessert. Oh, the Chocolate Mousse Cake. They don’t tell you it’s a mousse. It just says Chocolate Cake, but it’s a mousse. A rich, creamy, decadent mousse. I savoured every bite and was the last to finish my dessert.
Service was quite casual. We appreciated that. Everything looked clean. The décor was classic and added a certain something that Griffins and the Fairmont have and need.

I came here with my friend one day and had the lunch buffet on a Saturday.
It was a small buffet with little portions of many things.
Opinions:
— The waffle was dry and was sitting under the lamp for half an hour before the buffet opened. It tasted like a defrosted waffle, even though it was probably made in their waffle press.
— The shrimp had a lot of butter and garlic.
— There were a few healthy options.
— The steak was tough.
— The dessert section was very good. We tried one of each thing. The cheesecake one was my favorite, even though I usually don’t like cheesecake.
The only annoying thing is that the bathroom is outside of the restaurant and around the corner.
Service was standard.
Would I come back? Probably not. There are better buffets around and better menu food elsewhere. But it is better than Denny’s that’s for sure.

The reason behind my visit to Griffins Restaurant was that I was ‘regifted’ a coupon/​voucher that I had won at my company’s xmas party (it was originally won at a golf tournament). I had never planned to go here before… but hey… gifts are gifts… and new experiences at restaurants can be fun.
The décor is a nice old world old hotel type restaurant (fitting… it’s in the Hotel Vancouver)… it works well for the space. It is large… it could easily swallow a large group and still not be too crowded or loud…
The food selection was a pleasant pick that could have fit on a single sheet if they had wanted. It had a little of everything but did lean a little heavier to seafood.
The service… it was quite good. The server was not super friendly… but maybe this restaurant caters to those who want to be served and not chatted up (I don’t mind the friendly banter with the server… but that wasn’t going on here). He was attentive without being in the way.
Food quality… was very good. The apps were on the smaller size, but led nicely to the dinners. We had taken two people with wife and me… apps were two orders of the gnocchi (one was mine), one crab ravioli, and a mushroom tart. People liked them. Dinner wise… there was one pork chop, scallops, and two orders of prime rib (my choice). The prime rib was HUGE! Easily enough for 2 people to comfortably get full. Was advertised as 18 hour slow cooked… and based on the tenderness, I would be hard pressed to fault them on that timing or tenderness… it was fantastic.
The two ladies decided on dessert, and the men shared a spoon or two of it… one order of meyer lemon tart, and my wife had passionfruit crème brûlée. Both were very tasty… I’m not a dessert fan, so a couple of bites were all I needed (I had filled up on prime rib).
So… things sound very great… why is it getting a 4 instead of a 5 or a mention of a self-​imposed 4.5 star… well… price wise. Sure I had a voucher… it gave me $ 200 off of the meal purchase for a group of 4 (excluding gratuity). It ended up after tip being basically a groupon type deal… 50% off. At the prices it hit… you could be eating at ANY restaurant in Vancouver Metro area. The meals would have been as good if not better (with different selection), and the service probably would have been just as good. This is where the problem is for me, and I guess the rest of the dining scene… the place was near empty. At the prices it is hitting and in the core of downtown… it’s just not competitive, and obviously people are more interested going elsewhere.
So… nothing to fault other than that the business model is not quite working. They need to tweak either the menu or the pricing… and then they could achieve a little more success possibly.

The restaurant in one of the most recognizable and popular hotel in Vancouver, the Griffins at the Hotel Vancouver.
I have been to his restaurant a few times over the last few years, and each time it has met my expectations. Of course, your expectation should be high for a reputable place like this.
First, the environmental factors. As a 4-​star hotel, it certainly feels at least that, if not more. The Victorian-​era furnishing, the wallpaper and the overall visual presentation, it radiates an aura of elegance. It certainly impressed my wife who regularly dines at the Ritz-​Carlton (Osaka).
For dinners, never a complaint from me. It’s delicious and usually just the way you order it. If it’s not satisfactory, they’re more than willing to accommodate your request.
During brunch, not just cereals and bagels… they have everything you would want for brunch. From healthier choices like a variety of fruits, salmon and salads… or if you want a richer meal, egg benedicts, sausages, etc. Once again, no complaints.
Of course, you can’t really review Griffins without mentioning the dessert buffet they have. Lots of different types of sweets like cheese cakes, apple tarts, mousses, and so on… and it’s all-​you-​can-​eat, so it’s on way to «earn your money back», lol.
The service, I would say it’s above average. Not quite as good as smaller/​tighter places (eg. Pink Peppercorn), but they are still attentive. They usually come at the right interval to prepare your utensils/​table or to check things up. Not so often to where it feels like they’re trying to milk you for your tips, but they don’t disappear either.
While this restaurant is a bit on the pricier side, there are ways to «save money». They usually have 3-​course specials where you can save a few dollars over ordering a la carte. I believe they also participate for Dine-​out, so that’s another opportunity to save a bit more. Lastly, there’s also a coupon within the Entertainment booklet which I believe will save you $ 20 from the a la carte menu.
A 4 out of 5 stars rating for me. Why it lost 1 star, because while the atmosphere was nice, the dining area is a bit big. It loses that intimacy when you’re dining with orders. But that’s just a personal preference.
Do I recommend you to try this restaurant? Yes, because I know I certainly will.

Griffins used to be my favourite restaurant in Vancouver, with my first visit dating back to 2006. Over the years, I’ve brought many people here — friends from Japan, groups from work (approx. 30 people), and my parents who traveled from out east, when I held a graduation dinner here.
I was going to visit again on Sunday, but I won’t be returning. Much to my dismay, they’ve decided to discontinue offering their dessert buffet with entrees, and changing their entire menu to generic, higher-​end-​sounding options with a focus on fish. All that, and a price increase. ($ 21 for tofu? A $ 10 lemon tart? Seriously?) Not worth it… there are many others who do that better.
Griffins was certainly a niche restaurant in the genre of Fairmont or hotel restaurants, and they’ve thrown that advantage away. Seems I’m not alone in these thoughts — the restaurant was nearly empty.
If you want to drop a bunch of money, go somewhere else — many better options close by.

Had both breakfast and one dinner here. The food was consistently very good. The Salmon and Lamb were both excellent and the omelets were some of the best I have had. Their portions are large so be warned. You might split them up unless you are monstrously hungry.

Little on the pricey side & especially for Easter or Mothers Day brunch. But for good variety & better than average delectable food & excellent desserts once or twice a year the cheapskate that I am I ll spring for a treat for my wife & myself & have the regular Sunday brunch. It has never dissapointed. The wait staff however were a little aloof. I would not consider that to be a sign of class. If my wife raves about the deserts humour her & be happy for her. Our money is as good as the next persons & we are not intimidated by their looks just b/​c we have to pay a bit more for food. Nevertheless buffet food was good & we got our moneys worth.

Griffins is one of those memorable restaurants where you keep on returning on a whim because of the novelty rather than the food. (The novelty being that we stuff ourselves with their famous dessert buffet until we get sick. Yes, we are shameless gluttons.) We have eaten at Griffins countless times and the quality of the food really has been fluctuating throughout the years. If you haven’t been to Griffins for a while, here’s an update on a couple recent changes:
— The dessert buffet was moved to a small table behind the reception. There aren’t as many desserts now but they still remain free with the purchase of an entrée.
— The appetizer buffet has expanded into the dessert buffets former area. The salad bar is a lot more comprehensive now with numerous vegetables and condiments.
Anyway, we have pretty much tried everything at Griffins and this time, we just felt like eating a simple burger since we were going to stuff ourselves with the dessert buffet anyways. (Engulfing a large steak isn’t really a good idea before stuffing yourself with 8 cakes).
Prime Rib Burger — $ 21 (⁶⁄₇)
This is a huge prime rib burger with the classic burger ingredients: ketchup, mayo, mustard, lettuce, tomato, pickles, etc. On the side are a bowl of fries and a few excellent onion rings that were truly delectable. The burger was really well made and very large. We could only eat half of the enormous burger and ended up packing it away before heading towards the dessert bar. To be honest, we heated up the burger the next day in toaster oven and it was still delicious!
Griffin’s Dessert Buffet — free with a purchase of an entrée (5.5÷7)
So, this is the famous dessert buffet that’s perpetually changing in appearance, taste, and location. Unfortunately, we could not take any pictures this time, but you can probably find some pictures on Google images. Anyway, this dessert buffet would probably still rank in the top 5 times that we’ve been here but it wasn’t that good in all honesty. Griffin’s dessert buffet is pretty much different each time you go (unless you go once a week), so it’s a surprise each time.
This time, they had:
Cream puffs, eggnog cheesecake, unknown cheesecake, éclair pie, apple pie, pumpkin pie, chocolate mousse in a martini glass, assorted cookies, assorted pastries, and a few other holiday cakes.
The only desserts that we liked were the cream puffs, apple pie, pumpkin pie, and the mousse. The selection did not impress us this time, but it was still a better experience compared to our worst ones before.
Anyway, you should come to griffins if you like sweets, but just don’t expect too much! Everything is aesthetically pleasing and none of the desserts were inedible. The only thing we would like to note about this visit was that our server was quite rude, as he did not ask us if we were fine, forgot about our bread, and ignored us a few times when we tried to get his attention.
Ratings:
Food: ⁶⁄₇
Food (Dessert Buffet only): 4.5÷7 (Rating will change per visit)
Service: ⁴⁄₇

We went here on an Entertainment coupon. Our waiter, David, was very kind and when my wife’s Rack of Lamb was too rare, David took it back. When it took longer than he thought to fix, he gave my wife access to the Appetizer bar :-)
The food is good, but this place might be famous for its sweet (hee hee) dessert buffet. If Springfield had a «Griffins», Homer would put this place out of business in 10 min.
Unfortunately, I filled up on water and so couldn’t commit the sin of dessert gluttony :’(

I have visited this place whenever I have an event to celebrate. Love the prime ribs!
Recently, price of buffet went up from $ 29 to $ 39. Not sure I will be visiting more often. That price will roughly cost you just above $ 100 for party of two after taxes and tips.

2.5 stars.
I must be on a bit of a retro kick of recent, because this is another place that I have not visited in probably 10 years.
Came here today for a breakfast buffet. Food was good, not spectacular, but not worth the price. The buffet was $ 28, which included coffee and OJ.
When the bill came, I noticed that coffee and OJ, by themselves, were $ 5 and $ 6, respectively. That’s pricey, considering that the OJ was Tropicana. Yes, I saw them pour it out from the jug to the pitcher.
Would I recommend it? Not really, but I really have nothing against this place. It’s pricey food in a dated environment.
The décor in here has not changed in 15 – 20 years, possibly more. It is dated, it needs a reno.

I have been to Griffins exactly four times since it has opened back in the mid nineties. Every time I have been there it seems like the time before. Mediocre food. Odd room. Not good.
My parents were staying at the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver and were deciding where to go for my dad’s birthday dinner. When I heard Griffins mentioned I was slightly unnerved, but I decided I would give it a shot with an open mind.
I knew things were not going to end pretty when the beer came stale and without a decent head. How can Vancouver restaurants get away with not keeping a track of when they open their kegs and serving stale draft beer.
It was dine out Vancouver and our table was large and indecisive. Our server was a sweet heart and took it all in stride. Once the orders were sorted out, part of our table hit the seafood buffet and some had soups and salads.
Key Point 1 — Appetizers: The soup was good, the salads wilted and so-​so, Seafood buffet — a HIT!
Key Point 2 — Mains: All were uninspired, dry, overcooked or not quite right except the Prime rib, which was a HUGE hit.
Key Point 3 — Dessert bar: I have never been a fan of all you can eat dessert bars. This one is no exception. I prefer lovely crafted, delicate desserts. These, although better than Safeway cakes and tarts, kind of blend into that style of dessert group.
I’m not sure how Fairmont can keep this restaurant at such a sub par level charging the prices they do.

One hundred reviews + anniversary dinner = this review.
I wanted us to go someplace nice for our anniversary dinner. Hmm, where to go, where to go? I talked to my mom and she said, «Ay my gash Hasmine. You shud go to da Bancouber Hotel por da buffet.» Okay, so she only sort of sounds like that… but duly noted mom. So we scanned the Entertainment Book and ripped it out.
So silly us, we went to the lounge first and waited amongst the chaos that was dinnertime. Then I thought about it and we found the right place. There is an easel outside the door showing the December Special: Appetizer Buffet, Main and Dessert Buffet for $ 49. Hmm, that sounded tempting, but I didn’t know if I wanted to be uncomfortably full for the rest of the night.
When we got there at 6:45 with no reservations, we were told that the earliest we could be seated was between 7:30 and 8:00. Fair enough, so we went to go have a coffee. When we came back, there were many empty seats, but they were still so busy. The hostess flitted by and told us she would be back. Then while she was away, another guy came and asked if we had been helped. Instead of stepping in and seating us because he was able work the computer and find our name (could have been an ipod behind the podium, I don’t know), he waited and stared at us awkwardly while waiting for the hostess to come back.
Okay, so finally we were able to be seated. We had to wait a loh-​ha-​hong time for our server to come by. When he did, he apologized for the wait… it was about 10 mins from the time I noticed it had been awhile. We ordered our drinks and mains at the same time. I opted to order from the a la carte menu instead of trying to hork down as much food as they offered. I ordered a coke and the 10 oz prime rib. My fiancé ordered a coke and a pizza. The dessert buffet came with both our entrees.
Our bread plate was okay. We got two pieces of foccacia with a side of sundried tomatoes in oil. Yum.
The food came fast. My prime rib came with a plain baked potato, a yorkie, gravy and some veggies. The meat was so tender and cooked rare like I asked. So good. Glaahhhh… just enough fat mixed with the meat. The outside was overly seasoned to me. It was quite salty, but if you had a little bit of the crust with the inside, it worked out okay. Hmm, after a couple bites, the server came by to check on us… he started saying his thought out loud, but just walked away instead. He came back with a plate of horseradish (so necessary and welcome), bacon, green onions and sour cream. The yorkie was hard and crisp and tasted kind of burnt.
I tried the garlic on the pizza… one of the almost twenty cloves. Hmm, it seemed like a lot for a personal pizza. I ate a clove because I have been told that when one person has garlic, the other has to as well to cancel it out. I ate it and then my fiancé tells me that he has been picking them off and putting them to the side. Oh.
After stuffing myself full of meat… wheeee… our plates are cleared and we go to the dessert buffet. I got a crème caramel, a slice of chocolate mousse cake, a slice of mango cheesecake, and some cream puffs. The crème caramel was quite gelatinous. The flavour was okay, but I didn’t like the texture. The chocolate thing was so smooth and rich. The cream puffs were regular. The cheesecake was so good. I wish I got more, but I was too full and I also had to stick my fork in my fiancé’s plate. He got some weird strawberry thing that had a weird uncooked cream of wheat texture.
So I needed to go to the washroom, but there is no washroom in the restaurant. I went to ask the hostess that seated us, but she rushed past me as I started to ask her where it was. Luckily, there was someone else who directed me into the lobby. I guess after I leave the vicinity of the waiting area, I am now under the direction of my server.
Our server was really nice. He was super busy with the huge table beside us. He was very professional and despite being absent at first, was everything I expected from a waiter at a «fancy» restaurant. I always know that if the waiters are older, then the place must be expensive. If we didn’t have our Entertainment Coupon, I would have been mad… $ 4 for a coke… it’s like pennies a glass… I seen the commercials, I know what’s what.

We went in a group of girls to try Griffins since there was a dessert buffet. =) If you order an entrée, you get to gorge yourself in the dessert buffet. It was mmmm… mmm good.
I had the Queen Charlotte Halibut with lobster & lemon risotto. It was so good, I demolished my whole plate. I should have ordered a salad because I ended up stuffing myself at the dessert buffet. It was good times…

I love family dinners, especially holiday ones. But with the family off in the Okanagan to admire the new grandson over this Thanksgiving weekend and me not being able to get away because of work etc., my husband and I decided to do something we’d always wanted to do: have our turkey at a fancy hotel restaurant.
We chose the $ 54 holiday meal special at Griffins because we both love the Hotel Vancouver. We love the hotel for its heritage, we love it for being part of an iconic chain of hotels (Banff Springs, Château Lake Louise, Château Frontenac) that we’ve visited while travelling across Canada, and we love it because we have the memory of spending part of our honeymoon here.
Unfortunately, our dinner at Griffins got off to a bit of rough start: the hosts could not find our reservation (made over the phone two days earlier) and though they found us seats, they were right next to the kitchen. I HATE being seated next to the kitchen. Then they moved my husbands chair around so he wouldn’t bump chair backs with the seat behind him — but the move put him right in the line of traffic for people going to the appetizer buffet. This is not a cheap place and I was in no mind to spend money listening to clanking dishes and being jostled by other diners.
So we asked to move tables and they were very accommodating, setting us up with a nicer corner table. We ordered our turkey dinners (with a glass of red wine, natch) and it was off to the appetizer buffet — dinner included both appetizer and dessert buffets, as well as the plated main course. The appetizers included soups, salad bar, cold seafood (I was surprised to see shellfish still being offered, with the current red tide warnings on the coast), bread, and pasta and bean salads. They also had smoked salmon, which was OK, but made me a little sad that I wasn’t having my Dad’s famous homemade smoked salmon as an appetizer as we would at home with the fam.
After the appetizer plates had been promptly cleared away, the turkey arrived. (You could also choose prime rib or salmon, but this is Thanksgiving, Jack.) Turkey with all the trimmings nestled into the bowl: slices of dark and white meat, apple stuffing, sweet potato, broccolini, mashed potato, and gravy and cranberry sauce. It was like homemade, just a little different in the flavours. The cranberry sauce fresh and sweet, the gravy rich and savoury, the turkey perfectly done. I couldn’t even finish it all.
But I had to soldier on: dessert buffet! While the husband devoured a small rich bowl of mousse, I enjoyed a mini cream puff and fresh-​baked bird’s nest cookie, and of course, pumpkin pie. The pie was the best part — sweet and spicy, with a perfect thin, flaky crust.
Although initially disappointed with the restaurant, and also perhaps expecting a more posh restaurant (i.e., like the neighbouring lounge bar), in the end, Griffins won me over with the service. The hostesses were very helpful, and our waiter was both professional and a hoot. Griffins may somewhat resemble a diner, but underneath beats the heart of old-​school hotel service.

They currently have a promo where they take 50% off your meal (excluding taxes, alcohol…) everyday from, 4:30−6pm.
I have taken advantage of this and visited several times.
Their appetizer buffet is what I’m here for. Fresh greens with homemade dressings, prawns, crab legs, tomatoes & boccocini, mussels and clams, soup, assorted bread, roasted garlic!, smoked salmon… everything is fresh and tasty. You can add this to your entrée for $ 18 more, or have it alone with the dessert buffet for $ 32.
For the mains, I’ve had the prime rib (with Yorkshire pudding), seafood linguine, and chicken linguine. The seafood linguine is my favourite, but if it wasn’t for the 50% deal, the original cost of $ 29 is not really worth.
All the entrees also include their dessert buffet. Profiteroles and crème caramel are so good. They also have fresh fruit, as well as other cakes and mousses.
Service is usually good, as it is the Fairmont and that’s what I expect.
I come out of the restaurant very full each time, and have a food coma afterwards.

We did Griffins (or did Griffins do us?) last night and what a divine pleasure it was.
Located on the Hornby street side of the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver, this Euro-​styled brasserie, with its chrome yellow walls and huge, colorful paintings, offers quiet, professional wait service with white tablecloth charm.
Now, the food! The Griffins Seafood Trio won the coin toss over the halibut — and a wonder-​inducing choice it was. Halibut that melted in the mouth. Salmon, oh the salmon — flaky and perfect and nourishing to the psyche. This is the life giving food of the West Coast. Topped off with beautifully tender prawns — truly indigenous feast food. Eating local points!
My partner ordered extra veg in place of the jasmine rice. A mound of perfectly crunchy broccoli, red pepper, zucchini and other colorful delights; and so seductive to the eye that we ate the veg first!
The dessert buffet is included with all items on the right hand page of the menu — so we indulged. The cakes and flans are gorgeous and tasty. Apple cake topped with fresh strawberry. Crème caramel, silky and smooth. Choco layer cake with buttercream icing. Fruit and nut crunchy bar — lip-​smacking good!
A platter generously filled with fresh fruit, a pot of hot chocolate sauce, and tiny, perfect cookies tempt the most discerning dessert fiend!
Griffins is celebrating 18 years of deliciousness by offering 50% off the dinner menu between 4:30pm and 6:30pm daily — and every seat in the house was occupied last night! I reserved through Open Table. We will indulge again throughout the summer.

Having a very filling meal with Dineout Vancouver going on. The place looks like a classic cafeteria diner. The service is great, as it should be, seeing as though it is the Fairmont.
For this meal, we had both the appetizer buffet, and the dessert buffet. Believe me, we where really stuffed after the whole ordeal. The main course was excellent, as I had the salmon, and my partner, the sirloin. I must say I was satisfied.

So this young lady was taken to this restaurant by someone along with a small party. Knowing that this place is inside the Fairmont Hotel — Vancouver, this young lady decided that it might be appropriate (more of a convenient and favorable excuse) to dress up a bit. Tee hee hee!
There is a choice between a nice spread of buffet, and eating a la carte. Noticing that you can actually have the best of both worlds by eating a la carte which includes… a dessert buffet at the end, how could this young lady resist?
Service was wonderful, the staff was very friendly and helpful in making suggestions. Being crazy about risotto and perfectly cooked fish, this young lady chose the Queen Charlotte Halibut, which comes with a lobster and lemon risotto. The one half of her party chose various sizes of prime ribs, one chose the Portobello Mushroom Risotto, and another chose the Griffins Seafood Trio.
The food was amazing, and the fish was just seasoned and cooked perfectly — it made this young lady eat in a not-​so-​ladylike way because she just couldn’t stop eating until her dish was gone.
(Side note: Griffins’ prime rib kicks The Keg’s prime rib in the you-​know-​what)
I would have had photos of the dessert… but it simply was too delicious, that I didn’t realize I hadn’t taken any pictures of it until the dishes were cleared.
Just a wonderful night to end the day!

Griffins is a yearly staple for my best friend and I. Go for the buffet, you won’t be disappointed.
It’s the décor that should really knock a star off this joint. But since I love the food sooooo much, I’ll let it slide. You walk into the Fairmont, which is arguably the poshest hotel in the city … and then you end up in a White Spot –like restaurant. But then the service and food is 5-​star caliber, so I’m like, umm why don’t you guys spend a few dollars on decorating? Seriously.
The dessert buffet has me salivating. I could fast for a whole month JUST to pig out on the dessert, no joke. This is why it’s a yearly staple for us!