Silvestre Deli & Bistro

Dead quiet on a Wednesday night, even as late as 7pm. So – good for groups! Probably easy to get a large group in to eat. Even though we were the only two there, water never got refilled. Hmm…
Many of the desserts in the counter are not made in-​house — only the Peruvian ones. After we ordered, a small bowl of roasted and salted corn kernals was brought to the table, followed by 4 dips, three of which were pretty spicy.
Ceviche Mixto ($ 17)
–Smallish portion for $ 17 but you do get a lot of shrimp and quite a bit of mussels. Simple and tasty.
Pollo a la Brassa ($ 16 for breast portion of a quarter chicken)
–Reasonably tender and moist meat for breast. Otherwise, nothing special here and on the pricey side.
Empanada Camarones ($ 5.75) Deep fried empanada with shrimp in spicy, creamy sauce
–You can isolate the shrimp and there’s apparently quite a few of the rather tiny shrimp.
–Filling tasted like the tomato-​paste like sauce. Waste of time unless you like Pizza Pockets where you can’t taste any filling except sauce.
–Price for portion pretty steep considering it wasn’t that tasty.
–Not spicy at all.
Empanada Pollo ($ 5.75) Baked pastry dough filled with chicken, onion, and raisins
–There are raisins here?
–Filling tasted like the tomato-​paste like sauce. Waste of time, as above.
–Price for portion pretty steep considering it wasn’t that tasty.
Crema Volteada ($ 5.75)
–Price for portion felt pretty steep.
–Taste and texture like a flan that is too firm. Otherwise pretty tasty, especially with the crunchy coconut on top.
–Sweet but not throat-​burning over-​sweet.
Of the items tried overall I felt they were overpriced and taste was mediocre. On a previous visit (long ago) I tried the Causa Rellena De Pollo and it was quite interesting. Definitely recommended over anything I tried today.

Food was amazing and portions were very well served. Small hidden place but worth the find. Customer service was exceptionally great and very hospitable.

When I lived in the area this place was a constant go to eatery that I enjoyed eating at. On my last visit I was I little disappointed to find that the prices has gone up considerably. The amount you now pay for a meal is ridiculous for what you actually get. I will definitely be way less likely to eat here when in the neighborhood, especially now that the area has so many great places to eat for way less.

This place would deserve a better review if the price for the quality of the food was more fair.
The food is just OK. It is just regular food with no special flavors. But I have to say they charge pretty high for that dishes. With that amount I can easily go to a better place.
I had a baked beef empanada and another interesting dish that is actually avocado filled up with some vegetables and shrimp. Empanada was good although i tried much better ones in other places. And i was expecting more taste from the avocado.
My husband had lomo saltado and again he had better ones in other places. Just ok.
Location is nice but it is hard to park since it is located in downtown. It was very sunny but the restaurant is too dark inside and I wanted to be in open patios in sunny days. :)

Three words, «OH MY GOD». This is the best food I have ever had in Vancouver since I moved here. They’re bbq half chicken was the juiciest and most delicious grilled chicken ever! Reminded me of a warm bbq on the beach with the friends and family. Would definitely recommend trying it, you’ll be hooked =D

Great chicken and service however the ambience was just ok the seats and tables could be improved .
Needs a better desert menu as well as the portions could be a bit more.
A bit pricey as well.

So. I came here for the first time wanting to dar me mi gustito peruano. I ordered a green tamale as an appetizer as they had run out of ceviche. Very tasty but they clearly had not defrosted it properly. Ahem… And the centre was very cold.
For the main dishes we ordered the carapulcra which is made with chuno (dried potato) and my wife ordered the olluquito which is the Andean Water potato. It was made with pork rather than than charkey or beef. Both dishes were very yummy juicy spicy and beautifully presented.
Return? Yes for sure but why 3 stars?
1– price. A tamale for 10 $? Thats over the top. And the other dishes too. 19 $ per plate. But its gastown so they are excused
2– cold tamale. I get the feeling many things on the menu are all just defrosted. They just have too many items.
Suggestion? Get out of gastown, get a bigger place and slightly reduce your prices. You will be the hottest Peruvian place in town.

Why is this place not packed with line up. I just can’t figure. Food was great — love all their sauces. Friendly service and clean décor. This is a very authentic peruvian restaurant. Ceviche was excellent and quite spicy if you add the raw chilli. The shredded chicken with some yellow sauce was also excellent. I also liked their peruvian donuts made with pumpkin and sweet potatoes. Their cow heart pieces were grilled to perfection with a bit of pink in the middle if you cut it thru. I had purple corn juice — a bit sweet but good. I also enjoyed their giant corn pieces with springle of salt (free appies). I would definitely come back. I take a star off because it is bit pricy but the rent in gas town must not be cheap.

Awesome food. The fish ceviche is the best I ever had — fresh chuncks of sea bass and deliciously prepared. Fresh made mango, strawberry, banana juice to boot. Fresh corn soup. Fresh chicken dishes. Amazing and authentic!

I have the sandwiches here on my lunch break from time to time, as they are really, really delicious. The staff is courteous and friendly, though not always the speediest. Really, my biggest complaint is that a modestly sized sandwich to go is $ 10. Just the sandwich!
Anyhow, I usually go for the chorizo sandwich (I know it’s called something else, but I can’t remember), and it is a lesson in decadence. If it was priced just a bit more reasonably, I’d probably be in here at least once a week.

Ever since visiting Peru last summer I’ve had a soft spot in my heart for Peruvian cuisine. While there aren’t too many options for this in Vancouver, what I love is that the ones we do have are quite good.
‘Authentic’ is a word that many Unilocalers have used to describe Silvestre, and it’s a pretty good word! Everything from the taste to the presentation reminds me of Peru! Between two of us, we shared the Lomo Saltado, Cebiche cocktail, and 2 empanadas. It was more than enough, and only three of the endless menu items we had to choose from.
If there is a downside, it’s the price. Average price of entrees is about $ 18…which would not be outrageous if this were a more upscale establishment, but it’s a small deli and café. But it is located in the heart of Gastown so likely this could be particularly to offset the cost is rent! :)
All in all, I am so happy I finally got to check it out, and will definitely go back again!

Everything I ordered was delicious: Chicha (purple corn juice), ceviche, and two empanadas. It’s a cute little café with Peruvian owners. I like how all the menu items have pictures too. I’ll definitely be back to try other dishes!

BEST CHURROS EVER! an amazing caramel oozing out of every bite… much different from the canucks games lol… no comparison…

Cute lil place, not the fanciest but do not let that stop you from going in and saying hello. The staff, Peruvian, are hard working and very friendly.
Even with so many choices in the area for everything we stopped here twice — one in the early afternoon for a coffee — was very good, made from espresso drip, the best way. and then we went back with a friend for gelato in the evening! They have about 15 flavors and OH what amazing flavors they are (said to be made on site). Our friend put away 3 scoops before our eyes! She had maple, pistachio and tiramisu as she just could not decide! We had one scoop of salted caramel and let me tell you, if you love dulche de leche, get this! Creamy, rich, in your face CARAMEL! So delicious! GO HERE! You can sample before you buy!

I haven’t had Peruvian food before so this was new and enjoyable. Food was delicious however they gave me less food as shown in their photos on their website. I had the Pollo en salsa de Mani which is chicken in a spicy peanut sauce served with potoatos and rice. I also tried the Chupe de Pescado which is a fish soup that was very tasty. I enjoyed both.
I had no idea what to order so I had to ask the server whom was very nice and directed me to these selections. I find the portion did not match up to the price.

Went out for a date night here last week. Horrible.
We sat down for 10 min and had to ask for menus, like we were there just to people watch. They were extremely busy, but that is no excuse to ignore us.
When we ordered we had high expectations, having had good peruvian food. We ordered ceviche, 2 empanadas, and 2 mains. When our mains arrived after waiting 30 min, we asked where our ceviche and empanadas were. The owner told us we never ordered ceviche (#2) and the empanadas were coming. So she missed the ceviche order, ok fine, well offer to bring it out right away or ask if we still want it. Instead she glared at us and walked away.
The empanadas were made from frozen stock and microwaved. Still cold in the middle. The entrees were good, but the rest ruined our experience.
Our bill was $ 45. Waste of money. Next time we are going to Judas Goat or Sardine Can.
We wanted this restaurant to do well, but they don’t understand how to run a successful restaurant.

Gastown
Peruvian w/​hint of comida chifa
Place has everything; all is delicious
Substantial portions at reasonable prices
All day breakfast, lunch specials
Peruvian cuisine e.g., lomo saltado, arroz chaufa, ceviche, empanadas
Gelato, pastries, crepes, juice bar, coffee bar
Try the alfajores cookies
Bread baked on premises
Rotisserie chicken
Friendly service by owner/​host

I’m not going to pretend I know anything about Peruvian cuisine, so I can’t vouch for the authenticity of this place. However, this restaurant is worth a visit. If you don’t, you will be commiting a human rights offense — the victim; yourself.
Food — presentation leaves something to be desired but once you taste it, all is forgiven. Everything tastes like it was home cooked. I tried 2 enpanadas — 1 baked chicken, 1 fried shrimp — both with hot flakey crusts complimented by the silky texture of the warm, flavorful stew-​like meat inside. Fried or baked, done to perfection. Then I had the number 32 — stewed beef and potato, beans, and rice. Beef was done to perfection like it was slow cooked, just falls apart in your mouth. The potato was so well cooked, it had soaked up the flavor of the beef and your fork just cuts through it like warm butter.
There were a number of menu items that were Asian inspired, not what I expected from a Peruvian joint but I can’t comment cause I didn’t try any of them.
Service — I made a take-​out order and even still, the wait staff was kind enough to provide water and a snack of roasted (I think) and salted Peruvian corn. The food took a little longer than anticipated to arrive — roughly 15 – 20 minutes, which is why I think they make it as fresh as possible. Definitely call ahead with your order if you can’t spare the time to wait.
Price — decent. Spend 10 – 15 to get rid of your hunger, 20 to feel full.
Ambience — It’s like a café that serves food, very casual. Customers seat themselves and they are tended to within 2 minutes. You’re greeted with display cases of gelato and pastries upon entering, and a full menu when you sit down. Has a very small business, homely feel to it.
Verdict — delicious meals, decently priced, casual and homely but with great customer service. Waiting can be long, so I recommend calling ahead for take-​out vs. the sit-​down experience.

My first time eating Peruvian food and I enjoyed it. Silvestre is like a casual diner — very simple décor with decent food. The appetizer I had was delicious; it was called Palta Rellena. It was a salad with avocado & tuna, and a very typical dish (from what I’ve been told). The flavours were bright and fresh — something I would definitely order again. I especially enjoyed the trio of sauces brought to the table. I could eat them on anything, they were all so good!
For my main, I chose the Seco de Res y Frijoles, which is beef with pepper, beans, salsa criolla (onion, aji and lemon) and served with white rice. I thought the meat was overcooked as it was quite dry, despite all the sauce on the plate. I liked the flavours, but I wouldn’t have this again. I think that the type of food served at Silvestre can be accurately described as «comfort food» in every sense of the word. It was something that reminded me of eating in my mom’s kitchen, even though she’s not from Peru. The style of food is unpretentious, flavourful and comforting. i would like to try some of their other dishes on a future visit, as everything smelled amazing.

Saw, came and conquered. We were walking by and I noticed their non-​descript café signage on the floor. «Peruvian café», the sign says, in small print. It piqued my curiosity, but the sign had me at empanada. Of course I had to walk in and get some at this point.
$ 3.95 for a decent sized chicken empanada if I remember correctly. The soft flour crust was light and buttery, though the chicken filling more mildly spiced than what I’d have preferred. They maybe adapting it to a more Western palate with its location in Gastown. Also not sure if they make these in-​house. All I can say is, they need to come up with more varieties (chicken or beef at this point… yawn). I expected more House-​of-​Empanadas style joint but they threw in a whole bunch of standard café pastries in the front counter there… empanada/​Peruvian cuisine counter positioned more out of sight in the back. If we can just have a «very» Peruvian café in the heart of Gastown, that would be super marvelous.
Served with a great cup of coffee, this place could be the next afternoon delight spot in Gastown with their selection of Peruvian small entrees. I’m simply having identity issues with them right now.