Papi’s Revitalizes Iconic West End Spot

Papi’s Seafood & Oyster Bar—the successor to Beach Bay Café—recently arrived in the space once occupied by long-running Raincity Grill. It’s hard to say precisely why Beach Bay didn’t make it. But, evidently, Viaggio Hospitality (Ancora, Uva, Cibo) felt it was time to start over.

English Bay has long been Vancouver’s summertime epicentre. Arguably the highest profile of all Vancouver’s shoreside sunspots, there’s a reason it’s called ‘First Beach.’ Back in Gastown’s early days, people used to hike through the forest to picnic and swim here.

Truly, Denman and Davie is an iconic location. This ocean view intersection represents the meeting of ‘Downtown’, English Bay and Davie Village. That in itself is a pretty good metaphor for Vancouver. All of which means, whatever you do here you’d better get it right. As did Raincity Grill, in its heyday.

Papi’s: a worthy update

Papi’s feels more welcoming than its immediate predecessor. Cedar slats on the ceiling add warmth but also help baffle the noise. The layout is unchanged, with the compact bar beyond the busy kitchen.

If you’re looking for a quieter spot, try the lower area at the back—or the patio (except maybe on fireworks nights ;-). The focal point, an imposing mural portrays Greek sea goddess Amphitrite, by local artists Arden Marow Ross and Peter Ricq.

Best bets on the menu? Highlights at the media launch included good fish ‘n chips, nicely beer battered and not greasy. Not surprisingly Oysters on the the half shell figure prominently. The daily selection yield a dozen or so varieties, such as Effingham, Kusshi, Royal Miyagi, Chefs Creek and several others. We also sampled some good soft shell crab, and more.

You can drop in for a glass of wine and some ceviche, of lime, red onion and cilantro. Or pony up for a seafood platter, which includes a prawn cocktail, ceviche, crudo and mussel escabeche. I’d be tempted to check out Happy Hour: daily, 2-5 p.m.

Papi’s looks like it could be a definite step up from Beach Bay.

Papi’s Seafood & Oyster Bar

1193 Denman Street, Vancouver BC

604.685.7337 hola@papisoysterbar.com

Monday to Friday — 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Weekends — 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Daily Happy Hour — 2 to 5 p.m., 9 p.m. to close

P.S. You can buy tix to their patio for August 3rd. Celebration of Light, Dinner & Fireworks $75.

About the Author: Tim Pawsey

Tim has been covering the food and wine revolution for about 20 kilos. Count 15 kg alone thanks to the blossoming cuisine and wine culture of British Columbia, Canada. Tim’s hallmark is seeking out and recommending value wines from BC and around the world that offer quality at every level. He also scopes out noteworthy restaurants that live up to their promises—and often over deliver. Readers depend on the Hired Belly for his “Belly’s Best” and “Belly’s Budget Best” picks to help them find the right wine for the occasion. For several decades Tim wrote columns in the Vancouver Courier and North Shore News. He contributes to several other publications, including BCLS Taste magazine, Quench, Vitis and many others. Tim is a frequent judge for wine competitions and was a founding judge of The BC Lieutenant Governor’s Awards for Excellence in Wine. He is frequently invited to judge at The BC Wine Awards, and others. Tim has traveled to taste in many of the world’s leading wine regions, most recently in Burgundy, Argentina and Chile.