The Coast

This newly relocated seafood restaurant is the latest offering from the Glowbal corporation and sits on Alberni street across from its sibling the Italian Kitchen. Rumoured to cost more than 3 million to build, The Coast is flashy, huge, and bustling busy. It is a restaurant to see and be seen in, and features a round seafood bar in the middle, a prominent second level, a lounge and a patio.

The Coast has a big menu and I meant that literally. If you can lift the thing, you will find a some wonderful seafood options, many of which are displayed on ice, in a column-of-seafood at the centre of the circular bar. Many of the dishes name the boat/captain responsible for the catch. There are some tempting seafood platters for sharing, some of which are served in huge stainless steel bowls with dry ice, bringing a showy Vegas feel to gorging on pounds of lobster and shrimp. The oysters are delicious and the sushi rolls are impeccable.

The chef’s philosophy on fish is to serve it grilled simply, without sauces. Plates come with stuffed baby potatoes (cute and quite tasty) and seasonable veg. It is a bold approach to serving fish, and while it delighted some at our table, others were hankering for some sauce. The sable fish was delicious and cooked perfectly. ($19)

For desert, we had some big medley of madness served on a piece of granite. It was all quite nice, save for one that tasted exactly like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, a complete shock to my palate at the time.

And then, a revelation. I ordered one of their special coffees. Imagine one shot of espresso mixed with one shot of Canadian club, and stirred with maple syrup, shaken on ice, and filtered into a sherry glass. 2 ounces of tongue-popping heaven (even if sleepless night followed).

The waitstaff is clad in green Grecian wraps that I never got used to.They were trying hard, but the restaurant is new and busy and there was a fair bit of running around and confusion going on.

In conclusion, I had a nice time at The Coast. I wouldn’t recommend it as high cuisine, but as a lively night out downtown, sure why not. The place is has no soul at all. But if you feel like seeing and being seen and having some great fresh seafood, it might just be the place for you.