Cactus Club Cafe - Vancouver

I had tried to book this place for one of the three Celebration of Lights events and had been access denied. So I was kind of surprised that I was able to snag a reservation on the day of the Pride Parade with relative ease.This Cactus Club gets business no matter what, just by dint of the fact that they are located right on English Bay. And it doesn't hurt that they have innovative dishes and flamboyant drinks. It's one of the busiest hotspots that has a constant turnstile of customers.We started off with their new Zero Proof drinks. My girlfriend was tempted to try their Hey Hibiscus drink, but after a few sips, she deemed it extremely carbonated and noted that it seemed to have only a hint of hibiscus in it. I chose the Little Pearl, which sadly did not come with Jack Sparrow but nevertheless was very refreshing. I was familiar with popping pearls, albeit in alcoholic form, but these passion fruit pearls were just as good. I had a swell time popping them individually in my mouth, and they added a fruity kick to the drink.Beef Carpaccio's and Avocado Dips are my favorite appetizers, so when I found out Cactus was offering their own spin on both as part of their new dishes, I had to try them out. The Beef Carpaccio was buried in arugula, and the garlic crostini was pretty stale. The beef itself was alright, even though the slices were a bit thinner than most carpaccio's. The Avocado Dip was unfortunately a miss for us. My girlfriend found the chips overly salty, and I found the dip a bit too spicy, but I will say it was blended quite smoothly and wasn't your typical chunky dip.I fared better with my main Hunter Chicken dish. It was just as juicy and flavorful as I remembered. I don't normally like mushrooms, but there are certain dishes where the mushrooms have been cooked so skillfully that I can't help but love it. This was one of them. I loved drenching the mashed potatoes in the mushroom sauce as they were a fiesta for my tastebuds.The Spaghetti Portofino my girlfriend had looked really appetizing, and she did finish most of it, but she didn't touch the garlic crostini that came with it. Probably because she already knew that the ones which came with my carpaccio were harder than rocks.The restaurant was actually quite cramped to the point where my chair was literally back to back with someone else's, so I couldn't move around. At least the ambiance was one of casual yet sophisticated relaxation. It was almost like being on an island getaway, complete with the sandy beach, the crashing waves, and the hot as Hell sun. The wrap around effect of the glass windows was a smart choice as it capitalized on the beach and allowed you to see the spectacular view.It was really busy, but our server managed to keep up with everything, so kudos to her. A solid choice for any food connoisseur, this is one Club that is worth checking out.

The location is great with an ocean view right on English Bay! Perfect temperature inside not hot or cold! Didn’t have a reservation and were seated within 20 min. Service was good, everyone is very pleasant and friendly. Drinks were great, the food took a while to come out, but everything tasted great!Kid-friendliness: Kids are welcome which is greatParking: Valet is great parking across from restaurant and it was $11, didn’t have to drive forever to find parking or park really far in such a busy area.

The servers are very friendly. Sushi is pretty interesting to have at here if you want something light and small, because you don’t always find this style in town. The most stunning thing was that you’re right next to the beach! The view was amazing and I was in love with that

Amazing drinks, beautifully prepared and presented food, very friendly service. The hunter's chicken was amazingly tasty and perfectly cooked, and I recommend trying the fraperol spritz!

A great spot to stop if you're in the area.Beautiful views of the water and adequate portion sizes! I was worried given the upscale nature of the restaurant that it might be a place where they don't give you enough food, but I was wrong! Great portion with the crab cake frites.The local pilsner was also a great beverage.The only issue I had was I was given an unclean glass (lip marks) and it that had a crack in it which I felt was a bit dangerous. (Please do a scan of all of your water glasses to find this and remove it from circulation).