When it comes to top places for brunch in Vancouver, Twisted Fork Bistro regularly makes the list. This quaint and cozy bistro located in the heart of the Granville Entertainment district in Downtown Vancouver serves brunch everyday from 8 am – 3 pm. They do not take reservations and hour-long waits are not uncommon. Although I have been living downtown for over 7 years now, I still had not tried this familial foodie favourite. Recently, I finally made plans to have a late day brunch at Twisted Fork Bistro.
Cozy & Cool
The decor inside Twisted Fork has got a character of its own. It’s cool, funky, eclectic, kinda grungy but still cozy and inviting. The space is long and narrow with high ceilings. Space is tight and I enjoyed sitting near the windows rather than the back of the restaurant which seemed dark.
Twisted Fork Menu
All brunch menu items are $15.50 and include many brunch favourites like eggs benny, croque monsieur, banana-stuffed brioche French toast and Gruyere baked eggs. Some possible add-ons are banana bread, asiago scones, and sliced fruit. Enjoy your dish while sipping on coffee, tea, juice, mocktails or better yet some brunch bubbles.
What We Tried
My husband and I went in for a weekday brunch near their closing time and there was no wait. But if you do want to check ahead, Twisted Fork has a convenient online system where you can see the waitlist ahead of time. We ordered the eggs benny with smoked salmon and the Gruyere baked eggs – both $15.50.
In general, I thought that the two brunch dishes we tried were delicious comfort food but nothing really blew me away. The smoked salmon eggs benny consisted of poached eggs, smoked salmon, hollaindaise sauce on a toasted brioche. The hollaindaise sauce was on point – rich, creamy, hint of lemon and eggy. Served with sauteed spinach, rosti and baked beans. I quite liked the rosti which was basically a potato pancake made with shredded potatoes. The beans were a nice flavour contrast since they were sweet.
The well-baked Gruyere eggs came in a ramekin and was served with sourdough toast, bacon, tomato, rosti and baked beans. The bacon was a thicker cut but very crispy. Great golden brown colour and very crispy texture. Other than that, nothing really stood out to me.
Service
Service seemed a bit impatient and wasn’t as friendly as I would like for a brunch spot. In an odd “twist,” we were given the bill for the table that was seated two hours prior as noted by the time stamp. I sent the bill back and paid for our meal accordingly without issue.
Overall Impression
The food at Twisted Fork was good just not amazing. I definitely wouldn’t line up for it and don’t have much interest to return anytime soon. Rating: 3.5/5