Cavu Kitchen Bar

We had our Christmas Eve dinner here last week. The restaurant is located inside the Hilton Vancouver Airport Hotel, so complimentary hotel parking is available for dining guests.
It was nice that the regular menu (not just the special menu) was also available that evening. Either way, we both still decided to go with the 3-​course Christmas set meal.
1^st course:
— Yam soup. It was thick, creamy, and had a rich, interesting taste. Portion was a little small, even for a starter soup.
2^nd course:
— Turkey dinner. The cuts of turkey were cooked to tender perfection. The stuffing and other sides were delicious too.
(I also tried a few bites of my friend’s 2^nd course:)
— Beef short rib. The beef short rib was tender, juicy, and flavourful. My friend enjoyed this dish.
3^rd course:
— English carrot pudding dessert. A little too sweet and a tad dry, but still quite tasty.
Overall, food tasted pretty good, and the ambience was nice. The only weird issue we encountered was that both plates of food for the 2^nd course (mine & my friend’s) initially came out cold-​ish. Maybe they sat out too long before getting served? Our server was apologetic, but we weren’t too annoyed since the replacement food arrived piping hot and tasted delicious.

This place is LEGIT! Bordering on too legit to quit… But the jury is still out on that one…
Ultra friendly and attentive staff (especially if you hang out at the bar… Like me!)
They’ve stepped up their game in leaps and bounds over the last two years in terms of the variety and quality of food! Super awesome burgers, and oddities as well, keeping it fresh and not just ‘pub food’ which I often gravitate towards
I’ve been there more than a few times, and plan on slaying a few more pints at this place!
Oh, and very decent live music a few evenings of the week!
I recommend it highly if you’re in the area.

I really like the dessert plate here, and the relaxed yet sophisticated atmosphere.

Do I like this place? Not sure. The space is not the most intimate, it feels like a converted lobby. The service was lacking, our waiter took our orders but was not much of a sales person, we ordered appies as we waited for more of our group to arrive, and then as more of our group arrived she never asked them if they wanted any. We all ordered drinks but she never asked if we wanted a second drink, we had to ask, we had to ask for our water to be filled. She was nice but not attentive. As for the food, it was all OK, people who ordered steak enjoyed it. The fish was seemed to OK, the ribs and burgers decent. Richmond is a hard place to find non asian food. Nearby there is a pub and greek restaurant so there is not much choice. In general you can’t go wrong with Cavu but as a local this is not a restaurant I would return to when looking for a local place to eat.

Cavu is within walking distance for my husband and I and I’m very glad that it is! I love their salads, especially the Tuna Tataki and Cobb salad. The food is more upscale than bar food and always has fresh, delicious, as well as visually appealing ingredients. They have wonderful Moscow Mule drink specials made by Thomas, and the manager is very friendly and personable.

Went here on my hour-​long lunch break, wanting to try something different in the area. After being seated in the dining lounge which was empty except for two tables, I waited between 5 – 10 minutes without being acknowledge by a waitress. I left and went to Harold’s at the Sheraton where I sat myself and was greeted by a waitress within a minute.

We had been staying at the Hilton Vancouver Hotel for five days, and dinning in only for breakfast which is also recommended. On the last day, dined for dinner at the Cavu Kitchen. Interesting menu items that showcase local food.
Much better than typical hotel food, and would recommend.
We chose Steak with Prawns, and BBQ Ribs with Jalapeño Corn Bread. Both tasty, and well-​prepare and presented. Side salad is extra.
Several drink specials. We chose a Bombay Sapphire martini. Bourbons offered included Jack Daniels and Makers Mark. Wines include many from BC.
The new restaurant décor is hip and modern. Big improvement over the old and tired Carmichael’s.
Pluses: Several draught beers are offered including a fine Stanley Park Amber Ale. Only gripe is glass size is tiny… maybe 10 oz. Seems chintzy for an item with an 80% profit margin.

Came here on a Thursday because they have a Thursday special — free appie samples and $ 3.50 beer. AND, I clipped a coupon for buy one get one from the newspaper.
This place used to be Carmichaels and they spent some serious cash renovating the place and you can tell. It’s much more modern and hip, even the servers dress differently now. Kind of like an Earls ambience.
We ordered the burger and I was so disappointed. It tasted like a Whopper — I love Whoppers, so I didn’t mind that much, but not for $ 13 – 16 and a 20 minute wait! The bun was nice and soft, but not toasted or warm at all. Fries and salad were good.
I think their fancier entrees might be more worthwhile, so we might come back for that. Overall, pretty disappointing because they used to have an awesome gourmet burger when it was Carmichaels (and no longer offer their delicious rueben sandy from before). Also, we didn’t see or were offered any of the appie samples they were promoting.
Overall the service was good. They also had live music, but a bit too loud and much too depressing for my taste. Will update upon another visit.