My quest to find Vancouver’s best brunches is not close to come to an end. This time, I decided to put Chambar to the test.
The Atmosphere
Chambar is a Belgian restaurant located in Chinatown, next to Jam Café. The hype about this place is real. The establishment keeps heaving with influencers and Instagramers and it is praised with great reviews online. Although it is not a quality assurance, that was enough to peak my interest.
Inside, the décor is a combination of chic and industrial. The red bricks are highlighted with red copper furniture and wood elements, which creates a warm and contemporary atmosphere.
The Food
Chambar‘s brunch menu features a few interesting dishes.
Gaufre à la truite: sourdough waffle, smoked trout, spinach, two poached eggs, mustard & yuzu ($19)
I sticked to the classics and opted for the Trout Waffle bennies. If it was not for the small portion, I was rather pleased with my choice. I couldn’t really taste the yuzu or the mustard, which may have been overpowered by the aneth, but the hollandaise was enjoyable, and the trout was delicious.
Fricassée: 2 fried eggs, braised short ribs, balsamic cipollini onions, potatoes, watercress, applewood smoked cheddar ($21)
The Fricassée was not exactly a breakfasty option, but it was hearty and tasty. The ribs had a nice soft texture and they were well-cooked. The balsamic flavoring was good. Despite that, the dish felt a little too simple and lacked that little sparkle.
Waffles ($3.5 each): salted caramel, fig orange marmalade, mixed berry compote ($1.5 each topping)
The light bennies were a blessing in disguise since I still had enough space for a sweet treat. My partner and I ordered 3 waffles with three different toppings. They were small, but it was enough to end the meal. I liked that you could customize your waffles with the flavoring of your choice. The salted caramel was excellent, and the mixed berry compote came as a close second. I’m not a marmalade person, but I must say that it the fig orange marmalade was nice.
The Drinks
Oat Milk Flat White ($ 4.25)
Chambar’s hot drink selection was not incredibly original, but all the classics were there. I’m not a boozy brunch person so I cannot vouch for their cocktails, but my Flat White was on point. Coffee rarely makes an impression on me, unless it is as bad as Forage’s.
Overall
So is it worth the hype?
Chambar is a great brunch spot, but it’s not exceptional. The food was good, but what I liked the most was the atmosphere and the professional service.
In all honesty, I was a little surprised when the bill came in. With the drinks, the total bill ended up almost double that what I usually pay for brunch. We say ‘you get what you pay for‘, yet in terms of taste or quality I wouldn’t say that Chambar delivered twice as much as its neighbour Jam or its Belgian competitor Nero.
Chambar
Opening hours: open from 5pm to 10pm on weekdays plus from 9am to 3pm on weekends
Website: click here
Address: 568 Beatty St, Vancouver, BC V6B 2L3
Telephone: (604) 879-7119
Note that prices and information featured in this article are subject to change.
