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Calabash Bistro
Calabash Bistro

Calabash Bistro Details

  • Dining Style: Casual Elegant
  • Website: http://www.calabashbistro.com
  • Email: sam@calabashbistro.com
  • Phone: (604) 568-5882
  • Hours of Operation:
    Dinner: Sunday - Thursday: 5:00 pm - 1:00 am; Friday - Saturday: 5:00 pm - 2:00 am
  • Payment Options: AMEX, MasterCard, Visa
  • Cuisine: Caribbean
  • Executive Chef: Cullin David
  • Dress Code: Casual Dress
  • Accepts Walk-Ins: Yes
  • Additional Details: Banquet/Private Rooms, Bar Dining, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Dancing, Entertainment, Full Bar, Gluten-free Menu, Late Night, Non-Smoking Restaurant, Personal wines welcome (corkage fee applies), Private Room, Takeout, Wheelchair Access
  • Catering: Calabash can provide all types and sizes of catering, from food to bar to rentals. We can also take care of the music.
  • Private Party Facilities: Calabash provides family style set menu's, Canapés, Buffets, live music and fully themed evenings.
  • Private Party Contact: Sam (778) 881-8065
  • Entertainment: Calabash is a restaurant, with a licensed live music venue.
    The entertainment features live performances of reggae, hip-hop, funk, and poetry. Local artists are making Calabash an epicenter of the Vancouver music scene. There is a DJ spinning all evening. Music is essential to the Calabash experience where the island sound is bumping all day. The downstairs lounge area of Calabash hosts Foundation Radio, an online radio station that plays roots, reggae, jazz, blues, Motown and funk music. Calabash has created an intimate live venue that Vancouver needs.

Getting there

  • Cross Street: Pender & Carrall
  • Public Transit: Number 22 bus, Number 19 bus, Stadium Sky train.
  • Parking: Street Parking
  • Parking Details: Street parking, public lot at Tinseltown.
A word from Calabash Bistro
The Calabash is a Vessel that Supports Food, Drink, Art, and Music. It is our vision to provide dynamic and flavorful Caribbean food in a healthy and creative atmosphere. Our menu has been designed to deliver fresh and uplifting cuisine using local and free range product, complimented by original… cocktail recipes & a rum list boasting 80+ varieties Calabash is truly unique to the downtown dining experience. We are trying to provide an inspiring and artistic experience while maintaining the highest levels of quality and service and staying true to the roots and traditions of the Caribbean. We feature a chef’s fresh sheet, where our guests can discover unique combinations of West Coast and West Indian cuisine. There is live music shows and house DJ's most days of the week.Continued
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Awards voted by OpenTable diners
  • Diners' Choice WinnerLate Night Find
  • Diners' Choice WinnerVibrant Bar Scene
Diner Reviews
  • "Well must say great place to reserve on a Friday for old school hip hop make sure to get a table downstairs . Great dark and stormy drink mmmmmmmmm a must go"
    Dined on 2/28/2014
  • "The food was really great and the service was as well. Great suggestions by our waitress, and the rum drinks were superb. The tables were a little tight together so it felt a bit like we were dining with strangers, so not necessarily where you'd go to catch up with an old friend to get into a deep conversation. Depending on what you're comfortable with, the restaurant is also in what many may still consider a sketchy area, but certainly we had no troubles with the characters on the sidewalk. That said, I will definitely go back and will recommend the restaurant to others."
    Dined on 2/28/2014
  • "Cozy place, funky decor. Music is is a little off- putting being so loud. However, the most important part of any restaurant is course the food, and it was incredible. It is rare that I enjoy every dish I order, but in this case, I was very happy to find the exception to the rule. Coconut dumplings w mango butter- OMG to die for! Jerk fries..very tasty & crispy. Crab cakes - very nice. Papaya & prawn salad was delish! Big selection of yummy rummy drinks. Lots more on the menu I would like to try. Waitress was a little on the cool side (and by that I mean a bit stand- offish, not hipster!) but she was nice enough to offer to split our bill for us for all the appies ordered & shared. Overall, a great dining experience..will def go back :)"
    Dined on 2/22/2014
  • "Amazing Food.Drinks & Service. What more could you ask for? Defiantly will be back. Not to mention we ate 4 appetizers, 4 Main courses, 7 Drinks, 4 coffee & 2 desserts for just over 200$ That is really good for Vancouver and the portion sizes and FLAVORS YUMMY!"
    Dined on 2/22/2014
  • "My wife and I ordered curry roti and a salad, both which were very tasty. The music was fun to listen to but not overpowering, and the service was quick, if not particularly personable. We'd definitely go back!"
    Dined on 2/16/2014
  • "I really enjoyed the food at this place. There were a ton of things on the menu I wanted to try and will definitely go back to try more. I highly recommend the Salt Spring Mussels to start, add roti - so good!! I also had the Jerk Fish Duo for my main course. It was delicious and I left feeling satisfied without overly stuffed, perfect portion sizes! The service was great as well, our server recommended food to us and seemed genuinely friendly. They have live music at 9pm daily that we missed this time but I'll for sure be going back to check that out."
    Dined on 2/12/2014
  • "i always bring my friends and guests in vancity here coz i know they will definitely have fun. I even celebrated my bday here at one point. food and drinks are great.. and love the staff!! theyre all friendly and accomdating! wont get tired coming back!"
    Dined on 2/8/2014
  • "Really loved the food here, haven't found too many restaurants that specialize in Caribbean cuisine and this one will become my go to when I feel like having Caribbean roti."
    Dined on 2/6/2014
  • "Fantastic food, entertainment and grotto style venue for group or intimate evening. Service was professional but friendly. Great night out for our group of 5"
    Dined on 2/5/2014
  • "The Caribbean food is done to perfection with a hint of new world. The staff was very accommodating to our wishes - talking to us, letting us meet the rum master, etc. We enjoyed the rum flights as well as some rarer rums."
    Dined on 1/31/2014
  • "If you get a reservation, you will be informed when the next reservation on your table is.... It's that busy! At 11 the downstairs turns into a dance floor. Different dance styles, like reggae or salsa on different nights. Very diverse crowd. It felt like a mix of Vancouver and Toronto. I'd go back."
    Dined on 2/1/2014
  • "I live in Abbotsford and had been excited to find a Caribbean restaurant in vancouver.. as I love Island food. It was a long drive and the food was not bad.. Its possible I just chose the wrong menu items, but would't make the drive again for it."
    Dined on 1/26/2014
  • "Had the oxtail and it was amazing. Great cocktails and good ambience"
    Dined on 1/24/2014
  • "Crab cakes were amazing and so was the rum list. I am gluten free and the jerk spices aren't so that was disappointing not to be able to try it. My husband did and said it was good. Lots of other choices and it was good - just a bit loud for trying to talk but great atmosphere for drinks and music"
    Dined on 1/21/2014
  • "I've been here about 6 times now, and Calabash never disappoints. Great live music downstairs- last night we had a terrific Latin guitar trio, other times it's been reggae, etc. The veggie platter is great and huge. Goes well with a Dark and Stormy. For dessert, the fried coconut bread with baked brie and guava jelly was delicious and original."
    Dined on 1/8/2014
  • "The food at Calabash is consistently good and affordable. My Caribbean relatives couldn't do better, and that is really saying something!"
    Dined on 12/19/2013
  • "Calabash was delicious, busy and fun. We shared an appetizer while waiting for a friend to arrive which was the Roti and dip which was flavorful and hot. Then the three of us all had different dishes which were all very filling and mouthwatering. I would highly recommend this restaurant for the food and the prices!"
    Dined on 12/13/2013
  • "I've been to Calabash many times and have had great service, but Tuesday was a little bit off. The service was slow and the food came out slow as well. Some orders were mixed up and appetizers that were ordered came out way later after the main courses had been finished."
    Dined on 12/3/2013
  • "We have gone to Calabash many times before and it never disappointed: everything on the menu is delicious, including unusual items, like oxtail. Seriously, where else in the city will anyone be able to find the most delicious oxtail dish served in tiffing boxes? The menu also has plenty of vegetarian options as well as amazing seafood. Their rum selection is one of the best as well. I would highly recommend this place to anyone who wants to try authentic Caribbean food: you won't be disappointed!"
    Dined on 11/22/2013
  • "Amazing, unique food at every visit, outstanding service and delicious drinks (dark and stormy top of the list !!!!). Will be coming here many more times in the future!! The music and downstairs lounge is the best way to end the experience!!"
    Dined on 10/27/2013
  • "Dining was exceptional, we were greeted at the front door and taken down to our seats. The service was on time, not too rush and paced. We would have loved to stay in for the reggae live DJ, but was getting too packed downstairs. There were a lot of people standing already so we felt obliged to leave. Nonetheless, it was an overall pleasant experience, and would definitely book for larger group dinners and or potential venue for live performances. Thank you. Keep up the good work, and keep tryting to improve."
    Dined on 10/20/2013
  • "Food was great. Waitress def knows her job! Only thing is that music was too loud. I recommend it if you are woth a group but not if this is a romantic dinner."
    Dined on 9/28/2013
  • "it took unbelievable amount of time to set up the sound system. They were preparing everything for 45 minutes – and at the beginning of the performance the mane microphone just did not work!?!?! Very unprofessional! Server was not very interested in serving us.....and not very knowledgeable about the food or drinks...."
    Dined on 9/26/2013
  • "The food was really good, however, the portion size was a bit much! It would be nice if there were smaller portions."
    Dined on 8/24/2013
  • "So, I was told about this place by a good friend of mine, and since I am Jamaican, she suggested we go there. Now, I am VERY hesitant to eat at Jamaican or West Indian food places because I think my dad makes the best Jamaican food EVER lol so because of that I am extremely critical and usually end up disappointed. However, this was most certainly not the case with Calabash. The service is fantastic! Super friendly and sweet. The food was absolutely fantastic all around...everything was cooked just right and bursting with flavor. As an added bonus, the restaurant has something going on every single night and we had dinner late on Saturday and waited for it to turn into a dance club- I had a phenomenal time and this is my new favourite place"
    Dined on 7/21/2013
  • "Overall, my friends and I enjoyed the food and service, with some small setbacks. I would just like to add that I ordered the Seafood Steamer and i noticed that i didn't get any scallops with my meal. I also saw a a mussel shell that was empty and the little part of the meat that was left inside was overcooked, dry and stuck to the shell."
    Dined on 7/21/2013
  • "Really looking forward to going back for a Coconut Jumby. Best rum drink I've had."
    Dined on 6/28/2013
  • "This is my favorite island restaurant from Paris to Toronto.. And one of my favorites anywhere I've travelled from Ibiza to Jamaica, Miami, New York..."
    Dined on 6/27/2013
  • "Unfortunately our service at the Calabash Bistro was poor for many reasons thus my dining experience was not the best experience. We felt rushed the entire evening which was unfortunate. The food was good but I won't be returning to this restaurant."
    Dined on 6/23/2013
  • "Nice vibe. Friendly service. Good Caribbean style food. Quieter upstairs. Lively music scene downstairs."
    Dined on 6/18/2013
  • "I've eaten here 4 times and always find the staff very attentive and accomodating, while still giving you your space and allowing you to dine 'in peace', so to speak. The food is great; There aren't really any other palces around downtown that cater towards such an authentically Caribbean menu. I am vegetarian and the options they have are really nice. I've recommended the restaurant to 2 or 3 friends :)"
    Dined on 6/14/2013
  • "Restaurant was very accommodating with a last-minute addition to our reservation. The lady over the phone gave me the impression that we had plenty of time to have dinner and enjoy ourselves, but they started clearing our plates pretty swiftly, which would have been fine except one of my guests had not yet finished her meal. However, the food was excellent and the atmosphere was wonderful. I would go there again but not with a party."
    Dined on 6/15/2013
  • "I planned a gathering of 7 friends at Calabash to celebrate my birthday and we had a great time. I wanted a one-stop evening and Calabash's DJ provided an opportunity for my friends and I to dine and then spend the rest of the evening celebrating. The food was amazing and I will definitely go back to try some of their other dishes. Our waitress was great and attentive, although she was less attentive as the night progressed and the restaurant switched to nightclub, although I don't think this was any fault of hers. The number of people in the small space increased a lot but the number of servers didn't."
    Dined on 5/31/2013
  • "They have Tusker beer! That's gutsy, considering most places are too snobby to serve a good Kenyan beer. Goes great with the Ackee and Salted Fish (prepared with great skill and very flavorful). Probably the least pretentious restaurant in that area. Service was fantastic, and the atmosphere was truly Carribean without feeling contrived."
    Dined on 5/31/2013
  • "The fried coconut dumplings are very delicious! Great rum selection."
    Dined on 5/12/2013
  • "My friends and I had our annual girls night and the Calabash staff were amazing. We had a great time! Thank you"
    Dined on 4/26/2013
  • "Great food, good service, definitely going to go back to see music"
    Dined on 4/19/2013
  • "My group and I had the best time at Calablash! The service was great and our server new all there was to know about the menu and what to suggest. A few of the things we wanted to order had sold out so that was a bit disappointing but I guess it just goes to show how good their food is! The music was a fun volume, the lighting was just right and the seating was comfortable with a very funky ambiance which I liked. Overall experience was fantastic and I would not only go back but would recommend Calablash as well."
    Dined on 4/18/2013
  • "Great food and great service! Sweet spot with a feel good vibe."
    Dined on 4/13/2013
  • "Very poor service, would not go back again. According to the waitress we werent able to start with some drinks and appetizers, but had to order our entire meals (appetizers + meal) all at once - made for an unrelaxing dining experience."
    Dined on 4/4/2013
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Diners' Choice Awards
  • Vancouver / British Columbia Winners
  • Late Night Find
  • Vancouver Winners
  • Vibrant Bar Scene
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