Guu Original Thurlow
Guu Original on Thurlow is where the Izakaya boom started. It’s not only the first Guu to open, but is the very first Izakaya in Vancouver.
Established in 1993 as “Raku” & changed to “Guu” in 2000, this Guu offers the most authentic Izakaya experience, offering classic dishes like Yaki Udon & Oden. This is as close you’ll get to the real deal….unless you fly to Japan.
We keep seats for walk-in customers as well. No available seats on OpenTable do not mean we are fully booked. Please be aware that the time-limited per table is two hours during peak hours.
Safety precautions
- Surfaces sanitized between seatings
- Common areas deep cleaned daily
- Digital, disposable or sanitized menu provided
- Sanitizer or wipes provided for customers
- Limited number of seated diners
- Distancing maintained in common areas
- Extra space between tables
- Waitstaff wear masks
- Diners must wear masks unless eating or drinking
- Sick staff prohibited in the workplace
- Contact tracing information collected
Popular dishes
Sashimi Salad
assorted sashimi salad w/ plum dressing & wasabi mayo
2 reviews
Takoyaki
deep-fried octopus balls w/ tonkatsu sauce & mustard mayo
2 reviews
Chicken Karaage
2 reviews
Food was extremely fresh and delicious, the service was superb and the restaurant exhibited very safe covid practices. Their sashimi appetizer was especially creative and delicious. Can’t wait to come back for more!
the food quality was excellent. service was good too. just that the floor was a bit sticky.
Lunch sets, chicken karaage, and takoyaki are our go-to's.
Best place to come with a group of friends! Great food and value and staff
Was excited to try some Japanese cocktails with our food but was disappointed when mine came with a way past expired, stinky, brown lime. Not only that the mint was slimy.
I had heard such good things about this place, but the food was subpar as well. I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone, as I won’t be going back.
Always went there for dinner but decided to try their lunch menu for the first time. It was great for the value. Definitely try if you are in the area for lunch.
Excellent food and value. Good Covid protocol. Highly recommended
Good food with good service in a convenient area.
Best Japanese Food Experience in Vancouver! So GUUU’d
Amazing food! Love the energy! ARIGATO!
Delicious food and great service!
Great food great service, pretty authentic vibe. One of the best spots for your closest izakaya experience in Vancouver
Really good food, lots to choose from and friendly service
Everything was amazing yet again, will be back!
Amazing!! Was a perfect dining experience
Had a table in the back, unfortunately right next to the bathroom. A tad unpleasant.
It was really nice, they've adapted well to COVID--nice hand sanitizers on every table, well spaced out, food quality hasn't suffered a bit. Great job!
Great friendly service and the food is great as always!
It's hard to find a bad dish on the menu, always a treat dining at Guu.
Fun place with great music!
Chef recommendation was little disappointment but overall other choices were excellent!
As always, the food and service are consistently exceptional. Now that it's opened through the day and on Sunday? finally...! Keep up the good work & stay safe & healthy -:)
Lunch menu is a really good deal.
For less than 10 dollars you can eat quality Japanese lunch dishes.
The restaurant did not follow the social distancing protocol given its small space. Also I was surprised that the servers still refilled your water given the health guidelines to reduce touchpoints...Will most likely dine at one of their sister stores with a more open layout!
The food was generally good and tasty - the sashimi was fresh. Service also generally good, with prompt refills of tea as needed. No major complaints - would eat there again.
Great food, excellent selection, good service. Nice variety of dishes. Would definitely recommend.
So happy to be able to return to Guu a institution of Vancouvers dining scene. Always a treat! Thank you Guu team!
we have a farewell dinner there and all if us are love the food there. We have a great night there
we are from out of town and always come to Guu when we are in Vancouver. Amazing food and atmosphere. Cant wait to come back again.
Great food, fun and this place has great atmosphere!
Restaurant was packed and loud for a Monday night. Unfortunately, there was a loud group next to us that kept using foul language. We were tired from traveling to Vancouver and looking forward to a delicious first meal in Canada, but the ambiance/atmosphere was best suited for after-work dining.
We ordered several dishes from their anniversary menu. The food was flavorful. I especially liked the Kim chee fried rice, pork belly, and chicken karaage. Pork cutlets were too dry. Green tea served from pitchers and were lukewarm at most.
We had a great time. The energy is fantastic and the food is delicious. It's a great place to come with friends to eat together.
The food is consistent - lots of variety. There is a reason why we love going back - service, ambience and the food. We were lucky to get a table on a Saturday night as the place filled up quite quickly. The sake can be a bit pricier than other places.
Eating in this like casual Japanese sake shop for years, always enjoy their ambiance, food and great service.
We were greeted promptly and ordered the following:
Pumpkin Croquette: the pumpkin looked a little over deep fried and the egg was a bit to overdone.
Negitoro: the tuna was minced not chopped
Salmon Yukke: Salmon tasted fresh
Tuna and Salmon Tataki: this dish was spectacular, really enjoyed it
Guu Tongue: the ends of the tongue were a bit overdone, overall was good
Kimchi Udon: as delicious as always
Kimchi Fried Rice: (to go) it was really delicious, although the kimchi was no were to be found
Overall, the quality has gone a bit down and the menu looks to have been shrunk.
All items a little too salty. Haven't been here in a few years but I remember it being much better back then. Perhaps I've experienced other great places since then, so I'm not sure if my palette has matured or if the actual food quality has decreased.
Everything i expect from an izakaya, Guu always delivers. What i found different this time around was the service. Host and servers were extra wholesome than usual. Not a bad thing but definitely different from what im used to at Guu. A++!!
Server was rushing us a few times after we settle in. The food was average and the drink was disgusting so we requested an exchange but was refused right away. Really felt overpaying for this experience. Please do yourself a favour and stop going to this guu. Go to the one in gas town instead.
Hands down my favorite restaurant in Vancouver. Never disappoints
So fun, had a blast
FAQs
Guu Original Thurlow does offer delivery in partnership with Uber Eats.
Guu Original Thurlow is rated 4.6 stars by 118 OpenTable diners.
Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable. Due to local restrictions, this restaurant may not be accepting reservations at the moment.