TAPASTREE

Tapastree is an interesting restaurant, in the sense that it is well known, but at the same time almost a well kept secret. A year ago or so, a few friends and I were fortunate enough to have found this little restaurant, located at 1829 Robson Street. As I entered the restaurant I was pleased by the cozy yet unique atmosphere and immediately fell in love with the place. The atmosphere of Tapastree is unique in the sense that the whole restaurant could be packed and full of people chatting away, but it feels quiet enough that you can bring a date and have a decent conversation without feeling like you are shouting over everyone else.

After that first fateful discovery, I have been to Tapastree on several occasions and have not been disappointed by the food or service once. I have noticed that each time I have gone to the restaurant the menu is shifted around slightly, which I believe is to prevent the regulars from getting bored of the menu. This is the case because as the name of the restaurant may reveal, the entire menu is tapas style. Tapas, for those who may not know, are pretty much appetizers, which makes Tapastree a perfect place for a drink. However, just because Tapastree specializes in tapas, don't assume that you won't get full.

Due to the fact that I have been to Tapastree several times and their several changes in menu, I will only post the most recent menu I have ordered from. A thing to note about Tapastree is the service; if you continue to order wine and food, they will continue to bring out bread in between dishes, so that you can continue to sip wine with food. My most recent trip to Tapastree, again was with my girlfriend and we ordered:

Salad:

Tomato, bocconcini and avocado with fresh basil

Tapas:

Japanese eggplant with pesto and goat cheese on spicy tomato sauce

Bruschetta topped with tomatoes, olives, basil, garlic

Prawns grilled with pesto

Dessert:

Creme brulee

Wine:

Schloss Reinhartshausen Riesling 2005 Germany

We started with a bottle of 2005 Schloss Reinhartshausen, which is a riesling from Germany. Again, you can never go wrong with a bottle of riesling. Accompanying the wine was bread with two sets of butter, one being garlic and the other plain. Nothing to write home about, but all in all tasty. Then came the salad, which tasted very fresh and was very pleasant to the pallet.

Then came the tapas, starting with the Japanese eggplant, which had a very interesting taste. The small smudge of goat cheese was a nice compliment to the eggplant because the tangy taste of the cheese suited the sweet taste of the sauce as well as the eggplant. Next came the bruschetta, which is a personal favourite of mine. The combination of tomato, basil, garlic and olives is a testimate to how well Italians take simple ingredients and make delicious dishes. Finally, we finished off our night with the prawns grilled with pesto. The dish was tasty, but there wasn't anything that special about it. None the less the dish was very delicious and we cleared the plate without any trouble.

After the tapas, we decided that we could go for dessert and ordered the creme brulee. The creme brulee was perfectly prepared and the top layer of the creme brulee was caramalized just enough so that it didn't taste too bitter and the drizzle of strawberry syrup was a nice addition to the simple vanilla flavour.

Now I guess its time to talk about the price range and some of the more "technical" factors of the restaurant. Tapastree, like I mentioned previously, is a restaurant that specializes in tapas. So, if you have an extremely large appetite, your bill may turn out to be a little bit high or you may leave a bit hungry. However, if you are looking for a place to simply have a nice conversation with your friend/date/lover and a glass of wine, Tapastree may be the place for you. The atmosphere along with their extensive wine list and appealing tapas makes it a perfect place for a casual dining experience. The price range of the restaurant in my opinion is about mid range to high depending on if you drink wine or not.

Out of 5, I would rate Tapastree a 3.5-4 because while the food and wine are great, they aren't mind blowing. However, I would still highly recommend visiting Tapastree at least once as it is a hidden little gem in the massive swarm of Korean restaurants lining Robson street.

+For more information and a detailed look at the menu you can visit the restaurants website. Also, Tapastree uses the opentable website as well so making reservations is fairly simple.

http://www.tapastree.ca/