Victoria 's review of Arbutus

I knew this would happen.. Go for the set lunch and end up seduced by the al a carte! I spent way too much on lunch last week and I blame it on the combination of my greed and an interesting menu!

Food was good but not blow you away spectacular, I love the range of wines by the caraffe, perfect for lunch.

The desserts were fantastic though and I was persuaded to try something I wouldn't normally have (it was the pear and almond cake) by a waiter and he came over to check I was enjoying it. I was really impressed by the service at Arbutus. The door staff were warm and friendly and took our coats and extra bags, we were served by two waiters and a manager all of whom were charming and knowledgable. It was lovely to have a bit of friendly banter with the staff and they were all smiles throughout our lunch. The restaurant was almost full on a Thursday lunch and the atmosphere was lively, a good mix of business lunches, tourists and families.

If the service wasn't as good as it was I'm not sure I would rush back for the food. As it is, they impressed me enough that I am looking forward to going back. Must try to stick to the set lunch next time…

Am going to Les Deux Salons this week so it will be interesting to compare it to their succesful sister restaurant.