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Vancouver Openings, Closings and Restaurant Buzz

Revel Room

Location: 238 Abbott Street, Vancouver, BC

fter some serious delays, Gastown’s newest drinking and dining spot is finally open. The doors at 238 Abbott Street have been unlocked and Revel is ready for inspection. The project is a partnership between Dennis Brock (ex-owner of Steamrollers), Michael Murray (ex-Mark James Group), Sean Hamilton (Cardero’s, Umberto’s) Walter Sawadsky and Peter Smith. And although it took the team a while to get started, they’ve hit the ground running. The place was ¾ full on a Tuesday night in their first week.

The room is dark and funky, with lots of exposed brick. You’ll find eclectic light fixtures such as the huge 10,000 watt light bulbs taken from a film set and suspended from the ceiling and art deco vitro lights on the side walls that the team recovered during the destruction of a nearby building. Two levels include the main dining area upstairs and a more loungey atmosphere below. Black and white films will soon be projected onto the walls and DJ’s will frequent the room. It’s a place I’d like to stay at for a while.

Chef Michael Pacey has been recruited to head up the kitchen. You may have seen him previously at The Rex or in one of Sean Heather’s kitchens. Pacey has gone with all small plates and his menu items trollop around the globe. Start with some grilled naan bread with tomato relish, roast garlic and olives, be sure to try the flash-fried potato chips with chipotle ketchup and garlic aioli, and don’t miss the shrimp and jalapeno fritters with green curry crème fraiche dip. I’d suggest then splitting some crispy buttermilk wings that drip with a cinnamon honey glaze, ordering up some grilled asparagus, Chinatown fried rice, and Moroccan lamb meatballs. You can have yourself a fairly balanced meal. Just make sure you’re fine with many global flavours sharing space on your table.

Revel’s starting slowly with their wine menu. There’s a little BC and some of our international friends. Currently bar manager Sean Hamilton has five red and five white by the glass. Signature cocktails are inventive and include classics and some newbies such as the English Ed with cucumber infused gin, red apple and lemon and Jack’s Canada with Crown Royal, fresh lime and maple syrup. Draft and bottled beer are available for hops lovers.

The kicker with Revel is that it’s handily open and licensed until 2 am. So when the local cool kids from the f and b industry get off work, here’s were they’re heading. The kitchen feeds diners until 2 as well, so no one goes home hungry and alone.

Revel is defined (as it’s pointed out on their website) as 1. to take great pleasure or delight and 2. to make merry; indulge in boisterous festivities. So far the team seems to be living up to their name. I look forward to another visit once the final touches have been added to the room and the staff has been put through a few more shifts. In the meantime I am sure there will be much revelry without me. -C.A.

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