Garden Dinner Series at the Fairmont Waterfront in Vancouver
This experience was courtesy of the Fairmont Waterfront – views and opinions are those of the author.
The scent of lavender and sage dances on the wind as birdsong fills the pastel sunset sky. You spread some honey butter on a warm hunk of brioche, freshly torn from the loaf and for a moment, you forget you’re in the heart of Downtown Vancouver, until the clink of glasses on the rooftop terrace of the Fairmont Waterfront brings you back to the garden.
Just steps from the long table, herbs and vegetables flourish, a bay leaf tree casts shadows, and beehives hum with purpose in the apiary. The Fairmont Waterfront’s Garden Dinner Series offers something unique: a farm-to-table experience, rooted in the city’s urban core.
About the Dinner Series | My Vegetarian Menu
Garden Dinner Series at the
Fairmont Waterfront in Vancouver
The Garden Dinner Series launched on June 19th, and there are just two more dates this summer: July 24th and August 21st, each dinner offers a thoughtfully curated multi-course and locally inspired menu from Executive Chef Harris Sakalis, alongside bespoke wine pairings from some of British Columbia’s most celebrated wineries.
The series also features insights from Fairmont Waterfront’s longstanding collaborators, including Chief Beekeeper Julia Common, and Dave Wayward of Wayward Distillery, who has partnered with the hotel for several years to craft its signature honey-based gin.
Gather in the garden, sip cocktails crafted with Fairmont Waterfront ingredients, enjoy live music from local BC artists, and catch a bee demo with Julia, then make your way to the long table for the main event.
This year’s wine partners are united by their commitment to sustainability, mirroring the practices upheld by Fairmont Waterfront, including French Door Estate Winery (June 19th), Burrowing Owl Estate Winery (July 24th) and Quails’ Gate Estate Winery (August 21st).
The Garden Dinner Series is more than a pairing menu. It is a lovely escape in the middle of the city where you can try something new like taste honey directly from the hive, learn more about pollinators and sustainable gardening and winemaking, all while enjoying a gorgeous, bloom-filled backdrop.
What I Ate as a Vegetarian
As a vegetarian, who does not drink alcohol, the team was incredibly accommodating. Here’s what was on my menu:
For drinks, there was zero-proof wine available and I enjoyed some mocktails: Bittersweet Love with barrel aged lumette london dry, n/ a rosso, n/ a orange bitters; and Tropical Fizz with cucumber, pineapple juice, lemon, soda.
Ahead of each course, we heard from Chef Sakalis and French Door Estate Winery’s Petar Djuric about the dish and its pairings, and throughout the evening Julia regaled us with bee tales and triumphs, enlightening the group about the pollinators that call the city home.
The Pollinator Hotel, or “the Bee & Bee” (seen above) was built in partnership with the Hives For Humanity Pollinator Corridor project. From the wood for the structure was donated by the Haida nation, bricks collected from the Downtown Eastside, logs from fallen trees in Stanley Park (gifted from the city) and burlap from East Van Roasters. You can learn more on a Bee Tour this summer, running daily in the garden until August 31st.
At the end of the evening, after the Babas were flambéed and the music flowed, guests danced by (LED) candlelight on the garden terrace. The experience is not just a dinner; it’s an unforgettable evening of great tunes, good times, insightful conversation, and, of course, delicious food.
Reserve Today for July and August
Each event will offer a unique celebration of local produce, showcasing seasonal catches like BC spot prawns and halibut, alongside regionally sourced meat and fresh garden vegetables.
Reserve your experience now
$229 for events on July 24th and August 21st
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View the rest of my photos from the evening here:
