Top Patios in Vancouver Series: The Roof @ Black & Blue / by Jenn Chan

The Roof at Black & Blue

 

The Roof at Black + Blue is a beautiful space and the largest rooftop restaurant in Vancouver. To combat the occasional, extremely rare, rainfall in the city The Roof comes equipped with a gigantic awning that covers the entire space and, if you're lucky enough, as we were, to catch it at noon on a 30 degree day in early May, it retracts to showcase a lovely vantage of the Shangri-La tower and the iconic Fairmont Hotel Vancouver. 

 

The Roof at Black & Blue
The Roof at Black & Blue

 

One of the things that sets Black + Blue, and the entire Glowbal Group collection of restaurants, is service. As a lifestyle blogger you can become accustomed to getting more personal service, but as we were greeted by the restaurant manager, a very cordial gentleman named Matt Hawes, with champagne in hand and a lovely stuffed Yorkshire pudding we knew we were in for a lovely experience. Courtesy appetizers, we were informed by a fellow patron, aren't only reserved for food critics, but are routinely offered to guests as a thank you. Class.

 

Appetizer atThe Roof at Black & Blue

 

If you don't know what a Josper Grill is I suggest, nay urge, you hit the Googles right now. Go on. I'll wait. Costing nearly $20,000 and using, exclusively, charcoal as its fuel source this wonderful contraption, the only one of its kind in the entire country, infuses Black & Blue's wares with an incredible, smoky flavour. 

I ordered the Seafood Trio skewer, a melange of jumbo tiger prawns, scallops and lobster tail. While it is difficult to do lobster tail badly, and it was exquisite, what really impressed me were the scallops. I don't really like scallops. On occasion I have been heard to proclaim a distinct disdain for the creatures, but I could have eaten 50 of them! The smoky flavour was evident on the prawns, a triumph in my humble opinion, likewise the incredible lobster, but on the scallops it took centre stage and made them a true culinary triumph. My partner ordered the lamb salad, similarly cooked in the Josper Grill and, similarly, stunning!

 

Seafood Trio

Seafood Trio

Lamb Salad

Lamb Salad

 

Between courses, and basking happily in the sun, we partook in one of our favourite summertime cocktails; the uniquely Canadian drink, the Caesar. I requested mine with some spice and my partner requested mild and we were both very pleased with the quality of the vodka, easily apparent, and the mix. Both perfect 10's.

 

Lamb Salad & Seafood Trio

Lamb Salad & Seafood Trio

 

For dessert we split the dessert platter: lemon italian meringue, peanut butter macaron, butter cake, honeycomb, salted caramel chocolate cake with vanilla anglaise & caramel sauce. We paired it with a lovely rosé champagne and were very intrigued by the thoughtful mélange of flavours, but the consensus favourite was the lemon meringue.

 

Dessert Platter

Dessert Platter

PB&J Macaron & Salted Caramel Mousse

PB&J Macaron & Salted Caramel Mousse

Key Lim Pie & Butter Cake

Key Lim Pie & Butter Cake

 

As we left the space we both immediately looked at our schedules to see when we could make it back, the ultimate compliment. I would live there if they let me, The Roof is a must do!

 

Words: Scott Allan
Photos: Jenn Chan