Bin 942 Tapas Parlour

Semi-​circle leather booths, romantic tables for two, a dimly-​lit bar perfect for both commiserating and celebrating and a selection of tapas, wine and spirits to top it off? Bin 942 is swiftly becoming my favourite secret to forget about and then suddenly remember.
If you want the short version of this review, just skip to the bottom…
My first brief affair with Bin 942 was two years ago. I was there on a date and can’t remember much about the experience except that it introduced me to popcorn sprinkled with truffle oil.
Popcorn + Truffle Oil? It’s like my seedy, theater food self suddenly bumped into my current culinary elitist self and realized that they were both awesome people and decided then and there to go out partying.
In short, that stuff is delicious and the date amounted to not much.
Warp forward a few years and it’s Pre-​Drink O’Clock on Friday night but I haven’t had anything to eat and, frankly speaking, not too interested in going out dancing tonight.
The girlfriend and I are figuring out where to go for drinks and food when suddenly the memory of truffle popcorn comes drunkenly staggering through the front door of my mind.
We hop in a cab and are seated in minutes and are promptly told that Truffle Popcorn is no longer served. I almost flipped the table.
Luckily our extraordinarily helpful serving staff suggested a couple tapas that might make adequate substitutes.
In short, move over Truffle Popcorn, you’ve got some new competition.
We ordered the following…
Olive Crusted Lamb Sirloin — I really enjoy lamb. It’s one of my favourite meats to cook and one of my favourite meats to order when I go out to a restaurant that I suspect will do it justice. Bin 942 more than exceeded my expectations. The artichoke salad and tamarind sauce delicately complimented the olive crust of the lamb. I was a little worried that the olives, which typically speaking are rather salty, might over power the natural flavour of the lamb. Again, pleasantly surprised. The only downside to this dish is the potato latke. I like me some potatoes, but the latke, while definitely providing a nice crunch texture to the plate, wasn’t as interesting as everything else.
Pan Seared Pacific Scallops — I’ve always loved scallops. It was the only seafood I would eat as a child and it remains one of my favourites to this day. I consider them amazing flavour sponges that provide a great texture all of their own. The poblano salsa verde was the perfect bite to make these seared scallops really pop. I’m pretty sure this was our favourite dish. It was light, flavourful and surprisingly savoury. If you’re visting Bin 942, this is a must.
Duck Confit Poutine — A few of my sisters live in Montréal and every time I visit they rub it in that they have better poutine, smoked meat, medieval roleplaying fights in the park and strip clubs. My sisters are weird, don’t ask… Finally though, I can fight back with this dish from Bin. A cranberry demi reduction, shredded duck and delicious cheese, layered between beds of thinly cut (pomme fritte) potato fries. Decadent, satisfying and deeply primal. This dish makes you feel like there aren’t any other flavours worth knowing about.
Short Review: Bin 942 is the perfect place to pre-​drink with some friends, feel swanky without breaking the bank. It provides a great space for conversation, great music and great times. Definitely check it out and, if you’re going, invite me.

Oh, Bin. So small, so crowded but you deliver a consistent experience so I’ll give you 4 stars.
After waiting 1.25 hours in Groupon purgatory, failed attempts to sell our Groupon (no dice, 100% of diners there had one already), we finally got our table — thankfully, a booth not a seat at the bar. This will be my first and last time ever waiting that long for food.
My standard items to order:
Wild mushroom risotto $ 17 — I remember back in the good ol’ days when it was $ 7. Smaller portioned, but still just as good.
Beef Wellington — In Gordon Ramsay’s words «This steak is pehr-​fehctly cooked!»
Not so good, the calamari — small pieces, fried, bland basil oil garnish
And just to make sure I had a table longer than the time I spent waiting, we ordered the chocolate fondue for 2. Comes with home-​made marshmallow (in our case, raspberry and passionfruit) that are delicious and better without the chocolate overpowering it. Lots of fruit and doughnuts to go with the fondue as well.
The sangria tastes like cough syrup. I don’t know what it is, grenadine maybe? Either way, pass and stick to the wines.

Wow, I never write reviews, but I also rarely come across such poor attitudes and customer service. And even more concerning is the fact that I have been a customer of Bin ⁹⁴¹⁄₂ for a number of years now, and clearly that doesn’t matter to them. This review is proof that Groupon can be BAD for business.
On a recent visit to Bin 942 with two girlfriends, I wanted to use my 2 Groupons which were close to expiration. Before we ordered, I told our server about the Groupons, but she said we could only use one. That’s strange, because no where on the Groupon does it say I could only use 1 for a table of 3. What it does say though in the Fine Print is «Limit 1 Groupon per 2 people.» Yes I read that; I know that means I can’t use more than 1 groupon for 2 people. But there were 3 of us, so we could use both Groupons, right?! The server AND manager proceeded to tell us that the fine print MEANT to communicate that you need 2 people to use 1 Groupon. I’m sorry but I’m sure there were a significant number of single people who purchased one of the 3,500 groupons sold, and wanted to enjoy their Groupon by themselves. How were they treated I wonder?
I was frustrated and embarassed, but we ordered as we would have prior to the fiasco. I was with friends and didn’t want to let this ruin our night.
The next day, I spoke to the accountant who is also apparently a co-​owner. She tried telling me the same thing that the manager said about needing 2 ppl to use 1 Groupon… bull$#!^! I know your business is losing money off the Groupon thing, but not accommodating a customer who feels cheated in this situation is not fair and not good for business.
She told me to email Gordon Martin, the owner. I did right after our conversation, but haven’t heard back!
Lesson to businesses: do not sign up with Groupon if you cannot accommodate the increased business. You risk losing valuable customers.
To the other Bin 941 Groupon holders — you can STILL use your Groupon, just not for the discounted value. According to BC legislation, gift certificates cannot expire and you will be able to use your «expired» Groupon for the amount you purchased it for.

Atmosphere: The website pictures make this place bigger than it really is. It is extremely narrow and small. The bathroom is the size of an airline stall which is an indication of how the rest of the place is like in terms of size comparison. The décor was Kitsch and not in a good way. They got the décor all wrong with the trippy wrapped mirrors on the wall. I wasn’t sure what they were trying to come off as in terms of ambience, however, the mark was clearly missed.
Service: Not sure why other Unilocalers were praising this place as quick and prompt service ’cause my friend Kent and I arrived just before the dinner rush and it was not quick and prompt. We also found the staff to be overly pushy on trying to get us to buy drinks. If I said no to drinks once, I am pretty sure my mind is going to change the every 2 minutes that I am asked. Don’t go for the eye candy… there isn’t to be seen.
Price: Very expensive. You’re looking at $ 17 for a small Tapa. For a restaurant that doesn’t even use real truffle oil, I don’t see why they have to charge that high of a price for a plate that literally has no more than 2 — 3 bites at the most. I had a social shopper coupon otherwise wouldn’t step foot in here otherwise based on the price.
Food: I ordered the Poutine with duck, cheese and some cranberries. The fries resembled those shoe string fries, re-​fried. My friend assured me that these were made out of real potatoes, however, I feel the latter. The duck was nice and tender. There weren’t barely any cheese curds. As for the cranberries, I literally counted less than 5 individual craisins… yes I said craisins as the berries weren’t even fresh, just re-​hydrated. They needed more cranberries or even a citrus chutney to offset, compliment and accent the other flavors. This dish missed it’s mark. Second dish was the smoked black code spring rolls with Papaya sauce. This hit the mark. It tasted like a camping experience in your mouth, a campfire oral sensation. The sauce was awesome. It was mixed with something citrus that made it more of a mandarin tasting sauce than a Papaya. The sauce and rolls complemented each other very nicely. Wild mushroom risotto was a hit and miss. I love mushrooms, however, they went way overboard on the truffle oil. I couldn’t get the taste of truffle oil out of my mouth for several hours after. The mushrooms themselves in the dish were great, no complaints. They mixed a generous ratio of mushrooms to risotto.

Oh, the Bin, always delicious, always trendy. Possibly one of the smallest and most intricately decorated spaces in the city, this little gem will win your heart. The service is always timely and friendly (while not being pushy, the kiss of death to good service).
The drink menu is extensive and the appetizers are memorable enough to return to time and again. I love their super, super, super thin fries drizzled in vinegar. They come stacked like a pyramid. The Ancient Egyptians didn’t think of that, did they? The crab cakes and hummus (with Navajo bread) were probably in my dreams last night.
The lighting, decoration and music are all worth an honorable mention. It sounds like a high tier European night club here and the music competes with the food for ‘what do I like better’ status. The bathrooms, may I add, are lovely.

Myself and two friends hit up Bin 942 for some supper at 6PM on a Tuesday. We were seated right away.
The service was prompt and friendly throughout the evening. I was impressed.
Based on some other reviews here, we got the Navajo fry bread with salsa, the pound of mussels in the French style, and the scallops.
My friends’ favourite was the Navajo fry bread and my favourite was dipping the crusty bread that came with the mussels into the broth at the bottom of the pot. Not sure I’d order the scallops again. They were good, but too Vancouver-​standard to warrant the price tag.

The word Bin is defined as «A container or enclosed space for storage.»
Well, this ‘parlour’ is an enclosed space for storing hip looking people with lots of money who aren’t that hungry.
I was out of my element.
The friendly waitress seemed a bit buzzed, and after a half bottle of white sauv blanc, so was i… back in my element!
My friend and i shared the Olive Crusted Lamb Sirloin (really not a fan of eating baby animals, but i have to say — this was a tasty baby portion of a baby animal) The Merlot Braised Beef Short Ribs were amazing — the meat melted apart) These dishes are great, but $ 17 great? really?
The Navajo fry bread came out burning fingers hot. Delicious. We had it with the ‘goat cheese house dried tomato salsa’ -(the salsa comes in cat food form and really, all aspiring foodieness aside, is pretty gross.
The White Chocolate Mascarpone Cheesecake was the best cheesecake i have ever had in my life. And let me tell you, i have had A LOT of cheesecake in my time. Shameful amounts!
The never-​to-​be-​forgotten Cheesecake and the Navajo bread were the only items of the evening priced perfectly in relation to their yummyness.
The Bin 942 is also small, like I see many others have mentioned. It is true. The girls washroom is IN the kitchen. I felt the heat from the stove on my way in. My freshly cheescaked hips hit some tables on the way out. It is a narrow Bin. Not for the wide, or people with large personal space bubbles.
People were lined up at the door — why lower prices if people are waiting hours to sit and pay? (the waiting line behind us had people waiting 45 minutes for a table.)
The origins of the word Bin are Celtic, from ‘Bindan’ which means ‘to Bind’ and the close quarters of this place really would be a perfect spot to get cozy with a date ~ or to rekindle a connection with a friend or bond with a business partner.
If you’re in a financial bind however, I would find another parlour to parlé in.

Service and atmosphere were good, but the food was great! The olive humus with Navajo bread was delicious, the mushroom risotto was smooth and rich and the wine was… What was the wine? Words escape me. A perfect place to celebrate my birthday with my friend! And best of all… No TV’s!!!

My husband and I decided to give Bin 942 a try after picking up a groupon deal. I went with no expectations — I had never eaten there before and can’t say I’ve really heard about it from anyone I know. I was pleasantly surprised by what we found — a cute cozy room with intimate booths and delicious food.
We ordered the lamb sirloin, mushroom risotto, dried tomato salsa, tuna duo and sablefish. Everything was amazing — beautiful balancing of flavors throughout! The portions do seem a little small for what you’re paying, however it was a pleasure just to taste each item. The salsa in particular needs to be ordered just to try — it has a mixture of flavors I can’t quite describe. Think of it as an adventure for your tongue!
My one negative is we had a bit of a ‘thing’ with the server when we arrived — she seemed a bit put out that we had walked in and proceeded to tell us we couldn’t expect a table for quite some time. When we suggested we sit at the bar and then move to a booth later, she informed us that they didn’t do that. Instead, we were left to stand in the doorway drinking our wine while we waited. Interesting thing is, we watched them move another couple from the bar to a table ahead of us… surprising as I didn’t think they did that. ;)
All in all, it was a delicious experience and I would definitely drop by there again despite the weirdness at the beginning!

I love Bin. When I first moved to Vancouver, I went to Bin 941 with the husband for my birthday dinner, and have been in love ever since. We decided to try 942 on a Saturday afternoon, and knowing that the place fills up quickly and doesn’t take reservations, we got there around 6pm hoping to beat the crowds. We had a half-​hour wait ahead of us, but we at least had seats to sit down in the waiting area.
When we got settled into our table, and the waitress brought us a complimentary starter of a tomato bisque soup. It was delicious, with the perfect blend of spices. We ordered the thai mussels and sablefish. Both dishes were fantastic and beautifully presented. Our waitress was really nice and attentive, and recommended the cheesecake for dessert. We tried it and loved the flavour.
The pricing is decent, and a lot of the items are the same as the other Bin. Both are great, and it’s still in my top 10 favourite Vancouver restaurants. :)

Great décor and ambiance. Menu was a bit eclectic, no, eccentric. When I think tapas, I know I’m getting small plates and spanish, here I received neither, however what I did get was pleasant.

I live right by BIn 942, but have only been to Bin 941. They have very different menu’s, but similiar atmosphere. My favorite thing to eat is the pomme frittes. Towering thin fries, a jenga-​like appie sprinkled with balsamic vinegar and craked pepper. YUM!

Truffles!!! YUM!
I had some foodie friends come visit and we went everywhere they wanted to go. At the end of their visit I made them go with me to Bin 942.
We waited at the bar for a little while for our table and found the drinks were reasonably priced and yummy.
OMG. Everything was delicious! Most of the yumminess was due to their flavouring each dish with truffle oil. So if you aren’t into that flavour you won’t love it, but we did.
The dessert was decadent, but honestly i liked the appetizers more.
Our waitress was nice but the first table they sat our party of 4 at was TINY. If we were only going to eat 1 or 2 dishes, I guess that might have worked. When the group in the window left we asked for their table. It was funky and had plenty of space.
Our guests said it was the best restaurant from their whole trip.

People aren’t kidding, this place is a small, skinny hallway of a place. The hostess was kind of dumb as she asked how many, I said 2 and even held up 2 fingers, and she repeats back 3? Anyways, the tapas were ok, but nothing stellar. As with most tapas places, don’t go if you are super hungry or you’ll spend a fortune. Needless to say, interesting attempts at some creative tapas, just didn’t wow me.

BIN, what happened?
You used to be one of my favorite restaurants in Vancouver. The combination of smallish serving size (enabling me to try several plates) and regional cuisines were unparalleled. I even dared myself to chew through wisdom tooth surgery pain.
Now, what I tasted was below medicrity. The dishes lack the harmony that they used to have.
The jumbo scallops were not as beautifully cooked as they were used to. They just tasted like scallops with salt. The components of the dish did not add up to compliment each other.
The Kobe beef carpaccio was the better dish and by providing $ 5 dishes, it was definitely a commendable effort to accommodate tighter wallets.
The duck breast was well cooked; however the potsticker tasted like their frozen counterpart that one can pick up at T& T.
Their fried navajo bread actually became the highlight of the meal.
I can only hope that last month’s dining experience was just a flux since we sorely missed the old Bin that used to deliver melt– in– your mouth dishes.

Craving for dessert? Where to go? BIN 942!
We were able to get a booth with a round table, facing the bar and the rest of the restaurant. I would say they’re the best seats of the house. I like it already.
It has a casual atmosphere for hanging out with friends for some tapas and drinks, or just for some coffee and dessert. Good music and simple but funky décor complete the place.
Drinks or «Fermented Grapes & Libations» list has a good selection of reds and whites, as well as beers and vodka. Their bar is also well stocked; I’m sure you can ask them to make you something if you wanted them to.
I started off with a riesling, and our waitress also brought us waters.
Desserts/​«Amourous Intentions» menu gave us 4 choices: A white chocolate mascarpone cheesecake, a cheese plate, and a chocolate fondue. Fondue?! Something you can’t get at any restaurant. I’m set.
Fall in Love x 2 (Love the name!)
Belgian chocolate fondue, Belgian chocolate ganache for dipping warm cinnamon doughnuts, homemade marshmallow, coconut macaroons, seasonal fruit
The plate arrived, and I felt like I was in a candy store. The bowl of chocolate sits at the side of the plate, lightly heated. Thinly sliced apples and pears, and mini macaroons accent the plate around the large round donuts, and cubes of marshmellows. I’m excited to take the first bite. The donut is a little crispy on the outside, and soft on the inside, just the way it should be. The chocolate is rich and smooth, with the aroma of the Belgian chocolate. The marshmellow is light and fluffy. I wish they would just serve the coconut macaroons on its own, and I would order a whole plate of them. There’s a hint of coconut flavour, with bits of coconut within each mini macaroon. It very light, but flavourful.
I savour each of the pieces, cutting them into bite sized chunks, and drenching each one with the chocolate sauce. It’s amazing.
I am falling in love all over again.

Tapas, great music playlist (I asked the the bartender twice for the artist of the song playing), and usually great service.
The ‘salsa with Navajo fry bread’ is a gentle yet exuberant mixing of fascinating flavours. So interesting, in fact, the name they give it is akin to calling a fine Pinot Noir «Neat!». The portobello mushroom dish is also fantastic, with a mingling of expected and unexpected flavours. I truly savored every bite.
This place really is neat though.
A little on the pricey end, and try to go with a more intimate group so that you can focus on the food and do it justice.

I’ve been to Bin 942 a couple of times in the past, but not so much recently. From what I remember, they had great food. A great towering spinach salad, delicious fries, A yummy beef tenderloin cooked to perfection, and a nice, juicy cornish game hen. I always thought their service was timely. It is a bit crowded, making it had for bringing a group of people, or any number of people other than 2 – 3.
However, the best part of this place was the dessert. They have, hands down, the best cheesecake ever! They have a mascarpone white chocolate cheesecake that is served with sauteed caramelized bananas and it’s delicious! It’s such a perfect balance of flavours and sweetness. I love it! And miss it! I need to go again soon.

Not for large groups. This place is tiny! Not for the claustrophobic either.
When I went I decided that I wasn’t «in the mood» for the atmosphere– but as I reflect, I’m not sure if it would ever be a perfect spot for me. They’re trying. But the super loud music was not working for me. For me, loud music creates a sense of city nightlife but while here it just felt like a tylenol commercial.
The servers took a while to get us drink orders. The tapas were decent, and there were many to choose from for under $ 15. In particular, I enjoyed the bruscheta.

This is an eatery with a serious identity crisis. The last time I was at this place, I remembered it as a hip spot for suited business people to unwind with a glass of wine after work while munching on delicious small plates. But upon a recent visit the place was bouncing techno dance music and servers in glittery stockings and hot pants.
The wine list didn’t do much for me. The prices for the small plates are really high (around $ 16). If I am going to pay that much for food, I expect to a) become full; b) enjoy a nice glass of wine with my meal; c) drink water from a glass — not plastic; and d) for the place to be clean. We were actually shocked by the state of the floors in the place. They were littered with crunch that could have easily been swept up.
We did enjoy our food, but we had to finish quickly to escape the thumping music. The music caters to a very young crowd, the décor is hipster, the prices and food targets those with discerning tastes and a fat wallet but the wine list failed to inspire. The whole experience was confusing.