With a mouthful of a name and two impressive patios, Mount Pleasant Vintage & Provisions is one of the best spots in Mount Pleasant. It feels like home with its couches and coffee tables and has enough space to stretch out and get comfortable with over 2,000 square feet.
Looks Can Be Deceiving
From the outside, Mount Pleasant Vintage & Provisions is cleverly disguised: half heritage home, half modern building. The house, which is from 1901, was retrofitted into the new build, creating a fun mashup of architectural style that has informed all aspects of Mount Pleasant Vintage & Provisions. They’re a friendly neighbourhood bar that also serves great food, but they’re also an antique shop (you can buy their retro furniture and light fixtures) as well as a clothing store (they sell their own branded merch).
To enter, you climb the front steps and go through the front door. The first seating area inside is essentially a living room complete with couches. Then, the space opens up to the bar, where the ceilings soar, and the tall windows let in ample light, even in winter when the patios are closed.
Hot Town, Summer in Mount Pleasant
Summer is really Mount Pleasant Vintage & Provisions’ season. They’ve got boozy slushies on the menu, as well as a full sun patio in the front, and a shaded one in the back, both decorated with bold and beautiful murals. The vibe is relaxed. Plus, the wood-fire grill allows for a menu of summer BBQ favourites like hot dogs, steak, and short ribs. You can taste the fire in the best way.
The menu, designed by Chef Sebastian Toro and team, also features retro favourites like cheese fondue and beef tartare. I fell in love with their tartare last summer and was heartbroken when the menu was parred down as the kitchen equipment was updated. Now they have not only the new wood-fired grill but also a plancha, and the menu has been expanding again. Old favourites (like my beloved tartare) are back. As are their signature teriyaki short ribs, butterflied prawns, charred broccolini, and smoked pork belly. New menu additions include the fire-grilled Al Pastor tacos as well as a brand new burger, which launches Thursday, July 25th. What better to cook on the plancha than a smash burger? And this one comes with a massive piece of mouthwatering pork belly and a side of crunchy, fresh slaw.
An Ode to Tartare
Mount Pleasant Vintage & Provisions makes one of my favourite tartares in Vancouver. Their hand-chopped beef tartare is made with fried spicy Hobbs pickles and comes with an egg yolk and a dusting of parmesan, as well as toast. But, please, dear reader, order the tater tots. I don’t know what Mount Pleasant does to these taters but they are delicious on their own, well-seasoned and perfectly crisp. But! Order the tartare, order the taters, and put the tartare on the tater tots. The tartare is fresh and cold, the taters are salty and hot, it is truly a divine combination. It is the most wonderful high/low culture clash that excellently sums up the theme of Mount Pleasant Vintage & Provisions.
Creative Cocktails at Mount Pleasant Vintage & Provisions
All of this discussion of the food neglects the strong cocktail menu at Mount Pleasant Vintage & Provisions. It is ever-changing, like the food menu. In fact, both might vary in person from what you see online. The boozy slushies are old faithful menu items. The Cadillac Mezcalita is a smoky, citrusy sipper and the Frozen Vietnamese Coffee is like a boozy frap that will perk you up and cool you off.
Bar Manager Soren Schepkowski is always crafting some creative cocktails. My new favourite is the Safety Meeting. This golden orange cocktail is made with Bombay Sapphire Gin and Fino, and the flavour combination of reclaimed lemon, strawberry, chocolate, and hemp is surprising. The Five Alive is another favourite of mine, its juicy flavour will bring you back to elementary school juice box days.
Elevated Irreverence
There is an interesting tension at Mount Pleasant Vintage & Provisions between their projected casual, almost irreverent attitude, and their impressively elevated cocktails and food. This isn’t to say they are a new rival to Published. That’s not their vibe or their style. However, they are serving up fare that is interesting and, arguably, better than it needs to be. In this economy, even a casual night out for a couple of drinks with friends can be an indulgent splurge. It’s good to know that you can stop into Mount Pleasant Vintage & Provisions and get bang for your buck.
