I would like to preface my review by saying that I did reach out to the owner of the restaurant to let her know how we felt about our experience. We were at the restaurant on November 25th, I emailed them my concerns on November 30th to which they replied on November 30th, please leave this email with us for a day to allow us to review it and we will get back to you with a resolution. As I hadn't heard back I sent a follow up email on December 11th that has never been acknowledged.The room that was supplied was not adequate for the number of people in our party. On your information sheet you indicate that there is dancing available. Where did you expect us to dance? We were packed in there like sardines. In reality I wish you had of refused our booking. Both rooms were uncomfortably cold. Our staff gets together once per year for a celebration and many of us like to dress up. I was unable to remove my heavy wool jacket the entire night, and my feet didn't warm up until the next day. When booking I specifically asked that no shots or doubles be poured. Looking over the bill I can clearly see there were many shots. It also appears to me that the Martinis and special cocktails were also a 2 oz pour. If the oz was adjust, it looks to me like the price wasn't adjusted. Cocktail HOUR was set for 5:30. We arrived at the restaurant shortly after 5:30 and your staff was not ready for us. We expected that you would have been ready to receive us and that appetizers would start flowing shortly after our arrival. As per your information sheet, it indicates that appetizers would be passed and their would also be stations around the floor. There were no appetizer stations that I could see anywhere in the restaurant. Personally I had to chase down a server to get an appetizer. Also when the appetizers were being served there was no side plates on the tables. If cocktail HOUR was at 5:30, I would have expected dinner to be served between 6:30 and 7:00. Dinner was not presented until 8:30. This was way to big of a gap for people to go with little food. Dinner was a complete disappointment, there were people in our party who didn't even get any dinner at all. I also do not think what you represent on your information sheet even comes close to what we received. Looking at your online take out menu, if I was to buy your most expensive appetizer at $22.00, your most expensive main at $42.00 and a dessert for $8.00 the total bill per person would have been $72.00, much less than the $150.00 per person you have charged us. The veggies on the buffet were cold (and I was one of the first ones in line) plus the yams in the tray were not even cooked, the first tray of scalloped potatoes were okay but the second tray was like soup and extremely salty, there wasn't even a chicken leg per person and this dish did not get refreshed, the short rib was okay. Some of the gentlemen in our party wished to go up for seconds but that wasn't an option for them. In total there was four chaffing dishes on the buffet for 42 people and only the potato and short rib dishes were replenished. In the fifteen years that I have been organizing our staff Christmas dinner, my boss has never questioned the cost, with this event he did question why we paid what we did for what we received. Although your staff were friendly, they clearly were overwhelmed with our group. Service was disorganized and extremely slow.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Dustin Dame
Consistently one of Port Alberni’s absolute best dining experiences! The service is friendly and professional (and goes out of their way to accommodate dietary limitations), the ambience feels both cozy and classy, the food is a perfect balance of classic and creative and everything we have tasted has been exceptional. Highly recommend!
We had our Xmas party. The good and service was great. Enjoyed by all of us definitely recommend for a larger group.
dahliahairdesign
Great food, great drinks, great service. One of our favourite spots! Perfect spot for date night or a night out with friends. Can’t wait to go back!
annikad9999
I love the arancini and the baked brie. I have these every time I visit. The chocolate mousse is absolutely amazing and staff are very kind and friendly. We visit here often and are always impressed. It's our Port Alberni favourite.
Dorothy M
I would like to preface my review by saying that I did reach out to the owner of the restaurant to let her know how we felt about our experience. We were at the restaurant on November 25th, I emailed them my concerns on November 30th to which they replied on November 30th, please leave this email with us for a day to allow us to review it and we will get back to you with a resolution. As I hadn't heard back I sent a follow up email on December 11th that has never been acknowledged. These are the concerns that we had: 1. The room that was supplied was not adequate for the number of people in our party. On your information sheet you indicate that there is dancing available. Where did you expect us to dance? We were packed in there like sardines. In reality I wish you had of refused our booking. 2. Both rooms were uncomfortably cold. Our staff gets together once per year for a celebration and many of us like to dress up. I was unable to remove my heavy wool jacket the entire night, and my feet didn't warm up until the next day. 3. When booking I specifically asked that no shots or doubles be poured. Looking over the bill I can clearly see there were many shots. It also appears to me that the Martinis and special cocktails were also a 2 oz pour. If the oz was adjust, it looks to me like the price wasn't adjusted. 4. Cocktail HOUR was set for 5:30. We arrived at the restaurant shortly after 5:30 and your staff was not ready for us. We expected that you would have been ready to receive us and that appetizers would start flowing shortly after our arrival. As per your information sheet, it indicates that appetizers would be passed and their would also be stations around the floor. There were no appetizer stations that I could see anywhere in the restaurant. Personally I had to chase down a server to get an appetizer. Also when the appetizers were being served there was no side plates on the tables. 5. If cocktail HOUR was at 5:30, I would have expected dinner to be served between 6:30 and 7:00. Dinner was not presented until 8:30. This was way to big of a gap for people to go with little food. 6. Dinner was a complete disappointment, there were people in our party who didn't even get any dinner at all. I also do not think what you represent on your information sheet even comes close to what we received. Looking at your online take out menu, if I was to buy your most expensive appetizer at $22.00, your most expensive main at $42.00 and a dessert for $8.00 the total bill per person would have been $72.00, much less than the $150.00 per person you have charged us. The veggies on the buffet were cold (and I was one of the first ones in line) plus the yams in the tray were not even cooked, the first tray of scalloped potatoes were okay but the second tray was like soup and extremely salty, there wasn't even a chicken leg per person and this dish did not get refreshed, the short rib was okay. Some of the gentlemen in our party wished to go up for seconds but that wasn't an option for them. In total there was four chaffing dishes on the buffet for 42 people and only the potato and short rib dishes were replenished. 7. What I was able to eat that evening was: three of the Indian style appies, two of the prawn pot stickers, one slice of brie wrapped in one slice of prosciutto with a grape, one lobster ravioli and some very dried out bread. For dinner, I tried the cold veg, some scallop potatoes, and some short rib. I do not think this equates to $150.00, as a company we are okay with paying $150.00 per plate, however what you presented for us, in my opinion was no where near that. In the fifteen years that I have been organizing our staff Christmas dinner, my boss has never questioned the cost, with this event he did question why we paid what we did for what we received. 8. Although your staff were friendly, they clearly were overwhelmed with our group. Service was disorganized and extremely slow. After being in the restaurant for half an hour, we asked that you stopped the table service for drinks so that t
gerrising2020
Casual relaxed restaurant very popular with local residents and visitors alike. The food and service is the best you'll find in Port Alberni.
TASHA JENSEN
Expensive ! Ceaser drinks was 14$ the ice cubes were massive and filled up my whole cup leaving no room for the drink. Won't be going back!
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 2
Service: 3
restaurantreview2255
Food was incredible. I had the Lobster and Prawn Risotto and added scallops. The flavours were fantastic and I enjoyed a wine flight to add to the experience. Servers were friendly and courteous.
Susan C
Love this spot as i am always impressed by the changes in the menu as i have come back each summer to visit Port Alberni. the variance in choices and the local touch to many of the wines and Beers that are available are a welcome treat.
The Chef is amazing! Risotto, hand made pastas, sea food! Alway great flavours and beautifully presented! And the wine list has something for everyone
Pbgram
The food was amazing! The mussels were perfect. Staff lovely Finished with a tasty Old Fashioned Will return for sure
Myles M
Great fine dining experience. Quiet atmosphere and a great wine selection. It was nice to finally fine a restaurant with high quality cooking and prep in Port Alberni.
Meghan M
We always have a wonderful time at Brie and Barrel! Absolutely obsessed with the short rib entree, as well as the baked brie plate. Mouth watering just thinking of going back!
Diana Wissman
My favourite people came to Port to take me out for a nice meal for my Birthday. The restaurant was nicely decorated and the staff was friendly. The waitress we had needs to be educated on how to take criticism towards the food though. As in a smile and “awe, so sorry” does not go over well, especially after receiving more complaints during the 8 course meal. Like, where is the manager??The two dessert dishes were not impressive either, one was served on a dirty plate, while the other was served on just a spoon. meanwhile she took the cutlery away when the spoon dessert was handed to us. So you put the spoon in your mouth after it has been rested here and there before making it to our table, yuck.It was disappointing for us all.More then $350 all done, just didn’t sit well with us. Too many issues during the meal that were not addressed, clearly because no one came to our table to try to make it better. My friend was very nice and polite while passing on how things were going. But, it clearly was in one ear, out the other when he spoke up.
I would like to preface my review by saying that I did reach out to the owner of the restaurant to let her know how we felt about our experience. We were at the restaurant on November 25th, I emailed them my concerns on November 30th to which they replied on November 30th, please leave this email with us for a day to allow us to review it and we will get back to you with a resolution. As I hadn't heard back I sent a follow up email on December 11th that has never been acknowledged.The room that was supplied was not adequate for the number of people in our party. On your information sheet you indicate that there is dancing available. Where did you expect us to dance? We were packed in there like sardines. In reality I wish you had of refused our booking. Both rooms were uncomfortably cold. Our staff gets together once per year for a celebration and many of us like to dress up. I was unable to remove my heavy wool jacket the entire night, and my feet didn't warm up until the next day. When booking I specifically asked that no shots or doubles be poured. Looking over the bill I can clearly see there were many shots. It also appears to me that the Martinis and special cocktails were also a 2 oz pour. If the oz was adjust, it looks to me like the price wasn't adjusted. Cocktail HOUR was set for 5:30. We arrived at the restaurant shortly after 5:30 and your staff was not ready for us. We expected that you would have been ready to receive us and that appetizers would start flowing shortly after our arrival. As per your information sheet, it indicates that appetizers would be passed and their would also be stations around the floor. There were no appetizer stations that I could see anywhere in the restaurant. Personally I had to chase down a server to get an appetizer. Also when the appetizers were being served there was no side plates on the tables. If cocktail HOUR was at 5:30, I would have expected dinner to be served between 6:30 and 7:00. Dinner was not presented until 8:30. This was way to big of a gap for people to go with little food. Dinner was a complete disappointment, there were people in our party who didn't even get any dinner at all. I also do not think what you represent on your information sheet even comes close to what we received. Looking at your online take out menu, if I was to buy your most expensive appetizer at $22.00, your most expensive main at $42.00 and a dessert for $8.00 the total bill per person would have been $72.00, much less than the $150.00 per person you have charged us. The veggies on the buffet were cold (and I was one of the first ones in line) plus the yams in the tray were not even cooked, the first tray of scalloped potatoes were okay but the second tray was like soup and extremely salty, there wasn't even a chicken leg per person and this dish did not get refreshed, the short rib was okay. Some of the gentlemen in our party wished to go up for seconds but that wasn't an option for them. In total there was four chaffing dishes on the buffet for 42 people and only the potato and short rib dishes were replenished. In the fifteen years that I have been organizing our staff Christmas dinner, my boss has never questioned the cost, with this event he did question why we paid what we did for what we received. Although your staff were friendly, they clearly were overwhelmed with our group. Service was disorganized and extremely slow.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Consistently one of Port Alberni’s absolute best dining experiences! The service is friendly and professional (and goes out of their way to accommodate dietary limitations), the ambience feels both cozy and classy, the food is a perfect balance of classic and creative and everything we have tasted has been exceptional. Highly recommend!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Seared Scallop & Mushroom Risotto, Mushroom Calamari, Chicken Cordon Brie, Braised Short Rib &Handmade Gnocchi, Baked Brie, Cheese Plate and Arenchini
We had our Xmas party. The good and service was great. Enjoyed by all of us definitely recommend for a larger group.
Great food, great drinks, great service. One of our favourite spots! Perfect spot for date night or a night out with friends. Can’t wait to go back!
I love the arancini and the baked brie. I have these every time I visit. The chocolate mousse is absolutely amazing and staff are very kind and friendly. We visit here often and are always impressed. It's our Port Alberni favourite.
I would like to preface my review by saying that I did reach out to the owner of the restaurant to let her know how we felt about our experience. We were at the restaurant on November 25th, I emailed them my concerns on November 30th to which they replied on November 30th, please leave this email with us for a day to allow us to review it and we will get back to you with a resolution. As I hadn't heard back I sent a follow up email on December 11th that has never been acknowledged. These are the concerns that we had: 1. The room that was supplied was not adequate for the number of people in our party. On your information sheet you indicate that there is dancing available. Where did you expect us to dance? We were packed in there like sardines. In reality I wish you had of refused our booking. 2. Both rooms were uncomfortably cold. Our staff gets together once per year for a celebration and many of us like to dress up. I was unable to remove my heavy wool jacket the entire night, and my feet didn't warm up until the next day. 3. When booking I specifically asked that no shots or doubles be poured. Looking over the bill I can clearly see there were many shots. It also appears to me that the Martinis and special cocktails were also a 2 oz pour. If the oz was adjust, it looks to me like the price wasn't adjusted. 4. Cocktail HOUR was set for 5:30. We arrived at the restaurant shortly after 5:30 and your staff was not ready for us. We expected that you would have been ready to receive us and that appetizers would start flowing shortly after our arrival. As per your information sheet, it indicates that appetizers would be passed and their would also be stations around the floor. There were no appetizer stations that I could see anywhere in the restaurant. Personally I had to chase down a server to get an appetizer. Also when the appetizers were being served there was no side plates on the tables. 5. If cocktail HOUR was at 5:30, I would have expected dinner to be served between 6:30 and 7:00. Dinner was not presented until 8:30. This was way to big of a gap for people to go with little food. 6. Dinner was a complete disappointment, there were people in our party who didn't even get any dinner at all. I also do not think what you represent on your information sheet even comes close to what we received. Looking at your online take out menu, if I was to buy your most expensive appetizer at $22.00, your most expensive main at $42.00 and a dessert for $8.00 the total bill per person would have been $72.00, much less than the $150.00 per person you have charged us. The veggies on the buffet were cold (and I was one of the first ones in line) plus the yams in the tray were not even cooked, the first tray of scalloped potatoes were okay but the second tray was like soup and extremely salty, there wasn't even a chicken leg per person and this dish did not get refreshed, the short rib was okay. Some of the gentlemen in our party wished to go up for seconds but that wasn't an option for them. In total there was four chaffing dishes on the buffet for 42 people and only the potato and short rib dishes were replenished. 7. What I was able to eat that evening was: three of the Indian style appies, two of the prawn pot stickers, one slice of brie wrapped in one slice of prosciutto with a grape, one lobster ravioli and some very dried out bread. For dinner, I tried the cold veg, some scallop potatoes, and some short rib. I do not think this equates to $150.00, as a company we are okay with paying $150.00 per plate, however what you presented for us, in my opinion was no where near that. In the fifteen years that I have been organizing our staff Christmas dinner, my boss has never questioned the cost, with this event he did question why we paid what we did for what we received. 8. Although your staff were friendly, they clearly were overwhelmed with our group. Service was disorganized and extremely slow. After being in the restaurant for half an hour, we asked that you stopped the table service for drinks so that t
Casual relaxed restaurant very popular with local residents and visitors alike. The food and service is the best you'll find in Port Alberni.
Expensive ! Ceaser drinks was 14$ the ice cubes were massive and filled up my whole cup leaving no room for the drink. Won't be going back!
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 2
Service: 3
Food was incredible. I had the Lobster and Prawn Risotto and added scallops. The flavours were fantastic and I enjoyed a wine flight to add to the experience. Servers were friendly and courteous.
Love this spot as i am always impressed by the changes in the menu as i have come back each summer to visit Port Alberni. the variance in choices and the local touch to many of the wines and Beers that are available are a welcome treat.
Restaurantji Recommends
The Chef is amazing! Risotto, hand made pastas, sea food! Alway great flavours and beautifully presented! And the wine list has something for everyone
The food was amazing! The mussels were perfect. Staff lovely Finished with a tasty Old Fashioned Will return for sure
Great fine dining experience. Quiet atmosphere and a great wine selection. It was nice to finally fine a restaurant with high quality cooking and prep in Port Alberni.
We always have a wonderful time at Brie and Barrel! Absolutely obsessed with the short rib entree, as well as the baked brie plate. Mouth watering just thinking of going back!
My favourite people came to Port to take me out for a nice meal for my Birthday. The restaurant was nicely decorated and the staff was friendly. The waitress we had needs to be educated on how to take criticism towards the food though. As in a smile and “awe, so sorry” does not go over well, especially after receiving more complaints during the 8 course meal. Like, where is the manager??The two dessert dishes were not impressive either, one was served on a dirty plate, while the other was served on just a spoon. meanwhile she took the cutlery away when the spoon dessert was handed to us. So you put the spoon in your mouth after it has been rested here and there before making it to our table, yuck.It was disappointing for us all.More then $350 all done, just didn’t sit well with us. Too many issues during the meal that were not addressed, clearly because no one came to our table to try to make it better. My friend was very nice and polite while passing on how things were going. But, it clearly was in one ear, out the other when he spoke up.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 2
Service: 2