In Review: Fanny Bay Oyster Bar

You may arrive at Fanny Bay’s buzzy Crosstown location with the intention of grabbing some oysters to go from the fresh market bins, but if it’s happy hour, you’d best take a seat. Because here, the phrase “buck-a-shuck” is treated with reverence and the selection is impressive: plump Royal Miyagi and buttery Kusshi are served up by the platterful. (Photo: John Sherlocke.)If you grab a spot at the bar to watch the high-speed shucking in action (you might even luck out and get a spare Kumamoto thrown your way), it won’t matter that you can’t really hear your dinner date over the cranked Motown jams and chattering of a packed house. You’ll find the usual seafood-house suspects on the menu—fish and chips, fried oysters, calamari—but Fanny Bay is at its best when it skews toward the simple: a classic prawn cocktail with house-made sauce beats out the overly bready crab cake, and the platter of smoked fresh-catch fish and pickled vegetables outshines the acidic seafood chowder.The cocktail menu is an inventive one (the Black Pearl utilizes charcoal soda water), but again, your best bet is to keep it simple. A cold Fanny Bay Oyster Stout or two is all you need to keep your night out at the bar going strong.Fanny Bay Oyster Bar 762 Cambie St., Vancouver778-379-9510fannybayoysters.com