A Kerrisdale fixture that lost its kitchen to a devastating fire is just weeks away from a RETURN to the same block.
Fish Cafe, the longtime fish and chips spot on W 41st Ave, is reopening at its original Kerrisdale location after being shut down by a 2024 fire.
Owner Marcus Stiller shared with Noms Magazine to confirm the return, saying at the time that he was roughly two weeks out from opening.
That puts the relaunch on track for the very start of June, with a “COMING SOON” sign and fish illustrations already up in the front window.
“I’m really excited to start to see our many many great customers, we have such wonderful outreach and good wishes from everyone,” Stiller wrote.
“It really is special to be part of this community.”
Fish Cafe ran for more than 25 years before a kitchen fire on September 29, 2024 forced it to close indefinitely.
The damage at the time was described as devastating and irreparable, with charred walls, crumbled ceilings, and the kitchen reduced to rubble.
The blaze started in the kitchen and also caused lesser damage to neighbouring Japanese spot Nakamura, though Fish Cafe took the brunt of the destruction.
In the months that followed, Kerrisdale regulars repeatedly asked online about a possible return, and Marcus’ May email finally lands a real timeline on the wait.
The new chapter will keep things familiar.
“Pretty much the same menu, simple dishes done well,” Marcus said, pointing to the fish and chips, seafood platters, calamari, and blackened or grilled fish that built up the regulars over the years.
The original fish and chips used snapper, mildly flavoured with a hint of sweetness that held up well to the deep-fry, and that house style is the baseline the relaunch is being built around.
The relaunch will also bring a few summer-leaning additions to the board.
Marcus said the new lineup will include ceviche, fresh oysters now and then, some great salads for the summer, and a more interesting cocktail list.
Fish Cafe’s return will be joining the list of upcoming food spots in Vancouver like Loreto, Trees Coffee Joyce, and Oakberry Kerrisdale.
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Address: 2053 W 41st Ave, Vancouver, BC