The Settlement Building - Vancouver

This is by far one of the best brunch spots I've been to in Vancouver.

I came here for my birthday brunch with a total of 8 people.

The Urban Winery is a large space that combined brewery as well as wine. The wine flights are interesting but the last time we tried them, the wines were not that good. Unremarkable. That said, it is worth going. Maybe we just had a bad selection on the flights that day. The food is good and very much comfort food. Lots of of it. I would say that this place is ideal for those who enjoy being around larger groups of friends.The area is in Vancouver's infamous downtown east side. For most out of town visitors, it's a place that you probably want to take a taxi to. You can walk there if you feel comfortable enough around the homeless and addicts.

Mixed feelings about this place. The food was simply outstanding for brunch—I got a French toast that was so insanely good. I tried my friend's avocado toast and it was insanely delicious, too. Also, portions were just right, not too big or too small. Great!The wine wasn't my favorite. I think that's just how wineries go sometimes, and this one just wasn't my favorite. If I were to return I'd probably just do a flight since I wasn't too impressed with my own selections. Okay.Service left a bit to be desired. We were there for brunch on a Sunday right when they opened, and the host mentioned we'd have to leave by noon because of other reservations. No problem, we had other things going on that day anyway. But even when the place only had a few tables filled, it was difficult to get our server's attention. We had to flag her down just to get water refilled a few times, and she brought the check when we'd actually asked for another round of drinks only an hour into our stay. She mentioned to someone in our group that she was massively hungover, and sure we've all been there but it was a little frustrating. They made it clear that we were only welcome for a certain amount of time, and yet getting the server's attention was challenging at times. Meh.

First time hopped off the trolley to get a glass of wine. Our server, Howie, was great. We wound up having two flights -- both were exceptional and allowed us to try many different British Columbia wines - red and whites. The building is very historic with interesting architecture that couldn't be perceived from the exterior. We went back there yesterday late afternoon for happy hour and stayed for dinner. My husband had the halibut cheeks dinner, and I had the tomato soup fondue, which doesn't begin to do justice to the amazing grilled cheese "dunkers" and rich tomato basil thick soup. There are also about a dozen of BC beers on tap (we're just not beer drinkers). Service is friendly, the food is great, and the wine is excellent. And the white and red specials for happy hour are not the cheapest in the house. For instance, the white I had for $5 is normally $14 a glass.