Throughout the summer, I despserately wanted to hit some happy hour spots, just because work would start soon and the weather would turn terrible. Finally, K and I decided to head to Gastown and we ended up checking out Catch 122 Cafe Bistro. They offer happy hour from Tuesdays to Saturdays from 4pm to 6pm.

We got there right at 4pm, and I guess it was sort of an odd weekday, so we were literally the only diners. Shortly, there were another couple, but it’s definitely not very busy during these odd times. The interior is rustic yet hip. I loved the wooden furniture and spacious setting.

Beer Flight Paddle (4 X 5.5 oz) ($6.50)

For drinks, I decided to go for the Beer Flight Paddle, which is a great deal to try all their local craft beer on tap. It’s around $3 off the regular menu. Starting from the left, we have the Russell Eastern Promises Pilsner (5%). This was a Czech-style pilsner one of my favourites. I liked how it was light and crispy and had a touch of honey flavour. Next, was the Russell Blood Alley Bitter (5.5%), which was my least favourite. I didn’t like it mostly because I found it too bitter and dry. It did have a hint of grapefruit flavour though. Continuing to our right was the Driftwood Farmhand Belgian Ale (5.5%). This one is brewed in Victoria and is supposed to be Belgian in flavour. It was okay, but I found it to be on the bitter side. Last but not least, on the very right was the Driftwood Fat Tug IPA (7%). This was an Indian Pale Ale, and I liked how it was a fruity beer. It had notes of grapefruit, mango, melon, and passionfruit.

Salmon Tartare, 63º Quail Egg, Gaufrette Potato ‘Chips’ ($4)

For snacks, we started off with the Salmon Tartare. The food items are not discounted, so they are the same price as the dinner menu. However, they don’t offer the dinner menu during happy hour time.The salmon tartare came with a quail egg, which I mixed together. The tartare was flavoured well and the dill definitely brought lots of flavour to your palette. It came with potato chips so you could scoop the tartare. The plate is definitely very small, but very well done.

Mushroom Pâté, Olive, Hazelnut, Poppyseed Lavash ($3.50)

The second appetizer we got was the Mushroom Pâté, which was visually appealing. It looked like a little plant! The pâté was seasoned with olives, hazelnuts, and pepper. It was then topped with little mushrooms. Super cute! Around the pâté, there was a poppyseed lavash ring. The flatbread was crispy and great to scoop the pâté.

Based on just the happy hour menu, Catch 122 has good quality food. I can’t comment too much since I didn’t try most of their menu. However, I liked the atmosphere and I appreciate the fact that they put thought into their dishes, so it’s a bit more unique. Service wasn’t extraordinary, but it was available. I’d definitely return to try the rest of their menu. I hear their breakfast/brunch menu is quite good!