Heathman Hotel

Busy Monday night, 6:15 pm reservation, short staffed, 7:30 Yo-Yo Ma curtain looming. Justin still got us out the door on time without making it feel rushed! That's a pro. We split the calamari ($16, a fair price) and the halibut ($46, a bit steep). Both excellent. The calamari comes with shishito peppers, which is exactly how I do calamari, either that or banana peppers. The halibut was perfectly executed and the veggie side was WOW. We shared both, had water only, and landed at $74 including tip. NOTE: Heathman Hotel guests get a $15 dining credit, which helps. But, that comes out of the $30 "Resort fee", making that fee, while unnecessary, sting less rather than disappearing entirely. The renovation, though! The cozy integrated spaces with books woven into the dining room are gone. It's also louder now, the kind of loud that makes conversation a little more difficult than before. A open plan with modern restaurant noise levels doesn't match the hotel's 1920s dark wood sophistication. Lost a little ambiance. Four and a half stars overall. Justin and the kitchen deserve five. The renovation brings it back down to earth.