Marcus Stiller was prepping for the Fish Café’s reopening when the Independent chatted with him. (photo by Lauren Kramer)
The Fish Café – a beloved Kerrisdale institution for more than two decades – was set to open this week after an almost two-year hiatus.
Last month, as preparations continued, I met owner Marcus Stiller at a Kerrisdale coffee shop to reflect on his career as a chef, a career the 65-year-old began when he enrolled in hotel school in South Africa in the early 1980s. As we chatted, other customers kept coming over to greet Stiller and find out when the Fish Café would be open again. It was clear that the restaurant’s closure – due to an electrical fire in September 2024 – had left a literal and figurative hole in the neighbourhood.
“It’s nice to know there’s still that longing for people to return to the Fish Café, and that they remember it as a comfortable, welcoming environment,” he said.
The fire destroyed the restaurant and Stiller wrestled with its future until December 2025, when he began preparing for its new iteration. Since the interior was a shell, it meant ordering a new version of everything – flooring, seating, tables, decor, equipment and all the nuts and bolts that come with operating a restaurant. The new space, which came at a price tag of about $375,000, is bright and polished, with seating for 32 and fish art on the walls. It features a revised menu, offering the grilled fish staples diners crave, along with seasonal salads, soups, starters and small plates.
Stiller moved to Vancouver in 1996 and opened the Fish Café in 2000. His inspiration was a South African restaurant chain called Ocean Basket and, originally, he intended to franchise. In the early 2000s, he was running three cafés: on 41st Avenue, 4th Avenue and Yew Street. The logistics of managing so many locations became onerous. “I’m a micromanager,” Stiller said. “I know how I like things done, and three locations was just too much for me.”
He closed two of them, keeping the flagship café in Kerrisdale. As the years ticked by, the restaurant’s popularity grew. In part, that’s because Stiller knows how to prepare great food. But it’s also his personality, and the way he makes people feel welcomed. He estimates at least 50% of his diners are Jewish.
“I do all the cooking myself and, by now, I know individual customers’ preferences – for example, who doesn’t like onions on their salad,” he said. “Back in hotel school, I knew I’d be good at this because I’m not shy about talking to people. But I never imagined what running a restaurant would be like. Today, I realize I’m in the hospitality business.”
Stiller recalls well the months after the Oct. 7, 2023, massacre in Israel. At that time, the Fish Café felt more like a community centre, a place filled with solidarity and support.
“Yids came out of the woodwork to eat at the restaurant, and I had an Israeli flag hanging in the window,” he said. “Sure, there were people opening the door and screaming abuse, but there were many more coming in to support us – Jews, non-Jews.”
In June, as he put the final touches on the interior and waited for his business licence and occupancy permit to be issued, Stiller was excited to get back into the kitchen and reestablish the Fish Café as a favourite destination, open six days a week for lunch and dinner.
“Looking back, I’m proud of what we’ve achieved here as a family, since we left South Africa,” he said. “We managed to keep our kids in independent schools, educate them through university and own a home. The whole family unit has been there to support me and provide help when it’s needed. Some immigrants get transferred to Canada by their companies, but that wasn’t my story.”
Almost ready to open the Fish Café’s doors again, Stiller said, “I’m excited to welcome customers who have become good friends, and see them enjoy my food and the refreshed environment.”
The Fish Café is located at 2053 West 41st Ave. The phone number is 604-563-3474.
Lauren Kramer, an award-winning writer and editor, lives in Richmond.