Cafe de Paris

A GuestLife Vancouver
Great Restaurant

You could close your eyes here, savour the aroma of cassoulet and roast chicken, hum along to the romantic French songs on the sound system, catch the vibe of fellow diners enjoying the evening and each other’s company, and you could easily imagine yourself in a bistro on the Left Bank of Paris itself. Then you open your eyes, and your senses are delighted even further. This charming 50-seat restaurant, nestled in the heart of Vancouver’s West End near the corner of Denman and Robson, is like a movie set from a Truffaut film: dark wood-paneled walls, bistro chairs pulled up to white-cloth tables, poster art and French ceramics on the mustard-yellows walls, and curtained bay windows giving a café-style view of the street.

Owner Jon-Michael Preece and acclaimed chef Scott E. Kidd serve up the most authentic French bistro fare in all of Vancouver. Highlights of the lunch menu are the country pâté, escargots from Burgundy, a sublime serving of mussels in white wine and thyme, and a croque monsieur that incorporates the finest ham and Gruyere cheese. For dinner, there’s a regular menu that offers an enticing list of French standards. There are salads like the classic frisée and lardons, or the one with Belgian endive, apples, walnuts and Roquefort. You absolutely must try the panseared veal liver, or the beef tenderloin tartare, or the duck breast with wild mushroom. For both lunch and dinner, there’s a prix-fixe three-course meal that’s excellent value for the money. Café de Paris has been catering to visitors and locals for nearly 30 years now, but “the menu is a progressive one,” says Jon-Michael. “We aren’t stuck in 1977, only offering traditional dishes.” Thus there’s a fresh sheet every night, featuring specials that highlight Pacific Northwest ingredients, and chef Kidd has added items like Japanesestyle albacore tuna to the regular menu. Not surprisingly, many of the regular patrons are tourists who make a point of reserving a table at Café de Paris whenever they visit Vancouver, and the place is also a popular after-work spot for film stars shooting in town. Everything served here is made on the premises, including the breads and desserts.

Jon-Michael has built a wine cellar that emphasizes French and B.C. wines, all at reasonable prices, many by the glass, which helps diners select something perfect for each course. Café de Paris is open seven nights a week and weekdays for lunch.

Menu Highlights

Appetizers

Pâté de Campagne
with celeriac remoulade

Moules Marinières
mussels steamed in white wine & thyme

Escargots de Bourgogne
Burgundy snails in puff pastry with parsley & garlic butter

Salade Frisée aux Lardons
frisée, poached egg, bacon, croutons & mustard vinaigrette

Salade aux Endives
Belgian endive, apples, walnuts & Roquefort dressing

Salade de Chêvre
radicchio, arugula, figs & hazelnuts with goats cheese croquette

Salade de Mâche
beets, mâche, shallots & sherry dressing

Gratinée Lyonnaise
baked French onion soup

Entrées

Foie de Veau Poêlée
pan-seared veal liver with spinach, bacon & sauce Marchand du vin

Thon Cru Façon Japonaise
seared Albacore tuna, cucumber tempura roll, sweet chile sauce & wasabi mayonnaise

Tranche de Chevreuil
venison loin with celery root purée, baby leeks & morels

Poulet Fermier Rôti
free-range chicken breast with peppercorn sauce

Les Grillades “Café de Paris”
a 6 oz. tenderloin or 8 oz. New York steak, both AAA centre-cut Alberta beef, with your choice of Roquefort-brandy cream or peppercorn sauce

Tartare de Boeuf
handchopped beef tenderloin, served raw with traditional condiments, as an appetizer or entrée

Le Cassoulet Toulousain
casserole with duck confit, pork shoulder, Toulouse sausage and white beans

Desserts

Galette de Pommes
warm apple tarte with caramel ice cream

Gateau au Chocolat Chaud
warm chocolate cake with pistachio ice cream

Crème Brûlée
caramelized vanilla custard cream

Tarte au Citron
lemon tarte

Best of the Cellar

White Wine

Blue Mountain Pinot Blanc, Okanagan Falls

Pentage Pinot Gris, Okanagan

Mission Hill Chardonnay, Okanagan

Charton et Trebuchet Bourgogne

Joseph Druhin Rully

Domaine Lafond Rose Tavel

Pierre Andre Puligny-Montrachet

Red Wines

Pentage Syrah, Okanagan

Voluptuous Merlot Naramata

Mission Hill Cabernet Sauvignon

Croix de Mayne Cahors

Chateau Palmer 1999 Margaux

Chateau Montus 2001, Madiran

Carole Bouquet 2002, St. Emilion

pictured: Thon Facon "Japonaise" – seared Albacore tuna with cripsy futomaki roll, sweet chile sauce and wasabi mayonnaise

Café de Paris
751 Denman Street,
Vancouver
For reservations call (604) 687-1418

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