The Smoking Dog Bistro

A GuestLife Vancouver
Great Restaurant

The Smoking Dog is named for a famous century-old Parisian bar, and its setting on a busy Kitsilano corner is reminiscent of a European street café. It has long been known for its French cuisine, but when owners Jean Séguin and Judith Andrews took over last year they wanted to give it their own touch. With the intention of appealing to the locals, they lowered the prices, lightened the fare and warmed up the decor. Now it has the friendly welcoming atmosphere of a neighbourhood bistro.

While the menu has added Mediterranean flavours, The Smoking Dog Bistro doesn’t forget its roots. “We think it’s one of the best bistros in the province,” raved a critic in Vancouver magazine, “because it stubbornly exerts a menu of Gallic classics.” Those include seasonal salad Niçoise, French onion soup, or escargots de Bourgogne. A new small plates selection includes pan-seared lamb chops and Mediterranean flatbread. They’ve kept the signature pepper steak frites, a longstanding city favourite. The wine list has also been updated with New World wines from B.C., Chile and Australia.

With rustic oak flooring, yellow and red burgundy tones, chalkboard menus of daily specials and a television behind the horseshoe-shaped bar, The Smoking Dog is a casual weekday lunchtime destination just a short walk from Kits beach. The heated patio is a neighbourhood landmark, surrounded by busy pedestrian traffic. In the evening, the atmosphere warms up to become cosy and romantic, with candles on the tables and live jazz on Friday and Saturday nights.

The energetic young management and staff have kept up the old standards of impeccable service and fantastic cuisine, satisfying this institution’s loyal clientele. And it’s now attracted another generation of locals and tourists, proving that an old dog really can learn new tricks.

Menu Highlights

Small Plates

French Onion Soup
mild white onions, chicken broth, Gruyère cheese gratinée, croutons.

Mimosa salad
butter lettuce, tomato, thinly grated egg, parsley, creamy Dijon dressing.

Cypress Street Salad
gratinée of goat cheese, roasted baby beets, mixed escarole and spinach salad.

Pan-Seared Lamb Chops
New Zealand lamb, poached anjou pears, fresh thyme.

Pâté Maison
house pâté, mixed greens, cornichons, black olives.

Escargots de Bourgogne
traditional escargots in the shell served in garlic butter.

Coquilles St. Jacques
B.C. scallops pan fried, béchamel sauce, Gruyère cheese gratinée.

Entrées

Niçoise Salad
seared ahi tuna, roasted bell peppers, French green beans, vine ripened tomatoes, olives, anchovies, shallots.

Salt Spring Island Mussels —
West Coast: ginger, lemon zest, garlic, white wine, fresh herbs, chilli oil;
Southeast Asian: lime juice, garlic, fresh cilantro, chili oil, coconut milk;
Provençal: grilled bell peppers, fresh tarragon, chives, white wine, served with pommes frites.

Seared Alaskan scallops

Crab and Spinach Ravioli,
sundried tomato salsa.

Salmon en Papillote
steamed wild salmon, mixed julienne vegetables topped with a ravioli.

Wild Organic Mushroom Risotto
shitake, oyster and button mushrooms, with basil and Parmigiano Reggiano.

Mixed Seafood Pasta
fresh scallops, jumbo prawns, mussels, fresh basil, garlic, white wine, olive oil.

Marinated Lamb Shank
slow braised in a red wine juniper berry marinade, served with seasonal vegetables.

Steak Frites
grilled AAA New York cut, bordelaise sauce, pommes frites.

Desserts

Lemon Tart
lemon custard in a thin pastry shell

Crème Brulée

Crème Caramel

Profiteroles
Puff Pastry Stuffed With crème pastissière, served with vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce

Tiramisú

Best of the Cellar

White Wines

Verdejo: Marques de Riscal, Spain: crisp & lively, green fruit & chalky finish

Soave Classico, Bertani, Italy: Burnt almonds, pistachio & citrus

Red Wines

Negroamaro, Mezzomondo, Italy: Full body, spicy chocolate & espresso

Tempranillo, Campo Viejo Spain: Black cherries, floral smoke & spice

pictured: Marinaded Lamb Shank, slow braised in a red wine juniper berry marinade, served with seasonal vegetables

The Smoking Dog Bistro
1889 1st Avenue West,
Vancouver
(604) 732-8811

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