I made a visit to Cassis Bistro (map, web site, visitor reviews, 420 West Pender St. Vancouver, BC, Canada, phone: 604-605-0420) and was really impressed. Cassis Bistro is a French tapas bistro hidden away in a somewhat seedier area of downtown Vancouver on the edge of Gastown (about two blocks from the Granville Skytrain station).
Ron Brill of Martiniboys (click here to read review) writes of “…elegantly simple, modern tapas fare…alluring French flavours…” and I concur. Cassis Bistro is definitely deserving of the positive buzz it has been getting recently.
Pictured below are some of the items we ordered. First was the complimentary amuse bouche, which was olives and antipasto served with French bread. The olives and antipasto were served in an interesting narrow tray and whetted the appetite perfectly. For an appetizer, we ordered a crepe with Brie cheese (around $10), which tasted great. Looking at the photo brings back fond memories! For the main course I orderedthe Duck a l’Orange ($17.50). The menu describes this item as:
Duck and oranges: a combination popular in many countries. This dish consists of Muscovy duck braised with oranges.
Let me say, the Duck a l’Orange was fantastic (or should I say merveilleux “en Francais”). I am a huge fan of orange juice and oranges in general, and duck is always a special treat for me since I don’t cook it at home. So this was a match made in heaven.
We also ordered a side dish of some vegetables: beets and zucchini (also pictured below, around $5). This went very well with a side of bechamel sauce.
Amuse bouche (olives and antipasto) with French bread at Cassis Bistro in downtown Vancouver.
Crepe with Brie Cheese from Cassis French Bistro restaurant in Downtown Vancouver BC Canada.
Duck a l'orange (Duck and Oranges), $17.50 from Cassis Bistro, a French restaurant in downtown Vancouver BC Canada.
Side order of market fresh vegetables from Cassis Bistro in Vancouver (beets and zucchini) - around $5.00.
Cafe Crepe (map, 796 Granville St, Vancouver, BC, Canada, phone: 604-806-0834) is a restaurant that serves freshly made French style crepes, sandwiches, and Foot Long hot dogs.
The crepes are made in front of you, by smartly dressed chefs, at round grills at the restaurant’s front window. They are made sweet (try chocolate, or apple and cinnamon) or savory (pick from ham, cheese, or a bunch of other ingredients such as mushroom or spinach). Crepes (such as the ones pictured below) cost in the range of $5 to $8 depending on the ingredients. I really like the rich Emmenthal cheese and spongy crepe batter. For the Foot Long hot dog (pictured below, around $5) be sure to try their French mustard and maybe even mayo if you’re a fan.
There are two locations of Cafe Crepe very near to each other on Granville Street downtown. The smaller one (796 Granville, Cafe Crepe “express”) is located next to Future Shop just north of Granville and Robson. The larger one, further down Granville near the Commodore Ballroom (map, 874 Granville St, Vancouver, BC, Canada, phone: 604-806-084), has more sit-down tables and even a private room for parties in the back.
Sometimes they get pretty busy and there might be a bit of a wait, especially if you want to eat-in. Take out orders are usually quite fast.
The other locations of Cafe Crepe in Vancouver are:
YEW restaurant + bar (map, web site, 791 West Georgia St, Vancouver, Canada, phone 604-692-4939) is located in the Four Seasons Hotel Vancouver, one of Vancouver’s most luxurious hotels.
We enjoyed their special menu for Dine Out Vancouver 2009, which was $38 per person before tax, tip, gratuity, and drinks. The atmosphere is awesome, the service is impeccable, and the restaurant’s food is very impressive. We were a little cowed by the wine list, which had the cheapest wine by the glass at $9.00 and a half litre for $30. So we didn’t order drinks, but the food (as shown below) was fabulous.
