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Established in 1979, Le Gavroche is set in a gently refurbished two-storey Victorian house with a fireplace, an upstairs terrace and a sweeping view of Vancouver's Coast Mountains and breathtaking harbour.
With a private dining room on the main floor Le Gavroche can accommodate private parties or business groups with fine European flair.
Avant Garde twists to classic French cuisine combined with sensuous simplistic sauces, the lightest natural stocks and uncommon aromatic herbs provide a dining experience like none other.
This was the second time I've come here for lunch and the second time I was disappointed. My boss was treating myself and another co-worker who was leaving us for a special lunch. The place was totally empty at 12:30 on a Monday except for one other table. At least the musty stinky carpet smell wasn't there.
I ordered the green salad and it was good and then had the Seafood Risotto. The 2 shrimp in it tasted as if they were going off and the mussels didn't taste much better. The scallop was fine and the salmon was ok but the actual risotto was a congealed mass of overcooked rice. It was not creamy at all and was a big lump instead. I would never order this again.
My co-workers said their meals were just ok, no one was impressed, and for the prices they charge, that just doesn't do. I truly would have enjoyed a hamburger and fries more or even a sandwich and bowl of soup. I won't be returning. The best part of lunch was that we got parking right outside the restaurant!
Le Gavroche used to be one of our hang outs but we have not been there for years. Unfortunately the experience was very mediocre at best and certainly poor value. The decor was old and faded. Seats uncomfortable. Tables too close. Its obvious they have not reinvested over the years. The food was also uneven. French onion soup was pretty good, but pasta dish was terrible. Cheese plate of raw milk cheese was very good. Waiter smelled of garlic and service was like you would find at White Spot, with the waiter reaching over the table to retrieve things. Our first bottle of wine had turned (all three of us agreed) but the wine list was packed with mostly french wines which I don't know. Anyhow, I am not returning.
The first time my hubby and I came here we had just started dating, so on our first anniversary, we came here to celebrate. I recall the service being top notch, food divine and the yummiest Red wine we'd ever had. It was a romantic evening to remember. Fast forward about 10 years - came for my MIL's birthday and the place just didn't feel the same. It was intimate, but gone was that initial quaint & romantic feel. The food was alright...I made the mistake of ordering their special Cassoulet - which a literally a bean stew. I don't normally like beans, but I figured a fine french dining establishment like Le Gavroche would deliver. It did not. I should have stuck with the lamb shank. =( I hope to come again in the new year - this time I'll remember to just make reservations for 2! =)
Decided to try the prix fixe menu, ordering the Salad Alberni (basically a green salad with crumbled bacon, shaved guyere and a light vinegrette), the Sole Colbert (breaded and seared sole served with greens on a bed of risotto), and finished with a lemon tiramisu.
The salad was decent, the sole was excellent, and the tiramisu was good (even though it didnt taste especially lemon-y).
The service was a bit slow, and confused (they admitted that there were several trainee servers working that night).
Room was nice, warm but a little dark (I suspect intentionally so), and surprisingly boisterous for nice french restaurant.
We have just returned from one of the most disappointing dining experiences I have had in many years. Being an aficionado of French cuisine, and having heard good things about Le Gavroche, I was looking forward to eating here and arrived hungry. From the moment we entered the restaurant, I could not have been more disappointed.
The first thing that we were aware of on arrival was the smell. The moment we walked through the door, we were assaulted by an overpowering air freshener which stuck in the back of the throat. On entering the dining room, the reason for the air freshener became clear; the room was musty smelling, and in need of a fresh coat of paint, or at least an occasional opening of a window. We were sat at a table with a significant wobble, and when we asked if we could change tables were told that we would have to stay where we were (even though other tables were available) and the waiter returned some minutes later with a wedge for the table leg.
We ordered from the 'Creations' menu, which looked appetizing, with West-coast interpretations of traditional French cuisine. The food that we were served unfortunately bore little resemblance to the published menu. We ordered the wine pairings for each course, and had scallops and the liver pate to start. The scallops were bland, rubbery and tasteless, they were clearly overcooked and served with a red wine which, though tasty, was a poor compliment to the shellfish. The duck liver pate was pungent and stale tasting. It was intensely flavored, but not pleasantly so, and neither of us managed to eat more than a third of what was offered. It was paired with a white wine which the server identified as Reisling, but which was actually a Sauvignon Blanc and which was completely overpowered by the old pate and store-bought pickled onions.
This was followed by a salad course which was mediocre at best. It was topped with a crumbled substance we could not identify; when we asked the server he was unable to tell us what it was and had to ask the kitchen. We were surprised to find that it was shaved egg. Even knowing this, I would have been hard pressed to confirm if this was in fact the case. Again, we struggled to eat it, and left most of the flavorless, soggy salad course on our plates. At this point, we strongly considered leaving, but were hopeful the main courses would be better. Sadly, things did not improve.
For the main course, we had ordered lobster thermidor and rack of lamb. The lobster was advertised as 1 1/2 lbs, which when it arrived was perhaps a third of this. The lobster meat was predominantly claw meat and couldn't be tasted over the mushrooms, which were the larger part of the meal. I had ordered the rack of lamb medium rare, and it arrived raw. The lamb was mainly fat and gristle and, with the addition of it being uncooked, made it completely inedible. Rare lamb is a favorite of mine, but I actually had to send this back. I cannot remember the last time I have felt I had no choice but to do this. The same plate was returned ten minutes later with lamb that was now heavily browned. The accompaniment was a sliver of pickled beetroot, four green beans (that had clearly been frozen) and two gnocchi which had been advertised as 'mint gnocchi' but had no trace of flavor whatsoever. These were gluey and evidently not made on site. The phyllo shell the vegetables were encased in was so hard it refused to break when struck with the side of a fork.
We had both ordered chocolate cake for desert, and were hopeful that this at least might be edible. Neither of us could swallow more than one bite. It was glutinous,dense and flavorless and was topped with a chocolate sauce that was grey and watery.
The final insult was that the total for the above meal, most of which we couldn't eat, came in at in excess of two hundred dollars.
If you want a good French meal in Vancouver, there are any number of places where you can expect to receive a decent meal that is prepared with fresh ingredients. Unfortunately, based on our experience this evening, Le Gavroche is not one of them.
I've been a local Vancouverite for over 20 years and have had the opportunity to dine at some of Vancouver's most beloved restaurants. I've heard a number of high compliments paid to Le Gavroche over the past few years, and I am sincerely puzzled at how that matches up to the VERY poor experience we had tonight.
After looking for the perfect French restaurant for a special occasion happening two months down the road, I finally settled on Le Gavroche after anticipating visiting this restaurant set in an antique Victorian house. I was considering dining at other well-known French restaurants around the city but wanted to give this quaint establishment a try - it was a severe mistake that I will never repeat again.
The food, on the whole, was decent. Our table had French Onion Soup, Escargots, Seared Tuna Salad, Rack of Lamb, Beef Bourguignon, Cannelloni, Fresh Lobster (all appies/main course dishes were decent), and Hot Chocolate Cake for dessert (one of which was served squashed up and broken). While the food was decent in taste, the service was so poor that it sadly didn't matter how the food tasted.
Our waitress knew absolutely nothing about the menu. When we asked her about a few items, she went back to the kitchen no less than three (3) times to "see what they had." As I was planning this special occasion dinner for a couple of months, I was thrilled when I saw that Groupon offered a deal. I bought it and phoned the restaurant ahead of time to confirm the "small print" and confirmed that the Groupon could only be used on A La Carte items, and not the Chef's Menu. Not a problem, or so I thought.
When I attempted to use the Groupon for my personal meal (totaling over $50 - the value of the Groupon), the waitress informed us that this was not possible in a very rude manner. While the other diners at my table ordered off the Chef's Menu, I acknowledged that $50 had to be spent A La Carte - which was what I was doing. However, the waitress insisted that the Groupon had to be split between two people; essentially requiring us to order more expensive items than necessary.
Being an avid user of dinehere.ca, I went on to read all the reviews before making reservations at the restaurant. I read over the unfavourable reviews but said to myself, "how bad can it really be?" The food was renown -- in 2001 -- but I realized too late that a lot can change in a decade. I am sorry to say that I did not heed the warnings of past reviewers which is why I'm here writing my own.
If you're looking for a wonderful French Restaurant in Vancouver, Le Gavroche is not the place to go. Special occasions with family and friends are rare and important -- do not spoil your evening here as the rude service will undoubtedly leave you with regret.
We went here 3-4 years ago for our anniversary. I thought this would be a neat place to go since we're going to dine in a " Victorian house". Since it's been in business for such a long time, I expected decent decor, service and food. But I was wrong. The place didn't look very appetizing and it was kind of old for comfort. It didn't have this fine dining feel. The chairs were uncomfortable and the tables looked cheap. For the price we're paying, I was a little disappointed. Well, I haven't been here for awhile so it might be different now.
The service was ok not astounding. What upset me the most was our server didn't tell us about today's special and he told the people next to us! I felt very discriminated! We're not rich but we are middle class people. We were dressed up and very polite. I don't think they should judge and decide which table you should or shouldn't announce the specials. We were eating our meal when I heard the server talking about it and I almost got mad cuz I actually wanted to try their special! Anyways, I don't recall what I ordered but it was not worth to mention. All I remember is their poor service and I'm never going back again.
We had not been to Le Gavroche for years. Hubby wanted to try it again.
Ambiance - We were given our choice of a seat by the fireplace or by the window. We chose window. Very romantic.
We opted for the 3 course dining option with wine. This was $75.00. Food was exquisite. They are on entertainment.
Appetizers. Escargots for my husband - very good. Crab and grapefruit for myself - this was wonderful - large amount of crabmeat. A sorbet was presented to cleanse the palate.
Main course. Rib eye for hubby- tender and tasty. Potato-crusted sablefish for myself - wow, nice and moist, great flavour.
Desserts - Grand Marnier souffle - perfect.
The only minor quibble I have is that the wine while complimenting the meal very well was a very meagre serving. Basically we were just given half a glass of each wine.
Shelley our server was just terrific. She was very knowledgeable and efficient.
My partner and I had reservations for Thanksgiving night. I heard about this place through "Groupon". I purchased at $50 GC for $25 and was excited to try the restaurant out. Anticipating a busy night, we were surprised to arrive to only 2 other couples in the dining room. We were promtply seated and ordered our drinks from the large wine list. Not being a meat eater regularly, I decided to go for the lamb shank and my partner had the rack of lamb. Dishes arrived in due time. The portions were impressive! The flavours were great and the lamb was cooked perfectly - for both of us. The way we judge a great dinner is the conversation that we have during. There was very little conversation between myself and my partner, deeming this an impressive meal! We will definitely be back - for a very special occasion. It was about $100 for the two of us (having a few drinks and before the Groupon discount). Overall, a charming dinner. It was a bit wierd at times with so few people in the room, we felt like we were having dinner with all of them and that we were sharing conversation, but no biggie. I would've liked to have duck (it is a french restaurant) but was sad to see it not offered on the menu.
Having been compelled by the quaint look of the exterior and the desire for a fabulous French meal for years, a fellow foodie and I decided to treat ourselves to a night of luxury. I often do check DineHere before going to a new restaurant... but this is Le Gavroche - why would one need to check it? Seeing the other reviews here, I wish we had...
We made a reservation on-line. And when we arrived there were two couples downstairs just standing at the door with their coats on. It was confusing as to what we were supposed to do. We waited for 10 minutes before deciding to take matters into our own hands and hang up our coats and go upstairs.
Most restaurants smell of food - this one elected to smell like an air-freshener. Why? Does the food smell that bad?
To sum it up...the seafood was over-cooked and rubbery. The crème brulée was granular. And the service was abysmal...
Not going back.
Quite a disappointing experience from a place we wanted to try out for quite some time now.
The house where the restaurant is obviously older, and has a musty smell. Also the location for the restaurant is in a quite odd place, with a view of parking lot and a dirty street lamp with bright LED bulbs. Not pleasant to look at when dark outside.
The interior is a need for some renovations and the table layout is not the best.
Most of items were blend/average - my partner enjoyed his meal more so maybe my Dine Out choices were just not as good as the rest of the menu.
The service was lighting fast - so fast that you could hardly get a word to the waitress before she would run off.
Nothing I ate was really reminiscent of french food and we will most likely not go back.
The service was horrible. The whole place smelled, and some of the staff did as well. The food was just mediocre, very tasteless, served without introduction (which is always nice) and they set quite the cutlery for you but they themselves don't use the right utensils to cut meat or serve it!
The place itself was nice inside but they should really get some good management there
Last words? Definitely first and last visit
There is only a small number of tables so reservations are neccessary here. The Decor is nice and what you would expect from an expensive place. A romantic place to take a date. Probably not the best place for a large party.
The food here is fantastic and the service is great too. Almost every dish on the menu is prepared in two ways and when you order something you receive it prepared in both ways.
The dessert was reaaally good, and although it took a while to come out, the wait was more than worthwhile!
i was very excited to eat at this restaurant; i've planned it for over 2 months. it marks the end of my steak tartare experience in vancouver. i knew the food wasn't going to be something i enjoy; i don't particularly like foods that i cannot pronounce. the food was good and we got a lot of lobster considering the price of seafood at western restaurants.
the service was absolutely terrible. first, they brought us the complimentary baguette with a plate of butter -- garnished by a dead fly! took us over 10 minutes to get this exchanged since nobody was paying attention to us. the waiter exchanged the plate of butter without an apology or even a word. then, he started making our beef tartare and disappeared for 10 minutes to serve another table some sorbet. after we finished the tartare, we looked around and realized the waiter forgot to give us the toast and sauce for the tartare.
then our sorbet arrived...half the quantity of what everybody else got and very melted....
entree took another 45 minutes to arrive....pretty cold in temperature, i might add. but they were very generous on the amount of seafood they gave.
then, we waited...and waited.......and waited for our waiter to come by with our bill.
needless to say, i feel the 12% tip i gave (of my customary 18%) should have been halved....just like the amount of sorbet we got.
i'm never eating at this restaurant again. instead, i'll joke about coming here again. for the prices, i'd rather eat at The William Tell.
Yesterday, a friend and I went to try out the annual 3-course
lobster menu for 35$. I heard many great things about this little
restaurant, so we decided to try it out. Boy, were the recommendations
right on target. When we got the restuarant, it was small, but very packed.
It was already 9:30 pm too!
When we were seated, they took a little while to get our orders, but
the food came fairly fast. Both my friend and I had the lobster consomme
for an appetizer and it was delicious! The consomme had great depth and the angel hair pasta that game with it gave the appy a great texture. Afterwards,
we got a lime and white wine sorbet as a palette cleanser for our entree.
We both got the Lobster Thermidor and I can honestly say that it was the best lobster I've ever had! There was a huge portion too! If you ever go there
while the lobsterfest is going on, I definitely recommend the Lobster
Thermidor! Everything on the plate was delicious, but the rice was a little dry.
For dessert, I got the creme brulee and my friend got the daily chef's special, pecan pie. By that time we were so stuffed, we could barely eat our desserts.
The desserts were just like any other restaurants, but they were dilicious nonetheless. We left with our tummies full and happy, we will definitely be going back again.
This place is also has daily chef's menus for 35$ and special menus for 35$ on thursdays and sundays too!
My Wife and I went back to Le Gavroche for our Anniversary dinner last night and was once again reminded as to how a restaurant should be run. From the time we walked in until we left we felt like longtime customers who ate there every week, not a couple of tourists up for a few days, the staff was warm and attentive, never far away to top up your glass or clear your last course and always courteous. The Ambiance here is so nice, one reviewer called it Country French and I think that is spot on, The house is warm and inviting with intimate tables positioned so that even though sometimes close you are not being bothered by your neighbors. The wine selection here is arguably the best in Vancouver with a wide ranging selection including a 1924 Rothschild for $8500.00! While we are never going to be in the market for something like that, we do enjoy nice reds and Manny excels in finding some outstanding values in wines from Portugal. We had a Van Zeller Douro for $70.00 that came highly recommended and it was just what we were looking for. We have dined here three times now and every time we tell Manny what price range and he always has something perfect for your range and never oversells you, This man knows his wine and could easily sell you up like less scrupulous wine stewards always try, but he cares for his customers too much and genuinely wants you to come back so he sells you what you are looking for.
On to the food, for Appetizers I had the superlative Steak Tartar, If you have a yen for raw meat, this is your dish, prepared tableside, it is as good as it gets, the meat was very tender save a few small pieces of connective tissue that got by. This is not meat run through a grinder, it is hand chopped and anyone who has broken down a piece of meat knows how difficult it is to get out all of the connective tissue, That is why inferior places run it through a processor or grinder. That said, the flavor of seasonings and of the meat is perfect, They ask you how spicy you want it and prepare it accordingly while you watch, and in my case drool. I had the table prepared Caesar salad while my Wife had a Belgian Endive, Stilton and candied pecan. I am a Caesar fan from way back and just love this one, once again they ask you how much garlic or anchovy you like and in my case, I like bold flavor so a whole clove of garlic and a whole filet go in and it was perfect, the Romaine was sweet and crisp and the dressing was by far the best I have had in a restaurant . The endive salad was also superb, The slightly bitter endive was offset with a sweetish dressing and the contrast of flavors with the Stilton, dried apple and candied pecan was incredible, you could have just that and be very, very happy. For our main course I chose the smoked duck breast and Five spice confit which was so good, the duck breast was cooked perfectly and the confit melted in your mouth, it was served with a plum jus , a sweet and sour cabbage and a stuffing like fried cake that was just incredible, especially paired up with the duck. My Wife went for the Tenderloin with the Crab topping and it was melt in your mouth tender and so very tasty. All of our dishes were plated beautifully and the portions are very generous compared to other French places I have been. We finished ourselves off with the Chocolate Souffle' , it came out perfectly and we savored every bite of it just like the rest of the meal.
I have eaten at several high priced Celebrity chefs restaurants and Le Gavroche's service, quality and value have equaled and surpassed every one. You will never find one of the celebrity's making your Steak Tartare, Caesar or Crepe's Suzette at your table and they will always try to sell you up on wine. For our money Le Gavroche will always be our top destination for French in Vancouver.
Went here with my group of 6 for a birthday. It's been about a year since I've eaten here, and I love what they have done with the menu. The 3 or 4 course dinners with wine pairings are an excellent choice - and value - for trying an assortment of foods and wines.
Food was outstanding, as usual. We had an assortment of lobster, salmon, tuna, and steak appies and entrees, and all were tasty and well-prepared. Dessert was served with an 87 year old port that was out of this world.
Service was pretty good. Our server has worked there for a long time so I recognized her from past visits, and normally she is great. I think they had some timing problems in the kitchen, because one of us didn't get our appetizer until the rest of us were finished eating. A restaurant of this caliber needs to do better.
Ambiance is French country, and the restaurant is beautiful. I love being able to peer into the wine cellar on the bottom floor.
Will return (again) for a special occasion.
I visit this spot every 5 years or so and have for over the last 20. I have never been disappointed. Reading some recent reviews, I hesitated to return but did so last night for an anniversary with my wife & daughter.
Reservations were for 7PM and we were seated as requested at the window. We were the only party in the restaurant but it was very well staffed. It did start to fill up over the next 45 minutes.
Prices have increased considerably since my last visit, topping out at $39 for The Rack of Lamb. Most mains were in the $32-35 range ,with three vegetarian offerings in the $25 area.
They still do a fair amount of tableside preparation, ie: Ceasar salad, steak tartar and crepes suzzettes. Service is extremley attentive. I drink lots of water & couldn't keep up with my glass being replenished.
The restaurant as previously noted is indeed showing its age. It seems to work though, particularly after dark when the lighting is dimmed.
The rack of lamb was pronounced excellent. My halibut tasty and our daughter's sablefish well received, although to my taste, a little underdone. The latter two came with risotto. High marks are awarded for presentation, although portions "appear" on the smallish side. With an appy and the delicious bread, we were all more than satisfied.
This restaurant has maintained its high standards and while pricey, particularily on the wine side, is well woth a visit for that special night out.
Haven't been here for a good 2 years so had to try it out when I saw the ad for their 30th anniversary.
Called some friends out and we headed there but did not do the special menu (it looked pretty good) but chose their regular prixe fix option and added the wine flight to it.
All the entrees ( rack of lamb, duck breast, fish) were very tasty and a generous portions.
I was disappointed with my dessert which was a nepoleon but not the normal type I get. So stick with the crepe suzette instead, they actually flambe it near the table for you.
We were put in the wine cellar room which if you were a twosome the larger parties would have been noisy for you.
Overall a good meal.
I really wish that the owner decides to give this restaurant a little facelift & revamp. The beet salad was amazing. Flavours complimented well. Main (fish) was rather lackluster & needed a bit of life. It was rather sad as the fish lacked value. For dessert, the souffle was to die for. Remember to share as there is a min of 2 per order. The starter & dessert totally redeemed the dinning experience. The once cosy most romantic restaurant feel has gone. This little house needs some attention & some fresh paint to make it the little gem it once was
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