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Lumiere is an award winning French restaurant that combines European elegance, North American flair and Asian minimilism.
Lumiere has been on my "to do" list for ages, and I finally checked it off.
We arrived about 25 minutes early for our seating, but our table was ready and waiting, so we were seated immediately. Our server gave us the regular menus and asked what we'd like from the bar. I declined, but my dining companion ordered a dirty martini.
The regular menu consisted of the various 5-course, 7-course, and grand tasting menus, which looked extraordinary, but we specifically came for the seasonal prix fixe menu. When we asked about this, our server graciously brought us a copy of the seasonal prix fixe menu.
From this I chose a cured salmon starter, a spinach ravioli main, and the opera cake for dessert. Also asked for a the wine pairing.
While we were waiting, we were brought a sample taster of a squash trio which was delicious.
The cured salmon was silky smooth and delicate, and beautifully presented.
The spinach ravioli was perfect, well prepared, tasty, accompanied with the smokiness of pork rillons, the earthiness of the mushrooms, and the crunch of sliced almonds.
The opera cake with maple ice cream was sweet and rich and fabulous.
Our server was superb, friendly, charming, and inviting.
The room was surprisingly small and subdued, but elegant and romantic.
A fabulous experience all around.
I can't blame the hubbie for taking me here because if you believe all the hype, this is THE restaurant for the best in food, wine, and service. The truth is, I have had better experiences in several other restaurants in the city, and many times, for much less cost.
This is our 3rd trip in as many years. Each time, I walk away feeling dissatisfied. We visited the restaurant on a recent Saturday. Hubbie had the "meat" 6-course menu and I had the "seafood" 6-course. (Everyone at a table must choose either the 6-course or all must have the 10-course.)
There were few tables at this early seating. The complimentary gougeres and amuse bouche were appreciated and tasty, as were our first courses. My husbands quail with roasted pineapple and curried lentil soup was outstanding, as was my arctic char. Then things started to fall apart as the restaurant filled up.
Then I realized that my "seafood" menu consisted of fish, fish, and more fish, all tasting like they were pan roasted. First came the arctic char, then sea bream, then sablefish. The sea bream was slightly bitter, as when a fish is gutted improperly and the bile spills out. My sablefish was tastless. What happened to other sea critters like shrimp, crab or lobster? Oh, yes, they were in the "sauces". Right.
My husband's meat courses were much more enjoyable. And well seasoned!
By the end of the meal, I was relieved to leave the restaurant. The room was humid and diners packed in like sardines.
Would I recommend this restaurant? I would, but with reservations. Indeed, Lumiere is a "special occasion" restaurant serving many creations that one could not easily replicate at home. However, the proprietors must start valuing patrons more (e.g. stop trying to fit in as many tables as physically possible) and putting more care and attention in their creations as that is probably why many foodies frequent the establishment.
A friend of mine told me about this cute little place so I took my wife out for dinner. The Ambiance was nice and romantic. The Service was great and the menu offered a nice selection. We both had the Salmon and it was tastefully put together, the presentation was perfect. The Prices were good considering the quality of the food is first class.
We will be back.
Food and service are perfect everytime I dine there. I had the Citrus Cured Hamachi, Duo of AAA Prime Beef, and Hot and Cold Tiramisu Sundae. Though this is not the first time I had this menu, but I absolutely love the food. It is really sad to see it closes this week. It has been my favorite restaurant, and I go there to celebrate special occasion. The dining experience is personal and attentive. It leaves with fond memories everytime. Also, they have a little stand for ladies to place the handbags; very thoughtful. Maitre d' & Sommelier, Drew, is wonderful. He is friendly, professional, and always has a great smile!! Thanks for the great dining experience for the past few year!!
We have been to Lumiere quite a few times during the past years, but this was the first time since we've been since it's been under new management. Originally when we went, we were really blown away with the food. There was always at least one dish that had us in awe. Admittedly, especially the service deteriorated towards the end of Feenie's reign and we couldn't help thinking that Lumiere was starting to coast and take things for granted. Lumiere was still the best restaurant in Vancouver at the time, with a separate vegetarian tasting menu.
We got one 5 course taster menu and one vegetarian tasting menu. They were both priced the same, despite the vegetarian one obviously lacking some of the more expensive ingredients. The vegetarian got off to a false start: the amuse bouche was something with gelatin and the waitress had to be asked twice to confirm that it was vegetarian. After she checked in the kitchen, it turned out it wasn't vegetarian. Oops. The recovery was to quickly get some other amuse bouche. This was probably the moment that the waitress learned that gelatin is not necessarily vegetarian.
All meat courses were outstanding, but never elicited a 'wow' from me. The wine pairing with the side of foie gras was excellent. So was the wine pairing with the white truffle dish. The sommelier had excellent recommendations and a contagious enthusiasm. We drank more wine than we had planned! :)
The vegetarian courses were mostly uninspired. The beet salad was simple. Probably the part that characterized the vegetarian menu was when the third course was brought.
From the meat menu:
Celeriac and Black Trumpets
Red Cabbage, Celery, Chervil
From the vegetarian menu:
Celery Root Crusted Arctic Char
Braised Red Cabbage Purée, Celery Root, Black Trumpets
Yes, the only difference between the two is the omission of Arctic Char in the menu (Celeriac == Celery Root). When the waitress explained the dishes, she had to say that the vegetarian one was pretty much the same as the meat one, but then without the fish. We thought that was pretty embarrassing.
So, overall, I don't think we'll be going back any time soon. There are better options available in Vancouver.
Lumiere is jutt awesome. It's right there with fine dining establishments worldwide. Everything is delicately prepared and tastes just right.
We started off the evening with a nice amuse bousche consisting of a mini tuna tartare and a squash soup. Both were extremely tasty. We chose the a la carte menu, and I began with the Butternut squash ravioli. It's melt in your mouth yummy and everyone in my party agreed it was the best thing on the appetizer list. For my main course, I had the Roasted lamb chops which was very good. Meat was very tender, but not chewy and tasted great. Definitely one of the best I've ever had. For dessert, the warm chocolate fondant is to die for.
The service is pretty much what you'd expect from an "expensive restaurant"; Friendly, accomodating, and overly eager to help. The food does come out slow, but you're never left with the feeling of waiting forever.
The ambiance on the other hand did not meet my expectations. While the space was nicely decorated, it was tiny and seating is pretty cramped. You can't sit back and relax or anything. One person in my party had his head bumped five times by people walking by, and I had my foot kicked a couple of times twice by waiters.
So other than the space issue, this place blew me away. Haha it also blew my wallet away too.
If you want the best, this is it, folks! Every single meal I have had here has been memorable, and the fond memory lingers in my mind for years. The French/Asian/Pacific Northwest fusion cuisine is hard to describe, but every single dish is absolutely delicious and often surprising in its flavour, such is the ingenuity of chef Robert Feenie. For those who are health conscious, take comfort in that the dishes are never greasy, so you don't feel overly stuffed afterwards, even after an 8-course meal. It is expensive, but you get what you pay for.
Like many people I was intrigued to try Rob Feenie's food. Since he's a famous chef and people rave about his restaurant, it must have something to it. I believe people are over-awed by the celebrity since the meal I had at Lumiere was an absolute disappointment. Do not believe the hype, avoid this restaurant in favor of other high-end places around town.
The "Amuse Bouche" served was a rubbery, overripe oyster. Seafood should smell like the ocean, and not have the overpowering fishy smell and taste that this had!
Tthe sprigs of herb in the second dish were incredibly hard and sharp in my mouth. I had to spend several minutes removing them from the dish, else the dish was a painful experience.
The foie gras was not very enjoyable. I question the choice to serve rich foie gras with an equally rich bread. I would have preferred some drier type of bread to counterbalance the foie gras. Having a fatty oily bread to serve the foie gras was not pleasant to me, I found myself unable to finish the dish.
Speaking of breads, with our meal we were served a selection of breads, mostly COLD bread from Terra Breads from Granville Island. Terra does make good breads, but I would never serve it cold to my guests. To be fair, Lumiere did offer 1 selection of their own bread - a warm circular bun, which was decent.
The main meal was a raw-beef tartare dish. Had very little flavor at all. Tartares usually come with some flavor infused in the preparation, or (as you would expect in a French restaurant like this) a superb sauce. This had neither.
The cold ginger melon soup was lovely, I enjoyed it. But only 1 course out of 5 was a success. Hardly a "world class" restaurant experience.
Lumiere is overpriced, and the menu selection is extremely limited. If I am to be provided with a Prix Fixe meal, I expect the flavours to be harmonious and not the discordant trash I was served at Lumiere.
My first experience at Lumiere was very good: the reputation was well deserved and I was looking forward to my second time. Sadly Lumiere came up short.
The Foie Gras terrine on the A la Carte was in fact a mousse of foie gras AND chicken liver! This is a total rip-off. Could you imagine offering a glass of Chateau Lafite just to be served in the end a mix of Mouton Cadet with a drop of the great wine?
Talking about wine list, propping up Canada's icewines by only offering unknown low rated Chateau Roumieu Sauternes is pathetic!- it's a Barsac by the way, adjescent to Climens-
Then the main course -a la carte- was a half lobster. Sure it tasted good but the beast was the size of a tiger prawn. When proper sized Lobsters could be purchased fresh for $21, it surely made this half expensive.
Dessert was impeccable.
Service was impeccable.
I was still hungry. My partner enjoyed a fine meal -deer- and was fine.
Coats were cramped in an undersized closet.
I learned later than Feenie was golfing in California...
I emailed the restaurant and to this date awaits any acknowledgement of this correspondence. That is unacceptable for a restaurant of Lumiere's reputation, a Relais et Chateaux! As for Feenie: no it's not all about marketing, Sir.
Therefore I shall not return to Lumiere: I'd rather drive up to Whistler and treat myself with the Bearfoot Bistro's Melissa Craig cuisine. It is as expensive but it is the real thing.
Last night I dined at Lumiere. I'd been looking forward to going there for quite awhile & was excited to try it. I was extremely disappointed on all counts: food & service were below average. Our waiter forgot our order & had to ask 3 times what it was. We waited an hour & 40 min to get our appetizers. We ordered wine & the waiter forgot that too, after asking us to repeat the order twice. We finally received our wine halfway through our main course with no apology or explanation. The cocktails were just bad. We ordered the Hot Toad & Fedora. Both were murky & an odd orange-brown colour. Chambar has a fantastic & innovative cocktail list & I expected Lumiere to top it. We didn't even finish our over-priced drinks! The food was just so-so. I had tuna sashimi. Fine, but no better than the sashimi I get at my local sushi joint. Next was the trout. Bland, bland, bland. There were no herbs, no sauce, no spices, no flavour. The dessert was the worst of the 3 courses. The crust of the chocolate tart tasted like sand, the filling was salty caramel with chocolate goo on top. If I was blind-folded & someone put it in my mouth, I wouldn't be able to tell you what it was since all I could taste was sand & salt. I didn't know it was possible to take the flavour out of chocolate or ruin alcohol, but they did both at Lumiere. My husband had beef carpaccio & lamb shoulder. The lamb was extremely salty & was cold when it hit the table. He had chocolate fondant for dessert. It tasted like a microwaved 2-bite brownie. What a complete & utter disappointment. I was stunned that Lumiere didn't live up to its reputation. I've heard comments several times from friends & co-workers that have dined there that it's starting to slip, and I agree. Next time I want to blow $300 on a meal, I will go to Cin Cin's or Le Crocodile. Reliable, brilliant service & unpretentious. P.S. if you go to Feenie's, don't get the salmon with lemon risotto - it tastes like Lemon Pledge!
The food was different. Not very French. It's a new feeling trying their food. My husband and I tried the Signature Menu. The Main Courses were okay (The BBQ Duck Broth could be easily duplicated by stewing fried pork skin and shallots with soysauce, sugar, salt, and five spice powder). However, the desserts were brilliant. Especially the Springtime Fruit Salad. It refreshed my mouth with slight minty flavor after all those dishes. The only dish not worth trying was the cheese plateau - it's something you could buy in the supermarket and just try it at home. In terms of atmosphere, the space between each table was too close, the conversation between each other was easily distracted. Interior decoration was moderate. Overall, the food was worth tryiing, but I would only go back for the desserts.
I think the biggest challenge Lumiere has for it is the expectation everyone has of it. It is very expensive, it's chef owner, is definitely the most famous chef in western Canada.
I tried to keep my expectations in check, but obviously there will be some. I love the feel of the room, small, elegant, sexy.
It may not be very romantic, we were there as a couple, and we found ourselves constantly in conversation with the table next to us, as we were so close together it felt like we were sitting at the same table.
The food is very good in quality, but lacking in seasoning, and contrasts. We did the Chef's 12 course menu, and many of the courses were quite bland, missing that something. I think we sprinkled extra salt on every course, other than the sweet ones that is.
And I find desserts at fine dining restaurants seem to always be disappointing.
All and all a great experience.
When I went to the tasting bar, for the first time without Rob Feenie, I had no idea that the place would become a Cactus Club. The service was noncommital, to say the very least, and sloppy by any standard, yet alone a place that professes to be one of the city's best. The various dishes were pleasant, not always hot, and generally lacklustre. I will not be hurrying back.
Enjoyed the 8 meal tasting menu with wine pairing. Service excellent, 2 out of 8 tastings incredible and the rest very good, the wine pairing excellent, the service excellent, the attention to detail its all there, we were expecting an a la carte menu, having only the choice of 3 tasting menus we decided to go all out since we were here. Would love to it again but I'm embarrased to say how much it cost for 2 and we would never pay that again. We were told that the a la carte is on the bar side, we may try that if we go back or try feenies.
That was our first vesit to the new Lumiere.
We dined at the old Lumiere several times and where always very impressed: The atmosphere, service and mainly an awsome food: With each bite you know that the chef was really doing everything so you' feel special.
Now we decided to try the new place to celebrate our anniversary.
Ambience: I didn't like the new design: Darker, less intimate than the old place.
Service: Why did we have to ask for break 3 times? And after getting it still ask for butter twice??
Menu: 3 options: 6 course tasting menu for $135, 9 courses for $185 or fix prix (3 courses) for $98. But apparently a specific combination of the fix prix is only $55. Strange.
Food: Thais is where the true issue is. When you go to a place with that reputation and with those prices you must come with certain expectations: It must be special, it must be tasety and for sure you'll start with some freshly baked bread.
So we where wrong: When we finally received the bread, it was from Terra Bread (why don't they bake it in house like expected?) and it was dry (morning bread??).
None of the courses was outstanding. We started with prawns and pork belly and mussels. It's not that they was terrible but not a bit exciting.
We continued with Duck (my wife) and the beef dish. The beef was really disappointing.
Dsserts were ok.
One more thing: I ordered vodka martini with olives. Why the hell did they serve it with unpitted olives? I almost broke a tooth:)
I don't see a reason to return.
Dined at Lumiere on a thursday night, took advantage of its 3 course prix fix menu at promotional price $58, it was awesome, likely the best meal i have in vancouver!
from reception to getting seated to walking out of the restaurant, the place really impressed me, the severs were attentive, polite and professional. I almost felt like there were the same number of severs as customers, lol... in short, you won't be disappointed with their service.
The place is smaller than I expect, maybe big enough for 30 people...but the atmosphere was quite intimate and romantic, quite classy but still comfortable.
Moving on to food, the menu has 5-6 selections for each course, they all sound really attractive. The complimentary amuse boche was great, it was squash three ways in little plates/cup. I chose the phesant and foie gras terrine as appy. Lovely! phesant was pretty juicy and a lot better than chicken, while the foie gras terrine had a strong foie gras taste, mixed well with the plum jelly on top. My partner ordered the hamachi, the fish was fresh and tasty, the wasabi-foam was unique as well.
I had the milk-fed veal for entree, it was veal three ways: tenderloin (extremely smooth), cake-like veal terrine (no idea what this is called, but the veal terrine has soft cheese texture but meat taste), and veal salad (bits of veal mixed with green leafs, it was really good). The portions looked tiny at first, but it was such a good combination that the veal terrine was heavy and filling, so i was full. My partner had the duo tenderloin or something similar, in my opinion it wasnt as exciting as my veal entree, but still very good.
Desserts...I had the caramalized pineapple with rice pudding and sorbet. It was excellent, the pineapple had a candy-like texture but still kept the taste of pineapple, the rice pudding was sweet so the rather sour sorbet and the very sour puree really balanced well. My partner had the chestnut hot and cold sundae. The presentation was nothing but unique and playful. As the server poured the hot chestnut chocolate liquid into the chocolate liq of the cup of sundau, it created a hole, then we get to see whats inside the cup, it was chestnut / ginger ice cream and chocolate, plus crisp merginue. The presentation of this dessert was creative, but it was too sweet..
After the dessets, our sever brought a bag of lemon madeline (?), they're lemon cakes in small sizes fresh from the oven. they were good, but i was way too full to consume the full bag...
all in all, outstanding meal, from service to food to atmosphere. The regular price of this 3 course prix fix menu is $98, which is a little steep for myself, but if you're not worried about money, lumiere is the place to go!
Simply put, the meal I had at Lumiere last week was likely the best fine dining meal I’ve had in Vancouver. The redesigned room is warm, stylish, and nicely sized – you feel very taken care of – and there is a sense of comfort even though you know you are in a high-end establishment. The service was wonderful. Insightful, unpretentious servers almost allowed us too much time (two and a half hours) but we barely noticed. The food was remarkable – among the highest quality I have had in the city but definitely not fussy. The squash ravioli had a nice balance of salty, earthy flavours with the natural sweetness of the squash, highlighted by the crispy pork belly, trumpet mushrooms, and sage brown butter. The scallop starter saw three bivalves cooked perfectly, accented with citrus and endive in multiple forms. The arctic char main was heavenly – possibly the best piece of fish I have had, slow cooked with leaks two ways (crunchy and creamy), crispy potatoes, and beurre rouge. The beef dish was full-bodied and robust. The short rib starred with an ideal texture and a smokey, sweet flavour. The ribeye was delicious in its own right and the potato fondant was rich and creamy, the lettuce package providing a bitter counterpoint to the dish. Desserts consisted of pineapple presented in 4-5 different ways, from savory (pounded out with fresh herbs) to a heavenly coconut rice pudding with pineapple sauce, and a deconstructed apple cake, with a confit of apples giving the tart, maple ice cream the sweet, and a delicate financier a bit of crunch and cream. The meal began with a delicious trio of amuse bouche highlighted by a velvety broccoli veloute and ended with Boulud’s signature lemon madeleines which are almost reason enough to head to Lumiere. The meal was worth every penny, especially since it only came to $175 for two people, taking advantage of the prix fixe menu being $58 a head in January. I will still go back when it returns to $98, just maybe not as often as I would like.
My second trip to Lumiere - about a year after my first. It was interesting to compare the similarities and differences between the two, it's probably the best way to decide if the experiences of the previous visit were the exception, or the rule.
We ordered the 12-course Signature menu, which costs $180, and is served over about 2.5 hours. As usual, the dishes were delicious, and had a fine variety of flavour and texture. Presentation was very good.
The restaurant does tend to be a little noisy because of the design (it's not all that big, and tables are quite close together), but the ambiance is relaxing and the lighting muted.
Service was prompt and attentive, with just a slight touch of what I'd consider "slightly" condescending "frenchness" (or "overculturedness"?). Not enough to be annoying, but not really necessary.
I'll definitely be back, but once a year is enough to satisfy my tastes for high-end dining.
If you are visiting Vancouver and you were able to eat at only one restautant, then Lumiere is the place you must go. This restaurant is always voted the best place in the city and it is simply amazing. The style is French with a bit of Asian thrown in along with some regional flair. Go for the 8 course meal and the wine pairing and I assure you, it will be as though angels were dancing on your tongue. It is pricy, but that is to be expected with fare of this caliber and it is well worth, as it will be a meal you remember for years to come.
I have heard many good reviews about Lumiere and when I went there, it was incredible. The food is overpriced but I guess it is the price to pay for a very good dinner. I would have liked the dishes to be more filling because they tend to be smaller portions. The service is second to none and it had a good ambiance. The butternut squash ravioli is really good but the 4 cheese macaroni is not special. The Barbeque duck broth is really good also. I recommend this restaurant if you are going with a small group and willing to splurge on a good meal.
| 1. | Thomas Haas (18 m) |  |
| 2. | White Spot (28 m) | |
| 3. | Caffe Vergnano 1882 (50 m) |  |
| 4. | Moderne Burger (52 m) |  |
| 5. | Greens and Gourmet (55 m) |  |
| 6. | Mistral French Bistro (59 m) | |
| 7. | Dan Japanese Restaurant (62 m) |  |
| 8. | Benny's Bagels (70 m) | |
| 9. | Fassil Ethiopian Restaurant (83 m) | |
| 10. | Dairy Queen (90 m) | |
