A friend took me to Trafalgar's a couple of years back, and I've been back quite a few times since. It has become one of my go-to restaurants and I'm always happy with the food.

It's nice to find a place that serves French/Bistro style food without typical French restaurant prices.
My one worry is that they have a new chef and the menu has changed.

Food: The best part of Trafalgar's is the food, including the Bistro-style french fries (in truffle oil, yum!). They are connected to a dessert place, so the dessert menu is much larger than the regular menu! The food is always well prepared and tasty, and of high quality. While the main menu isn't large, the variety is sufficient for pickier eaters.

Service: The service is generally good, although they seem a bit short-staffed when the restaurant is busy. The staff (especially the red-headed lady) are knowledgeable, personable, and will answer any questions you have. It's a refreshing change from a shallow place like Earl's, that's for sure.

Value: Again, French food without the exorbitant prices. It's a great value in this city.

Ambiance: Trafalgar's is tucked in quietly and is hard to notice if you are just driving by. It's a bit of an unusual place for a restaurant (16th Avenue). The restaurant is fairly small, not too dark, and never too noisy or loud. It's lively enough without too much noise, and the interior is simple and clean. It's a good place for a date or just out with friends.

Overall: If you want to go out for a more upscale meal, or like French food, I'd definitely recommend this place.

I had review of this place earlier but it was taken down so here we go again...

Food: Avoid the tuna! It was either a weird piece or cut incorrectly cuz that piece of fish was the stringiest and chewiest piece I'd ever been served. It was hard to chew and cut and I felt as though I was ripping and tearing through it. Towards the end of the meal, I found a white piece about the size of dime that was either bone or plastic within the dish. Serious lack of quality control by the staff, especially when it wasn't busy on a Thursday night! The potato and sausage served underneath it was good but that fish ruined that dish (I rhymed!). Steelhead trout was good but the accompanying carrots and lentils were boring. Cauliflower puree was served too cold and the walnuts in it did nothing to add to the dish but the meatball starter was very good. Dessert (from next door) of flan and creme brulee was delish! If I could, I would give the food was 2.5 rating.

Service: delightful enough to begin with as we requested to move to another table and they were happy to oblige and the service for most of the meal was attentive but not overbearing but when I brought that piece of plastic/bone to their attention, all I got was a "meh, sorry" and a shoulder shrug. If I served that in someone's dish in my home, I would be MORTIFIED. I waited for the mortified reaction but instead, I got a hurried "sorry" and that was it. The server quickly moved on to dessert and avoided us for the rest of the evening until we paid. No additional apology, no complimentary nothing, no discount and I don't think it's up to me to demand it either. You want my return business, you work for it.

Value: pretty good at $28 per person but I was really irked that I paid an extra $3 for that terrible terrible piece of tuna.

Ambiance: nice and dark and good for groups or intimate dates but they forgot to put on the music until the end of the night when most of the patrons were already paying their bills.

Overall, I would not return as I absolutely believe there is a lack of quality control in the kitchen and aside from that, I felt the food lacked a theme or flow - they classify themselves are being "global" but I didn't get any flavors from around the world, except maybe perhaps Italy? I'd maybe return for dessert but I'd just go next door to where they get their dessert from. I also find that with the recent disappoints in DOV that I probably won't partake in it next year - it's a mass amount of food prepared too far in advance and pumped out at such an exponential rate that the dining experience is killed. There is an abundance of great restaurants in the Lower Mainland with a centralized cuisine that is both refined and delicious - why waste those hard earned bucks here where they don't care you get chewy fish? I say avoid this place just as I will for the furture. Au revoir Trafalgars!

This was one of 6 of my choices for Dine Out Vancouver this year. My friends and I were early for dinner, so we decided to have some tea at their joint bakery next door. If we didn't have dinner plans, I would have just gotten one of their gorgeous and delicious looking cakes!!! We each got a London Fog tea in a humungo mug. It was a little on the weak side, but the palmier cookie we bought to snack on was hands-down the best I've ever had.
Our dinner was delicious. The dessert even better. We had a great server who constantly came by to check up on us eventhough it was one of their busier nights. At the end of the meal, when we thought nothing more would please us, we were given a little goodie-bag containing a note (offering their prix fixe regularly) and some cookies from their bake shop.
I would definitely go back.

I've recently eaten at Trafalgar's and had another bad, substandard experience there with the service which sets the tone for the visit. The food was very small portions for the price. We had a snobby waiter who didn't do much for us to make it better than any other place. When we were paying, he had the nerve to count our money at the table because he "wanted to make sure we were leaving enough money". Then he announced out loud that we had left him $5 extra (tip). I know that I had calculated correctly and said that we had left him $15 and he still argued and came over to the table to count out the money again which he did in error. Then he barely appologized. We were well dressed and had ordered a substantial amount of food, dessert and coffees. We were leaving him 15% tip which we only did out of courtesy and not because of the service. I have been on a couple of other occasions where I had the same feeling and will never, never go back!

Whether you are looking for a nice, neighbourhood place for weekend brunch, business lunch or casual yet elegant dinner, Trafalgars is the place. I have had many meals here on all those occasions and the food and service is consistently good. The risotto is my favourite item on the menu. It's important to save room for dessert since that is really what this restaurant is known for. My brother's favourite is the chocolate triangle with extra raspberry coulis; my sister-in-law's the linzers. I don't have one - they're all amazing. If you want to skip right to dessert, you can pick them up next door too.

I am almost embarrassed to write this review because Trafalgar's has a very strong consistency in its revviews. I was expecting just a little bit more as far as the food which turned out to be a BIG hit in some things and ok to bad in others.

For DOV with a table of 4 we had for starters, 3 scallops and 1 meatballs. I did not try the meatballs, but my wife who, strangely, doesn't like pork very much, decided to order it anyway. I can't really say good or bad about the meatballs especially considering her bias against pork in general.

The scallops though were NOT good. It's my fault that I did not say anything to the staff, but the scallops were most definitely undercooked. The portion size is 2 scallops on a cauliflower puree I think. My scallops were seared like you would tuna, but raw inside. Mother in law had the same issue and I presume without knowing that they might prepare these in larger quantities than normal because of DOV. Maybe it was intentional, but I've never had scallops rawish (rubbery and translucent color and texture inside) unless it was at a sushi restaurant.

For mains, we had steelhead, 2 mushroom risottos and 1 tuna. Steelhead was very good. The risotto was liked by everyone, but a bit too much of a sharp cheese taste that seemed to cover the mushroom flavor a bit. I ate mushroom risotto for lunch at cru the day before and, to my taste was better.

The tuna entree was not good. I don't turn back hardly ever, but the tuna had a bit too much of a fishy taste to it. Not quite fresh, so I did have it returned. i should say reluctantly, because the kale potato chorizo and tomato sauce was sooo good. I switched to the beef pappardelle (sic) and it was excellent. meat fell apart with a fork and good portion size.

For dessert, we had chocolate ganache cake, passion fruit flan and 2 creme brulees. The brulees were awesome. the ganache was very good if not excellent. The passion fruit flan was out of sight sublime and my sister in law, who ordered it, raved to the waitress and the man managing the floor (owner?) while leaving we were trying to figure out the logistics of driving to sweet obsessions just to order it again.

Service was very attentive. Water glasses refilled frequently, but not suffocating. They told us 1 hr 45 minutes to turn the table when I made reservation whereas the high top tables did not have this restriction. I think that is quite fine considering DOV and appreciated the forewarning with option to choose.

In summary, I can't wait to go back to try Trafalgar's again for non-DOV dining. I will make any due modification to my review then and I think it will improve.

Service:
Went with a large group on my birthday and it was my first time to dine at Trafalgars. We wanted to get the pre-theatre menu so all of us rushed in before 6 to have our order sent. However, when we made the reservation we mentioned that we will be getting the pre-theatre menu, but somehow this was not communicated to the server and upon arrival, we was told that we cannot get the pre-theatre menu because we had a large group. So after negotiation they agreed to let 6 ppl in the group to get the special menu while rest of the group orders from regular menu, and I believe I shouldn't have negotiated because 1) they did not specify that on their website (yet), 2) they should have offered it to us before I asked, and 3) it was my birthday and the birthday girl has to negotiate to have half of the group happy? At the moment I was quite disappointed because from the reviews and friends' recommendation I thought that Trafalgars would be good.

Food:
I got the Portobello Mushroom as the appetizer, risotto as the entree and saint horoure and the dessert. The Mushroom was VERY different from what I expected. It was thin, flat, and tasted sour!! But I didn't say anything to the waitress since there wasn't anything that appeals to me in the appetizer menu. However, the entree was VERY good. I love love love risotto and this mushroom risotto was very rich and flavourful and did not fail my expectation! The mushroom flavour was overpowered by the truffle oil though, however. In the beginning I hesitated about getting mushroom for appetizer and entree but I did not regret my entree choice.

Dessert:
They put a long candle on my St. Honore pastry. The presentation is nice, but the quality is lacking. The pastry was a thin, flaky and dry pie and the puff was dry as well. I would not get this dessert again although the picture looks great. However I tried my friend's hedgehog, zuccotto and concorde and those were excellent.
I will not come back to this restaurant but I will definitely make a visit to Sweet Obsession for its heavenly desserts.

went there with girl friend on Friday evening. Crowded and the table is small.
the server is nice but apparently one server is not enough. later on, another girl server joined.
after salad, it takes more than half an hour to see my main course.
steak is good. but only fries on the side. nothing else.
after main course it takes another half hour to see my dessert. need more cook?
People surround me have the same waiting look.....:-)
dessert is a way too sweet. both of us can't eat them all.

Your Review:
Service is as always,warm,attentive,and welcoming. Some favorites at trafalgars have included: the scallop appitizers which are not only always prettily plated but super flavourful, housemade gnocci(need I say more?)the savory and tenderjuicy duck breast which unlike many other places arrives with a perfectly well seasoned outside sear, and the entre specials that always take full advantage of the seasons,and finally, the amazing array of desserts...something for every taste.

I have visited Trafalgars a number of times for the past three years.

Ambiance: Ambient lighting, comfortable seating and tastefully decorated dining area. Street parking is ample and neighborhood is quiet.

Food: Duck confit with risotto is tasty and beautifully seasoned and prepared. Great selection of both wines and dessert wines. The desserts they offer are delectable and the portions are just right.

Value: Decent price for the food quality and service Service: Professional service expected from a French bistro

Pros: French food done right, ambiance, amazing service, location, dessert and wine selection
Cons: I couldn't think of any besides it being closed for Sunday dinner.

Highly recommended for anyone who is looking for a good French bistro at decent prices without being overly pretentious.