Bistro Pastis

My wife and I found a travelzoo coupon for this restaurant. As we live in Washington State, we would have never found it otherwise.
When we walked in, we were immediately impressed with the quality of service. The waiter and the hostess were very attentive throughout the meal.
We ordered the steamed mussels in white wine for the appetizer, very generous portion of mussels and the size of the mussels were quite impressive. Very good.
My wife had the sable fish which was excellent and I enjoyed the lamb shank. The risotto of barley was a surprise star of the plate. The lamb was amazing.
Overall, we enjoyed our experience and when we are in Vancouver again will likely come back.

A couple weeks ago, My husband and I discovered that one of our favorite French restaurants, The Left Bank (previously known as Le Parisien) had changed owners. I had recently bought a Travelzoo coupon for Left Bank and was told that it’s sister restaurant would honor the coupon. The sister restaurant is Bistro Pastis. I want to take a moment to tell everyone out there how lovely our dinner was last night. My mom arrived yesterday afternoon and we decided to take her there for dinner. Now those of you with kids will know our hesitation of eating in a nice restaurant with children. Not only was the food well done, the atmosphere was very welcoming and warm towards our children. The owner, John, came out and played with Our daughter and she had no problem being held by him. He took her around the restaurant and introduced her to other patrons who immediately became more accepting of small children in the establishment. The best part was not the food but the fact that when dinner arrived, hot out of the kitchen, John came over and took her from us long enough for us (me primarily) to enjoy the meal. While our daughter played at being hostess and waitress, socializing with the patrons, my husband, my mom and I had an amazing time enjoying the lovely food. Speaking of food, excellent French cuisine that left us planning our next visit was well enjoyed and appreciated. And the wine that John recommended? Stunning as well! And easily within our requested price point. Please consider Bistro Pastis the next time you are looking for delicious French food served with kindness and without stuffy atmosphere.

The food here was tasty, but the service was less than desirable. I was visiting Vancouver for a few days, and went for brunch at Pastis with some friends I had not seen in a long time. I ordered the sausage hash and asked if it was possible for my eggs to be poached medium, rather than soft. The server was so rude after I asked this! My friend ordered the same thing but poached soft and he said ‘the way it should be. not that there is anything wrong with how you ordered them (speaking to me), you just ruined them and it should never be done…’ I just sat and looked at him and he said ‘you’re probably the kind of person who orders their steak ‘well-​done’ too’ and then started laughing. He was deliberately embarrassing me! I was with people I don’t see very often and it kind of ruined the experience. I felt uncomfortable and self-​conscious afterwards, and my friends thought he was rude as well. He tried to make a few jokes about how he was a ‘shmuck waiter’ when offering me another drink. It was a turn off. And after all that –the eggs came poached hard! As I said, the food was actually good –but the service was a huge turn off. Trying to belittle guests to make them feel like they don’t have ‘class’ says more about the class of the establishment than the customer ever could. Won’t be back and won’t be recommending to anyone.

Came here for mothers day brunch!
Expected a lot more unfortunately.
The croissants were delicious but beware, they charge you an arm and a leg for it. I never knew any restaurant would charge for bread that they served before a meal. Even if they did, it would be clearly stated on their menu.
That aside, the food was mediocre at best. Unfortunate as I was hoping to add Bistro Pastis on my top to-​go brunch spots.
The croissant was the only highlight for me.
I would not come back.

Outrageous liquor prices. $ 16 plus tax and tip for a non premium cosmopolitan. Really. And $ 34 for a half litre of local average tasting wine?
Food is standard French bistro. Service good.
But won’t be back.
Vancouver has great places to eat; this one is past its’ prime.

Father’s Day brunch. I had the fish du jour which was prawns on herb risotto and beurre blanc served with asparagus spears and rapini. My husband had the Niçoise salad. Our daughters had seafood chowder and pulled pork eggs Benedict with hash browns. We have had dinner there several times and it had always been very decent. Perhaps it was because it was very busy but most of our meals were just okay. My prawns were done well but the rapini was old (flowerettes were yellowed), the asparagus was undercooked (too crunchy), and the risotto had good flavour but was too salty (even for me and I like salt!). My daughter’s hash browns were over salted as well. When I told the waiter in a very nice way of my comments the fellow in the pink shirt (owner?) took my plate directly onto the back and came to our table a few minutes later. I thought he was going to apologize that the meal was not prepared to my liking but instead, to my surprise, he said that asparagus is supposed to be cooked «that way», the rapini was not old it was what his supplier delivered to him and that the risotto wasn’t too salty, it was the way risotto was supposed to taste because of the cheese. So I guess I got it all wrong and have no idea what good food tastes like!!! I just finished teaching a unit on providing excellent customer service which includes not arguing with the customer because you cannot win. The pink shirt should have apologized to me and if he did not agree with me, he could have cursed me in the back kitchen but instead he chose to let his pride get the best of him and told a customer that they didn’t know what they were talking about. He even shook my hand as I was leaving and said «thanks for the criticism» with an insincere forced smile. That’s okay because he can believe whatever he wants about his restaurant’s food. I would have gone back to pastis in future if he had just apologized and left it at that. Instead, his actions are directly responsible for my writing this review, never going to this establishment again (nor the sister restaurant that I was going to try) and telling everyone I know about our experience. It always astounds me when restaurants behave like this.

As you well know lots of things make up a great restaurant. Service — menu — price — ambience — and most importantly the wine list. :)
Bistro hits all the spots. The service be it brunch — lunch — dinner is superb. The menu and the plentiful daily specials always have something you want to try. And frankly now that they have jettisoned the Julia Child (sorry!) recipes the food is less French heavy.
The room is cozy — especially the back room — without the oh so tiresome «French style» of jamming each table on top of each other. You can actually hear your dinner companion!
The wine list is solid having evolved from rather expensive French wines to a more proletarian friendly place. It has a good selection of BC wines we were find a good bottle.
Great rainy night place. Great lunch place. Obvious we are fans and make a point of visiting regularly.

I am afraid the old girl is starting to show her age. With La Cigale and Au Camptoir on the same street, Pastis is starting to feel a bit tired. The food is still very good, but too expensive for the street. John could stand to change the menu and ambience to attract more clientele.

J’ai visité ce bistro française pour la prèmiere fois après de chercher un excellent resto canadienne dans la même proximité sans succès. Ah ben, j’étais chanceux ici.
La crème brulée était très delicieuse. Non, en fait, tout était delicieux, mais la crème brulée d’autant plus. Ils écrivent les promos du jour sur le tableau.
Notre serveur était français, poli, et patient, surtout comme je suis venu avec ma famille, qui né sait pas rien de la nourriture français. Venez avec votre famille ou un date.

I was really hungry and stumbled into this place, it was alright nothing to special. They did make a decently tasting NY Stripe steak which can always been so easily butchered so I am happy mine wasn’t. The service was fast and friendly, and the ambience is nice. I would recommend this place if your looking for a brunch or lunch spot when craving French cuisine.

Been to many French cusines, but must say this one through an appetizer to the entrée to the dessert and of course add in my wine! It hits the spot all the time and never to filling or leaving hungry.

Just got back from dineout in this restaurant and I LOVE the food. Try the Veal Cheeks, they’re amazing.

I went here for dine out Vancouver at the recommendation of a friend. There were 3 choices each in appetizer/​soup, main entrée and dessert for $ 38.
+ food is tasty, good presentation, nice ambiance
— too small servings especially the appetizer — a few potato chips, salad was puny — I want more! and the main entrée — there was ONE tiny potato. It won’t hurt to add a few more potatoes! Come on!
Will I be back next year? Maybe not.

My sister was celebrating her birthday and was set on enjoying a French meal. Realizing that her birthday landed on the eve of Dine Out 2015, we narrowed our choices to those participating in the event and she decided on Bistro Pastis. We were drawn to this restaurant by the memory of a wonderful meal we had there with our mom many years ago.
I have to say our return was a huge disappointment. My family loves to eat, and you know a meal isn’t good if no one is talking about the food.
Our table ordered the salmon gravlax and cauliflower soup to start. Both dishes were rather boring and the salmon was so miniscule when it arrived that everyone at our table couldn’t help but laugh. None of us expected gargantuan portions, but it was just hilarious watching them try to delicately cut even smaller pieces to make this two-​bite morsel on their plate last!!!
For our mains, everyone opted for either the braised veal cheeks with pappardelle pasta or the New York steak. We were so busy in conversation when the server was taking our orders, we didn’t realize that no one had been asked how they wanted their steak cooked! We both looked down discerningly, wondering what sort of doneness the kitchen had decided for us… rare it would seem, which was fine enough for me. I prefer medium-​rare but my brother-​in-​law who prefers his steak medium-​well was none too happy.
The veal cheeks were tender enough but tasted as if they had hardly been seasoned. Now, the accompanying pappardelle ought to have been firm yet silky but what we got seemed undercooked with a tough, papery texture. Definitely lacking in sauce, it was also dry and buh-​land.
Needless to say, by the time we got to dessert we were all quite disinterested in the food. Not to mention the wine pairings, which equally fell flat. When our glasses arrived nearly ¾ of the way up full, you would think we’d have been happy for such a hefty pour, but it people were struggling to finish their first glass when the second arrived. Of course we guzzled them down anyway, thinking we could at least get a good buzz out if this sad dining experience.
Being that it was Dine Out, I wasn’t expecting much knowing the poor souls in the kitchen would have to bust out the same dishes every day for two weeks, but since it was the first night I really thought it should have been much much better.
From the other reviews, it sounds like Bistro Pastis could be a better place to dine when they’re offering their regular menu. I simply cannot recommend their Dine Out offering. Perhaps if they had priced it at $ 28 it wouldn’t have felt like such a rip off, but I doubt I would put myself through that meal again even at the price point. Sad to say, there are MANY better options in this city.

Been here 2 times (travelzoo/​groupon), Its a good place if you have time ~. Both times we were in the restaurant for 2 hours (takes a while). The service isn’t necessary slow but apparently fining dining takes time?. Ordered the seared scallops as a starter (for $ 17) it wasn’t worth it, there was about 3 – 4 scallops in there. Cooked alrite but lots of oil.
Tried the gnocci (cheapest entrée I think it was $ 22 or $ 19 around there), very small portion. Wasn’t too seasoned (for me it was fine as I don’t like my foods too seasoned/​salty)
Risotti– super creamy yet quite sour (I think too much wine)
Sister/​bf tried the Duck Duo, they both liked it although my sister said they gave alot of lentils (duck confit was mixed in the lentils so you had to «look» for them)
Dessert– tried baked alaska (cool how they set the liquor on fire and pour it over) pretty good, kinda bitter near the end.
The service at the end– they broke down gratuity and taxes (full price not groupon price) which was nice.
Overall its a good price however just make sure you plan a few hours there and have a taste for seasoned (I’m more of a bland eater so wasn’t used to too much seasoning, sauces)

I have a soft spot (in my belly) for traditional French cuisine and dishes full of butter, sauces, and well-​cooked meats, so I was very interested to see what Bistro Pastis served.
The steak tartare served on a crostini was very good and almost unremarkable in its deliciousness and how carefully prepared and composed it was. The pomme frites were also crispy and delicious for snacking on.
Pastis’ French onion soup gratinée was filled with the usual decadent richness. It’s basically what you’d expect from the traditional French dish and all its heartiness. I found the Belgian endive quite satisfying, beautifully presented and layered.
My highlight was easily the sole Normande full of creamy flavours and delicious seafood. It was rich and delightful. The trademark beef bourguignon was filling, delectable, and full of flavour.
The sweet, classic lemon tart capped off the fine French meal nicely. Bistro Pastis offers some very well-​made, traditional bistro faire in a quaint, charming atmosphere. I can see why they’ve been around for all these years with its reliable offerings and loyal clientele.

I give this place a 3.5 stars though.
Was here for an anniversary with my bf because we thought we try out a french place. It was good service but food was a hit or a miss i find.
I ordered a new york steak and my bf ordered a lamb sirloin. I usually get my steak medium rare but I felt that my steak was more cooked then medium rare. But that was ok cause the sauce wasn’t bad. Their mayonnaise seems like it was made in house. It didn’t taste like anything you can buy at the store. The lamb sirloin was really good. Perfect to my liking anyways. Our alcoholic drink wasn’t bad either. The alcohol hit us both after we took the sip so my guess is they use some supreme vodka.
Overall not a bad place to spend my anniversary at. I would come back here to try out their halibut because it looks like that’s what they are famous for.

An amazing meal all around! Each dish was expertly prepared and the staff was very friendly and knowledgeable. I was particularly enchanted but all the little micro greens included in each dish… Not only a feast for the eyes but a lovely freshness with each bite. Will go back on another visit definitely… between the great food and such a warm/​inviting restaurant… it’s a win win!
Ps, had the Thursday special… duck confit… oh my! The duck was perfect as were the sides! Try it!

I loved this place! Went with my regular group for brunch and I was super impressed with just about everything. The only improvement I could suggest (and the reason for only 4 stars instead of 5) is that their portions are really small. C’mon, Bistro Pastis, would it really break the bank to throw on a few more potatoes? I left feeling hungry still, but I solved that dilemma by heading over to Beaucoup Bakery for some treats afterwards. :)
The good parts about Bistro Pastis is no. 1, the coffee. Probably the best coffee I’ve had with brunch in ages. I had three cups! Soo good.
My poached eggs were cooked perfectly soft. I did order an extra egg, though, because one isn’t enough for brunch! The rest of my meal was delicious — I had the Duck Confit with Potato hashbrown (only one — so disappointing) but the flavours made up for the small portion.
I would definitely go back as I want to try their eggs benedict!

We decided to have lunch here today. When we called for a reservation, we were told to just come in as they were not busy. We arrived at 12:30 pm and the restaurant was only about 30% full.
We were seated close to the window as it was a sunny day. The server was very friendly. We were told of the specials and he went away.
Another server came by and took our order. She is very sweet and pleasant and answer our questions about the menu in regards to portion sizes.
We ordered:
Appetizers:
Steak Tartare, Pomme Frites and Cornichons ($ 15) — this is a good size appetizer, the tartare was mixed perfectly and very fresh. The only down side is that there were only 4 crisps, I made do with their yummy french bread they have, so its all good. It also came with pomme frites, cornichons pickles and a little bit of greens.
French Onion Soup Gratinee ($ 8.50) — when it came out, it looked really sad, and does not look like any of the picture posted by other patrons. There was some cheese at the bottom, but the taste made up for the ‘ugly’ look. It was very sweet onion taste and not too salty.
Main — Salad
We split the Crispy Duck Confit Salad ($ 17) — the kitchen split the salad for us nicely and we shared the giant crispy duck leg. The salad is made of Golden Beets, Mixed Greens, Apple with a Sherry Vinaigrette. The Duck Leg was perfectly season and extra crispy skin, we were quite full sharing the leg between us.
We were too full for dessert, maybe nice time we will have room to try the basket of Madeleines our neighbours had.

Tonight was an eventful night. Prior to talking shop about weddings, wedding planners, managers and sweet fondant cakes, Liz and I had a hot cup of white hot chocolate at the Vancouver Hot Chocolate Festival, Followed by dinner at Bistro Pastis Vancouver. A nice little French restaurant in Kitsilano. Bistro Pastis is sister restaurant to Le Parisien Vancouver 751 Denman Street, Vancouver. Tonight’s Dine Out Vancouver 2014 is the first of the season for us. What a treat it is to be celebrating friendship and not having to worry about work (even just for a little while).
Bistro Pastis Dine Out Menu 2014 $ 38 pp
Bistro Pastis may not be the best French Restaurant in Vancouver, but their service is prompt and attentive. We started with two appetizers and were immediately brought out within 5 minuets. It was surprising that it was so quick! And I couldn’t help to think this was all pre-​made and simply waiting on the conveyor to be brought out.
House Smoked Salmon Tartare, Capers, Crème Fraîche and Croutons: I love Tartare in general (here, here and here). This tartare was heavily coated with olive oil and fragrant and bright with capers. The texture pleasing but it lacked the freshness of salmon.
Wild Mushroom and Goat Cheese Tart, Mixed Green Salad with Black Truffle Vinaigrette: This came out cold. Likely because it was pre-​made. Overall the flavor was nice and goat cheese wasn’t too overpowering to the wild button mushrooms. The tart pastry was flakey but lacked a bit of crunch.
Sole Normande, Fresh Local Sole, Prawns, Mussels and Clams, New Potatoes, White and Cream Sauce: This season dish first attracted me from the table next to me with it’s generous size. It had a good variety of seafood served with creamy white sauce. Flavor-​wise, it was a tad bland.
Grilled New York Steak, Pomme Frites with Peppercorn Sauce: Unlike the above bland tasting dish, this New York steak was juicy, moist and cooked perfectly to medium rare. The peppercorn sauce was rich with just the right use of peppercorns. I am somewhat surprised by a New York Steak listed as a french food. Perhaps french fries can count as French food? The French fries were underwhelming and seems like McCain Frozen Fries. When we saw Pomme Frites, we assumed them to be thinly sliced, deep fried yet non-​greasy like Oru at Fairmont Pacific Rim.
Apple Tart, Vanilla Ice Cream: Flakey puff pastry tart with thinly sliced apples. Served with Vanilla Ice Cream and graham crumbles. This was one of the best dessert we’ve had at Bistro Pastis. It was sweet, tart and actually goes great with the Chocolate Mousse.
Dark Chocolate Mousse, Almond Biscotti: Thick, rich, and mildly sweet. Delicious.
Our Bistro Pastis Dine Out experience was nothing extraordinary. It didn’t wow us. It didn’t lure us to come back wanting more. Maybe except to come back for their Dark Chocolate Mousse.