Best Upscale French 2014

By Vancouver Magazine / May 2, 2014

There’s no such thing as an average meal at this most consistent of the city’s go-to rooms. Despite its relative formality, Le Crocodile (Gold) is still one of the friendliest, most genuinely welcoming haunts. On the plate, it’s tough to resist the foie gras terrine, while Michel Jacob’s choucroute evenings are legendary. Sommeliers show a deft hand, with strong pairings accompanying dishes like the extraordinary duo of duck breast and caribou. La Régalade (Silver) is impossibly small but always worth the bridge. Highlights: salade Régalade, a protein-packed compendium of warm prawns, tender calamari, and bacon that will have you wondering how you’re going to eat your main; and-if you’re lucky-sensitively cooked lamb sirloin (just pink in parts) slathered in chanterelles, with mildly addictive scallop potatoes in a mini skillet on one side. Unswervingly French bistro fare, fairly priced. Five Sails (Bronze) doesn’t rely on its spectacular views the way others might; judges praised Atlantic lobster, and soy sablefish spiked with Wahoo truffle sauce.