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Bistro Pastis
Category: Restaurants French French [Edit]
2153 W 4th AveVancouver, BC V6K 1N7
Neighbourhood: Kitsilano
(604) 731-5020
- Hours:
Tue-Fri 11:30 am - 2 pm
Tue-Sun 5:30 pm - 10:30 pm
Sat-Sun 11 am - 2 pm
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Dressy
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner, Brunch
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Quiet
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
22 reviews for Bistro Pastis
Review Highlights
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"The foie gras was smooth and rich." In 3 reviews -
"I could eat this duck confit for the rest of my life and..." In 4 reviews -
"...the Half-Baked Chocolate Cake, White Chocolate Ice Cream..." In 3 reviews
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22 reviews in English
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Review from Ron P.
Vancouver, BC
2/21/2012
One of my favourite French restaurants in Vancouver, conveniently located 1 block away. I haven't done a dinner there in quite some time but that is due to circumstance.
I really like the weekend brunch; the best eggs benedict I've had in several years. Also, not packed so you can walk in and sit down right away (unlike the patrons of nearby Sophie's Cosmic Cafe). The coffee is correct and the service is French. Don't want it to become a hugely popular destination! -
Review from Ying Ying L.
Vancouver, BC
5/17/2012
Great little bistro that reminded me a lot of the places in Paris! I really like coming here for French food as it's reasonably priced, the food is good and the atmosphere is welcoming. They opened a sister restaurant on Denman so I'm looking forward to checking it out soon! =)
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Review from Derek W.
10/24/2011
You know you're in a real french bistro when the servers have just enough attitude to make you feel like they're proud to be working there. The relationship between waiter and diner at Bistro Pastis took me back to the small bistros in Paris and Southern France where the servers become your closest ally when you slightly defer or ask their opinion, or distant and bored if you treat them like hired help. The secret is to see the server as a companion on your dining journey - if you do, they will step up.
The entire experience at Pastis is understated - the room not too big, the furnishing not too new. This lets the food shine. I had the half game hen - as tender as it could possibly be with no pink inside - and my companion the trout - flaky and moist to perfection. The skill in the kitchen was more perfect preparation and cooking of the meat, and less in the spices or companion dishes, but that is just fine with me. The tartar starter was...well, tartare (no raw egg though), and the French Onion soup was what I was expecting - rich broth, not too salty.
For desert, the half-baked chocolate cake rounded out the meal with a excess that was refreshingly absent from the rest of the experience.
For a mid-priced bistro, Bistro Pastis is flawless, earning a rare 5-star review. -
Review from Amanda L.
11/9/2011 1 Check-in Here
Fancy French dining is not my thing but I like to try new things so off I went to Bistro Pastis.
The server was friendly and quite attentive. I had the Squash cannelloni and it was amazing. Incredibly flavorful and so filling, I had to torture myself to finish it all but I couldn`t stop myself! -
Review from Rhiannon A.
1/27/2012
A much more sophisticated option than Bistro Bistro down the street. Better ambience, superior food.
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Review from Raymond O.
Vancouver, BC
7/10/2011 2 Check-ins Here
Great service. Great food. Great ambiance. What can I say, it was great.
The facade doesn't do justice to how the restaurant looks and feels inside. From the outside with fading paint I had the impression of an old, unkept bistro that wants to command a high price. How dare they!
But that changes when you step inside, the interior is welcoming. You are greeted with a bright interior and tables adorned with white table cloths and napkins.
Even for Brunch, you can easily run a bill of at least $40 per head and get carried away with appetizer selections such as the soup of the day $7.50 (which was Prawn Brisque that day), Duck Liver Terrine $12.00 or even Sauteed Escargots $11.50.
Salad selections can range from $7.50 to $19.50.
For the main course, I recommend the Provimi Veal Liver $22.50 or some Grilled Wild Salmon $19.50 (you don't have to tell them not to overcook it).
But for God's sake whatever you do leave room for dessert. I recommend the Half-Baked Chocolate Cake, White Chocolate Ice Cream, Cherry Compote $9.50. I'm on a mission to find who makes their White Chocolate Ice Cream. I was told it wasn't made in-house, but definitely hand-made for them. Who is it? Who are you? Aargh!
May I have the bill please. Double Aargh! -
Review from Ardis H.
Vancouver, BC
1/21/2012
It was mission brunch today and I ventured over to Kitslano to see if the positive reviews of Bistro Pastis were merited and I wasn't disappointed. The interior hails true to the bistros of Paris with reasonably comfortable wicker seating and vivid coloured still life paintings adorn the walls. The staff was welcoming and non-intrusive.
I decided to stick to the classics and ordered the Croque Monsier which came out perfectly toasted with a good balance of cheeses and flavourful black forest ham. Instead of opting for the pommes frites, I substituted the butter lettuce salad which had a pleasant tangy buttermilk/dijon dressing - definitely a good accompaniment with the rich cheese sandwich. I finished my culinary outing with the Chocolate Profiteroles which were decadent and the chocolate choux pastry stayed light and crispy even though it was smothered in ice cream and chocolate sauce with a dusting of roasted almonds. I thoroughly enjoyed my meal and I look forward to a return visit. -
Review from Betty L.
Updated - 3/28/2011
I had another nice meal at Bistro Pastis. This time I went with my boyfriend. We walked in, he commented the dining crowd was quite mature and the place needed an update. I personally like the homey traditional look. I assured him the food would be really tasty.
The hostess quickly took us to our table. Shortly afterwards our server came by and told us about the daily specials and clarified the weekly promo menu. He was really friendly and informative. All the dishes we ordered were pretty tasty. Deets about each dish:
1)Foie Gras pate with fruit jelly and toasted brioche- The presentation of the dish was pretty refined. It reminded me of something from West Rest. The foie gras was smooth and rich. The jelly offered a nice refreshing balance to the foie gras.
2)Escargot- Very classic Burgundian dish. It came inside a little bowl with argula salad on the side. There were some mushrooms inside the bowl too. My boyfriend remarked that it didn't have a weird funky taste to the escargot. That's good, good, good. He said it was very flavourful.
3)Braised pork shoulder with potaotes- The pork was packed with flavour. Too bad there weren't enough sauce. Even those potatoes were sooo yummy. I think the chef form the mashed potatoes into little balls, breaded it then panseared. Since the portion was quite big, I just managed to finish it.
4)Le Cassoulet- It came with a nicely seared duck confit on top. My b.f. didn't find anything too remarkable with the Toulouse sausages. Although he mentioned the beans were cooked properly. He found a way to eat everything on his plate. Kudos to him!!
5)Madeleines - Once again I ordered it for dessert. There's something really comforting and homey about have these little tasties with a cup of freshly brewed coffee.
Bistro Pastis serves good, traditional, classic French fare. It never tried to be hip or trendy. Its doors have been open for 13 years. Since the food is pretty good, I think people of all ages should go there and enjoy a hearty French meal. It'll always be a staple of the Kits area.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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8/13/2010
For starters I love French food and Pastis didn't disappoint me .I went to have a nice family dinner… Read more »
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Review from daisey d.
Vancouver, BC
1/22/2012
Bistro Pastis is comfortable and a good place to linger over dinner. Sadly, the food is not as good as it used to be. Simple classics like the French Onion Soup and salad with lardon are still good, but anything more ambitious is just passable. My duck was barely pink and so tough I could barely saw through it. My table mates were happier with their dishes (fish), but didn't think they were anything special. For the price, Mistral has better food and wine, but it's not as comfortable.
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Review from Julia G.
Vancouver, BC
3/22/2011
We have been to Bistro Pastis and it never fails to thrill. It hits all the right notes; great service, ambiance and food. Last Friday, we had dinner there. Seared fresh fois gras (so good) and mussels marinere to start then Dover sole meuniere and mussels marinere as the other entree.
A wonderful wine list and lots of wines by the glass. The staff makes you feel welcome - as if you're a friend they're glad to see. A taste of France. -
Review from Jim B.
9/15/2008
First off, I'm totally psyched to be writing a review in Vancouver.
Finally! I can review Canada!
Pastis is an excellent french-ish restaurant on 4th. Wonderful decor, extremely attentive service, the owner will pop by a few times to make sure you are comfortable.
Their escargot is astounding. No little escargot plate with some oily snails floating in butter here. This comes in a little terrine with butter, white wine, miniature onions, mushrooms and I lost count at that point. It was phenomenal.
I followed this up with the expertly done canard de l'orange. perfect crispy skin, very understated but balanced sauce. It was amazingly good. Worth the drive up from Seattle 100 times over.
Like most of the PacNW, it's casual, but try to dress a little better than I did. I felt kinda conspicuous in a t shirt and jeans.
Oh, and their molten lava cake is the best I've had in a restaurant. Valrona chocolate. Not too sweet.
You ... must ... go. -
Review from Ash P.
Vancouver, BC
2/8/2011
Came here for Dine Out. I had the $38 menu and my wife had the $28.
Overall, the restaurant was bustling when we arrived which is always a good sign. The staff were very friendly and attentive without being too intrusive.
My starter was sauteed prawns and thin slices of apple topped with frisee salad and a Pernod beurre blanc. The prawns were cooked perfectly and the different flavours meshed perfectly well. The tartness of the apple was especially a nice touch. My wife had the potato and leek soup. Lots of different layers of flavours and pureed very smoothly.
My main was duck confit with haricot verts and little potato bites. Perfect. I could eat this duck confit for the rest of my life and die a happy man. My wife ordered the steak frites. The frites had a satisfying crisp to them with moist soft potatoey goodness inside. Good balance. The steak sauce maybe was a little heavy on the pepper corns and they didn't ask her what temperature she wanted so it was more rare than she would have liked.
I had crepes suzzette for desert. I would have liked my crepe down a little more and the orange syrup was maybe a tad much on the sweet side for my liking but overall, it hit the spot. My wife had some hazelnut chocolate ice cream thing. She was in heaven.
Overall, very good meal for Dine Out. Sometimes restaurants can throw out the assembly line production and not necessarily put their best foot forward but Bistro Pastis did not do that. I would love to come back here for another meal. -
Review from Claudia L.
Burnaby, BC
11/7/2008 2 photos
First thing's first: excellent customer service (without it in a French restaurant? It would be like french fries without ketchup - they just go hand it hand).
Menu: The menu was a little too big for me but the items I got were plated nicely although I wasn't blown away.
Items ordered: Signature steak tartare (*****), foie gras (****) (this was my guilty pleasure as a person who works for a green tech company -_-), red wine and chocolate cake for dessert (***).
Atmosphere: Intimate setting in the classic French bistro style. Great place to take a date if you're trying to impress them (and more, wink wink nudge nudge). -
Review from Diane B.
Burnaby, BC
7/18/2011
My first time at this restaurant, initiated by a http://grooster.com voucher, and I was thoroughly impressed. Food quality and flavours were comparable to my favourite French restaurant in Vancouver: Le Crocodile. Bistro Pastis is a more relaxed restaurant, although the service is still stellar. The only thing I didn't like was that the tables are quite close together and I had a hard time blocking out the neighbouring conversation. Aside from that, the overall noise level was never too much even when the restaurant was full.
Every dish we tried was fantastic: les ris de veau to start, lamb and duck mains, a couple of cheeses (good cheese but the price was steep for such a small amount), and the chocolate mouse to finish. There were so many other menu options that I wanted to try, so I'll definitely have to visit again... escargots, coquilles st jacques, foie gras..... -
Review from Kal B.
3/25/2011
went here for DOV in Feb 2011..
there was about 8 of us that went.. they had a $28 and a $38 option. the potato and leek soup was good.. the steak frites was a flat iron steak which was nothing special compared to anything else you can get anywhere and the portion was small.. the crepe suzette didn't taste good at all but I have no comparison.. just didn't seem like a good combination of ingredients and wasn't executed well. the duck confit looked good though.
i would definitely give them another shot outside of DOV especially based on the other great reviews they received on YELP. -
Review from Trevor M.
Vancouver, BC
4/22/2011
I went here when a Canucks game was on so there were maybe 2 other couples. I had the Morrocan dish which was a special for April 2011. I had the lamb/chicken/sausage couscous. Very good. We also had the Foie gras with Gnocci and Cherry sauce. This dish is devine. Highly recommended.
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Review from Khobster K.
Vancouver, BC
11/11/2011
Delicious restaurant.. cozy and warm and a great place to chat... we ordered the mussels and the quiche for the appetizeres - both were delicious - then the duck canard, pork, beef and the scallops. The scallops were by far the best of the meal - tender, tasty but slightly crunchy - cooked perfectly. Then we ordered the half baked chocolate cake which was the best way to end a great night! Great service - wonderful evening.
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Review from Paul S.
Richmond, BC
10/19/2009
I'm generally not a big fan of French food but was reluctantly attending this restaurant as part of a post work-function dinner. I was pleasantly surprised at the overall experience and left quite happy (and full). The food was delicious and the selection geared to almost any palate. I started the meal with, you guessed it, a pastis - a drink that is sure to warm up any social gathering. From there I chose a salad (las frisee et les lardon) which was composed of a perfectly poached egg on a bed of endive and mixed with bacon (Lose the leafy greens and I would have had the best bacon and eggs I've ever had). Not being much of a seafood guy, I decided next to try the coq au vin et les fettucinis...now you'll have to excuse me for a second while I get lost in the memory of eating this dish....o.k. I'm back. I was definitely too full for dessert, but that didn't stop me from punctuating the meal with an Apple Tart Tatin.
I highly recommend the place for atmosphere and great food...as long as you're ready to pay for a good meal.
Oh - did I mention that the coq au vin was unbelievable? -
Review from Mike K.
10/14/2008
a friend in the area took my sister and i here a few weeks back and the food is amazing... could hold it's own to any Bistro in Paris. prices are a little on the high side but i think OK for Vancouver - dont ask about the wine list prices, i sympathize with our neighbors to the north!
for my entree, i had the Le Canard LâOrange - Wenzel Duck Breast and Braised Leg, Pomme Dauphine, Glazed Baby Turnip, Orange Sauce... the breast had excellent flavor and texture, and i could have used a spoon for the braised leg, awesome contrast of texture & flavor from the same meat!
my appetizer was a special i can't recall the exact description, but was a delicious, creamy Ravioli w/ Apple that was just outstanding, and paired well with a 2000 Au Bon Climat Mt Carmel Chardonnay
ambiance is perfect, waitstaff and the owner were both very friendly and personable, stopping by frequently to ask how our meal was... just an all around great meal. -
Review from Monti S.
Vancouver, BC
10/4/2009
So this review may be a bit of a cheat as I got special person treatment. This review may be different if my special person crown was taken away but I really liked my crown so I am keeping it for this review.
A friend celebrated their birthday at Pastis this weekend. I must say that this friend is a pretty big to-do, big Kahuna, sort of guy in the wine world so this was not going to be a normal sit, read, order, eat situation.
We sat at a huge round table in the center of the restaurant in front of the fireplace. The space is all delightful and warm, very "french" upscale bistro. The owner, John, was on hand personally to welcome us and make us feel at home. Actually he was with us every step of our eating and drinking way and was fabulous. We were a group of 10, I wasn't familiar with everyone and if this wasn't a food review I definitely could throw in some people comments, but I digress...
Set menu, 4 courses and 9 wines. I am not sh%**ing you, NINE, thankfully we cabbed or we'd be in jail right now with a DUI. Started with tippling back a Pol Roger 1995 and a Krug 2000. I was pretty happy to go home after this and the canapes of beef tartar and smoked salmon. I don't eat beef much but the beef tartar was fantastic and tasted pleasantly delicate and herbal. Yes, weird descrip but GOOD.
Next were seared scallops paired with Corton-Charlemagne '95 and '96... not sure why we needed 2 wines for our two little scallops but a glass a scallop, sure I'm hip to this reason to drink thing. The scallops were good but not memorable as I can't even recall what they came with, truly are scallops ever really memorable? The wine was punch you in the nose memorable, like a big whiff of petrol (this is a legitimate wine description, petrol is good).
Third up was quail with sweetbreads and eggplant ravioli. I love quail, not sure what this says about me as a human that I derive pleasure from gnawing at those tiny little limbs (I would go to hell but I'm Buddhist). The sweetbreads, which I have never figured out what, where, how they exist or even what they are were exceptionally good, yum. The eggplant ravioli was a creative and unsuccessful attempt at being different. This paired with 3 wines... I am starting to see a trend, a little wine for the bird, another for the sweets and don't forget one for the aubergine. For you winos we had (and I have to abbreviate as the Europeans seem to think the longer the name the more impressed we will be), Ruffino Chianti reserve '70, that was so good and so old you had to chug it (gracefully) before it deflated. Chateau Pichon '70 and Beaucastel '79 that was way too old and rich for my minion blood I secretly passed it away under the table.
Final course was a braised lamb shank and by mere fact that everyone's plate was clean within minutes, I reserve the right to say it was a hit. Plus the lamb shank got its own 2 wines, Vosne Romanee burgundy '03 and Boschis Reserve '01. I had drank so much at this point I decline to comment.
All ended with cheese, the goat cheese was out of this world creamy and good. Sad to say I am not a big cheese person and there were at least 6 cheeses and I failed in my review of cheese. Thumbs up for the goat, the slivers of apple and the candied walnuts, paired with the one American wine, St Clement "Oroppas" '01.
The staff was attentive, the food quick, you never had to think, glasses were always full, and we closed the restaurant down. They had a full restaurant yet there was never anything out of sight or mind of the staff and owner.
Kudos to Pastis. I would go back but I have to say the playing field in this level of cuisine is high in Vancouver and there is a lot to choose from when deciding to throw $30-40 down on just your entree. Pastis is definitely old guard and the clientele showed as much. Not a young place, old school traditional French (with delicious pommes frites served with mayo).
Bon Apetit -
Review from Luisa S.
Vancouver, BC
10/1/2008 2 photos
Pastis is lovely. The dining room is understated and elegant. Light floods through the store front, giving everything a soft early morning glow. With three different kinds of Hollandaise sauce and duck confit on the brunch menu, indecision will be your only hurdle.
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Review from Chloe T.
BC
3/26/2011
I came here once for a work function many years ago and didn't think much of it. It never occurred for me to go back until just the other day. I was in the mood for something comforting and rich and after looking at their menu on the website, I was sold. The food was delicious. I had the quiche and salad to start and the sole normande for the entree. Delicious! The service faded as the evening wore on but that won't stop me from going there again.
