On a mobile device? Try our mobile site, optimized for faster browsing.
Real People. Real Reviews.®
Loading...
An AMAZING welcome to Vancouver. We opted to sit outside to enjoy the beautiful weather. Our server was very prompt and friendly, even in spite of our seating decision, coming back to check on us every few minutes. The complementary salmon quiche was delicious and a perfect starter. The onion pie appetizer was a perfect size for the three of us to share.
I ordered the lamb shank, my boyfriend the seared halibut? and our friend the halibut atop pasta, with two shrimp tempura. The lamb shank was an extremely large portion, with a gigantic lamb shank accompanied by gnocci (yum), which I wasn't able to finish. The other two dishes were also delicious and very delicately made.
For closing, the complementary palate cleanser of a scoop of pear sorbet was divine; we were also given chocolate crocodiles, which I didn't try as I felt the sorbet was a perfect closing.
Listed in: Out and About Vancouver, eh?
The restaurant wasn't what I imagined it to be. More open and bright, the tables were so close together and not much ambiance. The service was ok. Where they lacked in service, they made up for in food.
For starter, I tried to bone marrow. (I've always wanted to try it after watching people eat it on iron chef) It was too fatty for my liking, but I can totally appreciate why people would love it. The flavors were simple and it was well seasoned with garlic and truffle oil. For my main course, I had the froie gras with duck breast. OMG.. so tasty,the best froie gras and duck I've ever had. It was surprisingly a large entree and I was only able to finish half of it. For dessert we had the souffle which was finished off with grand marnier cream. *drool* That followed by an espresso and the crocodile chocolates made me one happy girl.
*Visiting from Seattle*
This place came in as a recommendation from a tour guide pamphlet book that was thrown on our table at our hotel room. Not that there are so many options for French food in vancouver...we decided on Le Crocodile after reading the 'Voted on Vogue 2008' section. It certainly added value, knowing our decision is somewhat safe.
Prompt service, delectable dish, amazing specials for the main dish. I enjoyed the tenderloin w pepper, and another friend had the Angus beef both medium rare. It wasn't the best tenderloin I ever had--but, I was content. Perhaps a too strong flavor of pepper, overkilling the juice of beef? Appetizer was treated as the 'compliments from the chef', and also a mango sorbet before our crepes were served. Great selection of all kinds of wine to compliment our tender meats.
Service from our waiter was an added extra that made our hearts warm and made our nights a very welcoming one. He had a very proper manner, a very easy way about handling his job the most enjoyable way. Definitely not a waiter that apparently hates his job where a customer can see straight through his pains. I believe overall, their service actually won me over, more than the food plates itself.
This is not only our favorite french restaurant in the city but our favorite overall! Everything on the menu is great. Most notably we love the steak tartar, bone marrow, and lamb. Great service as well. A little on the expensive side but well worth it!
The wife's b-day fell while we were in Vancouver so using Yelp and other sources I decided this was likely to be the best restaurant in Vancouver. I think I was right.
Is it cheap? Hell no.
Is the food fantastic? Hell yes.
I had escargot and sweetbreads. Wife had a lobster and scallop salad and a halibut special. We split a pear tart for dessert. All in all, I would dare say it was the best meal I've had in years. Not only that but the service was attentive and knowledgeable (picked out a great wine for me) without being intrusive or pretentious. Our waiter was actually hilarious. Thanks Le Crocodile, it was a birthday to remember.
3 1/2 stars
The service was exceptional. Our waiter was able to tell us everything about our entrees and was always there to pour more water, wine or get us anything else we needed. The Somalia was wonderful as well and recommended a great pairing to our meal.
The food was good as well but not great. Considering this is suppose to be another redition of a fabulous French restaurant in France I was a little dissappointed. I've had better French food and it's definitely is not up to par with Rovers in Seattle or The French Laundry in Napa.
The prices are quite reasonable so I guess you pay for what you get.
We went for a birthday dinner while visiting Vancouver last week. The food was delicious and our waiter was super cute and totally not pretentious. The portions were generous-- especially surprising for a French restaurant. The truffle foie gras tart amuse bouche, shoestring fries, pear sorbet palate cleanser, and chocolate crocodiles, although not perfectly tempered, (all on the house) were very nice touches.
We came here for lunch on our last day in Vancouver. It's a very cute French restaurant and had great service from the wait staff.
I had the lobster bisque for a starter and it had great flavor. The chef gave us a freebie amuse bouche which was a duck quiche. That was delicious! For my entree I had the seabass, which smelled kinda fishy, but didn't taste fishy. It was very tender and moist and so soft that it basically fell apart when you touch your fork to it. Yummy!
For desserts, we had the Tarte aux Pomme a l'Alsacienne which is warm alsatian styled apple tart with vanilla ice cream. Never had an apple tart this way and it was very unique and still delicious. We also had the Gateau au Chocolat Moelleux, which is warm soft chocolate cake with an orange reduction & nougatine ice cream. I'm not big on the orangey flavor with chocolate. So it was just ok for me.
They gave us cute chocolates (milk and dark) in the shape of crocodiles after.
Didn't try the wine since I'm not a big fan of drinking midday. Walking around town flaming red is probably not ideal. :)
Must try if you're in the area and want to check out a nice French restaurant! :0
Our favourite regular French restaurant in Vancouver.
Good service, consistent food.
Rack of lamb is very well made with lots of sauce on the plate, chocolate profiteroles quite delicious.
Tomato gin soup often overlooked, other classics include the onion tart and the duck liver terrine.
Very reliable, beats the many trendy to-be-seen new places in town any day.
I reserved a table for two for our 10th anniversary. We had cocktails - Tanqueray/tonic in perfect balance and a martini smoother than any I've ever had. We started with Kusshi oysters on the half shell and escargot. Oysters were fresh, clean, and perfect. Escargot was served in a pastry-type open shell and in the traditional butter sauce. Yum!
I had a grilled asparagus salad. Very good but not exciting. Entrees were duck breast with pan-seared foie gras and sweetbreads. The best foie gras I have had! Melted in my mouth. My husband loved the sweetbreads even though he had never had them before. He's very adventurous. Dessert was creme brûlée a l'orange and a cheese plate. They even wrote Happy Anniversary on the plate! The perfect end to a perfect meal!
Definitely one of the top French restaurants in Vancouver.
Service was amazing here.. they are very attentive.. refill your water regularly.. they fold your napkin.. clean your tabletop between courses.. even this very good looking french woman in a business suit (manager?) came by a few times to make sure everything was great.
Ordered a half litre of Red (Bordeaux) which was really good and complimented the meal well.
To start, we had frogs' legs and a plate of seared foie gras that came with quail. Both outstanding as a first course.. I had never had frogs' legs before and I figured I'd start at the 'best' place and I was not disappointed. They were succulent and the sauce was really good too. The foie gras and quail were also delicious.
For entrees we had the veal chop and a seafood angel hair pasta.. the veal was tender and you get a very large portion.. the sauce used for the pasta was incredibly creamy and a sensation on the tastebuds.
Important to note: the portions for all the menu items were very sizeable.. this is NOT one of those fancy restaurants where you pay an arm and a leg and end up with miniscule portions. You actually leave full and satisfied.
Bonus: we received 2 complimentary dishes from the Chef.. i have read this on other reviews and believe it to be a fairly regular occurence.. the comp dishes were awesome as well.. a goat cheese tart.. and a pear sorbet at the end.
We also had ordered dessert to share.. chocolate crepes.. they weren't completely what i had expected as i've had chocolate crepes in Paris which were to die for.. these were not bad and an interesting take on them.. they used chocolate mousse instead of sauce which was still good.
They bring out the bill with mini chocolate crocodiles.. a very nice touch. Total bill for all of the above for 2 people = $200.. but incredibly worth every penny. Would recommend this to anyone that wants a superb french culinary experience. Make sure you make reservations (they were busy even on a Tuesday).
I really enjoyed my dinner here. The service was really awesome - everyone was super friendly and gave great suggestions. The Ambiance was nice too.
And the food -
Bone Marrow - amazing. Very Juicy with a great flavor.
Duck foie gras - some of the best I've ever had. The bread kept coming too!
Frog Legs - great sauce and flavor.
Avocado, Tomato salad with crab - delicious and refreshing.
It's a must if you are visiting Vancouver and love French food!
My first time dining alone in an upscale restaurant, and La Crocadile broke me in gently.
This place came highly recommended from a local friend, and when my hotel made the reservation, they also spoke very highly of it. And with it comes a price- my dinner bill exceeded $100.
Well worth the experience, from the foie gras appetizer complimented with a scallop and cantaloupe that my French waiter recommended, paired with a sweet white wine, to the extras like the pine nut tart and apple calvados sorbet compliments of the chef, to the fresh pasta (not sure if they made it there) with lobster finished with the pear tart with caramel and vanilla ice cream. And with your check - both dark and milk chocolate crocodiles... mmm. Maybe those are meant to soften the blow of the bill...
Excellent service; my every need was tended to. Couldn't ask for more, except maybe a personal trainer for the 2 hours at the gym necessary after eating such an extravagant meal.
I'm from Maine, and read about Le Crocodile in a Vancouver guide book which mentioend they served frog legs. I LOVE trying new foods, so I went there with my native Vancouver friend.
We were not dissappointed. We called about 20 mins before we arrived on a Saturday night and had no trouble being seated.
Service was great. The valet opened the door, hostess pushed my chair in for me and placed the napkin on my lap.
I had the avocado, tomato, crab salad which was so fresh and delicious. My friend had the goat cheese salad which I tasted and was scrumptous!
I loved the frog legs and my friend ordered duck foie gras and quail, also great. The chef provided a mini caribou and wild mushroom appetizer. He also provided a scope of sorbet with some liquor.
5 stars :) but be prepared to have a relaxed, longer than usual meal.
Delicious French Food! Service was really good, they are very attentive to your needs. I love the waiter's accents. A very nice cozy restaurant. It was a Saturday night and we didn't have any reservations. They were able to accomodate 7 girls at the very last minute with no wait. At the end of the meal, they gave complimentary chocolates that were in the shape of crocodiles. This definitely made a lasting impression.
The wait for our food wasn't too long. But my one complaint would be parking. It was difficult to find parking on the street on busy Saturday night on Burrard Street.
Tres bien! Le Crocodile offers exceptional food, service, wine, port, ambience...you name it, it's a top 3 for me. Le Crocodile has remained a top tier restaurant for 2 decades. In a business where 5% of new restaurants are still around after 5 years, this might be the best review going.
Bon manger mon amis!
Contrary to its name, which can be rather offputting (at least for me), this place does not serve crocodile meats. What it does serve is one of the better French food this side of the continent. And outstanding service.
Let me begin.
In a city of great culinary delights (let's face it *getting ready to dodge bullet* - the food IS better in Vancouver than it is in the Bay Area.), Le Crocodile stands out as being one of the famous spots for high-end feasts.
The interior is deceivingly modest and understated - little white linen-covered tables flanked by two wooden chairs indicated that this restaurant must be popular amongst guys who are out to impress their (respective) ladies.
Once seated, the ever-attentive server presented us with a menu so extensive and mouthwatering I was having a hard time deciding if I wanted the braised lamb shank or roasted rack of lamb for my entree. While the lamb shank prevailed, I was pretty sure the roasted rack of lamb would have been just as satisfying.
The process of choosing appetizer was a bit easier... what better place on earth to have salmon than Vancouver BC? So we ordered salmon cooked three different ways (tartar, candied, and smoked), as recommended by our waiter, which was a slam-dunk winner for the entire night.
Sure - it came with a price. The damage report showed a total of $250 for two.
Boy, was I glad I am on an expense account.
Listed in: Vancouver on an expense…
Went there for my birthday lunch today. Made a last minute reservation and arrived to find ourselves seated by the corner (window) niche. It was 1pm and we probably missed the busy lunch hour.
We had 2 servers and both were great.
We ordered the tempera shrimp salad and the goat cheese salad with plans of sharing. Despite finding a single curly hair on the goat cheese atop the greens, I wasn't too put off. Usually, I would've charged out of there (and probably making a scene along the way) but I guess I was a bit subdued because I was still recovering from my weekend trip to Seattle.
I guess the tempera shrimp looked so good that I overlooked the hair on the other salad. We declined a replacement though, suspecting that they would just re-arrange the cheese and bring out the same plate.
The entrée was not as yummy as the salad. We both had the mixed grilled halibut, salmon and shrimp with the saffron sauce. The shrimp was delicious, halibut tender and the salmon over-cooked. It came with black liniguini which wasn't too flavourful.
Because our meter was up, we forgo the dessert. I guess they were embarrassed by the hair and insisted on bringing us sorbet with some kind of volka while we were paying.
I can't believe I'm thinking this but I may consider giving it another try...maybe in a year.
I still think Mistral Bistro on Broadway is better.
Now this really depends if you're a fine diner or not. I'm not what you would call a particularly wealthy guy, but I do enjoy a good meal. I have been to Le Crocodile three times in my life so far, but it won't be the last time. Number one, even though their staff changes, their service has always been helpful and professional the moment you walk through the door.
It's highly recommended that you make reservations just in case. Their staff is experienced and friendly. They have an air of sophistication with great humour, a very difficult mix.
Not all dishes are going to be WOW experiences, but I can say that I've never had a bad dish in my life there. I tried their rack of lamb, and it was one of those moments that made me pause and I had to take a moment to enjoy the taste. It's like seeing a breathless view....good food will leave me breathless.
I'm not too sure about the wine and alcohol. I generally stay away from that stuff...but if you're ever looking for a classy place, great abmience, where food is fresh and mostly made in house, interesting compliments of food...this is a great place.
And if you happen to speak French fluently...you won't feel alone!
I've lived in Vancouver for seven years now and this was my first visit to the now 20+ year old veteran and staple of this city's culinary scene. I must admit - I went in with very high expectations of a restaurant that can last over two decades in a a tough market like Vancouver's.
Overall, the meal was a great experience and the food speaks for itself. I started with a wild mushroom salad (fresh chanterelles sauteed in butter served over a frisee salad) which was to die for. My girlfriend started with a fresh dungeness crab cake. This is a french restaurant so have no delusions, the sauces are delicious but undeniably rich. I finished with a grilled prime rib with bernaise sauce and she had a grilled angus beef tenderloin topped with foie gras. Both were divine and cooked to perfection. It's amazing how many restaurants (even those that claim to be top tier) can't seem to consistently cook meat to the requested doneness. Both steaks had a perfect crust with an impeccably even center, and the quality of the beef was second to none.
The reason I'm docking a star for my rating was that we found the service to be a bit inconsistent.
The valet at the front door was very prompt and attentive, opening the door of our cab the instant it arrived.
The hostess however (apparently 3 weeks new) left much to be desired. Not one smile from the time we were greeted to the moment we were sat. She did not ask to take my girlfriend's coat. She gave my her a judgemental look as she adjusted her dress. Her presentation probably wouldn't be acceptable even if she worked as a hostess at Earl's. She was thoroughly unprofessional and the restaurant should reassess her attitude should she remain employed there. The hostess is essentially the first and last person anyone encounters when arriving or leaving and can make quite an impression - they should be welcoming, cheerful and attentive from start to finish.
Our server was attentive and helpful and made up for the sour taste in our mouth left by our grumpy greeter. Bread however wasn't brought until we were well into our starters, which I suppose would fall under the runner's responsibilities.
In the end, the bottom line is that we will return (for the food at the very least).
This is a truly lovely French restaurant, with 5 star plus service ... but a major downside in their wine pricing. Their wine list is nice, heavy on French wines, but the markup is shocking- and I am not easily shocked.
I will definitely go again, but next time I'm calling first and bring my own bottle ... pretty much whatever the corkage fees are, it will still be a deal.
Big time wow! When I got married in 1984, we had our wedding dinner here - yes folks - in the Old Location! I recently went for a family visit back to Vancouver and we had a family night out with dinner at Le Crocodile. We were a party of eight and it was absolutely spectacular. From the Foie Gras to the tableside Dover Sole - just gorgeous, perfectly prepared food. My family is a family of foodies, and on the occasions that we do get together, we still reminisce over this amazing dinner. I can't wait to return!
Neighborhood: South Cambie
Neighborhood: Kitsilano
Neighborhood: Downtown
Neighborhood: Downtown
Neighborhood: West End
Canada's rendition of San Francisco is pretty…
Stressful job with 80-hour work-weeks does have…
