Normally, when I go out for fine dining, there are certain expressions and adjectives I use to describe my meal. There are the usual comments such as it was delicious, elegant or Filet-O-Fish meal. Wait a minute, Filet-O-Fish as in the McDonald's sandwich? Correct. When I get a plate of food that has the portion size only fit for a 5-year old, it becomes a Filet-O-Fish meal. I am so hungry afterwords, I need to go grab a Filet-O-Fish at the McDonald's drive-thru! One time, I had a halibut dish at Fennie's and it was literally a piece of fish the size of a saltine cracker resting on a dollop of cauliflower puree. I think I needed 2
Upon entering the restaurant, we were impressed with the quaint and cozy dining space. The warm colours and the tasteful decor really helped set the mood and atmosphere. The wait staff were extremely friendly and professional. We were never left with an empty glass and they were attentive to our requests. We really didn't have to look at the menu since we had our hearts set on the set menu. I choose the French Tradition which included a Salade Frisee aux Lardons, Steak Frites and Creme Caramel. Miss Y had the
Miss Y's appetizer was comprised of an Olive Tapenade, Creamed Cod Puree and Garlic Anchovy dip. This was served with croutons, celery and beets. The tapenade was quite flavourful and it went well with the complimentary bread. The cod puree was quite light tasting and textured. As expected, the anchovy dip was salty and went best with the croutons. The Salade Frisee
The lamb stew had a very pronounced red wine flavour which was rich and deep flavoured. Despite this, it was not overwhelming and each individual ingredient stood out on it's own. Although the lamb was tender, I thought some pieces were a bit dry. My steak frites was
The chocolate mousse was really rich, in both texture and taste. The dark chocolate flavour was apparent in each creamy spoonful. This was an extremely decadent mousse which was deep in
Upon finishing our meal, we couldn't believe the quality, quantity and presentation of the food for the price. I was impressed at Mistral's delicate presentation and execution of its dishes. Moreover, the ambiance was unmistakably French. It is definitely a cut above Les Faux Bourgeios and Salade de Fruits. As for my Filet-O-Fish, I will take a rain check for that this time, I was too full to even eat a fish stick.
The Good:
- Carefully prepared food
- Good portions at reasonable prices
- Beautifully decorated dining space
- Friendly and attentive staff
The Bad:
- Parking is a bit hard to find
- I didn't have room for a Filet-O-Fish afterwords (what can I say, I love Filet-O-Fish!)
Mistral French Bistro
2585 West Broadway
Vancouver, B.C.
604-733-0046
www.mistralbistro.ca
7 comments:
I think you will have a bit of explaining with that part of "I didn't have room for a Filet-O-Fish afterwords" as a "bad"... ^_^
LOL Kim... I love Filet-O-Fish!!!
Mistral is one of my favourite French spots around the city...my favourite dish there is veal blanchette (i'm drooling just thinking about it), and their waffles are actually my favourite in Vancouver (not as good as Patisserie Lebeau but totally better than Cafe Medina)
This restaurant used to be in West Van serving excellent food w/ reasonable prices as well and they moved here several years ago. However, when they first moved here, both the food and service were disappointing, so I'm glad they seem to have improved. I might manage to convince myself to give it another try.
I had the chocolate mousse when I was here too and it was delicious! Yours looked better presented than mine though but perhaps that was because I went during dine out. :)
Your post has just made me put Mistral on my wishlist. A great review!
I love Mistral! One of the best French bistros in town for sure. Inexpensive too!
Post a Comment