When I heard that Jules Bistro was closing at the end of 2023, it marked the end of its run in Gastown since 2007. I had made a visit way back 2010 and then again in 2022, which would almost bookend their years in existence. Not long after it closed, a new French restaurant, Petrichor, opened up in March 2024 in its place. French native chef/owner Luc Duval offers up a slice of Southern French cuisine in a remodelled dining space that is inviting and quaint.
We arrived in time for happy hour and decided to get some cocktails for only $10.00. Yes, that is correct, any of their cocktails are only $10.00 during happy hour! We had From Mexico with Love and the Grenoble Sour. I liked both but preferred the former as it had more pop in the form of lime, blueberry syrup and ginger beer. The sour was much more subtle and the sweetness of pineapple juice.
Also, we went for the Crab Croquettes for $15.00, also on the happy hour menu. This came in a trio of crab cakes that were topped with saffron aioli and sat on a bed of spring mix. These crab cakes were on the lighter side with an airiness inside. Hence, it wasn't exactly packed with crab, but especially for the price, there was a sufficient amount that was fluffy. Outside was uniformly crispy and the aromatics from the aioli was impactful.
Next, we had the House Brioche served with brown butter for $12.00. This featured a whole brioche charred on the grill. It had a lightly crisp exterior with some nutty smokiness from the char. On the inside, it was super fluffy and steaming warm. Presented as streaks on the plate, the whipped butter was super creamy and amplified in terms of tasting like butter. Naturally, being brown butter, it was nutty and sweet. There was minimal salt added to it, which meant the aforementioned flavours were more pronounced.
Onto the regular items, we decided to go for the Coquilles St. Jacques for $38.50. Plated with 3 whole scallops on the shell, it was dressed in its classic bechamel with carrots, leeks and bread crumbs. There was some piped potato puree on the perimeter of the shell. I thought this was prepared quite nicely as the scallop was plump and still bouncy. It was super sweet and had a concentrated scallop flavour where the brininess really came through. The bechamel was creamy with sweetness from the veggies, but could've used more salt. On the side, there was a salad and grilled herb brioche.
We also decided on the Creamy Sausage Ragu Pappardelle with sage, dijon mustard and confit onion-infused cream. This was also quite good with al dente ribbons of pasta that were not clumpy. There was enough cream sauce to keep things fluid without drowning the pasta at the same time. Flavours were rather subtle with the meatiness of the sausage being the dominant texture and taste. I could get a bit of the sweet onion as well as the background with the earthy herbal taste of sage.
Lastly, we shared the 32 oz. Dry Aged Bone-in Ribeye. We asked for this to be prepared medium (since my dining partner prefers it this way). It came out more-or-less medium with some medium-rare portions (that I personally prefer). The meat was nicely crusted and just salted enough. The meat was full of umami and a bit of mustiness due to the dry aging. Great flavour and super tender. It didn't look like a lot, but we didn't finish it.
We had a choice of 2 sides to go with the steak as well as a herb butter. Our choice of sides included the Pommes Dauphine and the Roasted Butternut Squash. Those crispy little potato pillows were so delicious. Beautifully salted, they were like a little snack. The roasted butternut squash was caramelized and sweet. They were soft, but not mushy. Overall, we enjoyed the meal at Petrichor and it did bring me back to Southern France. Only thing missing was a version of socca! The place is cute and the happy hour is a good value. Would come back.
The Good:
- Cute and quaint
- Solid eats
- Happy hour is a good value, especially the cocktails
The Bad:
- Some dishes could use more salt
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