Left Bank
751 Denman
Open seven days a week
Monday - Friday: Open from 11:30am (lunch, dinner, and bar menu)
Saturday, Sunday, and Holidays: From 10am (brunch, dinner)
LeftBankVancouver.com
Restauranteur John Blakely (former manager of Diva at the Met and current owner of Bistro Pastis) has teamed up with executive chef Spencer Watts (Bistro Pastis, and former City TV Master Chef winner) to bring French cuisine "kissed by the colonies" to the West End.
The Denman Street address has long been associated with fine French food as the former home of Le Bistro du Paris. After more than 30 years at that location, Blakely closed the West End fixture two years ago and opened Le Parisien in its place, continuing its tradition of classic French fare.
However, a mere rebrand was not enough to grab the attention of West End noshers, and with Left Bank, Blakely hopes to change that.
"We want to offer an affordable, casual, relaxed experience," says Blakely. "This is what the West End needs."
While the menu is still decidedly French, chef Watts has brought a myriad of influences drawn not only from the North African French colonies, but from the largely Asian neighbourhood in which the restaurant is situated.
The menu features a variety of French fusion dishes, such as duck confit tempura, steak frites with Szechuan peppercorn sauce, roasted pork belly with soba noodle, steamed mussels with red curry, and sockeye with lemongrass cream and lyonnaise potato.
The menu offers a lot for a little with appetizers all under $15, mains under $22, and desserts under $10.
Left Bank's interior features a clean and simple design with a casual, unpretentious atmosphere. The floor to ceiling windows at the front of the restaurant make for great people-watching along one of Vancouver's busiest streets. Left Bank's laneway patio – built around a fairy-lit red alder tree – is the perfect place to kill an hour or three.
The licensed patio is the first of its kind in Vancouver, and took more than a year and a half to get approval from the City.
Restaurant manager Guillaume Cagna's extensive cocktail list and the kitchen's bar menu are sure to draw walk-ins looking for a drink and a nibble.
Left Bank opened quietly two weeks ago, but the neighbourhood is already taking note.
"We were packed last night, which for a Tuesday, is fantastic," said Blakely. "I think the West End is hungry for something new."
Left Bank is located at 751 Denman.
Left Bank's licensed laneway patio is the first of its kind in the city.
Left Bank's interior.
Left Bank's interior.
Executive chef Spencer Watts.
Restaurant manager Guillaume Cagna whips up a dark and stormy made with fresh ginger.
Spicy albacore tuna cone with mango aioli and tempura crunch.
Sticky pork ribs with crushed cashews, spicy mayo, and thai basil.
Lamb tartare with charamoundi spiced cauliflower and mint pesto.
Crispy crab roll with potato salad, grapefruit emulsion, and dill powder.
Roasted pork belly with truffle dashi broth, soba noodle, and snap pea salad.
Sockeye salmon with lyonnaise potato, lemongrass cream, and summer peas.
Five-spiced duck confit tempura with du puy lentil cassolet, wilted greens, and orange viniagrette.
