Jules Casual French Bistro - Vancouver

Jules Bistro is tucked in the heart of Gastown in Vancouver. Among many fancy establishments, it was nice to see a casual French restaurant. The decor decor had rustic charm, and the staff was overall friendly and professional. For dinner, we decided to go with the value option – two course meal for $29.

What a charming looking bistro this is. The dining room had aged brown wood and dimmed lighting from ornate chandeliers, it was Brooklyn meets Paris.<br/ <br/ Our appetizers consisted of french onion soup and a country paté and we were happy with the flavour of both dishes. Onion soup wasn't overly cheesy like other establishments, it could have been a bit hotter but was still delicious. Surprisingly, the paté was quite large for an appetizer. My wife really enjoyed the paté and the accompaniments of cherry compote, balsamic, hot mustard, and pickles.<br/ <br/ My main was the lamb shank with couscous and my wife had the duck confit served on salad. The lamb was flavourful and tender. The couscous was cooked perfectly. I just thought the sauce was on the salty side. Presentation for me was just too dark. Not much of a contrast on the plate. I also ordered a side of mushroom that also added more darkness to my plate. The duck leg was nicely cooked, crispy skin and juicy meat. But my wife said she found the dish on the whole overly rich and salty because of the creamy dressing and prosciutto in the salad. A vinaigrette would've brightened the dish and the prosciutto wasn't necessary.<br/ <br/ We ended dinner on a high note with a sour cherry clafoutis. A clafoutis is a classic French dessert that is a cross between a custard and cake, traditionally made with cherries. It was served warm with a scoop of buttermilk sorbet. There were plenty of cherries and the baked custard was nearly the perfect texture.<br/ <br/ The restaurant would be rated at 3.5 stars in my opinion. I rounded up due to the generous portions (always a plus), professional service, and having clafoutis on the menu. Not enough restaurants offer it.<br/ <br/ Will definitely come back.

I absolutely love the atmosphere here. It really does feel like you've stepped into a restaurant in France. It's classic cozy heritage dining. I also liked how the menus was small and well executed. There was enough options for varying tastes, but every dish we had was great. The steak was cooked to a perfect medium rare, which is rare in Vancouver, lol. The gravy was rich, but not over powering. The fish was simple and delicious. I will definitely come back for their dinner menu. Only off part of our experience was the servers attire. I swear she was wearing pajamas. While friendly, it was just unprofessional.

Cane here couple of times for French food. First time, the food was exceptional. I ordered the duck in cranberry sauce and chocolate cake. The duck dish is special dish of the night and it was excellent and absolutely delicious. The second time we went there, we ordered duck dish, salmon, escargot and tiramisu. The duck confit is bit bland and needs more seasoning but the escargot and tiramisu were good. The bonus was the handsome waiter who waited our table and he was courteous. Tried not to stare but can't help it. I hadn't have any bad experience going there and overall I enjoy the food there.

I rushed in a bit behind for a friend's birthday dinner. The service was very professional, even though I was plainly dressed. I had the bistro salad chicken. It was served slightly warm, which really brought out the flavour of the cherry tomatoes while still allowing the chicken breast to have a subtle presence. This would make a perfect lunch meal. The ambiance and service encouraged relaxed conversation. I will return for brunch soon.