I recently tried out the sleek restaurant L'Abattoir in Vancouver's fashionable Gastown. Located on the site of Vancouver's first prison, L'Abattoir really captures the Gastown vibe with its brick and industrial interior. We were seated in the restaurant's lower atrium, which features exposed brick walls, a beautifully tiled floor and a long line of tables hovered by an intricate wooden light box.The cocktail menu at L'Abattoir is impressive. I opted for the Gastown swizzle, which tickled my taste for passionfruit. My friend had a drink custom-made for her, based on her specific tastes. It was nice to have this option of a specially made cocktail. The waiter even said my friend could try something else if she didn't like what the bartender made.
One good reason to try out L'Abattoir is its bread basket. Seriously, the bread selection is amazing. In a cute little basket, you get three types of homemade bread: sesame crisp, bacon brioche and anchovy twist. While all the breads were delicious, my personal favourite was the anchovy twist; it tasted like a flaky cheese twist with a refreshing bite of saltiness from the anchovy. Pure goodness.For the appetizer, my friend and I shared the special of the day: smoked duck breast with fresh and dried plums, and green leaves. The appetizer was deliciously satisfying. The strips of melt-in-your-mouth smoked duck matched perfectly with the plums -- something I never would have imagined. Some other tempting appetizers on L'Abattoir's menu include smoked sturgeon carpaccio (grapefruit, avocado, fried jalapeno), pan fried veal sweetbreads on toast (sauce gribiche with veal tongue) and soft corn polenta and a poached egg (tomato sauce, parmesan cheese, fried pigs ears). If you're a foodie, there's plenty to whet your taste buds at L'Abattoir.
The main dishes at L'Abattoir are divine. While there are only six mains to choose from, you won't be disappointed by your choice (hopefully). I opted for the pan fried filet of ling cod, which was accompanied by potato gnocchi, lettuce and truffles. There really was a medley of flavours dancing on my plate. I was impressed by the large flakes of truffle sprinkled all over the dish. The fish was nicely cooked and not overdone, and the fried gnocchi was delicious too. Even the lettuce was nicely dressed with a great flavour. If you love fish, this is a perfect main to order. My friend ordered the roast scallops with lemon marmalade, which is also highly recommended.There's a nice selection of desserts on the L'Abattoir menu. My friend and I shared the earl grey pot de creme, but neither of us were particularly blown away by it. It was a nice, light dessert to end the meal, but perhaps too light for our tastes. It was still tasty though.
Overall, L'Abattoir didn't fail to impress, and I would definitely go there again to try some more of their decadent food. The service was excellent too, which contributes to the top marks for this hip Vancouver restaurant.
L'Abattoir is located at 217 Carrall St. in Gastown, Vancouver.
