L’Abattoir is located in the center of Gastown between historic Gaoler’s Mews and Blood Alley. The restaurant is known for French influenced West Coast fare with an inspired cocktail list. It is one of my favourite restaurants in Vancouver for dinner and for brunch.
I’ve never tried their Dine Out before, so I decided to see if it stacks up against their regular service. For the Dine Out season, L’Abattoir is offering a $45 set dinner menu. Please note that they are not offering their regular menu for the Dine Out period.
L’Abattoir has created a speciality cocktail just for Dine Out. It is a deceptively strong drink! It’s a very pretty pink colour and drinks very easily. I would definitely get this again, but my favourite is still their Gastown Swizzle!
This was Q’s choice for appetizer. I had a piece and it was fresh, but a bit chewy, as there was quite a bit of connective tissue in the piece that I tried. The flavours were bright and didn’t overwhelm the delicate flavour of the tuna.
This was my choice for my appetizer. All the components were executed well, and I really liked the cauliflower, but this ate more like a garnish. I could finish this salad in three bites.
This was my choice for main. I love lamb and I was really excited to see this as the meat option on the menu. Again, the flavours were good. I personally could have done without the date puree, but that’s just a personal preference as I didn’t feel it added anything to the dish.
Unfortunately for me the piece of lamb I got was extremely fatty and therefore unpalatable (for me). And continuing with the theme, the portion size was very small. I could place the entire main course in the palm of my hand, with space to spare.
This was Q’s choice and she seemed pleased with it. I tried some of the Arctic Char and it was perfectly cooked. The skin was crispy and the fish was delicate and flakey. The portion size seemed larger than the lamb, so I would suggest this entree in terms of value.
I chose the Honey Cake for my dessert and this was my favourite course of the night (besides the bread). The dessert wasn’t too sweet and all the components worked so well together. The bitterness of the matcha paired well with the sour lemon curd. The dish was beautifully presented and I hope they add it to their permanent menu.
This was Q’s choice for dessert. I had a taste of the ganache (because I cannot eat bananas), and the chocolate was rich and thick without being too cloying. There was a strong passionfruit taste and it worked well with the chocolate. This was another standout dish for me.
Overall, I would not do the Dine Out menu again. I understand that at $45 that is a steep discount from their regular menu prices. However, I was still hungry after dinner, and because they weren’t offering their regular menu, I wasn’t able to supplement the meal. The portions were bordering on microscopic, and quite frankly I was tempted to add more bread ($3 additional charge), just to feel more full.
This is not a criticism of the taste of the food, as that was on point. The food execution was as excellent as it always is. It’s just unfortunate that the portion sizes left a lot to be desired.
