If you are looking for an intimate place where you can sample some French cuisine, then Fleur de Sel (2015 4th st sw) might just be a good place to try. It is quite pricey – dinner prices range from $12 – $40 per dish and wine bottles from $40 – $150 – but the dishes I have tried were well worth the price. The restaurant is very small – only a few tables, so if you like your space, this is not your place. In Europe, this place would be your average neighborhood bistro. There’s not much design or luxury; there are definitely restaurants with a more appealing design in this price range (see for instance Vero Bistro in Kensington). But the food is good, the staff is friendly and the guests don’t seem to mind a bit of eavesdropping.
We started with some mussels with a creme fraiche and white wine sauce that were simply delicious ($17). I got the ahi tuna steak with vegetables ($37) and my party tried the halibut steak with roasted potatoes and veggies ($29). The tuna steak was delicious; it came with a wasabi sauce that was a delight for my tastebuds. Out waitress recommended the fresh halibut but my party was not very impressed. We usually find oceanic fish a bit bland, so if you are a halibut connaisseur, you may like it. We finished off with a capuccino ($5) and a creme brulee ($10). I was happy to see the creme brulee was rather small, because by that time I was really full. I almost felt sorry I did not order the mini-creme brulee (half price, half size), but then again, there’s never any such thing as too much creme brulee…
All in all, our bill came to $129 (including a glass of wine – $10, gst and tip).
