Whenever I miss Paris, I slip down to Vancouver’s Gastown for a visit to Jules Bistro. Cozy, warm and casually elegant, Jules is like a page from your favourite turn of the century Parisian novel (you read turn of the century Parisian novels, right?).

A Piano Soundtrack

My favourite nights to have dinner at Jules Bistro are Friday and Saturdays, when a pianist takes to the corner piano—snuggled in tightly beside tables—starting at about 8pm.

Music fills the air as friendly servers tempt you with nightly specials and chat casually while tending to the bustling atmosphere. It’s best to arrive early to get a table on these busy nights, but I have never felt rushed after sitting down.

Moules Frites and Creme Brulee

What says French bistro fare better than moules frites (steamed mussels in white wine with garlic, parsley, and French fries)? I find it nearly impossible not to order it on every visit, but I can also recommend the goat cheese salad with roasted red peppers and balsamic glaze dressing ($9), French onion soup ($8) and the duck confit with frisee salad, bacon and roasted pine nuts ($18). (My friend James says the duck is magnifique!)

Though the menu is well priced for the quality of cuisine served, you can get an even better deal by ordering the lunch or dinner special: a mixed green salad, steak or salmon with fries, and chocolate terrine ($23 at lunch and $25 at dinner). From 2:30pm to 5:30pm, there’s also a special afternoon menu with pizza ($10), croquet-monsieur with fries or salad ($11/$13) and country style pâté with grape chutney ($9).

Creme Brulee ($7) is a must for dessert but, if you have a hankering for chocolate, the melting chocolate cake with caramel sauce and vanilla ice cream ($7) will leave you staggering (in a good way, of course).

Finishing Touches

While all this food is being consumed, make sure to look around. Exposed brick walls, a jet black ceiling, chandeliers dripping with crystals, and an original black and white tiled floor completes a stylish room full of old world charm.

The end of your meal comes with a twist, along with your bill you also receive a vintage postcard, complete with a personal letter on the back from someone’s travels (picked up from the Vancouver Flea Market). I have one from Hot Springs, Virginia addressed to Kathy and Paul, with a stamp from the 1984 Olympic Games. And why not?

Photos by Lori Henry