Café De Ville

Can’t say enough good things about Café De Ville — delicious food, outstanding service, beautiful patio. Seen some reviews about the décor being dated… really? Who cares, as long as it’s clean! The Crème Brulee for dessert was to DIE FOR!

Today was my wife, Sarah’s, birthday. I had attempted making a reservation at Corso 32 (well over a month ago, I might add) and failed. So I just waited until this afternoon when Sarah decided that she was craving vegetarian lasagna. So I looked on Unilocal to discover that a number of reviewers had spoken highly of the one served here. We had eaten here previously for my birthday a couple of years ago and enjoyed it, so I called to make a reservation.
And thankfully, Sarah loved her lasagna. The butternut squash added a nice amount of creaminess without any actual cream. I only managed to snag a small bite, as Sarah savoured her birthday dinner.
We also greatly enjoyed our salad, complete with apples and other sweet touches to differentiate it from every other mixed green salad out there.
I also greatly enjoyed my pork pepper pot soup, which had a nice amount of spice and tender chunks of local pork. The initial appearance wouldn’t impress your typical TV chef show judge, but the flavour delivered.
I also ordered a pizza, which wasn’t anything special crust-​wise, but I was using it more as a conduit to try the boar bacon topping, which was thickly cut, leaner and a bit meatier than non-​wild pig bacon. The pizzas are very reasonably priced at $ 12 for a base and $ 1.50 for gourmet, unique, high quality toppings. This may be the first pizza I’ve eaten topped with leeks.
Sarah was craving mashed potatoes, and Café De Ville served her a portion on the side, even though this option is not listed on the menu
Café De Ville falls in the grey area between «Yay! I’m a fan» and «Woohoo! As good as it gets!» It isn’t quite as good as it gets, but my fondness for Café de Ville exceeds a mere «Yay!»
The croissant-​like rolls served before the first course are a delicious touch. I wish more high end restaurants in town served bread before the meal.
So this is a five star review with caveats, namely:
1) The décor does not appear to have been updated since the 80s. This may also be part of its charm, as the carpeting lends itself to a quiet restaurant, which enables talking.
2) Cocktails are pricy — much moreso than the food menu, but I guess that this is where they make their margin.
3) It’s the farthest thing from hip — but this is also part of its charm. The restaurant definitely caters to an older clientele, but not at the expense of discerning younger diners. The restaurant cooks as much as it can from scratch and sources as much as it can locally.
While Café De Ville’s appearance may harken back 30 years, the menu items tend to be classics, and sometimes with updated ingredients.
Service has been great both times that we’ve dined here, but that may be due to the date we dined on — weekends may be a bit busier. Food may take some time to arrive, but when everything is made to order, this can happen. If you want to dine here before attending a play at the Roxy, I would recommend asking your server what can be prepared quickly.
I like how Café De Ville states on its website that it can cater to all sorts of dietary needs. As Sarah is a vegetarian with a goat cheese allergy, it is often challenging to find higher end restaurants with more than a few dishes that fit her dietary criteria. Goat cheese appears to be a crutch, if not a cliché for a number of high end places in this city.

Given the rave reviews and the prices perhaps my expectations were too grand but I found the service absolutely superior and the food just a bit better than average.

For Valentine’s Day, we had reservation for 9:30pm, which for some, is an unthinkable time to start a dinner. Too true, so that’s why Joe and I actually had our first dinner at his parent’s house as a «snack». Homemade Vietnamese food cannot, in any way, just be a «snack» so by the time we arrived at Café de Ville, my stomach was already half full!
We started with drinks at the bar. Our standard fare: a beer for Joe, a Caesar for me. I didn’t watch our bartender prepare my Caesar, but boy was it spicy! A little heavy on the tabasco, to which even Joe agreed, and he has a higher tolerance for heat than I do! I still deem Kelly’s Pub on 104 St as being one of the top Caesar’s I’ve ever had.
Once seated, we decided to hit the menu with a timid approach, not wanting to over order after our stint earlier that night. As a complimentary start, Café de Ville have always served a savoury croissant. Best. Thing. Ever. I keep telling my parents to come here for dinner because nothing makes them happier than a good croissant. Served up warm, I could probably just keep eating this and still be satisfied with my meal.
We ordered the baked brie to share, wrapped in puff pastry, accompanied by a strawberry coulis. I swore that I would never use this term, but I’m going to have to make an exception just this one time. This dish was divine. I can hear the giggles and smirks from foodie haters, but you won’t be laughing once you try this dish. Absolutely the best thing I had all night. The brie was nice and gooey, similar to a mozzarella and the puff pastry replaced my desire for crostinis instantaneously. With the strawberry coulis to mimic what would normally be jam condiments, this dish was yummy all around. Even Joe agreed that the dish was better than what was my favourite at Tzin’s, and this coming from a guy who thinks everything is «okay».
Joe was feeling pasta for the night and the Pescatore caught his eye. Given an option of penne or fettucine, he ordered the fettucine for direct comparison to our visit to Café Amore. A mishmash of seafood, including scallops, prawns, and mussels, all mixed in with a tomato zinfandel sauce, leeks, herbs, and capers. The couple of bites that I did have did not wow me per se, nor did it for Joe. He preferred Café Amore’s.
I ordered a second appetizer as my main entrée: the Salt Spring Island mussels, mixed in with garlic, herb, leeks, tomatoes in a chardonnary cream and served with a basket of French bread. A chef once told me to never order mussels unless in the months of «-ber», September, October, November, and December. Perhaps I should have listened. Not sure if it’s just the mussels from that area, or if they were older mussels, but I much prefer the taste of smaller mussels. Firmer, sweeter? The broth was well done though and I had plenty of bread to dip. I could barely finish my plate though and in hindsight, should have ordered the «petit» version of it. Joe wouldn’t even help me finish as he was all «mussel-​ed out» from his dish.
As I wasn’t completely satisfied with the mussels, I wanted to order dessert. An in-​house pastry chef makes ordering dessert a must. I had already eyed the dessert board when we were at the bar at the beginning of the night. They all looked exquisite! A different server brought the board to us. What bothered me the most was that she didn’t go through it as I had seen her do with the adjacent table. Just because I didn’t finish my main entrée doesn’t mean I’m not interested in the desserts. As she stood there in silence, I had to ask her what a couple of the desserts were before she said anything. We ordered the crème brûlée to share, lavender flavored for the night. I was expecting another baked brie moment where as soon as I cracked the caramelized surface, happiness would overflow and redeem the night. Yea… that did not happen. Whoever brûléed the dish, really brûléed it. Literal translation is «burnt», I get that, but this was well beyond the culinary terminology and was actually burnt. My spoon couldn’t get through it! Past the hardened barrier, which we scraped to the side to avoid the dreaded «stuck on your teeth» sensation, laid a lovely lavender cream, which by itself was delicious. Smooth, and perfectly creamy texture, and not overly sweetened. If only it was caramelized properly! As Joe said, «Less brûlée, more crème!»
Despite our main course (perhaps our own fault) and the overly brûléed dessert, our night went without a hitch. Our main server was fantastic and attentive and food service was quick. I would come back for the croissants and baked brie, hands down and the last time I was there for brunch on Sunday or a regular lunch, everything was superb. Café de Ville still remains as one of my favorite places to dine in Edmonton and I was glad I spent Valentine’s Day 2014 there. Here’s to more romantic meals in the future, and more brie!

Snobby. But great french food. High prices.
Caters to the tourist crowd as they are pretty rude with service and dont care if you come back. Lunch is always busy and once I waited two hours for my dish.
Dinner is great too. But sometimes can be empty leaving you as the only diners in the resto making it feel unpleasantly awkward. Pretty dark and cant see too much once inside.
Ive tried most of the appetizers and the baked brie in phyllo is so good. Appetizers are what this restaurant specializes in. Entrees were good too. But for the hefty price tag it better be.
Service is slow and dinner can be three hours if you have three course. Personally the service is medocre. They hide in the kitchen and barely come out. Makes you wonder whats going on back there

Just like their immediate neighbor, we always drive by Café de Ville but never give it a second thought to try dining here. Reservations were quite simple and easy given a few days prior to our dinner. Parking’s a little tricky in this area and I always settle to park at the paid Impark lot behind MEC.
The actual restaurant is quite intimate and dimly lit. The soft orange lamps give it a charming glow which you can’t help but bring you back to a different time.
A little disappointing that our host didn’t offer to hang our jackets but did so for another older couple? We weren’t at all outraged but the inconsistency was something to note.
Our waiter seemed to have tried everything and noted that the menu changes quite frequently. The menu, which is available online, didn’t offer anything ground breaking but there were some dishes that seemed interesting.
After taking our orders, we were politely offered a light and buttery pastry that was hot off the press. I was impressed with how fresh and prompt it was.
We started with a cup of the cream of broccoli soup and the seared scallops. The soup was very tasty, you can feel the butter and cream giving each other a high-​five while chest bumping the supple broccoli chunks.
Presentation of the scallops was a little confusing. The searing looked quite even but it was littered with old julien carrots. With the exception of one bite, the scallops were seared quite well and the sambucca sauce can only be distinct if you really looked for it. The balance of taste was on point but I did find them a tad oily.
Our main entrees were a vegetarian lasagna and the salmon with chutney. The salmon was actually flat on its own and I couldn’t find any hints of any flavor. However, the sweet chutney and purée that accompanies the salmon somewhat redeemed the dish. In my opinion, I did find the dish a tad boring as the salmon didn’t stand out from other restaurants. That’s not to say that it tasted bad, but it simply make itself stand out from the crowd.
I only had a couple of bites from the vegetarian lasagna and the first bite was quite extrodinary. However, the other bites I had were more on the rubbery side. I am speculating since the lasagna was fashioned in a pouch form, I most likely took a bite of the edges of the pouch which is understandable since the walls need to be thicker to retain the shape.
Overall, I think the establishment captured the romantic ambience with their choice lighting. The proximity of other customers were a little close for comfort but not unbearable. The dishes itself were fine but not too distinct to warrant an immediate recommend to friends. Including gratuity, the total bill for two came to about $ 92.00.

If you eat at Café De Ville, you must try their in house smoked salmon (the best I have had to date… and the tomato marmalade… oh my!). Very nice staff, who are knowledgeable and well mannered. We came here on Valentine‘s and were very happy that we did. We ordered the smoked salmon, the crab and lobster cakes, fruits de mer, the chicken and some sort of chocolate cake.
The fruits de mer had some wonderfully cooked shrimp, salmon & mussels. With your chose of penne or fettuccine noodles. Overall, it was very good, however I was a bit underwhelmed with the sauce being a bit bland.
My husband enjoyed his chicken very much, and as others have said the dishes are evenly spread out throughout your meal. We ate so much, but when we left we both commented on how we didn‘t feel stuffed or heavy!
The dessert was a great ending! The waitress brought out a tray with 4 or 5 different desserts, we choose the chocolate cake. It had layers of chocolate cake, chocolate mousse, ganache? I could be wrong, it was DIVINE! Perfectly done, and not overly sweet like so many chocolate desserts are done!
Very happy with our evening here, great setting for a romantic night… I cannot stop thinking about the smoked salmon!!!

A wonderful little gem of a restaurant with wonderful décor and excellent food. My husband and I arrived and started with drinks — gin and tonic for me, a single malt scotch for him — and given plenty of time to settle into our seats and enjoy our drinks before ordering. We both ordered appetizers (Thai salad and charcuterie) and main courses (stuffed chicken and duck). They were paced perfectly. We had lots of time to enjoy our appetizers before our mains and wine arrived. The pace was unhurried and we had time to thoroughly enjoy our food, drink, and conversation. Dessert was wonderful, with a selection of about seven or eight desserts to choose from. I couldn’t finish mine, but they kindly packed it up for me to take home. This is definitely one our new favourite places in the trendy 124 St. Area!

I am so very thankful that Café De Ville was open for a late lunch today…
Sure — we realized it was Remembrance Day, but even Jennie M, Queen of Unilocal Edmonton and a native no less, didn’t realize how many places would be closed for the holiday! Café De Ville was our fourth or fifth option, but it was open and the perfect place for our late ladies lunch!
Jennie went with a soup /​sandwich combo and I went with cup of soup (a curry bean soup that was divine) and the quinoa salad; It really hit the spot.
Café De Ville’s fresh baked sweet baby croissants were a fabulous treat as well, and the service from our waitress Yvonne was attentive for the most part too.
The environment at CDV is so warm and cozy that I almost didn’t want to leave after lunch to go back into the cold… or maybe that’s just me being a wuss?! Regardless, if you’re looking for a lunch spot on 124^th street, you can’t go wrong with Café De Ville!
Thanks again, CDV, for staying open on the hoilday!

124^th street has become quite the little hot spot as of late. But lest we not forget the originator of fine dinner in Glenora; Café De Ville. Many restaurants, coffee and tea houses, wine bars, cocktail lounges, diners and cafes have sprouted up over the High and Long street years, and many closed down as well, but for over a decade De Ville has survived and thrived.
It is one of my absolutely favourite go-​to lunch spots. Perfect for a group of friends, lunch with Mom and Grandma, or for a sneak away date night at a table in front of the fire. The baked brie is to die for, and I love ordering the app smoked salmon just for me, as my lunch. They have a bunch of wonderful pastas and excellent pizza, but the carbonara is crazy good. It has not 1 but 3 types of bacon; pancetta, black forest bacon and boar bacon. Yum! For a really interesting pasta try the Cran-​Buca, it has chicken, sun dried cranberries, sambucca pesto cream and pecorino. Most recently I had the cold smoked duck breast with a lemon rhubarb compote. De-​lish!
There are two more things that I absolutely adore about De Ville. First, before your meal they bring you a basket of the most amazing, straight out of the oven, baked just for you, honey glassed, baby croissants. They will blow your mind! If there are any left over (there usually is not) I will actually get a to-​go container and take them home, they are that good! Second, they have an old fashioned dessert tray that looks like it served Marie Antoinette pastries, and it is always chalked full of sinfully scrumptious desserts. Just try to pick only one!

Went for supper on a Tuesday night and it was not too busy which was nice as it doesn’t have a lot of space between tables. To start with, the mini croissant rolls drizzled with honey are worth going for all on their own! I had the Vietnamese Pork soup which was very flavorful. Had the Thai salad which sounded much better than it was… not a lot of flavor to the chicken or prawns. My husband had the curried halibut with eggplant mash and it was absolutely delicious!

Went to this restaurant: June ²²⁄₂₀₁₂
I purchased a Travelzoo Deal for 59 $ we received: 2 half salads (Spinach or Caesar), I appetizer to Share (Up to $ 15), 2 Entrees (Up to 38 $ each), 1 dessert (Up to 10 $).
For what I paid it was a delicious meal, but I think I would have been disappointed if I had paid full price.
The salad we had was Caesar and Spinach and they were nothing special, and presented very plainly.
the appetizer we chose was the mussels (actual Price $ 15) and they were delicious, especially the sauce they were cooked in, they provided bread with it and even though we knew there was a lot of meal left to go we both couldn’t resist dipping the bread and eating it all.
We both chose the filet for dinner (actual price $ 38). They were really small (especially the one I was served, my boyfriends was at least a third bigger) and covered in a cocoa demi glaze which was ok, a little too sweet and there was a lot of it. The potatoes and vegetables included were nothing special. I personally thought that for what you got this entrée was overpriced.
Dessert: we shared the Crème brule and it was very delicious.
We ordered the ice tea earlier in the meal; our waiter never brought them so eventually we just ordered wine for our mussels and entrée (We each had one glass for $ 10 each)
The décor was ok, outside was a bit of a mess, it was nice to sit outside but the tables and chairs were really old and placed somewhat haphazardly and the server was a bit slow at the beginning to take our order.
All in all it was OK, I would go back if they had another deal, or if someone else invited me to dinner there but probably not otherwise

Lovely ambiance. Good service, but our server didn’t seem to know much about wine. I think the menus could be presented better. I ordered the beef filet. It was a Southwestern style special. It would have been really good, however, there was too much bbq sauce which was too tangy and overpowered the dish.

Yesterday, in the between studying for a final, I came to Café De Ville for a late lunch. I pass by Café De Ville several times a week on my way to school, but I’d never been there.
First I have to say that I love the décor of Café De Ville. The restaurant is located in the same building that houses the Glenora Bed and Breakfast, and I know that building was built in 1910’s. So Café De Ville has a very classic, cozy, and charming look to it.
Most restaurants will bring out bread before a meal, but Café De Ville brings out croissants. Delicious savoury and yet sweet croissants that I could easily get addicted to. I ordered a flowering green tea to drink, something hot was perfect on a cold winter day. Flowering teas open up (like a blossom) in the hot water. It was served in a little French press pot, and I was a little sad when I had to plunge it down to serve the tea, just because the blossom looked so pretty. The tea is very light, and not bitter as I sometimes find green tea can be.
For a main course I ordered the bouillabaisse, a French soup made with seafood and a variety of spices, including saffron and fennel. I don’t always like fennel flavoured dishes, as they can sometimes have an over powering liquorice flavour. But this bouillabaisse was fantastic. I know ordering seafood at a restaurant in Edmonton can be a bit of a crapshoot. Sometimes you get something good, and other times you get something that makes grocery store frozen fish sticks seem gourmet. Luckily the seafood in the bouillabaisse was delicious, with prawns, scallops, mussels and salmon (not the type of fish I expected to find, but it worked really well). The dish was a perfect size, by the time I was finished I felt sated, but not stuffed.
Normally that would be the end, but I had overheard the waiter who served me tell some other patrons about the dessert menu. As soon as I heard the words crème brûlée I knew I would be ordering it. See I have this thing with crème brûlée. I’m not French. I didn’t grow up eating crème brûlée, and even when I was in France I didn’t have crème brûlée (I was sick). But for some reason I find crème brûlée to be the most delicious, and comforting dish ever, and the crème brûlée at Café De Ville was no different. I believe it was a cognac flavour, smooth, creamy, sweet — it was like heaven. A little pricey at $ 9, and not something I would normally order at lunch, but the splurge was worth it. Crème brûlée is always worth it
Service was quick and friendly, and the food was delicious. Definitely a place I wil come back to again.

Such an amazing, friendly and delicious restaurant. I got engaged after a wonderful dinner here. I live 3000 km away but when I’m back in Edmonton, this is somewhere I just need to return to.
Good:
— Super high quality ingredients with a very ‘Alberta’ feel.
— A very cozy, warm and friendly atmosphere.
— Great service.

My wife and I went there for lunch and really liked it. Its right off Jasper Ave so parking sucks, but the food is worth a trip there. The only reason I dont give it 5 stars is becuase the restaurant itself is small so I found it a bit squished and I would recommend making a reservation (its super easy on their website) because if it’s full, you wont get in. Their house-​made iced tea is good and the ceasar salad is awesome. I had the Sauvage (pasta with meatballs) and it was really really good, and my wife had the Carbonara (slightly spicy pasta with boar bacon), which she really liked. Everything is freshly made and the chef definately knows what he/​she is doing.

I’ve had brunch at De Ville a few times. Though the room looks somewhat dated — the upholstery appears ancient — and the room is far from modern, the food is quite good, and the staff and great.
Definitely try the eggs benedict here, and if you have a large appetite don’t miss the banana bread. I don’t know what the hell they do to it, but it’s probably the best banana bread I’ve ever tasted.
De Ville’s not amazing, but it’s pretty good. I’d go back and give it another try!

The service and the food is some of the very best in Edmonton :)

Yesterday, my hubby and I decided to revisit Café De Ville because we wanted to take advantage of the last tendrils of summer weather on a patio. We also wanted to see if the food and service was still as GREAT as we remember on our wedding day: Café De Ville had gone above and beyond accommodating my small wedding party almost at last minute (I semi-​eloped) by accepting our reservation despite the fact they don’t take any on Sundays.
I think we found the BEST patio in Edmonton!
It’s kind of closed in, blocking the traffic, but the plants, trellises, and brick building just made it look soooo European! It was so lovely to have birds chirping in and out of the place.
The menu is also European-​inspired, it seems, but with all proudly locally sourced ingredients. Their «bread basket» to start with is warm, homemade croissants with a sprinkling of cinnamon — to die for! I’ll take croissants over regular buns any day!
I ordered the Seafood Thermidor, which in short is a mix of seafood in a white wine cream sauce served in a giant clam shell over basmatti rice and some side veggies. My husband decided to be less fancy, but was craving the smoked meat sandwich with caramelized onions and a side salad.
Food = Fabulous. Prepared very well, portioned just right — not too small, which I find an issue with higher-​priced restos. They also are very proud of their head chef, whose mug is prominently at the entrance, proclaiming his achievements as one of the top contenders in culinary competitions.
Service = Sweet and personable. Our waitress was attentive without hovering, and also conversed briefly with us about our mutual love of Duchess Bakery.
I feel like this place should be busier than it seemed when we dropped by. This place is a GEM in Edmonton, folks. Must-​go!

If you’re looking for a restaurant offering an intimate experience, look no further. Café De Ville offers a pleasant dining experience in a cozy atmosphere. Whether it’s a family supper or a «just desserts» evening, this restaurant will not disappoint.
If you come here at night, the close proximity of the chairs and the dim lighting create a very inviting ambiance. The restaurant is upscale, but the service and food quality justify their higher prices. The waitress was courteous and I never felt rushed with my order.
Their duck confit is amazing. The duck is very tender and the sauce (5-​spice, honey, ginger, shallot, soy, garlic chili glaze) is sweet but does not take away from the overall taste. I’ve also had good experiences with their halibut– it may just be one of the finest cooked fishes in Edmonton.
I enjoy how they present every dessert item on a tray… makes me wish I had a second stomach to digest all their desserts. I have been known to just come here for their desserts. If you can get past their high prices (although there are much more expensive places in Edmonton), Café De Ville will not disappoint whatever you’re in the mood for.