Trafalgars Bistro

Our most favourite restaurant for over 20 years! A restaurant is judged by its chef and manager and both of these are fab! The caesar salad is a delicious standby as is the moules et frites. The organic foods and wine are just another delicious addition

Took my boyfriend here for his birthday. It was quiet for a Wednesday night and the host/​server allowed us to sit anywhere we pleased.
We started off with a bottle of their daily featured wine which is not on their wine menu. Forgot the name but it’s BC made and paired quite well with what we had.
We shared the pistachio pâté which was smooth and creamy. The taste reminds me of vietnamese sub when you get cold cut sandwhich, which I love so much. The pistachio added a great texture to the pâté. It was soooo good with the crostini and the complimentary warm slices of baguette. When I visit again I’m def ordering this.
For the main we got the daily pasta and the beef shortribs. Both are quiet good and visually appealing. Obviously, we had the end the night with one of their famous desserts, caramel walnut mousse cake. Not too heavy but a little bit sweeter than we like.
Overall it was a good experience: service, food, ambience. It’s not a cheap place to take someone here on a date but if there’s a special occasion you won’t be disappointed coming here.

I wish I didn’t have to write this review but I do want others to learn from my experience so they can avoid the same disappointment. I chose this restaurant to celebrate a special birthday and reunion — when I called in advance to ask about accommodating a large party with several young children and menu options due to special needs, they couldn’t have been more gracious and hospitable. They could definitely do it and assured us they had lots of experience with large parties and lots of kids. They even customized a lovely menu for us at their own request (restricting the menu to select options would help them streamline our orders and avoid any delays in serving our meal, they said).
This is a local neighborhood restaurant. It has a cozy ambience. We were there early — we had purposely scheduled an earlier time due to the size of our party plus kids — so we were the second table seated. Things went well at first, our soups and appetizers came out at a reasonable time. But as the restaurant filled up, service really started to slip.
We waited almost TWO hours for our entrees. Several tables who came after us were served before us. When we inquired about it, the waitress basically said it was our fault due to what we ordered — which was a joke because we ordered off a customized «streamlined» menu that they knew about over a week in advance, and I had mentioned several times on the phone that our party would likely order more of one particular dish.
Over the course of the evening, we noticed that every table in the entire restaurant had full waters and regular refills. We didn’t even get water; we also had cutlery missing. We had to ask several times. Drink orders were mixed up. They had to ask us to repeat our dinner orders. It was hard to get their attention. They went from being friendly to completely disdaining us when we hadn’t done anything but wait. We were a polite bunch — even the kids were quiet and well-​behaved (iPads helped for a flipping 120-​minute wait for food).
Our entrees finally arrived in slow succession — I was served dead last of our 14-​person party, 20 minutes after everyone else. The kicker was that they knew it was my bday and that I was hosting. You’d think they’d want to make sure I got my food, but no such luck. The wait staff had no sense of etiquette or propriety about the situation either — while they apologized, it was superficial and half-​hearted. When I said I was getting really anxious about the lack of food for our guests, they offered us a very small cup of French fries — which came at the very end of the meal so it didn’t help anyways.
Our guests were patient and understanding — they didn’t complain once to either the wait staff or to me, even though those with young children were clearly struggling to keep their kids calm, despite serious boredom and hunger. When all was said and done, we had all been stuck there for almost THREE hours. We didn’t even get our desserts at the three-​hour mark.
Honestly, I can say that the experience ruined what was supposed to be a special and joyous occasion.
The only reason I would give it two stars instead of one is that the food itself — when it finally came — was very good. Unfortunately though, I don’t think I would ever eat here again, nor would I recommend it to others because they over-​promised and seriously under-​delivered. They didn’t even have the decency to offer a comped meal or at least a credit for the significant delay in service. For this experience, I had the privilege of paying over $ 500. For the same amount of time and price, I could have had a chef’s tasting menu at a high-​end restaurant in Napa Valley.
Because of how I was raised, I still tipped 15% — clearly, my mistake. It is the one time in my entire 25-​year dining history that I *wanted* to tip ZERO, and I regret not doing it.

A friend took me to Trafalgar’s a few yearss back, and I’ve been back quite a few times since. It has become one of my go-​to restaurants and I’m always happy with the food.
It’s nice to find a place that serves French/​Bistro style food without typical French restaurant prices.
Food: The best part of Trafalgar’s is the food, including the Bistro-​style french fries (in truffle oil, yum!). They are connected to Sweet Obsessions, so the dessert menu is much larger than the regular menu! The food is always well prepared and tasty, and of high quality. While the main menu isn’t large, the variety is sufficient for pickier eaters.
Service: The service is generally good, although they seem a bit short-​staffed when the restaurant is busy. The staff (especially the red-​headed lady) are knowledgeable, personable, and will answer any questions you have. It’s a refreshing change from a shallow place like Earl’s, that’s for sure.
Value: Again, French food without the exorbitant prices. It’s a great value in this city.
Ambiance: Trafalgar’s is tucked in quietly and is hard to notice if you are just driving by. It’s a bit of an unusual place for a restaurant (16^th Avenue). The restaurant is fairly small, not too dark, and never too noisy or loud. It’s lively enough without too much noise, and the interior is simple and clean. It’s a good place for a date or just out with friends.
Overall: If you want to go out for a more upscale meal, or like French food, I’d definitely recommend this place.

I am a frequent customer of Sweet Obsessions next door and a big fan… Trafalgars Bistro is just as great. The food and service are top notch — I would definitely recommend going there!

I think it is a good average neighborhood restaurant but not so good that it deserves top 10 on tripadvisor. There are a lot of better restaurants in Vancouver out there at that price range. Not quite value for money.

We came here for dinner with the in-​law on a Friday and were impressed enough to come back on Sunday for (relaxing, post in-​law visit) brunch.
Food was great (dinner was a little better I think, but the brunch was quite tasty too), dessert was amazing. The space is cozy and romantic. We made reservations both times but didn’t need them as it wasn’t terribly full. I particularly liked the attention to detail that was evident in the menu design — no boring side salads here, every dish came paired with creative sides that complemented the main dish.
In summary, I’ve wracked my brain and can’t find a single thing to complain about. Which is weird as I’m normally quite picky and find it easy to complain, so, I guess this is the ultimate compliment!

This restaurant has been in Vancouver forever and we finally managed a visit. I can’t believe it took us this long! We had a great dinner. I loved my short rib and risotto entrée and delicious toffee cake dessert. The dessert menu was HUGE! (of course because of the related baker). Service was great as well and they were very attentive. I will definitely be coming back!

Lovely French style restaurant at the corner of W16th X Trafalgars. The house baguette is tasty. Bistro breakfast is served from morning to afternoon. Bacon and house jam are my fav. Enjoy the warmth and relaxing atmosphere there.

So refreshing to find a restaurant where they really care, and not only about the service but also the quality of food, how it’s prepared and innovative details as the beef fat candle!

Our family has frequented Trafalgars Bistro for years, being one of my mother’s favourite restaurants in Vancouver and our go-​to place for birthdays, Mother’s Day and many other special occasions, like lunch on a Wednesday!
But it was the special event dinners, ‘Know your Pork’ and ‘Know your Lamb’ that sealed the deal for us. We were blown away by the chef’s creativity with the menu, the devotion to sourcing local products and as always, we’re wowed by the service which manages to be this crazy mash-​up of casual-​informal while still remaining highly professional.
I can’t believe after 2 years we can recall the menu of the Pork dinner (OMG, that pork belly… or the Maple Bacon-​infused Baked Alaska for dessert… or the house-​made pates, yummmm!).
This year we revelled in everything-​Lamb, our fascination beginning with house-​made lamb-​fat candles for dipping our breads and continued with lamb merguez ‘corn dogs’, sweetbreads, a lamb shank ravioli and a delicious stuffed lamb loin fillet.
At both dinners we opted for the wine pairings and discovered new tastes and options. Our lamb dinner was made a little extra special by the fresh oysters with champagne trio as appetizer. Yes, we did feel like we’d gone straight to Heaven!
When I describe Trafalgars to others I say you get a downtown-​dining experience without the downtown-​prices or parking-​headaches, and the folks make you feel so welcome. We always look forward to trying a new menu or old favourites. Dining at Trafalgars always leaves us sated and elated!

Trafalgar’s…what can I say? Delicious and beautifully presented food — brunch, lunch or dinner… always a pleasure dining here Al fresco is our favorite and I’ve made it a tradition to brunch here every year when my sister is in town for a visit as well as pop in for a meal that is always sublime. With Sweet Obsessions next door… well, it just doesn’t get any better, or more charming, than this. Tres bien!

This is my 1^st review ever, came here 3 times, 2times for brunch, today I had dinner here, I ordered watermelon salad for appetizer and lingcod for main, it was the best lingcod I ever had and the watermelon was gin infused… so unique and delicious! I live near here absolutely highly recommended! the service also 5 stars~very friendly and definitely will be a regular here^^

Stopped by on a whim after a few hours at the botanical gardens and loved it. Yummy potato leek soup, excellent endive pear salad and the poached eggs were divine. Paired with a local wine … it was great! Wished we lived closer; it’s a long way from Orange County.

Everything is pretty good here. I live in the hood and Anything you order here you can’t go wrong. The pasta is my favorite the sauce has truffle in it. As well the complementary bread are always fresh.
The décor has a very romantic setting. Eventhough I am coming here on a family dinner. The service is wonderful.

I haven’t return to Trafalgars for ages! I have no particular reasons, may be too many new and good restaurants opened for last decades!
We returned for brunch on Sunday and made the rsvn via opentable. It’s good to get 100 points!
The owner and staffs were great and friendly. Great coffee, food was medicore and limited selection of brunch items.
It’s great neighborhood restaurant with reasonable price.

Staff were very attentive and friendly. Had the 3 course meal. All was fantastic !!! I would definitely go again. Squid and chorizo appetizer was to die for. The desserts can not be beat !! Awesome dinner overall

The food was tasty, but the portions were tiny and expensive. Had the poached free range eggs with hollandaise. Although it presented some good flavour, it was bit of a disappointment. It was small and the presentation was awkward. It was just centred on the plate. The atmosphere was a bit dreary and in need of a renovation. Service was friendly. Date rating is 3 out of 5.

Perfect location, Away from the noise! Amazing atmospher. The service is excellent, never been there & had a bad service. the food is different & delcious. The desert menu is awesome. They also provide gluten free options & still delicious.

Has yet to fail me for a good brunch. Oatmeal mixed berry brulee is my favorite!