Brasserie L’Ecole, a classic and casual French restaurant, is something of a Victoria institution. Over the years, this compact eatery has won numerous awards and accolades, including “best burger” in Victoria by YAM. It’s also been highlighted as one of Victoria’s top restaurants by Vancouver...Magazine; it’s received high praise from Travel + Leisure; and even the Vancouver Sun has tipped its cap towards Brasserie L’Ecole. In short, this restaurant has firmly established itself within the city’s cultural and culinary fabric.
I like a lot of things about Brasserie L’Ecole: 1) The restaurant’s name highlights both cuisine and history; 2) The atmosphere very much reminds me of a casual Paris café; 3) The food is exceptional and clearly entrenched within Parisian culinary tradition; 4) The staff are knowledgeable, courteous and kind; and, 5) It was nice to finally knock a longstanding eatery off M’s foodie “wish list.”
Brasserie L’Ecole is located in Victoria’s historic Chinatown, on Government Street. At first blush that might seem a bit odd – a French restaurant in the heart of Chinatown – but only at first blush. The name “Brasserie L’Ecole” tells us much if we have but the eyes to see and ears to listen. Consider: A “brasserie” is a casual restaurant that serves up unpretentious, simple food. “L’Ecole” is the French word for “school.” Thus, Brasserie L’Ecole = Casual restaurant in a school. At this point, you’re probably thinking, “What? That doesn’t make sense!” But it actually makes perfect sense and that’s why I say, above, that the restaurant highlights cuisine and history. Brasserie L’Ecole is housed in a historic building that was erected in 1905 by the Chinese Empire Reform Association. After the association became redundant in and around 1912, the building was converted into a Chinese schoolhouse. Hence, why I think the name of this restaurant is so smart. It subtly nods to the history of place and space while concomitantly highlighting the fact that it specializes in casual French cuisine.
Brasserie L’Ecole has a fairly casual atmosphere and ambiance. This is reflected even before you get inside. The restaurant does not take reservations and instead utilizes a first-come, first-served model; thus, it is not uncommon to see lengthy lineups even before the doors open. To avoid missing out, I’d recommend arriving at least 20 or so minutes before opening time. Believe me, the food is definitely worth it. Once inside, you cannot help but be impressed by the simple décor. The hardwood floors, rouge-coloured walls with their pictures of France, casual tables and well-stocked bar take me back to casual Paris cafes. When a restaurant is able to make you reminisce about past adventures you know it’s doing something right.
Indeed, one of the things I really like about Brasserie L’Ecole is the fact that their menu is never static; it changes daily. Thus, you can try something different practically every day. It keeps you coming back and it keeps the restaurant fresh. Speaking of fresh, I should note that the menu also changes with the seasons. The chef likes to place an emphasis on local and seasonal offerings. In that regard, Brasserie L’Ecole allows you to enjoy fresh Vancouver Island produce, meat and seafood with a classic French twist. The food we had was a case in point: For starters, we received some nice bread and butter – it was simple, but the perfect way to warm up the taste buds. We also ordered the Chanterelle mushrooms with puff pastry. This, I have to say was nothing short of amazing and was a good indicator of what was to come later on. Plating was elegant; the chanterelles were cooked perfectly in a brandy cream sauce; and the puff pastry was light, flaky and played well with the rich sauce and mushrooms. For mains, I ordered the trout while M got the Brasserie Burger. The trout came with a beautiful semolina gnocchi, chard and chanterelles. Plating, again, was simple and elegant; the taste and flavours were divine. Very rarely do I sop up any leftovers, but I certainly did it here. Tender fish with crispy skin + expertly cooked veggies in a versatile sauce = a winner. And what about Victoria’s “best burger?” Well, I’m not too sure about that claim, but I did get to sample the burger and I will say it was flavourful, juicy and well-balanced. For dessert, a nice crème brûlée and generous lemon tart were had.
Service throughout dinner was very good. French restaurants have gained a notorious reputation for having snooty servers, though I’m not entirely sure this sort of thing is justified? When I was in Paris, I never encountered even a modicum of pretention. In fact, I’ve attended many NON-French restaurants that were snooty and off-putting. In any event, Brasserie L’Ecole was not snooty in the least. The servers were attentive and made sure everything was to our liking.
FOOD: 5/5
SERVICE: 5/5
VALUE: 5/5
RECOMMENDATION: Brasserie L’Ecole was a treat and it was nice to attend with M, especially since she’d wanted to come here for “the past 10 years.” Service was top-notch and the French dishes exquisitely executed. Far from “Resting on Laurels” as an earlier reviewer claimed, Brasserie L’Ecole has definitely earned its reputation as one of Victoria’s best restaurants. Highly recommended!
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