Mussel your way in: Vancouver restaurants for moules-frites

This classic French/Belgian bistro staple is the perfect meal when you’re looking for a small meal packed with flavour. Whether you’re digging in alone or planning to share with the table, these restaurants all serve up delectable, briny steamers and their sidekicks you’ll be slurping back in no time.

Mussel your way in: Vancouver restaurants for moules-frites
Alison Cairns By

Chambar Restaurant

1
568 Beatty St, Vancouver, BC V6B 2L3

This Crosstown favourite fuses Belgian and Moroccan cuisines to flavourful effect. They offer three types of mussels; try, though, their Congolaise. These are brought to your table in a large tin pot, and once the lid is removed, you’re hit with a fragrantly spiced broth of coconut milk, tomato, smoked chilis and lime. Fresh, plump mussels are at home in this bath and ready for popping into your mouth. Ask for incredible house bread to sop up that life-affirming sauce.

This business is featured in the following Smart Lists:

Les Faux Bourgeois Bistro

2
663 15th Ave E, Vancouver, BC V5T 2R6

Discerning diners have claimed the Moules Marinières served at this Fraserhood bistro are the best in the city. It’s not a tough argument to make. The soup-like broth they come swimming in is good enough to slurp. Studded with mellow garlic, freshened with parsley and brightened with white wine and a hint of lemon, you’ll want to ask for a spoon. The fat mussels retain their own briny flavour and the aioli that comes with the fries is a welcome touch.

This business is featured in the following Smart Lists:

BierCraft Bistro

3
3305 Cambie St, Vancouver, BC V5Z 2W6

Known for its impressive list — the menu is encyclopaedic — of Belgian beers, Cambie Village go-to Biercraft also sticks to the script with their six choices of mussels. With flavours from Thailand, Spain, France and the American South, you’re sure to find a brothy home for your juicy, fresh shellfish that you’ll both love. Note that you’ll have to order a side of fries for the full experience but these won’t disappoint. Orders are also available by the half-pound or pound.

This business is featured in the following Smart Lists:

La Brasserie

4
1091 Davie St, Vancouver, BC V6E 1M5

Staying true to their casual bistro vibe, Davie’s La Brasserie presents the classic moules-frites: sauce marinière composed of shallots, garlic, herbs and white wine. The accompanying fries are excellent — salty, crispy and perfect for dunking into leftover broth. And their stock of daily fresh baguettes will also find a home in your shell-depleted bowl. Sip one of their French or German beers for the authentic experience.

This business is featured in the following Smart Lists:

Salade de Fruits Inc

5
1545 7th Ave W, Vancouver, BC V6J 1S1

You can expect the café at the French Cultural Centre to know a thing or two about French cooking. Their mussels are no exception. Served in a massive pot with nary a closed or empty shell in sight, these are best shared as an appetizer with the table before your equally tasty main courses. Their white wine sauce is amped up with cream, which the French never shy away from, and the richness is nicely cut with their thin salty frites. A winner.

This business is featured in the following Smart Lists:
More from Alison Cairns Alison Cairns
Alison Cairns has been working in writing and publishing for over a decade. A devoted Vancouverite, she loves exploring the hidden gems and new happenings — both cultural and culinary — in the city. She is also a lover of coffee, wine, craft beer and pretty much all food except sea urchin. She staves off the results of these loves by running the seawall, cycling the city and hiking the mountains.
Vancouver's best craft cocktail bars

The city's best craft cocktail bars

From barrel-aging spirits to foraging local herbs, Vancouver's cocktail bars are as adventurous as they are creative. Here are Vancouver's best cocktail bars, straight up. [Photo © Yellow Pages / Pages Jaunes]
Here's the scoop: Ice cream shops in Vancouver

Here's the scoop: Ice cream shops in Vancouver

Ice cream: what more needs to be said? We've got the scoop on some of the city’s best. From taco-style waffle cones to virtuous vegan treats, here are a few of our fave Vancouver ice cream joints. [Photo courtesy of Rain or Shine Ice Cream]
Sip on this: Vancouver bars for tequila cocktails

Sip on this: Bars for tequila cocktails

No longer just the domain of bachelorette parties and late-night shots, tequila has been elevated to the sophisticated liquor it should be. With high-end, artisanal varieties finding their way to bars and into cocktails across Vancouver, you’ll see why this is the nectar of the Aztec gods.
Close menu