L'Abattoir review: a Gastown favourite opens its doors for lunch

L’Abattoir’s lunch menu caters to local professionals

Four years after L’Abattoir opened in the heart of Gastown—winning over the hearts and stomachs of Vancouverites with its effortlessly cool, exposed-brick interior and inventive West Coast cuisine (with a dash of French flair)—the award-winning restaurant has launched its first-ever lunch service. “We just feel it was a natural progression for the restaurant and for ourselves,” says L’Abattoir general manager Paul Grunberg, adding that opening for lunch is a great way to advertise for dinner. “The food has the same touch, same feel, as does the atmosphere.”

Head barman Shaun Layton has introduced three fresh cocktails that range in intensity to complement the new food selections. Grunberg says the three lunch-menu styles—two-course, three-course and à la carte—were designed to cater to the entrepreneurs in the area who tailor their own schedules, but also to serve the wealth of tech and retail employees who may be on tighter lunch timelines (labattoir.ca).

BEST TABLE: Saddle up to the bar for a lively lunch service—or for private meetings, slide into one of the “low-profile” tables in the upstairs dining room.

MUST-TRY ORDER: Since the house-made bread is reserved for dinner, get your fill of L’Abattoir’s perfectly baked homemade roll by ordering the beef dip, which Grunberg predicts will be a lunchtime favourite.

DRINK UP: Try one of Layton’s original cocktail creations, like the House Aperol Spritz, which uses a SodaStream to infuse the wine with bubbles for a refreshing afternoon beverage.

INSIDER TIP: The restaurant recently opened a 1,200-square-foot private dining space adjacent to the main dining room, which can be booked for large parties and events. A good spot for holiday luncheons.