Bouchons Bistro

Great place for traditional French cuisine. Fantastic friendly and prompt service. The food is fantastic and beautifully prepared and presented. Accompanying every meal comes a basket of home made french fries that are the best in Western Canada. The wine selection ranges from well-​priced local wines to pricey French varieties. You can never go wrong with this restaurant.

Found Bouchons on Unilocal and found it was an easy walk from Discovery Cove where we rented a condo for the week. The Le Cassoulet and La Bouillabaisse are superb. Good sized portions. You could be in Paris. Service absolutely impeccable. Nice wine list. Very welcoming environment for the weary traveler.

On my recent stagette weekend trip to Kelowna my bridesmaids booked a reservation for 20 people here at Bouchons Bistro. For such a large party, they gave us a set menu option to pick for our appetizers, entrees and desserts. I chose the butter lettuce salad with Dijon vinaigrette for my appetizer, the scallop and shrimp for my entrée, and the lavender soufflé for my dessert. We also got some escargots and pâté to share. They were a good start to our meal. The salad was pretty standard but I did enjoy the vinaigrette. My shrimp and scallop dish was absolutely amazing. The scallops and shrimps were very big and the sauce was delicious. I also tried a bite of my friend’s grilled tenderloin (another entrée option) and it was also very good. I’m not a dessert person but I did try the soufflé. It had a great texture and was not overly sweet.
Service was amazing even with our large group. They also offer to take off your jacket and hang it up for you. I definitely recommend this place.

Hubby took me here for my birthday dinner in January.
Service was off the charts. I’ve never been assisted with removing & putting on my jacket at a restaurant before, and it was wonderful to experience. Our waiter was happy to make recommendations and even took some time to have small conversation with us. :)
The food was great. I’m not well-​versed in French cuisine at all, but there was nothing we didn’t like. Even the fries were awesome. The atmosphere was great, it felt just like what I imagine a French bistro should feel like.
I WILL say there was a sizeable chunk of solid ice in my gelato, which I wasn’t too impressed about, but our waiter’s firm «I’ll let the chef know» has me fairly certain it won’t happen again :)
I think this will be our go-​to place for a «nice» meal. I can’t wait to go back!

First time in Kelowna and was introduced to this wonderful little restaurant on the very first night. It is located within walkig distance from the lake. Indeed it has a very european feel, the staff was ever so attentive and kind and the food was the best I have had in a very long time. I hope to have the opportunity to go back again and make my way through the menu ! It has a patio so I am sure in summer it must be magnificent sitting outside.

This would be 5* if only the menu would change. It is the same year after year and even though fries are divine and the rabbit is my favorite, it does get boring … The daily selection is just too small and not exciting.

I’m all aboard for this. I will subscribe to their newsletter, donate to their campaign, pledge to their Patreon. I have become a disciple of Bouchons, a faithful representation of a stylish French bistro. A proper transplant – theater posters, a wine cellar, irregular stone walls, dishes placed on doilies, a menu displayed outside – I swear, if there are butter pats shaped as fruits, I’m locking myself in the wine cellar. If my waiter has an accent, I will order anything he/​she suggests. Call it my kryptonite.
Bouchons is a breathtaking restaurant. It does everything right, from the checkerboard tiled floors and patterned roof to cloth-​covered tables and stained-​glass dividers. Hanging chalkboards advertise daily cheeses and chef specials. The interior is so impressive, you can actually tour the restaurant virtually via Google street view. No kidding, try it. If I was living in Kelowna, I’d introduce myself to the head chef and start what I would hope to be a positive relationship, mostly involving me receiving preferential treatment.
Being a posh French bistro, I expected a pampered experience at an extravagant price. If proven correct, I’d still embrace Bouchons on its merits. Yet, the three-​course chef’s table only cost $ 45. That’s shockingly reasonable. My waiter had an accent, so I said yes to everything he suggested. I told you, I have no self-​control. You should see what I drive.
Earlier that day – only three hours earlier – my girlfriend and I had enjoyed a meal at the Salted Brick, so there wasn’t much left in the tank (or rather stomach). In the end, we shared the chef’s course instead of ordering one each. Although I don’t regret the day and adore Salted Brick, I do wish I had enough stretch to accommodate a full meal at Bouchons. At least it’ll give me an excuse to return, as the actual printed menu’s offerings were tempting. And they were French. I mean really French. It’s an issue I’ve encountered with other places, especially those in my hometown, believing French akin to embracing cliché, like their only exposure to French cuisine is watching Amelie and enjoying a fondue on the weekend. Menu options are broken up between «Cliché», «Stuff Anthony Bourdain Likes» and «Mandated Family Food». Nothing offered approaches nouvelle cuisine. You get French dip, French onion soup, escargot, and quiche, a restaurant, which if it was in Paris, would be the one populated by obese Americans deluded into thinking they’re enveloped in the French experience. Thankfully, Bouchons breaks from this expectation.
«House Made Country Style Wild Boar Rillettes perfumed with Calvados.»
«Belgian Endive Salad with diced apple, walnuts and French blue cheese crumble»
«Scallops and Prawns in a crispy pastry nest with sweet vermouth and candied lime sauce»
Next time I’m in town, I’ll take all those and a pale of truffle fries, please.
On that subject, when did truffle fries become the default side option at every restaurant… ever. It’s like hearing the Chicken Dance at Oktoberfest. I mean, I love truffle fries – I’m sorry, pommes frites – and all, but enough already. The next time I’m at a bistro and not receive truffle fries, I’ll beam the waiter an arrogant look and denounce the establishment as boorish for not supplying a metal pale of «pommes frites». After the bread course was served alongside a cup filled with butter pats shaped as blackberries (SQUEEEEEEE!!), my girlfriend and I shared Angus beef carpaccio with parmesan shavings (automatically revealing the date of when we went, as the restaurant changes the chef’s table every week). This was followed by wild spring salmon on morels risotto and concluded with mousse au chocolat. Throughout the experience, a delightful man named Frederic waited us on constantly. Water was filled repeatedly and he did everything imaginable to accommodate two late arrivals that showed up without a reservation. I was allowed to tour the wine cellar, and even took photos. We were never forgotten, and the tip was well earned. And can you believe the pomme frites and French baguette were complimentary? The final cost was only $ 61 including a glass of pinot noir. Fantastic AND inexpensive. Bouchons might not just be one of the best restaurants in Kelowna, but one of the best I’ve had… period…full stop.
After reading about the faltering reputation of French restaurants in the motherland, there stands the possibility of Bouchons inflicting damage upon my expectations. The native bistros may not live up to the standards set by a small restaurant in Kelowna. The girlfriend and I plan to experience France within the next three years, and they have a lot to live up to.
Food: ⁵⁄₅
Service: ⁵⁄₅
Presentation: ⁵⁄₅
Value: ⁵⁄₅
Recommendation: ⁵⁄₅

The food and service was incredible. We had the Coconut drenched Mussels, which were to die for.

Always wonderful atmosphere. The staff, the owner and the patrons all seem happy. Why shouldn’t they? This place is a gem for Kelowna. Food is excellent, service is good, and it feels like a french bistro should. If you don’t like Bouchons, it is most likely you not Bouchons.

Ahhhhhhhh French food.
Service: Attentive, quick, but ⁴⁄₅ because when asked for a recommendation between two dishes, the answer «you can’t go wrong with anything on the menu» was a little disappointing. It may be true, but I just expected a little more. There was also some awkwardness in that he seemed like we were an afterthought in most cases.
Food: Bouillabaisse: Delicious and packed full of meat. Pâté: So yummy. and the pickles I could have made a meal in and of itself. And then were are the fries. The fries were unbelievable and a reason to return. Really. Eat anything, they come with the fries. So fresh. Hot, salty, and crispy. I’ll stop before this turns into a romance novel. Loved all the eats ⁵⁄₅.
Ambiance: Love the décor. It was clean and felt like home. ⁵⁄₅.

Fantastic food, excellent service and on top of their game with wine pairings. I highly recommend this restaurant, excellent value for the money

We enjoyed a lovely meal here. The food was good and service was excellent. My husband had the Chef’s Table of the Week that included Seafood Wellington, Free Range Pork Chop, and Poached Pear. He especially enjoyed the Pork Chop. I had Organic Greens and the Veal. Both were fabulous. Very good wine list and very attentive, friendly service. The prices were fair. We would definitely go back to Bouchons Bistro and highly recommend this restaurant for an enjoyable dining experience.

The best French restaurant I have eaten in! The Chef (Luc) is amazing! Great presentation of food, as you eat with your eyes also. With drinks expect to pay over $ 100 per couple, but for a restaurant like this it is worth it. Great atmosphere with friendly patrons. I strongly recommend the Crème Brule for dessert. Professional wait staff also. 10 out of 10!

This is the second time my wife and I were dining at Bouchons Bistro and it was just as good as it was the first time. Baked pear with blue cheese in a puff pastry was exceptional as an appetizer, the Le Cassoulet (duck confit, smoked lamb rack, sausage and bean) was the best bang for the buck as an entrée, and the lavender iced soufflé was something to die for if you love lavender as much as my wife does. Service and quality of food has never let us down and will definitely be back next time in Kelowna.

Cozy French place with perfect service and a great menu. We came for dessert and were floored; we’ll be back soon for the real meal experience.

I really enjoyed my meal here as the food was delicious, the service excellent and attentive, and the atmosphere cute and warm. Although there was a three-​course prix fixe that sounded like a great value, I decided to order the duck confit a la carte based on the host’s recommendation (his favorite dish) and added a golden beet salad with feta cheese (which was technically off the prix fixe menu but they were kind enough to accommodate). The beet salad was good, and the duck confit was amazing — moist, tender, and tasty. The portion was large but i still ate it all because it was so good. It was served with plenty of fresh vegetables (carrots, cherry tomatoes, fennel, etc) and a cone of French fries with mayonnaise. I also enjoyed my Pinot noir which was again recommended by the host to go with my duck.
Service was efficient and very friendly, and extremely attentive.
As a side note, i was able to get a table last minute likely because it was a weekday and I was okay not sitting on the outdoor patio, but i could see this being packed on weekends as the inside filled up even during my dinner. Also, I noticed that as is often the case in Kelowna, since it is a resort town, people were dressed in fine casual…
Definitely worth revisiting!

I was advised not to bother going here without a reservation, especially on a holiday weekend. You know what? It was fine — plenty of tables free. I opted to sit at the bar since I was dining alone. The bartender was a lovely guy who conversed with me a bit.
I ordered the escargots to start off since I find many French bistros in Vancouver don’t even serve them. They were lovely — just the right proportion of garlic and basil. Quite heavy on the oil/​butter, but it still tasted pretty light. The escargots came in little thin pastry shells to offer a slight contrast in texture with each bite. I would definitely love to have this dish again. I forgot to count how many there were, but thinking back I believe there were more than 6, maybe closer to about 9 or 10.
I also had the mussels «Bouchon» which had a nice broth of dill, tomatoes, onions, basil, garlic, shallots, and chardonnay. The broth was great. The mussels were plentiful and large. In fact, they also came with fries so it was quite a filling meal. I ended up not being able to finish.
The wine by the glass selection was limited and surprisingly featured very few local wines. I ordered a nice malbec since the couple of local options weren’t calling to me.
Service here was great, very much a fine dining establishment. However, they did not make me or any other guests feel uncomfortable or unwelcome regardless of attire or appearance.
I will definitely want to eat here again when dining in Kelowna.

I was treated to a nice dinner after a long but eventful day in Kelowna. I’d already been given 5 star treatment all day and dinner at Bouchons Bistro was icing on the cake. From the moment we walked in, to the moment we said our goodbyes, the service was terrific. I ordered the salmon and baby shrimp salad. I wish I had taken a picture because it was such a lovely presentation. The baby shrimp was tucked into a wrapping of smoked salmon and the plate was garnished with fresh prawns, tobiko, and sprinkles of mildly flavoured chives. Then we were treated to an amuse bouche. It was a peppered blackberry iced concoction that cleansed our pallate for our flavourful dishes. We both ordered the Le Cassoulet, which was a rich dish of duck leg, sausage and lamb chop.
I couldn’t find room in my belly for dessert but I did help myself to a glass of sweet Pear Cognac which is exclusive to Bouchons Bistro. It was a lovely way to end my meal but I think I should have ordered some port to match the savory notes of my entrée.
I can’t say enough about the service and how attentive they are. Judging by how busy it was in there, I’m thinking that others feel the same.

How is it possible, that such a restaurant exists in Kelowna?
If you are visiting, or live in Kelowna and have not been, you need to go. Well, that is if you like French cuisine, because this place has been transported directly from France.
This place is truly authentic. I recommend that when you go, you order the Chef’s Table. It will be a proper 5 course French meal, and you will leave full. Another great thing about this place is you get incredible french fries as an appetizer. Which is different, but it works. They are the best you will eat… ever.
It’s not a cheap place to go by any means, but for truly great French cuisine, where you are greeted greet by a proper sommelier, and the owner comes to see you with a giant smile, it is worth it. Trust me when I say, the service here is second to none, and I challenge you to find better.
Some of the other reviewers complained about the noise. Don’t listen to them. Dining in Europe and especially France is an experience to be celebrated, and Bouchons exemplifies this perfectly.
Lastly, terrific wine list. Go now.

This is, by far, the best French restaurant I have been in BC! I would compare this favorable to some of the high-​brow French restaurants I’ve been in Paris.
Service, food, and ambiance were all excellent. I highly recommend Le Cassoulet (very large portion)! Pomme Frites est tres magnifique, aussi!

A town favourite judging by the filled tables in this quiet part of Kelowna.
The staff were friendly and the owner even swung by to make sure all was well.
Menu offered standard French fare presented nicely and with fresh ingredients. I thought it all tasted quite good but wasn’t terribly memorable the next day.
The restaurant gets busy and is a bit loud. The interior is an interesting mix of extremely casual with elements of fine dining. Overall, it’s a very casual place.