Quelle surprise to find honest, no-frills French bistro fare on a stretch of Pender dotted with decaying storefronts and $10-a-night hostels. At Cassis, the duck à l’orange ($18.50) and the impossibly tender daube de boeuf ($18) are so French they capitulate as soon as they touch the fork. The wines are cheap and cheerful, the service is friendly, and the skinny patio hidden in the alley is fat... more

French home cooking meets downtown chic at this good-value bistro, where the high ceilings and rough wooden floors give the space a stripped-down, loftlike feel. Highlights of the French regional menu are garlicky bouillabaisse, bright with orange peel and brimming with fresh fish; salade niçoise updated with thinly sliced ahi carpaccio; and coq au vin made with free-range chicken. More... more