Les Faux Bourgeois French bistro reopens with upgraded kitchen and refined focus
After 18 years, the Mount Pleasant favourite gets new ownership and a tighter menu. Steak frites now $38, but seasonal dishes like French onion soup will return in winter.
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Les Faux Bourgeois, Vancouver's 18-year-old French bistro, has reopened under new ownership from the Gaia House team (behind Selene Aegean Bistro, AMA, and Nammos Estiatorio) with significant upgrades to the kitchen and a tighter, seasonally focused menu.
Executive Chef Brent Thornton emphasized that the restaurant's overall direction remains intact—a French bistro aiming to be accessible to the Fraser Hood and Mount Pleasant areas. "What's changed is our dedication to excellence," Thornton said. The kitchen has undergone much-needed upgrades, and attention to detail has increased across ingredients, service, and the cocktail program.
The new menu prioritizes local products. "Every dish now, every product, everything is just from the B.C. area or as close as we can get," explained chef de cuisine David Cassese. The team is also utilizing techniques to lower food waste and become a more sustainable operation.
Some familiar dishes have been removed—French onion soup and Coq au Vin, described as hearty winter dishes without a place in the current menu. But these are expected to return seasonally. "We're not trying to piss people off in the neighborhood," Thornton said. "If it's a classic French dish, it will return. They will be back. We're just keeping things light for the summer."
Prices have increased slightly; steak frites is now $38. But nothing felt outrageously overpriced given the restaurant landscape, according to the review.
