Best Upscale French 2013

GOLD: LE CROCODILE

Silver: Bacchus at the Wedgewood | Bronze: Five Sails | Honourable Mention: Le Gavroche

Twenty-four years ago, Le Crocodile (Gold) topped Vanmag’s first restaurant awards, and the qualities that lifted it then-“near-perfect consistency, brilliance with light but still rich and flavorful sauces, superb handling of fish such as Dover sole”-still hold true.

With Bacchus at the Wedgewood (Silver), chef Lee Parsons treads an interesting line between the traditional French fare of a Relais & Châteaux and his own English background; the resulting mélange feels timeless.

Eternal too are commitments to hard work and superior approach, permanent fixtures at Five Sails (Bronze), where chef Ernst Dorfler and wife/front-of-houser Gerry Sayers stay true to the Continental dining of yesteryear.

Le Gavroche (Honourable Mention) puts a more homey spin on the classics, with the right room but, in the past year, a slip in results as former owner Manny Ferreira tended to his award-winning Miradoro at Tinhorn Creek Winery. Watch for new owners David Auer and Robert Guest to resurrect the room in the coming year.

RETURN TO ALL RESTAURANT AWARDS 2013 RESULTS