On the laziest of rainy Labor Day Mondays, following an epic weekend in Canmore, a strong urge for casual but fine French fare moved me to act.
Enter: Café Bicyclette.
Located in La Cite Francophone, across from the University of Alberta Campus St. Jean, Café Bicyclette is a quaint little bistro-style French Café, with a very warm, welcoming feeling as soon as you walk in, framed with hand-drawn menus in colorful chalk.
This place is one of my favorite spots in the city. After much deliberation I decided on the Sandwich au Poulet ($9), served on a massive Croissant.
Served cold, slices of chicken breast are served up with grainy mustard, maple syrup, and a dusting of cinnamon, served on a house baked croissant made with dough imported from France. A topping of arugula cuts through the richness of the sandwich. Meat was a touch dry, as chicken breast usually is, but a lovely dish, nonetheless, and wonderfully filling.
Liz opted for a Sandwich à la viande fumeé ($10), a lovely version of a Montreal smoked meat sandwich, pressed in a grill press.
My single bite was deliciously meaty, with a nice crunch to the homemade bread, pickled onions, dijon-mayo and gruyère cheese. Perfection!
Also, a lovely medium sized poutine ($7) rounded out the meal nicely. I haven’t had a better poutine in Canada yet! Crunchy fries with a fluffy interior, chicken gravy and delicate cheese curd.
Overall, this is a cute little date place for breakfast, lunch, or dinner (on F, Sa, Su) with a nice warm decor and a year-round heated patio. But bundle up with the provided blankets and keep the sun out of your eyes if you forget your sunglasses.
Order at the counter and they’ll bring you food, or come in on the weekend and they become a full service dinner restaurant. Reasonably priced, nice portion sizes, delicate flavors, and very friendly, helpful staff make this a great spot not to be missed.
Overall Grade: A-
Check it out, and comment below what you think!
@CafeBicyclette1
8627 91 St
Edmonton, AB T6C3N1
Vincent Tedjasaputra, Ph.D. 