Le Cellier is a bistro bright spot in Old Hull

A friend and I were on our way to another lunch destination in Old Hull when I noticed that Le Cellier, the respected French restaurant, was open. 

For some reason, I thought that they only opened for dinner, but in the mood for a bistro this afternoon, we quickly found a parking spot.

We found ourselves in a quietly elegant bistro setting that was both modern and reminded a little more of the Quebec countryside. It was evocative of something you might find in the Eastern Townships.

As it should be in a bistro, the menu is compact with dishes to suit most diets, with a focus on seafood.

We ordered both from the a la carte menu and the menu midi which comes with a glass of wine (white, rosé or red) or a butternut squash soup. 

Le Cellier has an above-average wine list, with house wines for the lunch specials that are very credible. By the glass, wines are priced between $12-$17.

I’d ordered fried calamari and based on looks alone, thought they’d mistakenly given me chicken karaage. 

The calamari was tender and sweet enough, but the batter had a little more crunch than I was expecting. It was also a little more modest in portion size and had been left in the fryer for about 30 seconds too long. The house lemon aioli elevated every bite.

Next was a very bright scallop tartare served in a crispy wonton cup. It came dressed in yuzu, chopped shallot and fresh herbs and crowned with mandarin segments. The side of aioli, while nice, was unnecessary and served a decorative function alone.

I categorized the next dish as a deconstructed Caesar salad with a twist. Half a heart of romaine lettuce had been grilled and littered with crumbled hot-smoked trout from the excellent Boucanerie in Chelsea. The fried capers and herbed Caesar dressing were presented on the side.

It was an inventive take, but the lettuce had been left too long on the grill. The char was too much with a smoky character that dominated everything, including that lovely trout. 

Under the trout, ostensibly, was a pea and radish remoulade. Yet the peas had been left whole and were just a bit too large for sweet and tender enjoyment. There was also an excess of salt on the lettuce and required some acidity for balance.

It was a rather warm day, and we kept it light, choosing seafood across the board. The tuna tataki from the lunch menu came with a salad involving cucumbers and daikon. It was delicately seasoned with a dressing of ginger and yuzu and came with chips of crispy fried rice. A perfectly refreshing bite.

Le Cellier provides the feelings one expects of a bistro: welcoming and unpretentious but simultaneously warm and familiar. With good food, of course.

It’s here, with the execution of the food, that there’s room for growth. So many of the dishes were smartly conceived and prepared, but then things went sideways with a grilled romaine and trout salad. 

Service, courtesy of Yann, was top-drawer. He was knowledgeable and what he didn’t know, he asked someone who did. Fair play to him and to Le Cellier that, without any prompting, he took the romaine salad off the bill. That’s the level of professionalism we, as customers, should always expect.

This is a restaurant that doesn’t need much to meet the expectations it sets. A little more attention to detail in execution and a defter touch when it comes to seasonings will take off the rougher edges of an otherwise lovely experience.