Jules Bistro Chef/Owner Emmanuel Joinville has announced he will lower the curtain on his beloved Gastown ‘bar à vin’ and bring to an end more than 16 years as a staple of Vancouver’s culinary scene following a final night of service on Sunday, December 31.
Joinville is inviting long-time friends and family to join the Jules team to raise a glass, enjoy a favourite dish or two and say goodbye to the beloved Parisian-inspired bistro, which will remain open from 3 to 9:30 p.m. Tuesday to Friday and from 11:30 a.m. until 9:30 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays over the next six weeks.
Joinville opened Jules in 2007 and quickly carved out a reputation par excellence thanks to its West Coast-inspired, seasonally informed renditions of classic Parisian fare, cozy and intimate ambiance and authentic spirit of hospitality.
While the restaurant was named after his son, it became a bit of a proxy child in its own right, with Joinville making his way into the kitchen each morning at the break of dawn to pore over classic recipes, hand-pick choice ingredients and prep for each day’s service.
“Jules has been a labour of love for me since day one and making the decision to bid farewell is a bittersweet one, but it’s time for me to pass the torch to a new generation of culinary talent,” says Joinville. “It is with deep gratitude and love that I embark on the next adventure and enjoy semi-retirement. I won’t say it’s the end, but ‘jusqu’a la prochaine fois’ — until the next time.”
Joinville began his kitchen career in 1981 in his hometown of Dijon, France as an apprentice at Chef Rene Villard’s 3-star Michelin restaurant Chateau Bourgogne, and climbed the culinary ranks to earn his own stripes as an acclaimed and well-respected chef and restaurateur prior to emigrating to Vancouver with his family in 2000 and opening Jules in 2007.
“I am so thankful for all of my staff who have become like family over the years, and the guests who have dined with us since we opened, and I hope to make a few more memories in the days before our last service,” says Joinville. “We’ve been so lucky to forge friendships with so many regulars and be a part of their celebrations, date nights and special occasions, and it’s an experience I will never forget.”
Reservations for Jules’ final weeks of service are available by calling the restaurant at 604-669-0033 or by booking online via OpenTable.
For more about Jules Bistro, visit julesbistro.ca.
