Slaughterhouse Rules

Nose-to-tail eating may have trickled over from St. John in London, but L’Abattoir
goes whole hog on its name, too.

French for slaughterhouse, the new restaurant and bar sits just off
Blood Alley (so-named for the butcher shops of yore) with a décor that
features mason-jar lights hung off meat hooks.

But no butcher’s whites here: staff wear dapper plaids, vests, ties and
brogues with dark jeans, and the kitchen serves up fare from both field
and stream.

Our meal in the light-filled atrium was a delight from start (sardine
tuiles in the bread basket) to finish (lemon ricotta doughnut holes),
with sous-vide Indian-spiced lamb in between.

Now we just need to go back for a Bloody Mary at the gorgeous, open-air
bar. Chop, chop!

L’Abattoir, 217 Carrall St., Vancouver, 604-568-1701, www.labattoir.ca