by Amy Van Veen (Contributer) – Email
Often dinner out can get mundane, routine, and a little too expected, and it’s hard to know which restaurants offer more than the usual experience. For those looking to be surprised with good service, a cozy atmosphere, and unexpected dinner choices, head down to the main strip of Fort Langley and experience all of its small town charm with a high class menu at Beatnik’s Bistro.
Nestled in between one of the many antique hardware stores boutiques on the east side of the road, Beatnik’s looks more like someone’s house than it does a bistro. Set back from the sidewalk, it has a large stone patio ready and waiting for the warm summer months of outdoor dining. Their menu is set-up outside for the passers-by who want a peek before committing to a meal. The first few times you walk through those doors, you may at first feel a little claustrophobic. With about eight tables on the right side and half a dozen on the left by the fireplace, Beatnik’s can seem like it’s trying a little too hard for the quaint Parisian bistro feel, but once you pick a table and relax, you can enjoy the music they play at a volume level suitable enough to allow for conversations with those at the table with you but not so low that you can hear everyone else’s conversations too.
The menu changes every few months, and the chef’s creations seem to just get better and better. With appies starting at $8 and entrees going to $28, the price can sometimes be a little steep for a starving student, but the experience, taste, and quality of ingredients make a splurge every now and then completely worth it. I started with an appetizer of crab cakes with a sweet pepper sauce that were divine. The sauce could have been enjoyed on its own, so my ratio of dip to cake was a little off-kilter in order to savour every last drop. The entrée was a red wine braised lamb shank in a Bailey’s reduction sauce served over roasted potatoes, sweet potatoes, and brussel sprouts drowning in butter sauce (which is the only way those little brains taste delicious).
Their bar is fully equipped, too, to satisfy anyone’s thirst-quenching needs, and their wine list offers a wide range of geographic locations from which to choose, as well as a couple of local BC options. If you can’t decide on just one glass, try the tasting menu for the same price and you get to experience one of each of the four offered wines in red or white. Of course the non-alcoholic beverages are there, too, as well as a changing dessert menu with coffee and teas for an after-dinner treat.
Beatnik’s Bistro may be small, but their menu exceeds any and all expectations. Whether it’s for breakfast, lunch, or dinner; spring, summer, fall, or winter, this one is always bound to be a smash hit.
Beatnik’s Bistro
9194 Glover Road, Langley, BC (604) 888 4487
http://www.beatniksbistro.com/
