Lumiere and db Bistro Moderne restaurants will close on March 13

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      Two well-known restaurants on Vancouver's West Side, Lumií¨re and db Bistro Moderne, will close on March 13.

      General manager Chris Gonzalez confirmed the news in an e-mail to the Georgia Straight. He added that any comments would have to come from either co-owner David Sidoo or Georgette Farkas, spokesperson for renowned international chef Daniel Boulud, who, in 2008, made these two establishments his first Canadian dining operations.

      Boulud's French-inspired menu at Lumií¨re is overseen by executive chef Dale MacKay. He replaced celebrated Vancouver chef Rob Feenie after he had a dispute with Sidoo.

      The B.C. restaurant industry has been battered in the past seven months by the introduction of the harmonized sales tax, which added a five-percent provincial levy to the cost of a meal. In addition, new drinking-and-driving penalties have scared many restaurant patrons away from ordering drinks with their meals.

      There's no word on whether or not these provincial policies contributed to the demise of the two restaurants, which are in the 2500 block of West Broadway.

      Follow Charlie Smith on Twitter at twitter.com/csmithstraight.

      Comments

      18 Comments

      Morty

      Feb 27, 2011 at 3:18pm

      I know everyone loves to blame the HST for, well, everything—but do you really think it's an issue at Lumií¨re's price point? I sure as hell don't. The restaurants just haven't been that busy since the Sidoos and Feenie had their falling-out, and I can't imagine that it's been cheap to have Boulud's name on the menu (as noted by Andrew Morrison at Scout Magazine).

      Pat Crowe

      Feb 27, 2011 at 5:02pm

      People aren't spending right now. And the people with money are hanging on to it.

      Danny Wong

      Feb 27, 2011 at 8:04pm

      Their food is simply not en par with their price. It was better back when Rob Feenie was the chef.

      Vancouver 2011

      Feb 27, 2011 at 10:13pm

      The Cactus Club is more popular now as they are more affordable. Most smart chefs see the future is offering value to customers.

      86er

      Feb 27, 2011 at 11:04pm

      As much as I would love to have a meal at Lumiere, it would be a total luxury for me. Unfortunately, many people don't have the budget to eat there on a regular basis.

      Lillian

      Feb 28, 2011 at 12:01am

      Love Lumiere, service and food are excellent even after the change over, I always go there for special celebration.

      LJF

      Feb 28, 2011 at 11:22am

      I really enjoyed DB bistro for brunch. The service and bar staff were top notch. I will be sad to see them close.

      burnabyguy

      Feb 28, 2011 at 1:46pm

      I think this restaurant is being brought down by celebrities and want-to-be-celebrities. Feenie was running around trying to be a celebrity, and he got into hot water with investors. Subsequent celebrity chef was only a chef in name, and Canadians, unlike the Americans, do not care much for celebrity chains.

      SIP

      Feb 28, 2011 at 2:39pm

      Both restaurants are far too expensive for a tough economy. HST is also a big factor. I've cut my dining by 3/4 since HST came into effect. Liberal party... we are not ATM machines.

      Sven Crawson

      Feb 28, 2011 at 6:40pm

      New York chefs had their designs on Vacnouver prior the Olympics, and now that they're over and the international crowds have left, so, too, have the patrons for these fine dining restaurants. I imagine Market at the Sangri-La will be next to close up shop, only to be replaced with yet another Cactus Club or perhaps a homeless shelter or casino.