The Place: Au Petit Chavignol
The Fondue: Savoyarde cheese blend
The Price: $20 small / $38 large
Comes With: Cornichons, silver onions, bread; optional kielbasa, fingerling potatoes.
Savoyarde is a typical French blend of three cheeses—Gruyère, Emmental and Beaufort. The good folks at Au Petit like to mix things up now and again, so the blend can change from week to week. The only consistent part is the taste—rich, aromatic and dee-licious. Comes in two sizes. The small is perfect for two, and make sure to order the grilled kielbasa.
845 East Hastings St.
604-255-4218
The Place: Afterglow Lounge
The Fondue: Smoked applewood cheese
The Price: $10 per person (minimum two people)
Comes With: French baguette, lamb chops, braised short ribs, yam fries, fruit.
It’s usually cheddar, but can change now again, according to the whim of the chef. This is not fondue for the faint-of-meat, so get your incisors ready. The yam fries are inspired, with or without the cheese, and you can order more if necessary. You just might not have room.
1079 Mainland St.
604-602-0835
The Place: Burgoo Bistro
The Fondue: Brie cheese OR Fonduemental
The Price: $13 each
Comes With: Bread, grape tomatoes, apples, grapes.
Blended with white wine, roast garlic, honey and thyme, the brie fondue might be the least calorie-conscious meal you ever have. But that fact is nicely balanced out by the sheer enjoyment of dipping anything into the big bowl of thick, gooey cream. If you run out of things to skewer, they will happily refill your bread basket. The Fonduemental is more traditional blend of Gruyere and Emmental, spiced with white wine and herbs, and almost as tasty as the brie version.
Multiple locations
The Place: Yew Restaurant
The Fondue: Milk chocolate OR Cheese
The Price: $10 per person (minimum two people)
Comes With: Almond-hazelnut biscotti, marshmallows, pineapple brulée, mini cranberry-cheese cupcakes, frozen grapes.
Possibly one of the most decadent and luxurious chocolate fondues in the city. And that’s without taking into account the impressive sides. The frozen grapes stay chilled after being dipped, and the combination of hot and cold is worth the potential toothache. The only thing sweeter is the price. The cheese fondue is usually served up with grilled chorizo, poached pears, potatoes and bread.
791 West Georgia St.
604-692-4939
The Place: Mink a Chocolate Café
The Fondue: Milk or dark chocolate
The Price: $9
Comes With: Graham wafers and marshmallows.
Remember the taste of those s’mores you ate around the campfire as a kid? The gifted folks at Mink sure do, so they provide you with a mini hibachi so that you can toast the marshmallows before you mush them between your chocolate dipped graham crackers. Or you could mush first, and then dip…yeah, let’s do that.
863 West Hastings St.
604-633-2451
