Bistro Gill is on the central Place du Vieux Marché (the downtown square where Joan of Arc was burned) and definitely head ans shoulders above the rest of the restaurants there, which are basically tourist traps (except for its new little sister on the same square, "La Place" restaurant).
This is the third offspring of Chef Gilles Tournadre's restaurant empire. While Restaurant Gill is the pricey flagship (the only 2 Michelin stars in Rouen), Bistro Gilles and 37 restaurant are the semicasual cheaper versions (while La Place is the cheapest, ultracasual one). They aim to revisit traditional bistro dishes, applying fine-dining cooking techniques while being budget-minded.
The decor is modern and sleek but without being cold. Service takes after the big-brother restaurant and is impeccable. Everybody is super nice and accommodating.
Prices are reasonable for the quality, which is overall high. After going a couple of times, here's the bottom line.
Each time, we got nice complimentary rillettes with some bread as soon as we sat. They have a good wine selection. There were dishes we loved such as the salmon and dorade tartar (well seasoned and balanced, and of course ultra fresh) and the peach clafouti with a peach sorbet. All fish dishes we had were perfectly cooked and ultra fresh. We liked (not loved) the goat cheese and tomatoes coulis verrine as well as raspberry tart with a pistachio custard. I tried a steak which was tasty but a little tough. Another time, I had a piece of turkey with a heavy-cream sauce and apples (this is Normandy) and some white rice. It was nice but too rich.
The only consistent negative we have noticed is the lack of creativity and tiny portion sizes for the sides accompanying each dish. You often get two spoonfuls of ratatouille with your meat or a grape of roasted baby tomatoes with your fish. And if you'd rather have something else, choices for sides are very limited. They should give some kind of starch AND some veggies with each protein. Sounds pretty standard practice to me.
Given the very limited list of solid restaurants in Rouen, the nice decor and outstanding service, I am almost inclined to give them 4 stars, rather than the 3 stars that the food alone deserved. But in a similar price range, I would advice going to 37 restaurant (a little more expensive but worth the difference) or 16/9 restaurant (a little cheaper) instead. read more