PAULINE BISTRO
Neighbourhood: St Boniface
Address: 112 Marion Street
Phone: 204-235-6001
Entrees: $10 – $28
The Parisian-style café in Winnipeg’s historic French quarter hits its mark, blending European flair with French Canadian and Métis influences. Pauline is a sun-drenched daytime bistro named for celebrated St. Boniface painter Pauline Boutal, known for her early 20th-century fashion illustrations, and it remains a beloved neighbourhood fixture.
Inside, honeycomb-tiled floors pair beautifully with a soft nude palette. Clay-coloured booths are cozied up with plush pillows, while taupe walls are lined with classic burnished brasserie mirrors and Boutal’s charming Gatsby-era artwork. Tables stay full with hotel guests and locals eager to rediscover petit déjeuner in a new way. The menu has evolved since the restaurant’s debut nine years ago, expanding beyond France’s culinary canon to embrace French Canadian comfort dishes and modern multicultural influences. Soupe aux pois now replaces soupe à l’oignon as the house signature, warming diners with gentle notes of cumin and turmeric.
Tartines, those elegant French-style toasts, arrive picture-perfect and indulgent. Smoked salmon gets a refined upgrade with pickled onions, crisp-fried capers, and two perfectly poached eggs layered over crème fraîche. Garnished with fresh dill, the soft yolks wobble invitingly over folds of cured fish, just waiting to be broken.
Comfort reigns in the afternoon. The croque monsieur showcases house-smoked back bacon stacked between thick slices of sourdough brioche, finished with creamy Mornay dripping over melted Gruyère. The gooey hot sandwich makes for a luxurious mid-day indulgence. Stay on the gravy train and order the poutine. Duck-fat fries are slathered in glossy chicken gravy and topped with local cheese curd squeakers.
Pauline may lean French, but its burgers hold their own. The vegetarian burger is an under-the-radar standout, with mushrooms taking centre stage in a patty that stays juicy inside and shatteringly crisp outside. Tucked into a soft brioche bun, jalapeño aioli provides some serious kick. Putting a new twist on a prairie staple, Pauline upgrades a beef burger with a common root vegetable enjoying a moment in the spotlight. A prairie-inspired beef burger layers sweet roasted beets, tangy chèvre, peppery arugula, and bright dill and red onion pickles for a satisfying bite. Those same roasted beets and chèvre reappear in an arugula salad with toasted almonds, dressed in maple-kissed poppyseed vinaigrette.
On Sundays, Pauline leans fully into its European roots with a traditional English-inspired High Tea. The experience features an elegant spread of dainty sweet pastries, and savoury finger foods served in classic theatrical fashion on a multi-layered china tower. It is a fitting finale for a bistro that celebrates heritage, artistry, and the pleasure of lingering well past the last cup of tea.
Pauline Bistro is open Mon–Fri 7:30am–2pm, Sat–Sun 8am–2pm.
