Les Canons: Affordable casual French restaurant in the CBD by folks behind Baia & Sospiri

French food does not have to be expensive: That is something that Les Canons, a new French restaurant at IOI Central Boulevard Towers, strives to prove.

The long-time public perception of French food is that everything is overpriced, inaccessible, and not pretentious, but that is seeing some challenge by a new wave of casual French concepts.

Although old-school affordable names such as Saveur have waned in popularity, Singapore has gotten promising new challengers including The Plump Frenchman and Bonjour by Ma Cuisine.

The latter is the day-time cafe alter ego of the Michelin-starred Ma Cuisine, while the former is run by the Zouk Group culinary chief, who worked at the now-defunct L’Atelier Joel Robuchon Singapore, which had also clinched two stars.

On top of that, Parisian-inspired steak frites have also become rather voguish with establishments such as La Vache.

Les Canons is the latest to join the fray, and it has some pedigree behind it — it is opened by the Il Lido Group, renowned for its Italian spots such as Sospiri and Baia.

Steak frites from S$22

Those who have walked past it and noticed the rather sizable crowd might wonder: What is everyone queuing for?

Well, the very simple answer is the price point. Les Canons is a French restaurant that’s mighty affordable, especially for a one that’s in the CBD.

It’s probably not easy to find another decent restaurant — much less a French restaurant — that prices things as affordably.

For example, the steak au poivre at Les Canons boasts a mighty attractive price tag of S$22.

Is this the best steak frites you can find in Singapore? Clearly not. But a similar dish elsewhere will likely burn a bigger hole in your wallet.

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At S$22, the steak is not bad at all — there’s a bit of dryness to the edges, but it’s otherwise a pretty decent steak, especially with the layer of rich, creamy pepper sauce that moistens the meat somewhat.

One sticking point, however, would be the fries, which were rather run-of-the-mill. 

Another is the pomme puree (mashed potatoes, S$5), which we got as a complementary side, was honestly way too bland and needed a dash or two of salt.

Besides steak frites, you also have other timeless French appetisers on Les Canons’ menu, at equally reasonable prices. 

Rilettes de canard (duck rilette) for S$9, steak tartare for S$12, and escargots for S$12? Rare prices for the CBD, where starters at most restaurants sit comfortably in the S$20 region.

Of those, we think the escargots are a solid choice. Good escargots are hard to find, especially at this price point.

These were nice, bouncy and covered in a fragrantly garlicky and herbaceous mix — you can’t argue with it.

The foie gras (roasted duck liver, S$16), is also quite enjoyable, given that it’s respectable price tag, especially for the quality.

Though not exactly French-food connoisseurs, even we could tell Les Canons has done a good job as its duck liver arrives silky, buttery, and loaded with umami.

We also appreciated the desserts. The mousse au chocolat (dark chocolate mousse, $8) and mont blanc (S$9) weren’t elaborate, but there is a lot of joy to be found in its simple execution.

Be it the thicc, rich dark chocolate mousse or the crunchy meringue and roasty hazelnut ice cream used in the mont blanc, Les Canons’ desserts are priced well, and done well.

Les Canons is definitely the restaurant to go to in the CBD, for those who want something more affordable, especially for a cuisine that’s commonly seen as quite exorbitantly priced.

We won’t say it’s incredible, but it is incredibly affordable — a good option for a casual date night, we think.

This was a hosted tasting.

For more ideas on what to eat, read our stories on the adorably named Error 404 cafe and the cool new Spanish restaurant opened in CHIJMES!