Tim Owen
A small and long restaurant, very tall inside with a high dado line on one wall - unusual setting. But to the experience…. I wanted a slow and long meal - I wanted steak - I wanted good wine. I got it all.
Visiting on a Tuesday night (4 other tables) the owner/chef/waiter managed to put it together. Don’t rush, take some time, enjoy life.
The steak with green pepper sauce was amazing - especially with some bread to soak up the sauce. Good wine list and given current restaurant wine prices, fair. Nice selection from France and many by the glass.
A good evening!
Thomas Oerlemans
The food was exceptional, not the place to go if you’re a difficult orderer (sorry mum) But overall had a really lovely experience and the owner clearly has a passion for his food.
Allison Smith
Was sitting out the front having a smoke before ordering food and the (i assume) owner came out and very rudely told us to move along because "the tables are for customers only" and then proceeded to stand over us aggressively while we were packing up our bags (as we had taken things out because we planned to eat). We may not have ordered yet but we definitely wont be now or in the future. Just an all round horrible potential dinning and wine experience, i would not go here if you want to be treated like a human being
Steve Bakker
Paris in Adelaide. The best food hands down outside of France. A feast, artistry, the plate is the canvas and the chef paints a beautiful memory that will last. I'm putting this as my favorite restaurant in Adelaide.
Sam Carlton
Unfortunately, we had a very poor experience at the Bistrot. It took us almost 4 hours to receive our overpriced, small and overcooked meal. The man was the waiter and chef, Which leaves for several customers waiting hours for something below mediocre. I wanted to love this place so much. Very sorry to be leaving a review like this but unfortunately it is unreasonable to expect guests to pay such a high price for incredibly poor service.
Thomas Reid
For what you are being charged the food and service was below par. Main courses were cold and served on cold plates. Very expensive for a very disappointing evening.
Stephen Moore
One of the worst meals of my life. We were not hungry, so fortunately we shared meals. I am not going to comment on the value of the food. We ordered garlic prawns as an entree. We received three prawns that had not been deveined. So they had crunchy prawn poo inside them. I consider it a mercy we only got three.
We ordered the duck done two ways, it was terrible. We had no salt and pepper on the table so I asked for them. No freshly ground black pepper, just pepper from a shaker. The duck was tasteless. I have been to France this is not french food, it is garbage. Bread was an extra, if you have ever been to France you know that bread always comes with a meal.
Avoid
Andrew Oliver
Went here many years ago on my first trip too Adelaide & went back again last night. Still just as amazing as the first time 😀. The food & service is fantastic!! The prices are excellent for the portion size & the quality of the food. The owner & his staff are very welcoming & attentive. This is without a doubt my favourite restaurant in Adelaide!!
Shampoo.20
Overpriced, salty, unimpressive food.<br/>The chef yells and curses at his staff in front of customers. One customer asked about it to the waiter and the chef came out from the kitchen cursing at the customer. Right in front of our table.<br/>I would give this place a 0 if it was possible.
Marcia Graetz
We went to this restaurant on a Friday evening. Most of the other establishments in the area were quite busy, this one was empty. The food was good but for the price we paid I thought the presentation could be a lot better. <br/><br/>I had the Duck off the specials board which was very nice. But the presentation really let it down. It looked like a nice meal that I could serve up myself at home. The presentation of the meal didn't look like much thought had gone into it. Maybe some new crockery would improve the look as well. <br/><br/>The waiter could have been more subtle in the way he asked us if we would like sides. <br/><br/>Overall I think this restaurant is over priced. For the prices they charged I expect something really special. The Corner Bistro didn't do it for me.
Can't Be Bothered To Cook
Not entirely sure about this place. Some reviews suggest it's an unmitigated disaster but that that wasn't our recent experience. <br/>We love French food and have fond memories of holidays in France with simple, beautifully cooked, often regional, cuisine. So ...off to the Corner Bistrot.<br/>It was a tale of two dinners ..... <br/>Snails were great, goats cheese salad basically lettuce with a hunt the cheese feature - disappointing <br/>My dining partner loved steak in pepper sauce (thinner than the Aussie version but still tasty) and served by charming wait staff with French accent made up for any down notes. Conversely my meat dish was a tad ordinary and fatty. Potato Gratin was a bit dry and beans nice but not over generous .. and over priced.<br/>Wine list fine but expensive - a little too expensive for the rest of the experience.<br/>Overall I thought it was expensive and not good value for money - especially when compared with other options in the same street or nearby. <br/>Adelaide is a competitive dining market with great top end experiences available .... it's these guys in the middle who will struggle to persuade diners to w with the $$$<br/><br/>
Barbara Yazbeck
Recently dined there for the second time, because lunch there in 2011 had been impressive. However, disappointed and embarrassed. The menu was limited, my date was served on 70's Kmart crockery, which we both looked out and burst out laughing. The decor is bad and the service was poor. I wouldn't recommend it.
El Chapo
after seeing some of the reviews on here I was a bit worried to come as we were invited by my fiancé's parents but I was totally shocked. The food is very good (I was speaking to the waiter and apparently they have acquired a gun new chef). Extensive French wine list. will be returning !
Andrew At Artis Wines
Reading some of the reviews, I was a little hesitant to go there, but so glad that I did. My wife and I had a lovely evening and look forward to going back. The service was great. Very friendly and welcoming. It's not fast, but not slow either and we found it refreshing not to be rushed through our meal so that the restaurant can re-use the table. The food was also very good. The price was fair and reasonable. Not cheap, but certainly not expensive either. Overall, we really enjoyed the experience and will most definitely return.
Saramac1983
Exceptionally slow service and average quality food. We arrived for dinner at 7.15 pm, and didn't leave until 11pm. Was certainly not desirable dining time! Food was nice, but average at best, steak was fatty and not thick like traditional porterhouse - looking more like a fatty rump steak than the price paid. Service friendly but exceptionally slow, and no water available upon request. Escargot's overcooked and chewy... very disappointing.
Andrew
Terrible restaurant. Ridiculously slow service (>2hr wait), and for the price you'd expect half decent food. Apparently not. I reckon your average pub down the road would serve better steak than this. It was the only place that was empty on the street on a Saturday night, and now I know why. $50pp for absolute rubbish. Don't even think about coming here.
Anne-Maree Palmieri
Horrible place. I'm not sure if he's the owner, but on this night he was the chef. Just nasty and abusive. We stopped by for only a quick drink in our way to a show. Asked if that was ok..."yes of course" the waiter replied. So we order; there's one other table of 2, so not busy. Waiting..... Waiting.... Then the chef comes out. "Everything ok?" He enquired. I say we are just waiting for our drinks, will they be much longer as we've been here 15 minutes and we are on our way to a show. <br/>With that he starts shouting at us, insulting, abusing. So we left. <br/>I think this fellow has a mental health issue and I'm not sure how this place is still open.
Margl
Unforgettable. I refer to the earlier reviewer who said that "it doesn't deserve the bile that's been heaped on it in other reviews". The negative reviews are accurate, if not restrained, considering the insanity I witnessed during my evening at this restaurant. Things began inauspiciously when a couple were booted from the table they were seated at to make room for us (we were a group of 4). We did the walk of shame past them to 'our' table, and the madness began in earnest. The chef was already remonstrating with customers over the length of time it was taking to get served. The wait staff were out of their depth. We received some stale, sliced bread rolls and had to ask for butter more than once. The food, when it arrived, was nothing remarkable. One by one, each table seemed to become involved in a dispute with the chef. We advised a couple who came in to go elsewhere, and a departing customer had a (justified) rant to us about how long she had waited for food, only for the chef to go crazy at her when she questioned it. Eventually there was the sound of something being smashed in the kitchen, and the chef was screaming at one of the waiters. To cut a long story short, the chef called the police (I suspect they had been there before). We ended up going for a drink with the other 2 couples to puzzle over the most bizarre restaurant experience ever.
Juliet
Woeful. Terrible service 2.5 hours for a starter . Then argued over the bill! We were the 3 rd customers to walk out & the chef couldn't see why we weren't empathetic over the fact he'd had a hard day. Inexperienced staff shoddy chef bad end to a good day
Two Sheds
This place is ok but not too bad. Mind you, it doesn't deserve the bile that's been heaped on it in other reviews. My lamb and sides were fine. The cheese platter was fine. The coffee was nice. The wine we had was good too. I quite enjoyed the night even if it was a tad expensive.
I Eat Adelaide
Bastille day and only 2 tables in the restaurant, enough said. Friends had invited me to celebrate Bastille Day with them but the food and service were sadly lacking and it felt like a step back in time. A special Bastille day 3 course menu with choice of 3 entrees 3 mains and a set dessert for $75 was the order of the evening. Unfortunately the salmon on the set menu was unavailable and was replaced by the barramundi from the restaurant's menu and the white wine we ordered was also unavailable so we got off to a rather shaky start. My smooth duck liver pate was awful, nice texture but quite bland and I left most of it. On the plus side the beef bourguignon main was flavoursome and my friend enjoyed the barramundi with a herb butter sauce. Crepes suzette for dessert was not a great finale and reminiscent of times past. The bill came to $330 for 3 people and when we put 3 cards down (to pay equal amounts ie 110 each) the waiter informed us we could not 'split the bill'. We kind of showed him how to do that as he seemed fairly new and inexperienced. Point to note: dividing 1 bill by 3 equal amounts paid by 3 visa cards is not the same as splitting a bill with everyone paying varying amounts nor is it the same as separate bills. It is how most people pay their restaurant bills and has been this way for decades.
Katiescarlett54
No no no.. I was really looking forward to genuine French food. Coming from a rural area, I save my food dollars for my trips to Adelaide. This turned out to be one of the worst dinners I have had in Adelaide. Service was extremely slow and waiter was supercilious. Lamb was overcooked, veal was rubbery (definitely not veal), prawns still had a gritty poop-shute. Would definitely not recommend this restaurant.
Trish
What a joke and in poor taste at that! Eventually was able to make a booking. Very hard to get on to. Arrived and said I have a booking in the name of Trish. "Who???" they said. What happened to "sorry, I didn't catch that?" Ordered a soda lime & bitters as I was driving. Sorry we don't have any soda, will tonic water do? What is the fish of the day? Sorry we don't have any fish. The boss is away and didn't order any. Ok can I have a straw for my glass please? No sorry, the boss is away and left us with no money to buy anything and we don't have any. Had a very mediocre entree to start the nested over an hour for main course. There were only 4 tables of customers in the place with 2 customers to 3 tables and 4 to the other! Steak main was excellent but the chicken was over cooked and stringy. Side dishes were average. The crockery looked liked 70s stuff from Kmart and the waiting staff were two young kids who didn't have a clue. The coffee machine had a pile of twisted horrible looking tea towels on top of it and they used these to polish glasses. Hardly any table service at all and they struggled to do the job. Felt sorry for the two boys as they were pleasant but just had no idea. The food cost the earth and was a let down. We gave up and left without dessert and went somewhere else. With all the competition in Leigh St If be surprised if this place lasts. Avoid at all costs.
Karajohn
Waste of time and money. Worst experience ever. Terrible service, long waiting time for food, expensive and depressing! I thought this place was meant to be better. It's hardly ever open and I wonder for how much longer it will be!
Murray Tyler
Sadly this restaurant doesn't cut it. Went with a group of about 12, and we had booked so it is not as if we took them by surprise. Service was slow and poor (taking our orders was a marathon in itself), and the food was passable but not great, and certainly not worthy of the price. One member of our party had to order three times after they came back twice to advise his choice was not available, and two of us had to order a second time. Undrinkable coffee. <br/>Adelaide has so many good restaurants, I couldn't recommend going to this one.
Rwbell
Don't Bother. Had a negative experience unfortunately matching other reviews. Can't provide a proper review of the food because after 1 hour and 40 minutes we refused to continue waiting for mains to be served. The wait staff were shocked that we were upset. Really?? Am I wrong to think that even well prepared food should arrive before the 2 hour mark?? Not just upset but wanted to be paid for food that wasn't ready! Heater stopped working twice.. staff from the opposite restaurant fixed it for the poor bewildered waiter. The look on their face made it obvious we picked the wrong place for dinner! Entrees were OK but the $10 room-service pizza we purchased (to make up for missing out on dinner) was just as good. Also can't say I was very happy about paying $80 for drinks and entrees :( Have a look and then move on... with so much choice on this little street, don't waste your money! I believe the owners name is Vic... mate, wake up to yourself. When people are on their hard-earned holidays, they don't need your kind of nonsense!
Bryce Sturman
Terrible. Nothing good to say. I ordered the confit Duck and it was inedible. I highly doubt it was a confit, unless they had a rubber duck to begin with, then maybe they did a good job turning it from a plain piece of rubber to a ridiculously salty piece of mushroom flavoured rubber. The goats cheese salad was a stack of cos lettuce with 2-3 bits of cheese and without dressing. The salmon was rubbery and hadn't been trimmed. The potato and a vegetable was a joke and was equally as salty as the duck. The bread was microscopic and not particularly good, but when I think about it, was probably the best part of the meal. i would never return.
Chris
Was hugely disappointed! !!! Waiter messed up the entrée order so we were one short. Waited over an hour for the first course and had to constantly ask for a glass which wasn't on the table when I arrived. Duck crepe secial was tasteless. And the steak while cooked medium had a watery mushroom sauce. Would definitely not recommend this Bistrot.
Melanie
As French girls, we were really excited to go to this restaurant. Our waiter was the owner, he seemed nice at the beginning. We ordered 3 desserts and a goat cheese salad. Our dishes arrived quickly and we were a bit disappointed with the profiteroles, tiny for $14 and too crunchy, obviously not home made but simple frozen puff pastries. <br/>When we asked for the bill, he started to be quite unpleasant even though we had been really nice from the beginning, making compliments about the music and the room. <br/>He nastily refused to split the bill, refused to print a receipt (we all needed one to give to our different offices/companies) and while we were trying to get the exact amount of money, he also refused to exchange a $20 note for two $10, which would have been convenient for us and easy for him.<br/>Anyway, quite a bad experience, I would not recommend it and I'm sure you can find better food and service in Adelaide (even if it's not French ;-)
Marcelo O
Food was good and the waiter was great, BUT definitely overpriced. <br/><br/>As a small example $3.50 for a bread roll! And with no butter!! (it's a French restaurant, I thought they lathered in the stuff). I asked for butter, but it was an extra cost of $1.50....come on guys, really?<br/><br/>Even though the food was good, still believe u can get just as good of a meal, for way less on the street.
Sherryn Patricia Shanahan
Atmosphere great, service excellent, overpriced bland
Terri
Tiny serves and overpriced. What an absolute let down. Disappointed to say the least.. It was overpriced & undersized to the extreme. Taste of the food was hit and miss at our table, some were good, others were not so good - mine, not so good. The only thing I liked were the extra side vegetables we ordered. By the time we got home (just after 11) we were both hungry... At over a $100 per head, that is pretty disgracefull... Never again.
OC
Decent food but dismal service. I walked past and saw a quaint little French bistro, that served magret, a truly French word of describing duck breast, and was immediately brought back to my days with a friend of mine and his French family at their holiday house in Bordeaux. I was immediately taken by the cosy atmosphere and just the overall "French-ness" of it all, and fell in love with the place.<br/><br/>Although I was seated quite quickly, I had to wait 20 minutes to order my food, which made me ready to walk out. But I persisted, romanced by the thought of magret. Finally! The waiter/owner (he was the only person covering the restaurant, which was full at 19 diners - yes I had time to count) had time to take my order. As soon as I asked about the specials and hadn't even finished my question, he walked away, served 3 other tables, then came back and threw the specials menu at my table. Again, I was ready to walk out at that point but realised by that time most restaurants in Adelaide wouldn't seat anyone anyway. <br/><br/>When my order was being taken, I felt the owner had the attitude that, if you're not ordering a "sufficient" dollar amount of items (i.e. at least a drink, mains, and a side) then don't waste my time, and again, walked away as I was contemplating whether I had wanted a side. Well... SOR-RY for wasting your time. This guy didn't even have time for questions about the menu, and gave the impression that he was irritated that questions were asked. I had asked for the duck cooked 2 ways with mushroom sauce & truffle sauce ($36.90). He had asked how I had wanted my duck to be cooked, options being pink like the French like it, or well done. I wanted something in between, and requested for it to be medium-well, to which the owner concluded with, "I'll just put it down as well done". So the magret ended up being overcooked, and was a small half breast with a decent sized leg, which was a bit too dry for confit. It was served with a small potato gratin, and a squeeze of a sweet potato paste (i.e. their potatoes and vegetables in the menu). <br/><br/>So in summary: there was so much potential to be amazing, but overall, a mediocre experience with decent food overshadowed by some of the worst service I have experienced in my life. I'm sorry Corner Bistrot, but you are nowhere near good enough to be that pretentious.
4chillies
Slightly disappointed in some respects. We've walked past this restaurant for years and everytime we've said to ourselves, we really need to go there. So we finally did. It was cold and we were looking forward some hearty French food to warm up.<br/><br/>Unlike previous reviews the service was great and there weren't long waits for food or drinks. <br/><br/>The food was delicious. We ordered some house made bread and asked for some butter to go with it. We were presented with a pot of margarine (or maybe seriously sub-standard butter). We're in a French restaurant and can't get decent butter? The house cured salmon for entree improved the situation - delicious. The mains (braised lamb and duck two ways) got a big thumbs up on taste but a thumbs down on size compared to price. The braised lamb dish consisted of three slices of lamb. My duck dish had a reasonable sized duck leg but it looked like it was half of a very small duck breast that was on the plate. I don't mind paying good prices for food but I don't expect to leave wanting more. The menu says that all mains come with potato and a vegetable. The potato gratin was delicious but the vegetable consisted of a squeeze of pumpkin puree (very nice pumpkin puree but not sure it was enough to satisfy the description).<br/><br/>So we have now tried it but are unsure whether it has enticed us to come back.
Nigel Slater
Nigel Slater. Been going to this place for several years but it has sadly gone down hill judging from my recent visit. Not just one but more of the 'mains' were unavailable and the french fries (what a misnomer) were a soggy, sad mess. It used to be the place for birthday/anniversary celebrations but I wont be going back. There's too much competition not only in Leigh Street but all over the CBD.
Trevorscottnz
Situated in historical secluded Leigh St is the delightfully French Corner Bistrot. Small and intimate with an over looking Mezzanine, ideal for small functions or parties. Around the walls are interesting French posters, maps and memrobillia. The decor is simple with white table cloths predominating. We chose snails, untypically pan frfied with walnut, bacon, parsley, garlic & butter, on a bed of spinach., Escargots facon chef, stunning!. From the daily special board, we also chose local fresh garlic prawns, succulent. Both accompanied by fresh bread ideal for absorbing the delicious sauces. Our choice for mains were the duck, cooked two ways; Margret (pan fried) and leg (confit) with mushroom and truffle sauce. Canard deux cuissant sauce champignons et truffes, absolutely delightful. Also available was duck with cherry sauce, which also sounded fabulous. The Barrramundi, baked with lemon thyme & butter, was another daily special, mouth watering. We finished with two perrenial favourites, Cream caramel and delightfully crisp profitteroles, with an ice cream filling and coating of warm choclate sauce, completing a fabulous French dinner. French trained chef, French waitresses, gives this Bistrot real authenticity.
Gary Maguire
I would say the food is tasty, but unfortunately it was over 1 hour for starter and main was another 45 minutes. End of the day nice food, but expensive and left before dessert.
Dazzrock
Overpriced and under delivered. Wow, did we ever get less than we paid for. Unfortunately we went with friends hoping for a special end of year treat. The service from the get go was lack lustre at best and rude at worst. One of our party was told to hurry up and decide what they wanted to order as their were other customers downstairs. The place was nearly empty...and no wonder!<br/>Main courses $36.90 - so expecting something special, not mediocre. A cheese plate at 28.90 that came WITHOUT any form of crackers or bread and contained shards of a couple of cheeses, no nuts or fruit. We returned it and no questions were asked. House wine at $36 a bottle, entrees at $18-22 and 3 of the 6 dishes that were the specials, weren't available. In fact the specials board contained a dish that wasn't even on the current menu. It's written in chalk, how hard can it be to change?<br/>If you really like French food, go to France...the service is great, the food is cheap and the wine is cheaper. This was a real disappointment for over $500 for 5 people and we only had 1 dessert. Stay away...you was warned
Robert Bentley
Tuesday lunch was a delight. The wine list was intriguing (had the 2003 Josmeyer Reisling - fantastic); dined on escargot, schnapper in onion, pickled cucumber, and dill sauce, and crete caramel for dessert. What a pleasure! Definitely coming back on my next trip to Adelaide...
Chris Cheeseman
Going in to bat for the Bistrot. I had my first Corner Bistrot experience last Saturday night, thanks to my beautiful Suzy. First impressions were great; cosy atmosphere, just enough background noise to allow for private conversation and friendly staff. <br/><br/>For entree, we shared a serve of the escargot. I'm not sure if snails usually taste so good, but these were definitely fantastic.<br/><br/>For mains, Suzy had pork, I had duck cooked two ways and we also had a salad (the waitress suggested one not on the menu and it was amazing). The serves were generous and delicious and definitely showed technique and imagination.<br/><br/>The waiter/owner/maitre'd (not sure which) showed the perfect balance of professionalism and humour. <br/><br/>There have been some comments here regarding delays in service. From what I observed and from what I know of French dining, there may be some misunderstanding here. My understanding is that French dining is about more than the food - it's an experience in itself, and not one to be rushed. That was the overwhelming feeling that I got from my experience at The Corner Bistrot - the staff wanted Suzy and I to relax and enjoy a few hours there without expectation, demands or rushing.
Lindy
Lovely french cuisine. Six of us went out for dinner and all had an enjoyable time. The food was great and the service was good but the vegetable sides could be a little more generous for the price - $7.00 per side.<br/>Had a wonderful meal though.
Jim324Hill
Sadly disappointed. Fri night terrible experience. Firstly it so long to be served and then when we finally placed an order it took another hour for the food to arrive. It even took 20 minutes to get the bill after we asked for it! The billing was also interesting as they charge $5 for tap water and a table fee. Honestly it was the worst dining experience I have ever had.
AH
What a georgous dinning experience, wondeful yummy wholesome french food, and fabulous service!!
Andrew Macdonald
Small group of four went to TCB for what was intended to be a long lunch leading into Christmas. TCB is humbly decorated, to speak generously, but it did have a nice feeling and both waitresses smiled and said hello on the way in. Drinks were brought and orders were taken promptly. We only ordered mains but they took 45 minutes to come and further drinks service was non existent. Other than it being infrequent the service was really friendly :) We eventually got to order a fantastic Boujelais, and when our meals arrived the talk turned to the great food. I had the duck duo, one had the duck breast special, and the others had steak. All of us thought the food was great, including the broccoli and beans sides. I will go back, but with my wife, not for a long lunch with the boys.
Casual SA Diner
Good honest French food. Not the wanky version. Maybe not that cheap but delicious.
Patrick Tehvand
It is French for Yum!. Ate there tonight. Had the Side fillet cooked rare (to perfection I might add) some green sides and a couple of glasses of a Cabernet Shiraz.<br/><br/>Service was attentive and not intrusive. Atmosphere was that of traditional rustic french bistrot, and the food was tasty and very much non pretentious.<br/><br/>Place was all but full of patrons and the staff seemed to really enjoy their craft.
Makoto Kamei
It's not often you happened to go to a place for the first time then thinking about going back there already. To my delight, Corner Bistrot was one of these places.
The Meatologist
It is no secret that I am a complete Francophile when it comes to fancy-pancy gastro-celebrations. For my birthday last year I hit the jackpot - three of my most lovely and talented friends prepared a fabulously, mind-blowing meal a` la Françoise. Peruvia
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