Review Les Bistronomes - Canberra

Opted for Saturday luncheon for a birthday celebration. Added the matching wines, plus cocktails and digestifs. Excellent service, and staff knowledgeable about the menu and wines. All staff fully vaccinated. We would highly recommend this restaurant. The photos speak volumes. Menu is seasonal and changes. Go and enjoy, you won't be disappointed

Easily one of my favourite restaurants to go to with friends for catch ups! Food is absolutely amazing and delicious. Staff there are incredibly wonderful too! Highly recommend! Here are some photos of my many dining experiences there!

I have long avoided Les Bistronomes thinking it was fuddy duddy, overhyped and overpriced. Quaint Parisian chic doesn't appeal to me as much as modern Australian or Asian fusion restaurants. But walk through the red velvet curtains from the slightly decrepit Campbell shop carparks, and you'll be immediately thinking of Ratatouille or the famous spaghetti scene from Lady and the Tramp. Cute! We were greeted by overly attentive waiters who brought out excellent food with exquisite plating & excellent timing. I would have liked snails but alas, no luck! For the entree, my dining partner had the soup of the day: chestnut soup with port jelly.[ Port from an obscure region in France.] As exotic as this seemed, I went with the meatier scallop entrée. ( With black truffle, crunchy hazelnut pieces, hazelnut dressing, cauliflower puree, nasturtium, dill, and some other mystery ingredients). The truffles were thickly grated, instead of shaved flakes which I appreciated. The flavour of the truffles was mild and paired well with the scallops. My main was a pie with napa cabbage, potato, leeks & mushroom accompanied by white sauce and finely grated truffle. The truffle flavour was more pronounced in this dish... Maybe truffle oil or white truffle. Cabbage never tasted so good. Sometimes I find French food too creamy, but this was just right. Dessert was chocolate mousse with coffee granita which was a great pick me up at the end of the meal. Topped with cream, a pastry tuile, a pansy, tiny ?lemon verbena and at the bottom there were crunchy little balls, like rice crispies. It was simple, but it tasted pretty good. So much to my surprise, all the food tasted really good! Might go again!

Birthday dinner, 15 Feb 2022. Table of 4. We chose the degustation with paired wines. Excellent menu, food was outstanding and the service was exceptional. Thank you for a memorable evening!

We ate at Les Bistronomes occasionally when it was located in Braddon but were stoked when it moved into Campbell in late 2019. No more parking issues for friends and easy striking distance for us. Clement and his team have taken the food and atmosphere to the next level in this time and location. It remains authentic and unpretentious. Over time, we have savoured all of the signature dishes (Beef Wellington, Chateaubriand and Duck a'lorange) in the restaurant, and during the pandemic lockdowns, ordering and finishing these dishes off thru several of the cook-at-home offerings - great stuff with 'how to' videos posted online by Clement (and I can now make Sauce Béarnaise as a result, thank you). The only thing we miss about lockdown is those meals! The food is consistently excellent, portion sizes are 'just right' and the front of house, led by Chris, is polished and friendly. Great selection of French and local wines catering for all budgets, and Chris is always happy to talk about choices and recommendations. Have tried and been particularly impressed by several alternative grape varieties as a result. Apart from the signature meals, the menu changes seasonally and we visit several times a year to try something different. Our 2 February 2022 dinner choices were Scallop carpaccio/Salmon Wellington fish of the day (Coulibiac if I recorded that correctly)/le Citron; and Duck neck terrine/Roasted Quail/Chocolate cigar. The flavours and textures were just great. Washed down with a fabulous Cote du Rhone white blend and a couple of matching sticky dessert wines. As you can tell, we are unabashed fans of this restaurant, its people and its food. However, we can't recommend it too highly and were very pleased to see that it was awarded another Chef's Hat the day after our visit - although we truly think it deserves a double! (Attaching a couple of photos of our dinner, which were taken at the request of an interstate friend who loves French food.)

We had a Saturday lunch. Absolutely delicious, great service and ambiance. The food is even better than before the lockdowns.

Update April 2022. Came back to try the new Autumn 5-course lunch menu with matching wines. This time the menu was composed of - Boursin cheese on beetroot crackers - Cauliflower soup - House smoked rainbow trout - Duck breast - Rum and pineapple tart tatin Another delicious culinary experience in a cosy ambiance with a friendly and efficient service. —- A favourite French restaurant in Canberra. The 5-course menu on Saturdays is a must try with matching wines. Selections are based on the season. The dishes are well presented and delicious. Matching wines complement them well. Plan 2 hours for the whole meal. Helpful and friendly service. Available parking at the front. Online booking available on the website. There’s a kids policy on the website too.

Exceptional Food, marvellous service. Perfectly paired French wines. Would come here everytime I visit Canberra

Small restaurant in Braddon ACT. We had complementary cocktails on arrival. Wait staff were very helpful with meal and wine choices and very friendly. Didn’t have to wait long between courses either. Food was divine, duck pate was amazing, the quail was superb, and the deserts wow. Creme Brûlée was brought out flaming and perfectly made. All was perfectly cooked and well presented. Very well worth spending an evening here

In Canberra for a short break between Christmas and New Year, saw this place in the Good Food guide and thought we would give it a go. What can I say, food was fantastic, service exceptional, staff very friendly. Would recommend the slow cooked duck (order in advance), absolutely sensational. Wine list is very good as well, mainly French (we had Le Chat Noir Pinot Noir, went v. well with the duck). Will definitely be back. Thanks Laura (waitress) who was very attentive!

A wonderful lunch time treat with two of my daughters. Delicious, well presented meal and a lovely glass or two of bubbles - great relaxed atmosphere. Can highly recommend Les Bistronomes for any occasion to catch up with friends and family.

Amazing food & fabulous service!! French onion soup & duck l'orange are to die for!!! And of course you have to finish the evening with a cheese platter. Perfection.

Great food, warm and helpful staff. It's our go to spot for special occaision lunch - it's all wonderful but the sharing dishes are particularly good. Nice wine list and very knowledgeable suggestions are available if you want to try something new.

Good service. Unobtrusive staff, who knew the menu. Buzzy atmosphere, good selection of French wines and excellent food. Every dish had amazing flavours, presented beautifully and generous portions. One of the best restaurants I have been to in Canberra.

An awesome dining experience that makes you feel like you really are in Paris. Snails, oysters, Beef Wellington and Duck L’orange are the best! And the dessert, OMG! I’ve been here many times and it never disappoints. We chose to have our wedding anniversary here and the staff were fantastic! Thank you Abel, Laura and Chris! Definitely a 5 star experience!

The food was fabulous and the staff were fabulous! Highly recommend!

Outstanding French restaurant with excellent food, wine and service. In my view consistently the best restaurant in Canberra😋🎉👏👏👏👏👏👍

Consistently good above average French Bistro food. Great service. The best Crème Brulée in the world.

Great food. Better service. Phenomenal lamb. Get involved and get down. I recommend sitting outside.

A lovely restaurant. The food was great. We will definately be going back. My partner had the beef Wellington which was exceptional, but.... remember, it is a share plate! He had it all to himself.

Great service, great food! We ordered the duck liver an our entree, it was kind of hilarious that we though the liver is so good and we intended to keep it while we r having our mains, however the waitresses thought we haven't finished our entree yet and therefore waited for us to finish our liver and didn't bring us our mains for one hour.

This is my favourite restaurant in Canberra. Delicious, comfort food that hits the spot every time. Attentive service! You know you've found a gem when you hear the guy at the next table telling his wife if no one was looking, he'd lick the bowl! (He had the creme brûlée) I felt the same about my meals...just didn't say it out loud.

Fabulous little restaurant with very attentive service and a great atmosphere. The Duck a l'orange is superb and créme brûlée is the perfect way to finish the meal. The wine list is very good too, with wines from France as well as local ones represented.

What can I say? Food and service was great. Wasn’t crazy about the squid dish but the rest was superb. Will have to return.

It has been some time since this blog was updated and we apologise for any person who was eagerly awaiting a new review. Les Bistronomes is a French restaurant in Braddon, which is very close to Civic in Canberra. Braddon is an area where there are many restaurants providing a variety of cuisines and some may be featured by this blog in the future.

We came here for lunch nearly a year ago and so it's interesting that I'm only now writing a review. I'm motivated by the fact that, every time we go to yet another disappointing, overrated restaurant in Canberra, we contrast it to what we could have had IF ONLY WE HAD COME HERE AGAIN. Case in point: Last night's dinner in Kingston.<br/><br/>I won't go into the detail of the dishes at Les Bistronomes. Suffice to say that, after all these months, I'm left with a lasting impression of intelligent flavour combinations and an obvious dedication to the culinary arts. But, as brilliant as the food was, what really struck me was the phenomenal service. It was friendly without being familiar, polite without being servile, attentive without being intrusive and knowledgeable without being arrogant. It was the most perfect and professional service I have experienced in any restaurant. And that includes a good proportion of Canberra's high-end, or so-called high-end, establishments.<br/><br/>A return visit is long overdue. Even if only for the service!

Visiting Canberra for one night, we were looking forward to a great French dinner and we weren’t disappointed!<br/><br/>At first we couldn’t find many recent reviews online, but then found a heap on Trip Advisor.<br/><br/>Fantastic atmosphere with beautifully set tables and service to match, but at the same time had a great relaxed feel.<br/><br/>Instead of selecting traditional entree and main dishes, we chose a selection of smaller plates so that we could try a variety of dishes.<br/><br/>The whitebait was very generous in portion size, crispy and worked really well with the dipping sauce.<br/>The snails were a standout as they weren’t overpowered with garlic as we’ve previously had elsewhere and really let the herbs and snail shine.<br/>Steak tartare was beautifully prepared, with a great balance of flavour and a slight chilli kick which worked really well.<br/>Rabbit terrine was so light and fresh, and fell apart beautifully.<br/>For dessert we enjoyed the creme brûlée which was presented to the table still alight, we’re big fans of food theatre! And was creamy, lovely in flavour, and ofcourse had a great signature “crack” of the sugar on top.<br/>To finish was the cheese board with a perfect selection of French cheeses, each varying in texture and flavours.<br/><br/>Friendly and attentive customer service, however the only thing we noticed was that the greeting on arrival varied, as the table next to us was asked if they wanted to hear about the champagne cocktail on offer.<br/>By this stage we were well and truly into our meal and had already started on our drinks so we didn’t want to order one, however it would have been nice for this to have also been offered to us. These special things are one of the things we look forward to when dining out, and we like to try house “specials” whether it’s a dish or a drink.<br/><br/>Great value for the quality and presentation of the dishes, and loved the authentic flavours.<br/><br/>Highly recommend a visit if you’re in Canberra!

Les Bistronomes serves high-quality French food at reasonable prices. They have won multiple awards and always deliver great service and incredible food in a smart, casual setting. They do an incredible 5-course lunch for $50 on Saturdays and they have lots of interesting dishes. If you're looking for the best French food in Canberra then Les Bistronomes is the place to go.

Great food, exceptional service.<br/>The sauces were really amazing.<br/>Huge range of great wines and delicious Desserts.we will definitely be back.

Not bad for Canberra. Les Bistronomes produces some quite good food with a strong French influence.<br/>The wine list is also good and the coice of a carafe (375mls) in addition to some wines by the glass is a smart option.<br/>We were impressed with the friendly service and generous serves.

Was recommended to try this place, apparently it's well known for good "French". I was definitely very pleased with my dinner here. Entree was great, I enjoyed a steak tartare and tried some cured salmon with truffle creme and caviar. Also had some snails which were not the best, it was room temperature and lacked a punch in flavour. For main, I enjoyed their ash crusted duck which was beautifully flavoured and the meat was melting in your mouth good. Enjoyed this with a nice side of french fries which I couldn't fault. Desert was a creme brûlée with a spectacular display of flames from the live caramelising sugar on top - it lit up the dim lit restaurant. The portion sizes for all the meals was great. Service was attentive, friendly and informative. Definitely worth a check out!

Les Bistronomes is a chic French bistro that had a bit of je nais se quoi about it. The food is classically French with a new age twist. The dining space is also classically French; I mean wicker chairs, floral artworks, and an airy feel. It also seemed like every person that worked there was French and you could hear singing and yelling from the kitchen. It was all so Frenchy, so chic.

We had a fabulous dinner here. All three courses were wonderful. We had snails for entree tender and without the usual overpowering garlic. The slow cooked duck was both theatrical and flavourful. Both our desserts were inventive and delicious. The staff were attentive and very helpful. I would return in an instant.

I’ve heard much about the French dishes at Les Bistronomies, so it was great to finally get there. The decor is lovely, relaxed yet elegant and standards are high. It’s beautifully presented food served with great passion!. At lunch there’s four choices for main course and we choose…

I’ve heard much about the French dishes at Les Bistronomies, so it was great to finally get there. The decor is lovely, relaxed yet elegant and standards are high. It’s beautifully presented food served with great passion!. At lunch there’s four choices for main course and we choose…

Fantastic Italian restaurant. Great flavours and service by the staff. Had the gnocchi as the main and it was a colourful dish. Tasted great as well. Make sure you book since it gets full quite quickly.

Was a pleasure dining here each and every time in company of my French friend who aided in the ordering! Most times we opted for seasonal banquets/degustations which never disappointed. Such authentic, brilliantly thought out and impeccable food pairing.

A very good French restaurant in Canberra. The main dishes are good! I love the steak and fish here. Moreover,the dessert here is amazing!!!

On the recommendation of a friend we dropped in for lunch and what a pleasant surprise. The food is traditional French but with a modern twist. All dishes exuded flavour without being overbearing. The service was excellent and the price exceedingly reasonable compared to some bigger name Canberra eateries. We'll be back with others to try the 5 course degustation.....can't wait.

Having young children making our romantic dinner difficult since their birth and our way to reward ourselves without needing for baby sitter is dining out for lunch and we have discovered how pleasant and value for money lunch can be.<br/><br/>This is likely to be one of the best lunches we ever had. Restaurant is not packed thus we weren't too worried about unsettled children and there were plenty of space for them. Lunch special consists of 4 courses with lovely sourdough and our 9 months old twins surprisingly finished 3 pieces (first time they had bread). It was traditional French with modern twist. All the courses were perfectly cooked and beautifully presented. <br/><br/>Service was wonderful, prompt and attentive and you got to have a good looking Frenchman with lovely French accent as your waiter. <br/><br/>It is one of the best restaurants in Canberra.

Superb and well-priced authentic French cuisine. A big thank you to our waiters for your excellent service, we truly enjoyed our degustation lunch experience and will definitely be back. I loved every dish - down from the freshly baked bread with fluffy butter to the flaming creme brulee. So delicious!! Thanks for adding much zest to the Canberra dining experience! Merci x

Great authentic French cuisine and service. Food is delicate and well thought out. Explosion of flavours and complements each other perfectly. Bookings and pre-order are essential.

We went here for a special birthday dinner and it did not disappoint. Delicious french tucker. The duck cooked in ash was a great and scrumptious dish. The wines however were very expensive. The waiter was excellent.

I recently made my third visit to Les Bistronomes, and this time it was for lunch. Having been blown away by two previous visits, and the exceptional Beef Wellington and the Passionfruit Souffle on my birthday, I was wondering if the lunch time experience would live up to expectations. Wow, did it ever! The special beef and bearnaise was outstanding, and then my friend and I reached afternoon nirvana with the Tarte Tartin. Sensational. Going back next week. <br/>As well as brilliant food, expect impeccable and friendly service from the front of house staff. All in all, a peak dining experience.

Very disappointed. Went tonight with friends. Had heard lots of good things so keen to try it out. My friend has a sesame allergy and I have an onion (and associated eg leeks, chives, shallots) allergy. Waiter assured us that was no problem. Friends ordered a bottle of French red. I could smell it from across the table. Awful. Waiter came back to say it was fine. Sorry? Two customers said it tasted off. Meanwhile I waited and waited for my one glass of white. It arrived with the pre entree which was after i had sat there with no drink while the others had their substitute wine for ages. The pre entree was covered in chives so couldn't eat it. Had ordered the steak as a main asking if it could be done with no onion. Waiter came back to say steak was cooked with onion so suggested leek quiche. Sorry, which part of "can't eat onion" is hard to comprehend? Didn't want to ruin night for friends so said I wd have the asparagus entree and a side salad. Great option for a dinner out with friends. My friend said she couldn't believe chef couldn't do a steak without onion and waiter blithely announced it wasn't that he couldn't but that he "refused" to. Sorry - there are too many good restaurants in Canberra to put up with that so decided to call it a night for this place and we left. Tried to avoid a scene when we did - my friend was more angry than me - but can't describe how disappointing. Please don't say you can cater for allergies when you can't..... Or won't.

I had heard from my friend that the Canberra dining scene had up its game in recent times, with lots of modern, new restaurants popping up. One of them is Les Bistronomes , a French bistro located in Braddon in Canberra.  My friends and I shared an entree of a dozen escargots - it was not as garlicky as most escargots I had previously tried - instead, there was more of a parsley flavour accompanying them which I liked. 

Delicious food and points for trying. Had a lovely meal here recently. Food is full of flavour and they were very accommodating of the coeliac in our midst. Admittedly we did have to send each dish back because it came out with some gluten component on it that should have been left off but they were apologetic (and even once came and took the dish away before we had started) and remedied the problem instantly. Obviously still finding their feet with the gluten free thing but they'll get there! Will definitely go back, it's great to have a French restaurant back in town!

Ticks all the boxes. Fabulous restaurant. Delicious, interesting French food, charming, helpful staff and great ambience. A bonus was that the noise level was not the problem it can be at any restaurants. Deserves to do well.

Fantastic modern French fare! Situated between a car yard and a Thai Massage shop but the food is as good as any in Sydney and Melbourne.

Best Bites in Braddon! Treat Yourself.. Me and my friend were very excited to try Les Bistronomes last night and we were not disappointed! After hearing on the grapevine that the food was excellent we couldn't wait to begin. We pre-ordered the Beef Wellington and my mouth waters now as I type this. It was spectacular. Beef was cooked to perfection and the flavours in the wellington were highly recognisable and delicious together. We ordered a side of Frittes (fries) which I had to get the waiter to take from the table in fear of over eating. The portions were generous and well worth the price. We could not go past a dessert in a French restaurant and we ordered 2 to share even though we were very full. We had the passionfruit chilli souffle and the strawberry charlotte. The presentation was amazing and not one to take photos of food we could not hold back. The desserts are an adventure in themselves. The menu is short but a very good variety. The staff are very friendly and like to have a laugh with you which we thoroughly enjoyed. They are also attentive and willing to assist with any queries. Great prices for an amazing meal. We can't wait to go back and try something different..... or we might have to do the Wellington again...... There is a lot going on in Braddon but this place stands alone in their quality, staff and wine list.

An Excellent addition to Braddon's growing gastronomic reputation. The attention to guests was just as good as the food...fantastic! A slight delay with my partner's dinner (le poisson du jour..rainbow trout), was smoothed over with a couple of complimentary glasses of wine and a side dish. They also 'invited' our large pooch to dine with us (outside table), offering him a 'trough' of water.<br/><br/>I had the Huitres Naturelles Sauce Mignonette and De Boeuf A L’Echalotte Et Sauce Bordelaise...loved it.<br/><br/>They have good neighbours, too! A new brew-pub (Bent Spoke), is located directly across the street.

Duck a L'Orange. Wow! the duck was amazing

Perfection. I have tasted most dishes on the menu and my favourites by far are the duck and the passionfruit soufflé - the flavours explode in your mouth and each bite is better than the last<br/><br/>Service is fantastic, they know their menu, wines and are incredibly friendly<br/><br/>Love it

Fabulous French food. Had a wonderful night at Les Bisronomes. Food was excellent. Wine list impressive. Service brilliant. Courses came at sensible intervals. Serving sizes just right. But the food was the king. Sensational!

Love it!. I went there for dinner with a large group of friends. The service was fabulous, we were all well looked after. The ambiance was just right, small and cosy with the restaurant having a slightly informal feel that you can just sit back to enjoy your meal and company. The meal was fabulous, I would definitely recommend the escargot, the hanger steak and duck l'orange and chips (I know, I know). However the highlight of the night are the desserts!! I tried all four (swapped with friends) and I just love, love, love all of them. Can't wait to go there again, would definitely recommend this restaurant!

New favourite dessert. Went to Les Bistronomes with a large group of friends on a Wednesday night. Service was good and very friendly. The French accent was a little hard to understand at first but we got use to it pretty quickly. The atmosphere was casual and relaxing, we could have sat there all night eating and drinking. We tried all four entrees, three of the mains (didn't get to try the steak) and all four desserts. Everything was so amazing and delicious! My favourites were a tie between the Escargot and Beef Tartare, Duck A L’Orange and the Strawberry & Elder Flower Charlotte but the Creme Brulee did come close. The Strawberry & Elderflower Charlotte was a great end to a heavy meal, very refreshing, good balance was sweet and tang ... I think there were finely chopped cucumber on there as well (sounds weird but it works).

A bit of Paris in Canberra. Went to the Bistronomes for dinner with some friends and we all loved it. Food & service were great. We all loved thr food especially the duck a l'orange and creme brulee. Their sommelier recomended a bottle of morgon which we found outstanding. Can't wait to go back to try beef Wellington. Little gem in Canberra. Thanks les bistronomes

Very long wait. We were seated outside in the dark without lights. Waited 35mins for a drink. Our waiter had no idea what he was doing. Ended up leaving without dessert because of the long wait. Got to admit food tasted really good. We will not go back because of the extremely long wait and the lack of professionalism.

So the other night we decided to spoil ourselves by fancying-it-up with some French cuisine. I’ve dined at many ‘french-inspired’ restaurants but never a restaurant that serves straight-up traditional French dishes; hence my excitement when Les Bistronomes joined the Braddon food scene. I was also super excited to try their Gordon Ramsay inspired beef wellington. I cannot use words to explain how desperately I have wanted to try Gordon Ramsay’s beef wellington and to find out that this opportunity has finally arrived…and in all places Canberra?!; I was absolutely delighted!

New French restaurant Les Bistronomes has opened up where Delissio's used to be in Braddon. Head Chef Clement Chauvin started out working in two-Michelin Star restaurants in France, moved to London to work in one of Gordon Ramsey's restaurants and made the move to Canberra to work at Sage, Waters Edge and a short consultancy stint at the Kennedy Room. Read more about his history on The Canberran's post. V and I went in for dinner and were greeted with a warm 'Bonsoir' before being shown to booked table. The lay out is modern and warm with cushioned dining chairs, a strip of exposed brick on one wall and dark wooden furnishings. You can find French classics such as escargot, duck a l'orange, cheese soufflé, and beef tartare on the dinner menu (menu available online ). The 'Mains for 2' for $80 is another option and comes with a side dish of your choice. This wasn't available on opening night as the convection oven hasn't been delivered yet but it's coming. In the middle of our table, I

Well that was our meal for the night. I must say, we really should be a little less sceptical about French food, this was overall a really tasty meal. Lots of new things for us and in the end we ended up liking them all enough to consider getting them again in the future. There are a couple more things on Les Bistronomes menu that caught my eye that I would definitely like to return to try, like the goats cheese souffle, the asparagus egg soilders, a couple of the desserts like the flaming creme brulee and the passionfruit souflee, which is served in half a passionfruit shell! Plus, they also do breakfast/brunch on the weekends, the menu looks equally as French influenced.

I’ve heard good things about the menu and I’m already pretty convinced with my choices until I look more closely at the menu and hear the specials. While the menu is short, there’s a lot that tempts me. Even though some of it seems a bit ‘traditional’, the descriptions do a good job attracting me. I’m wedded to the idea of beef tartare, but the hen egg with soldiers and asparagus as an entree equally lures me in (not least because eggs and toast is one of my few specialties the few things I can cook). I’m happy with my decision: the tartare is hearty while diced finely, smooth and full of flavour.

It’s a Friday night after a big week and Bron and I enjoy a meal at Les Bistronomes in Braddon. Les Bistronomes is a relatively new French restaurant in Canberra. From what I’ve seen in blogs and Instagram it’s pretty popular. It’s sitting in a group of new places like Blackfire and Bent Spoke.  We need to step back a bit though. We’ve seen Canberra bloggers post stories and images and we both would like to try the Beef Wellington. To get the Beef Wellington you need to pre-order so that’s what I did  It’s a warm afternoon so we elect to eat outside. However, the ambient temperature drops quickly and by the end of the evening there’s gooseflesh on show. The service is very friendly and after we mention we’ve pre-ordered the Beef Wellington we see the menu and choose some entrées and a side for the Beef Wellington.  I love snails. The combination of the snails with the pork loin is great. The parsley cream though, while delicious gives me a green smile.

While I was away on holidays Les Bistronomes opened in Braddon and I’ve kept a keen eye on the positive reviews that have been pouring in since day one. I resisted the urge to eat French food the minute I got back to Canberra considering I had just spent five weeks gorging on French food in France but a girl can only wait so long, right? Last night I had a dinner date with Linda and Giulia to see whether Les Bistronomes is the real deal when it comes to proper French cuisine in Canberra (because you know, now I’m an expert in French cuisine, right?). I was quite surprised at the casual look and feel of the restaurant. But then again it claims to be a French bistro and not French fine dining so the casual vibe is perfectly suitable. The service was very French all the way. I loved that all the staff have French accents, the menu is in French first and then English and you get greeted with a bonsoir! More on this pretty little dish a little later… The menu is very limited- 4 entrées, 4 mains and 4 desserts which makes the decision making process easy. I pretended to look through the menu although I had decided well in advance which three courses I wanted! We started with some bread with smoked tomato flavoured butter that was shaped into a tomato. Cute! For entrees we decided to share a Niçoise salad ($17) and the beef tartare ($17). Due to a little miscommunication we ended up getting the escargot entree as well, which we hadn’t ordered but we were given that compliments of the chef which was a nice touch. I’m not one to make friends with salads when dining out but earlier on in the day I saw a photo of the Niçoise salad pop up on Instagram and it looked too pretty to pass. It was beautifully presented, fresh and delicious with all the traditional inclusions of a Niçoise salad- tuna, potato, French beans, olive, capsicum and egg. The beef tartare was an excellent decision; punchy flavours, perfect texture and a generous serving with the crackling providing an extra e

You know it wasn’t that long since you’re last visit when all the wait staff recognise you. I knew we should have worn fake moustaches and spoken in a Spanish accent! Truth be told, we couldn't wait any longer to go back to Les Bistronomes (see my previous post here), when you promise your stomach something, it won’t forget until you’ve satisfied the craving.

Our lovely French waiter told us the cocktail special of the evening ($13), which was a twist on the French favourite, the kir royale, but with lavender liqueur instead of crème de cassis. We were also provided with fresh bread and a smoked tomato butter. As I had already pre-ordered our main, we only needed to order our entrée. The special of the day was a duck liver pate and cherry tomato jelly, served with lavash ($17). I was lucky to have saved my bread, so I could eat the pate with that, as the lavash was a little thin to smear pate onto without cracking. Overall though, it was excellent pate. Between our entrée and main, A ordered a carafe (375ml) of the 2011 Miceli Lucy’s Choice “Pinot Noir” ($29.50) to the table. I love when restaurants offer carafes, as A and I never order a bottle between us. The filet de boeuf en croute au foie gras er duxelle champignon (beef wellington with mushroom duxelle, foie gras and red wine jus) was pre-ordered beforehand ($88 for two people with a side dish included in the price). Timing is crucial when beef wellington is concerned but when it was bought to the table it looked perfect – the pastry was beautifully golden. When it arrived to the table in halves, we could see that the meat was still slightly pink in the middle. Our waitress told us that the chef was trained by Gordon Ramsay in making this beef wellington. We loved this dish, as the meat was tender and we loved the mushroom and fois gras filling. We highly recommend pre-ordering this dish! The mesclun de salad (fine leaf salad) had a lovely, light vinegrette.