Review Small French Bar - Footscray

A rustic cute little french bistro with gorgeous french food and french music in the background. If you're lucky the chef might start singing too 😄. The food was excellent I cannot fault. We had 4 people in our group so was able to try all dishes on the set menu. My favourite is the raw salmon, bouillabaisse and the steak with a big slab of pate. The creme brulee was the best way to finish the night. I would come back just for that. The staff were lovely. Very impressed with this little gem in Footscray. This is definitely on my favourite list now. Thanks small french bar for such a lovely night.

What a delightful little restaurant. The food was authentic and delicious. Great to sit at the bar and watch the chef's expert skills. Could not pick my dish of the day. They were all amazing.

Amazing food. Amazing value. Amazing flavours. The restaurant is very cosy and the chef and his staff are great. Sitting at the counter/bar is best as you can chat with the chef while he prepares the meals.

What a little hidden gem. Set menu (options for courses). Stopped in on off chance for dinner. Seated at bar with ability to interact with owner/cook. Everything tasted fantastic with them actually tasting home made!!

When we booked, we choose to be seated along the bar table where we could watch Stefan work his magic pumping out the Charuterie and Cheese, Entrees, Mains and dessert by himself in such a small space. Food was delicious and so satisfying and meals were perfectly timed between each serve. Dat and I shared each meal with each other so we ordered most dishes and can’t wait to go again to try what we couldn’t fit it. * Entree* Perfectly cooked scallops. Escargot with a mushroom sauce and bread to soak up the sauce. *Mains* Salmon in a puff pastry filled with rice and egg and a lemony white sauce. Special of the Day was Steak with Duck fat potatoes, salad and Pate *Dessert* Vanilla Creme Brûlée Poached Pear with a house made chocolate sauce topped with Vanilla ice cream and Almonds for a nutty Crunch I’ve never had steak and pate together so this blew my mind, I will never make it without it again. We made a booking online and dinner was prepaid at time of booking. Make sure to book in advance to avoid disappointment. Thanks for being a lovely host Stefan, can’t wait to visit you again

Fantastic little place that is honestly so unique and authentic you will keep coming back for more!! Set menu with a delectable variety of French cheeses and well cooked proteins! Their charcuterie board was top notch and included Comtè and Fourme d'Ambert slices We were a group of 4 which was perfect: For appetisers we got the salmon tartare which was so fresh and my personal fav was the French pancakes with the blue cheese sauce! For mains, lookout for their daily specials- we had the scotch fillet which was cooked perfectly, beef pastry with goats cheese which was delish, and the bouillabaisse was the star of the show in my opinion because of the garlic infused aioli. The chicken dumpling/leek dish was unfortunately a let down because it was too salty but nevertheless okay. Dessert was fantastic with the chocolate desert being so so rich!! And I personally fell in love with the apple/almond tart which was buttery goodness!! We booked early and paid in advance FYI

An absolutely glorious experience! I was transported to Paris through the incredible food and unique atmosphere. The open kitchen, friendly staff and incredible food make this place so special. Do yourself a favour and drop in for the 4 course set menu.

Lovely quaint restaurant with good service and authentic French food. We thoroughly enjoyed our dinner and will definitely come back again.

I loved this place. Took the family and all of us enjoyed it. It's looks a small place but very very welcoming and obvious French from the menu to the accents on the staff. The food was amazing. The sharing plates to start followed by mains of coq au vin and French onion soup were all demolished. There's lots of French beer and wine to wash it down with. We couldn't resist desserts. The crepe Suzette and Creme Brûlée were fabulous. The staff are friendly, attentive and knowledgeable. I'll be back.

It's like walking into Stefan's home and having an amazing home cooked French meal. The food here is traditional and super tasty, hospitality is outstanding and must mention the pate..it's mouth watering and seriously to die for. Sitting at the bar is my new favourite spot, very social, you get to see the chef in action and even lick the pate bowl if you're lucky!!

Intimate, cosy atmosphere. Attentive to detail, helpful staff; simple yet visually well composed, delicious food. We enjoyed Thursday night oysters and a finely balanced poached pear dessert. I'm not sure how it compares with an actual French place - have not visited France yet - but it definitely felt Continental. I would recommend it.

What a place in the heart of Footscray! Wish we had of come earlier, the food is so good. Last night we had the plat du jour of stuffed pigs ears.....delicious!! Also tried the fillet steak with the most amazing pate on top of it, the duck which just melted in your mouth. Great wine and food, can't beat it! Packed out on a Thursday night....tables turned over..great atmosphere and service with a smile! Thank you for having us.

Do yourself a favour and eat at the small French Bar. From entree to main then desert we could not fault it. This is seriously some of the best and tastiest food that we have eaten. We will def be back. Thanks Stefan for a wonderful night your food is amazing.

Love this place, but I’m worried it’s getting too well known! Great food and wine with friendly service and welcome feel about the place. We’ve made friends by sitting up at the bar.

Wonderful little place. Great wine list and the food is amazing...! Service friendly and helpful. Highly recommend.

Fantastic food, wonderful beer and wines... great staff and Stefan is fabulous!!! Loved sitting at the bar, enjoying our wine as we watched him prepare our food in front of us. Perfect!!

I think this is my new favourite place, have been three times in as many weeks and will keep coming back. Fantastic service and wonderful food every time.

Impeccable service and amazing food, they were also very accommodating with our little baby & pram. You must book in advance, there were so many walk ins who were turned away.

You can't go wrong with SFB! Top quality French cuisine prepared with love, skill and style. I've always enjoyed eating here and am consistently impressed with the lovely food and ever-evolving variety of dishes. More recently, we held a private function here. My guests and I could not have been more pleased with the hospitality. Not to mention the cocktails on offer and the special touches, like a personalised chocolate roulade birthday cake! Stefan is a master and was great to deal with whilst sorting out the logistics. The staff are very professional and friendly too. Thank you again for everything and for an afternoon to remember. Highly recommended Small French Bar. We love everything you stand for!

Stumbled upon this cute place for some lovely croissants and coffee after my Saturday morning market shop... what a little treat with warm and friendly service... oh and it's really yummy!

Wonderful food served by lovely people. Each time I go, I come out feeling happy, relaxed and most importantly with a happy tummy! Come try it for yourself and guarantee you’d have a “Love at first bite” too

A great way to relax at the end of the week. The staff are very friendly and chatty. A great selection of wines, and finger food. $1 oysters on Thursday nights.

Only called in for a quick red & dessert but was very impressed with a Small French Bar. As the name implies it’s very compact but packs quite a punch with an interesting French wine list & accompanying fare.<br/><br/>Made my back to SFB for dinner last week and I have to say the food was spectacular, but the front of house service was curt at best and overall very disappointing I’m sorry to say and quite unexpected:-(

Small intimate restaurant which is very popular. We ate there on Christmas Eve and the place was bustling. Service is friendly and helpful and we really enjoyed the food. We like it when they have special menu nights.<br/>The cafe is great too serving more casual but good food if a bit of a tight squeeze.

Great restaurant with friendly and knowledgeable staff. Food was generous and homely and delightful.<br/><br/>Thoroughly enjoyed the experience and will be back. Highly recommend this valuable addition to footscray.

Simply amazing! The reviews are right, this place is to die for. We dined sitting at the chefs bar & marvelled at him efficiently getting all the meals out so speedily. The escargot were perfect, the bouillabaisse was jammed with seafood & the creme brûlée was lovely (could maybe have used a slightly thicker toffee to crack). Service was wonderful too. Will 100% be back & have recommended to all our friends!

We love this bar. What it lacks in size it more than makes up for in service and flavour. The only downside is that with just one (albeit very flavourful) main option, The Vegetarian isn't keen to go more regularly, which is all that stops us from overindulging more regularly. I'd visit just for the cheese and cider!

Love visiting Stefan’s for a cold winters dinner. Stefan is amazing at what he does. Highly recommend the bar seating for date nights. Steak is always cooked perfectly and the parfait is amazing just on its own. Specials are always very good. My go-to for French!

What a lovely experience :) We were lucky enough to sit at the bar and be able to see Chef Stefan work his magic - he makes it look so easy, he’s such a pro! It was so nice to chat with him. And the food and drinks were absolutely delicious! Can’t wait to come back :)

I had been encouraged by friends and hospitality professionals to visit this place. I did last night with a mate. What a delight. A French oasis adding to the increasing diversity of Footscray as a destination for food. <br/>We sat at the bar and watched Stefan cook our dinner. Bouillabaisse! All ingredients fresh on the day. We chatted with him about it and the accompanying drinks. We watched him engage similarly with the other diners. <br/>The choice is limited but VERY French VERY fresh and expertly put together. Table staff are warm, friendly and knowledgeable. But it revolves around Stephan. He is the conductor and principal artist in this band<br/>We’ll be back for the upcoming Bourguignon evening. Merci beaucoup. <br/>

4 of us went for an evening dinner after hearing about this little place. Well we arrived in this great french atmosphere, food was absolutely fabulous. We ordered and ate the entree, mains and dessert without any anticipation whatsoever, the food was very authentic french with so many fantastic french flavours. The food and atmosphere was so good we even drunk 2 fine bottles of french red. The service was very friendly and very attentive which a lot of other places lack. The pricing was very fair for what we had it was not expensive at all.. We all can say keep up the good work and of course the food, it was like being in France we will all be back.

The staff member was fantastic, provided a supper service. The cheese platter was delicious, the combination of the taste sensation of the cheese with the wine was top notch. For a main I enjoyed the rib eye fillet, cooked to perfection.

had the charcuterie + fromage - i rarely eat this type of food but yesterday i could not stop, we cleaned the board, it was delicious. have to get this!<br/>and that was were the delicious experience ended<br/>they had special $2 oysters - didnt taste fresh, soaked in too much vinegar<br/>snail dish - was soaked in olive oil / and olives, couldnt taste anything else<br/>steak with the pate - weird combo, did not match well with me. steak was average

As always, a perfect to finish off a busy week. Iron Chef Stefan serves up authentic French cuisine ,along with a bottle of Chateau du Grand Puch...Sacre Cuer... I am in Paris ... I highly recommend .

I dined here last night for the first time with my fiancé. The food was just outstanding! We started with the charcuterie and fromage and then had the filet for mains. The duck liver parfait was one of the highlights of the meal, it was so decadent and so full of flavour. The wine list was also quite impressive and concise which made decision making much easier! We sat up at the bar which gave us front row seats to watch Chef Stephane work his magic. It was a wonderful dining experience that we will recommend to all our family and friends, and we will surely be back!

Had a lovely midweek meal here with my husband. I've been here several times and it just never disappoints. I finally got around to posting this review because my husband captured better pics of the food than me. I love the casual atmosphere, attentive service and the food!!! Just a small menu but is cooked so well and a great wine list. Great for a dinner night with the girls or for a chilled date night.

This is one of the best French places in Melbourne if not THE best! It's very unpretentious and the food is amazing. We sat at the bar and watched the chef (just one guy!) work his magic. We have never seen anyone multitask like this man and still produce incredible results. The duck liver parfait was phenomenal and highly recommended. We also had the duck leg confit and the seafood bouillabaisse which were excellent. The icing on the cake was the creme brulee which was again the best we've ever had. The staff was very friendly and the intimate setting made the experience highly personal. We'll be going back very soon!

I’ve been meaning to try this bar for a while. It’s a cute little bar/restaurant in the heart of Footscray. We were greeted by lovely staff and enjoyed some delicious food! I’ll definitely pop back in again to make my way through the rest of the menu!

We've always liked French restaurants for a bit of a special occasion, but after moving West our usual ones are just a bridge too far. (The Westgate bridge too far :P) So we tried Small French Bar last night and were very happy. The food was rich and decandent, typical of French food. We shared the eye fillet with duck liver pate and roasted potatoes, and the chicken with mushrooms, leeks and lardons in a creamy sauce. We also had the creme brulee for dessert. The wine list is a bit limited, only 4 or 5 reds and also the prices gave no incentive to buy a bottle - the cost of a bottle was the same as 5 glasses. The staff were nice enough but I've definitely had better service at some of our other favourites.

This place is so great! It's small and intimate and kind of feels like you're in someone's home which is lovely. A simple menu but packed full of French classics and the food is packed full of flavour. You must start with the Charcuterie + Fromage platter. The house made duck liver parfait is quite truly phenomenal - you won't be able to stop eating it. The cheese and choice of cold cuts are fresh and delicious too and all served with bread and crackers. I was there with four other people so we tried the Mackerel Provencal, the Chicken Normand, the Gratin Dauphinois with Truffle and the Pork Belly. everyone raved about their meals. I personally devoured the Gratin and the Pork. The gratin came with a side salad which cut through the richness of the cheesy crispy potatoes. The generous shaving of truffle on top really lifted the dish. If you're a potato lover order this dish - I recommend getting it as a side though and sharing it.The Pork belly was not what I was expecting - it was a sort of stew. It was delicious - such depth of flavour. It came with one slice of pork belly but then Toulouse sausage and Garlic sausage and lentils on the top. Dip some crusty bread in and you've got yourself a damn good meal. For dessert we had the crème brulee and the Chocolate fondant. The Fondant had a cognac sauce which was really potent, but added a nice cheeky element to the dish.   I highly recommend you visit this place - probably best to make a booking first though.

Nice one .. second time round .. menu change .. all in all good. Nice music. Nice wine, great feel. Loved the duck leg and the fish dish. Nice staff

Whilst paying bill EFT , my banking PIN numbers became the tip , waiter knew just shifty .<br/>Footscray welcomes new business but these dudes just a bit too shifty .<br/>Chicken dish had one tiny piece of chicken in it .<br/><br/>For 2 people bill was $170 , it’s just cafe with a fine dining price . Don’t even have a proper kitchen must prepare food off premises. <br/>Don’t get fooled with the French thing

Definitely one of the underrated restaurant. Just love this little gem in Footscray. Little French bar, small, but cosy. Love it when the chef cooks in front of you. The cold cut & cheese platter is a must. We order it every time. Great mains. Great selection of drinks too. Service is attentive. Price is affordable. Love this restaurant.

A French bar in Footscray, wasn't what I was expecting. But what a find! <br/><br/>The service was outstanding. This is a lovely little place, a small bar area with stools and dining tables for those wanting something more substantial for lunch or dinner. <br/><br/>They have a winter degustation menu event coming up soon, but tonight I was very lucky to find that they have $1 oysters (natural). <br/><br/>OMGosh I soo wish I wasn't going out for dinner now lol. The oysters were so fresh and tasty... just lovely. <br/><br/>This place is definitely worth a visit but I’d recommend booking first as the restaurant was booked out tonight.

Attended one of the themed lunches on Sunday with matched wines....we have now been to three or so of these and they are fantastic! Stefan and staff do a magnificent job and every course we had was superb....from the potted trout, to the duck, ox tail, cheese and to die for cherry creme brulee! There was not one part of it we didn't all love....and the courses were just the right size...we were not overfull when we left and enjoyed all the lovely wines that we had with our meal. Thanks for having us and we will be back soon!

Stephane and the team run a small and formidable restaurant, significantly appreciated by locals and guests from far away. The food impress so many senses and eye candy is plentyful. When checking out meals ordered by other guests, I realise we have to come back again and again. I would prefer to tell noone about the little snail, to keep it my own secret, but I will be good and share. Enjoy.

Not what you would expect in Footscray.<br/>Very compact premises but comfortable and functional.<br/>Great service with friendly acknowledgement and greeting the moment you step through the doorway.<br/>Compact menu and wine list however it is more than enough.<br/>Everything is delicious and authentic with an emphasis on very simple and fresh.<br/>Sensational quality.<br/>Not far off experiencing unpretentious side of the real France.

Feeling a bit of a let down with this one, staff is nice and easy going, food is ok but not exceptional which would be ok if it wasn’t for the prices... not sure I will be back.

I love the atmosphere of this "small french bar" as the name suggests. Surprisingly had more seats than imagined from the outside. <br/><br/>Starters, charcuterie & fromage board, fresh oysters, crab and blue cheese omelette. We loved the generosity of the board and the selection of salumi; the stand out for us was the smooth buttery liver parfait. Fresh oysters were $1 (Thursday Night Special, yes! Excuse my french). Now the disappointing part was this crab and blue cheese omelette, it sounded better than tasted, I mean it wasn't bad but nothing special, the strong cheese flavour over powered the "crab" which was hardly present.<br/><br/>The mains consisted of Steak Tartare and Fillet Rossignol. Do yourself a favour and get the steak tartare, this was amazing, prepared fresh, well seasoned and went down a treat with a glass of red. The fillet was good, not a stand out but it was well cooked, the addition of the liver parfait made it unique. We also ordered the Plat Du Jour which was a Pork Loin, however due to popular demand we missed out, but the food we ordered was more than enough.<br/><br/>Overall the experience was most enjoyable with good company, excellent personable service. I loved the open kitchen and the cosiness of the space. As previous mentioned in the last review, this place is a very humble, genuine restaurant which reflects the tastes of France however exceeds the service in which you would get in France. <br/><br/>Next time we will back for the confit duck.

We were excited to come here as we had heard great stuff about the place. Ambiance is good, the place is very small and charming. Service was fine, the waiters were attentive but the food took way too long to come - 30 minutes for entree plus 30 min for mains. Food was okay but not exceptional. One thing that called our attention were the prices - it was the first time we saw a place charge $22 for an Espresso Martini! We won't be back in a hurry.

I LOVED Small French Bar.<br/>The atmosphere is very relaxed and cosy, almost permeating a sense of welcoming (or maybe this is because I sat at the bar?)<br/>I had a good old chin-wag with Stefan and Dave and found them to be very friendly, albeit slightly cheeky gents.<br/><br/>Chef Dave explained to me that their food was rustic, something you'd expect to find on the menu in provincial France- not too fancy, just honest. Being a seasoned French travelled myself, I can agree with his assessment. The food is tasty & honest. Perfect for the establishment.<br/><br/>I loved that the wine list and menu were concise, but with enough variety. My friend and I enjoyed the cheese board to start, progressed onto the duck and beef for main, then finished with the brûlée and chocolate pear for dessert.<br/>All this was accompanied by two bottles of Cabernet Franc, which we enjoyed immensely.<br/><br/>A big thank you to Stefan and Dave - this is now my regular place to visit whenever I'm in Melbourne.

Love this little Footscray gem! So good for a quick wine and cheese board. Staff are super friendly and welcoming. Place fills out on a Friday evening so best to book ahead.

I've been excited to go to this cute little restaurant for a while! The staff are friendly and attentive. I dined with my boyfriend and we ordered the charcuterie board ( although I wish we order the charcuterie fromage mixed board) for the starter. It was beautiful with the fresh bread baked in the kitchen. For the main we decided to be adventurous with the escargot and tartare. Everything detail was cooked with love, you can tell the chef appreciates good food <br/><br/>Thanks for the wonderful meal :)

A little gem of a place. Delicious traditional french country bistro style food. Great staff and friendly owner working hard in the kitchen.

We really enjoyed our dinner here the other night, but there is a really big HOWEVER. The service. Even though staff here helpful and attentive, they were so slow and couldn't prioritize at all. Please stop polishing cutlery and glassware when we want to order more food and wine! Food however is really faultless and delicious. We shared our meals to get a taste of everything - standouts were the salmon and duck. Food amazing, service meh

A classy tucked away restaurant in the heart of footscray, the restaurant is run by friendly catering staff. I had the beef fillet with pattè and my partner had the meal of the day. Both were fantastic, fresh and tasty. We will be back!

Love this place! The staff are always super friendly and helpful with wine suggestions, and the food is amazing. Always a great night at Small French Bar.

Fantastic experience. Good wine, great food and friendly service. Steak tartare was excellent. Have been there a couple of times now and have not been disappointed.

Stefan is everything you want in a chef/host. He's talented, charming and warmly enthusiastic about great food. And he does great food.<br/>I am yet to sample the dinner offerings (damn you children under 5 needing a babysitter!) but the Small French Bar is worthy of a stop by for lunch or a quick cuppa n pastry.<br/>Pastries - Saturday mornings you will find crossaint, and assorted small danish. Be quick, these home made goodies don't last long. If you're lucky, grab a baquette and a portion of Stefan's seriously delicious duck pate. Stefan also has assorted cheeses and salami etc on hand. He is happy to put together a few of these tasty morsels for a picnic or takeway treat.

Visited Small French Bar for the first time last night and wasnt disappointed!! It is fantastic!  Food fabulous, atmosphere gorgeous, so cosy and homely! We will be visiting on a regular basis!

We love this place. A welcome inclusion to the huge line up of diverse food options along Hopkins St. They have just bought back their fresh pastries inc. croissants on Saturdays and they are well worth it.

It has a great atmosphere and the staff are lovely but the food was disappointing. I was expecting delicate French cusine but found the dishes were sloppily put together and lacking in flavour. However, I would definitely return for drinks and nibbles, as the atmosphere was great.

Small place/bar as the name suggest in the middle of Footscray, what a gem! We ordered the mix cured meat and cheese, duck, french onion soup and tarte. Everything was delicious especially the french onion soup. The food and service was unpretencious. The head chef was lovely (forgot to ask his name) and the atmosphere was very homey. I would definitely come back and recommend this place to my friends.

Was told about the place by a local and regular customer. What a pleasant surprise. Had the oysters as an entree which were a special for the day: shucked in front of us, fantastic taste with the raspberry vinegar dressing. Then I had the steak tartare - had lots of different varieties in different parts of France; this was a new taste, not sure which region it was from, but it was excellent. My wife had escargot, which she also loved. Will certainly go back and take some friends

I was surprised to discover there was a French restaurant in Footscray, so I decided to check it out on Friday night for my birthday dinner.<br/><br/>We ordered the escargot (12 snails in a garlic butter sauce in a pot topped with a layer of pastry, cheese and charcuterie board, duck liver parfait, eye fillet Rossignol (topped with a slice of duck liver parfait) and confit duck. There were also some $1 oysters still available from the oyster night on Thursday.<br/><br/>Everything we had was excellent and great value for money. apparently they have a new expanded menu coming soon, so I'm looking forward to revisiting this place!

Loved the simple sophistication. The wine selection was good quality and well priced. Had the charcuterie and the steak tartare. Super tasty - the parfait was delicious. Service was friendly and genuine. Fab addition to Footscray.

Real authentic french food, service is relax but knowledgeable & efficient.<br/>Wines are unique & well priced. A true gem in the west.<br/>The goats cheese salad was amazing....

“My husband mentioned to me that there was a French Restaurant in Footscray. I didn’t believe him. To my surprise, Small French Bar exists! Although, very small in size and food selection as the name suggests, the food available is delicious and great value for the price. I’m already planning my next visit with special dishes every day of the week!”

We stumbled across this aptly named bar and just had to go on in, looking so cute and cosy. The low bar is very inviting for you to engage with the staff. The table layout etc is basic and minimal but still feels very French and homely. We had a mix of the charcuterie and fromage which was generous. there was a pork? side Cooked in duck fat (looks like sludge/glue which I wasn't. a huge fan. But other than that you have your standard pickled veggies and cold meats.<br/>The homely appeal, and the randomness of having a cool French wine bar in footscray is really challenging the dynamics of a suburb that has/is undergoing massive gentrification. This wine bar represents such.<br/>It's become my new local.

Mediocre croissants and sub par coffee. I feel the shop is trying hard to push the authentic French angle and not focusing enough on the food itself. Let the quality of your products market the business rather than relying on the nationalism

I walked in and was warmly welcomed by the owner. I bought the chocolate croissants, Apple galette and some duck liver parfait. Everything was delectable! The pastry was the best I'd ever had and the parfait was amazing. I'll definitely be back to try the rest of the menu!

Cute little place tucked amongst the hustle and bustle of Footscray. The cheese and meat selection here was delicious! Only downside is I wish the venue was bigger so I can bring all my friends!

Delicious food, wine and atmosphere. Great staff who were friendly, patient and recommended some tasty wine. Ordered the set lunch menu with the most delicious cauliflower soup, charcuterie plate with an amazing cheesy scalloped potato and red wine. Couldn't not have dessert, chocolate fondant and and apple tart served with yummy vanilla ice cream. Merci!

The layers of immigration that make Footscray such a fascinating place have now placed Small French Bar, a French fromagerie, charcuterie and cafe (and later wine bar) on the main street. It’s a small storefront set incongruously amongst the pho joints, wig shops and money exchange offices and you’ll just be able to spot it with the help of a little snail over the door.

Please, please get a deal with a coffee company. Tea bags in pots with milk poured in is terrible! I had a earl grey flavoured milk basically, and a nespresso machine... No no. The pastry and cheeses are phenominal though! Which is the saving grace! <br/>Will definitely come back for lunch, for a taste.