We had Sunday lunch & decided to drop the a la carte menu. Started with natural oysters with a wonderful cucumber & apple dressing which tasted fantastic, next we shared the cheese soufflé which was great & ai had the 250gm eye fillet (one of the nicest steaks I have had) and my partner who is very fussy about how their steak is cooked had the scotch fillet which was perfect. Lastly we shared the chocolate & hazelnut tart with a coffee again it didn’t disappoint. The staff were great wonderful service & will definitely be going back.
A 5 course Sunday lunch ($60!! Incredible) with two friends was just one of those days when everything goes right. The food was the best I’ve had there yet, the wines were impeccable, the waiters were just so lovely, the table was perfect, the relaxed timing of courses perfect. Can not recommend this enough. I don’t know where else in Melbourne you could go to get this level of food and service for $130 per head including tip. Fantastic!
Zelda Mae Montesclaros Danlag
+5
Definitely recommend this place! Love the food , staff and atmosphere!
Great food, great atmosphere and fantastic staff. Had dinner there on Saturday night and was seated at the bar looking into the kitchen. Fantastic to watch! They also made a special dessert for me as I am lactose intolerant and couldn't have anything on the dessert menu!
Superb find ! Just moved into Perth St from Perth WA . Popped in for a drink and stayed for dinner . Fantastic staff , the sommelier knew his wines and the meal was sublime �����
So accommodating in every way! Staff easily worked with our food intolerances. On a busy Friday lunch we simply cruised in without a booking...no problems. Full explanation of the items on the menu & day's specials. All this created a wonderful lunch to celebrate a return to Melbourne and French pinot gris! Thank you.
Highly recommend this amazing restaurant! The food was wonderful and all the staff were fabulous, accomodating us when we arrived more than half an hour late due to traffic delays. Thank you so much for making our meal with you so pleasurable!
True French style, outstanding food, great wine list, attentive but unimposing service. An easy 5 stars!!
Cant recall the last time i enjoyed a dining exeperience as much as this. Service, atmosphere and of the course the food was delicious
Great service staff, superb food. Absolutely recommend!
Had a wonderful dinner here. The food was delicious and the service was exceptional. We will definitely be coming back.
Atmosphere and food were 5 star!
Steak and lamb were the most tender we have had in a long time!! Would go back if we lived in Melbourne
Amazing food amazing wine
Amazing ambience amazing service
Amazing company amazing evening
Chronicles Of A Foodie
+4
It's a lovely place, warm with the fire place in winter. We regular Bistro Gitan the sister restaurant and this one is quite different. We had a lovely lunch, extremely friendly staff, we took our time and were not rushed to leave after lunch service. Really enjoyed the fish main dish and the scallop starter. The desserts were superb!
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We love trying new steak places and this place was on our list! We came by on a Sunday night - the restaurant was nearly full.
We were given the menus and offered water immediately, something I always appreciate.
Then a basket of the most delicious french baguette and butter was served to the table after we ordered. The bread was crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside - delish.
The entrees were served before the drinks so we started on them. We ordered the morton bay bug beignets which were soft and sweet on the inside and crunchy on the outside. So moreish. We also ordered the beet salad with mushrooms and fetta cheese. Also delicious and sweet.
We each ordered a steak which came with chips and 2 types of sauces: bearnaise and a spicy, garlicky and herby sauce which was seriously tasty. The steaks were cooked exactly as we asked, medium rare. The chips were crunchy and moreish. Everything was delicious.
The staff were very friendly and attentive and came and apologised for the wait on the drinks.
We noticed that the plates the food was served on were quite old-fashioned and the food would probably look better if nicer serving plates and bowls were used.
The atmosphere was casual and the people at the table next to us were a little tipsy and quite loud but otherwise it was quite relaxed. A good place to go for a really good pub style steak.
Have been here for dinner once with my partner, we both had steak (of course) with fries and salad. Quality of the food was excellent - rich flavours, perfectly seasoned and great char on the steak which was cooked very well. I love the French rustic flair to this establishment - it almost takes you away to Europe. Great atmosphere.
I've been here on another occasion in the afternoon and shared some nibbles with friends - most memorably were the steak tartare and some croquettes which were both delicious. Will definitely be back and hopefully to try their specials.
Was completely blown away by the quality of the food here - rich flavours with some interesting twists and creative flairs. Tucked away in a suburban street, this little French bistro houses a stunningly modern kitchen while retaining a polished, rustic charm. I ordered a scotch fillet which came with Bearnaise sauces and a tangy salsa, with thick cut garlicky chips that were to die for. My dining companions ordered the beef tartare, parfait and the truly magnificent dauphignon - cheesy, sinful and utterly indulgent. I finished off with a Halloween themed chocolate raspberry gateaux - a fitting end to a delightful meal.
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4.5
After a disappointing experience on Friday night at Bistro Gitan, the Twosheds band decided to saddle up and try its sister restaurant, L’Hotel Gitan for a Sunday mid-afternoon snack and glass of wine. And we loved it. This place is always bustling, and the ambience of its chic and sophisticated Art Deco-style interior is seductive. Done out in black, white and gold, with smoky mirrors, it really is a pleasure to eat and drink in this space. We sat out the front in the bar on stools - not in the restaurant proper - and ordered some dishes from the “Petite” menu with a beautiful glass of Chablis (pictured), as suggested by the very friendly, attentive and efficient lady looking after us. We ordered a leek vol au vent, chicken cigar and the calamari a la plancha.
Our choices were perfectly matched to the dry and delicate oyster shell overtones of the Chablis. We couldn’t fault the food. The chicken cigar was served with beautiful cous cous, and was delicately fried and crispy. The calamari was perfectly cooked, and the vol au vent pastry was delicate and flaky. All up, a really great experience. We have dined in the restaurant here previously and been very impressed as well. Oh and I forgot to mention the crusty French baguette - with salty French butter - which came gratis. Lovely. 4.5
Attended a set menu here a few weeks ago while a friend was visiting. We were looking for a relaxed place with good food and somewhere we would feel comfortable for a long lunch.
This place delivered everything we wanted and to be fair it is a very reasonable priced place.
Lots of butter and rich food was eaten and I rolled out of the front doors after service.
All in all a nice spot to relax and if you’re feeling like something a bit fancy hit it up.
Thanks.
Fantastic gastropub cross french brasserie. Forget stuffy Francois, L’hotel Gitan is a much less pretentious bistro with excellent food and service.
We came for the Monday raclet night and ordered a chicken liver pate to start. Highly recommend it, although if you are not into cheese, come another night as raclet is super stinky... perhaps come along to Tuesday steak night, or why not take advantage of the $2 oysters before 6pm? Wash that down with a glass of billecart-salmon for $12. Francois who?
Outstanding service, the waiters are very attentive and accommodating. This was the first experience I’ve ever had where I’ve been out to a restaurant and never had to pour my own water, whilst going through two bottles of San Pellegrino my glass was never left empty by the waiters. Food was exceptional, fresh and obviously made with passion and love. This was a birthday treat that I will never forget.
DO: The steak, fish and seafood board.
DON'T: Forget the prawns and amazing desserts.
TIP: Takes bookings. Also check the specials board first before ordering
I really wanted to love this place. But the food is just not good enough for the prices that they charge. The specials are great though. I will return for their specials and for happy hour.
We ordered the oysters during happy hour - $2 each! They came with a horseradish sauce which was good, but we really needed lemon along with it (should have asked!). The oysters were unnaturally salty. Like they added extra salt to them.
The lamb roast I ordered seemed to be an inexpensive cut of meat. There was a lot of gristle and sinewy bits. The slices were also paper thin and the serving was tiny. Having the name of Roast of the Day with trimmings, we expected a bit more food.
The free bread and butter is incredible! and so are the french fries. I honestly would go back just for the bread alone.
Wonderful French fare served up with a knowing smile and a fairly good understanding of the produce. Let me be clear, this is good French food, but if I had to choose between the big French establishments, this is not my number one. Small plates were all delivered with precision; the table had zucchini flowers, crumbed prawn, oysters and the special (black sausage as a scotch egg). Lovely. Charcuterie board, tartare and scallops for entree. The tartare was fresh and light and the celeriac within it was surprisingly nice. The beef was not cubed but strips - different. Steak for main was cooked absolutely perfectly! A couple of times, our waiter needed to go and check the answers to our questions, which is fine, but the questions were not difficult; was the wine that was made specifically for the restaurant oaked in French or American? Where was the tartare meat from?
Really enjoyed the evening and would definitely recommend, but I don’t think I’ll head back there super fast. Get there.
Well , L’Hotel Gitan was a off the cuff booking and am so happy Coco Bloom and I went , I’m giving my high marks for service and knowledge of the staff , amazing !!
The food was delicious, but not amazing , I could not fault any dish , our stakes were nice and the prawns were fantastic, the desert was beautifully presented and was not to heavy or sweet and was just the correct amount for us to share , wait time were not long , we will be back , 1 negative is that it is very noisy with a full house, the management need to invest in some noise dampeners , other than that a great atmosphere.
Great place for a boozy lunch, food never disappoints, certainly on the upper end of the scale but really delicious. Scallops were next level, fish is always cooked perfectly. Staff were good, perhaps on the French end of service persona, but again that's why you're there.
We celebrated a friends birthday and we were seated in the private booth, lovely Art Deco styled room. The staff were very impressive with their knowledge of menu, all specials described in full detail. Food and wine was amazing and dessert even better, I had the crepes Suzette which was spot on and tasted my husbands Creme brûlée, this was exquisite with subtle flavors of ginger, fennel seed and Szechuan pepper.
Came here for work Christmas party and it was to die for. Everything was fresh and delicious and couldn't be faulted. One of my favourite restaurants. And it's great you can see the kitchen!
A large group of us dined here recently for a team celebration and had a grand old time - thanks to the food and the company. L'Hotel Gitan is an elegant establishment that brings a touch of France to Commercial Road. Think cosy banquettes and chairs a little too close to each other. The food is excellent, without being pretentious - this is classic French fare without too much fuss. The steaks and bavettes went down a treat amongst our group, while not being a fan of red meat, I enjoyed the delicate flavours of the wild groper dish. While the food and the wine for that matter were top class, unfortunately, the customer service left a little to be desired. A bit more warmth would go a long way!
Perfect environment, perfect food, perfect presentation and perfect drinks! A good place to chill out! Why does it had to be 140 characters?
The difference of opinions when it comes to restaurants, and each particular experience, can be incredible. It dawned on me that my first experience at L’Hotel Gitan was not characteristic of this good looking venue. So, a couple of years ago I didn’t share my thoughts, but I am now.
Whereas my first experience was in a large group, upstairs in the private room, this time was downstairs where it’s at. I often discount group experiences because the most usual setting is a table of two to four people. While today we have seven for a group leaving lunch, the restaurant is not even half full, so there’s no pressure on the chefs or floorstaff.
The first thing noticed by the table was that the L’Hotel version of Gitan is a bit fancier than the Bistro version. It is a stylish room, that feels adequately French. The banquettes are comfortable, and the semi-private booth looks very cool indeed.
I was skeptical going here based on the average reviews but decided to head there anyway.
First thing that struck me was the amount of waiters for such a small space, layout seemed cluttered with several waiters in one section. So can be noisey and distracting.
However, the steak I had was delicious. I had the Cape Grim scotch and my partner had the 250g eye fillet both medium rare. Eye fillet was definitely closer to rare but mine was cooked perfectly. Cafe de Paris butter and fries were excellent. Had the chocolate delice to finish and that was excellent too.
We had a French girl as our waiter and she was lovely and attentive with only a couple of minor and very forgivable mistakes.
All in all, if I was in the area again and looking for a steak, I would come back.
My Partner and I highly recommend L'Hotel Gitan. Our experience was perfect from the food to the service. We ordered several starters and the Scotch Fillet and Porter House both medium rare. It was the best steak we've been served in a very long time! So much flavour. We will be back to wine and dine our selves again and again at L'Hotel Gitan. From cooking under Gordon Ramsay and Neil Perry as a young chef myself the team work In the kitchen that I witnessed from sitting at he bar was great! Good team work guys keep it up ☺️👌🏼
This is the local pub. Nice, welcoming, classy and at the same time non pretentious. It is a must try, worth driving here! Food is sublime. No booking required BUT i would think you better give them a call.
We came here for lunch to celebrate our Mum's birthday. Although there is no specific kid's menu, our children were accommodated with a choice of fish or steak served with chips and salad and then ice cream to finish off.Being there for Sunday lunch, we were offered either the 4 or 5 course degustation menu, which consisted of 2 entrees - prawn croquettes and a pork and veal terrine; 2 mains - grilled monkfish and roast lamb with a harissa sauce, eggplant and chickpeas and, choice of 2 desserts - peanut butter & chocolate gateau, coconut choux pastries with a chantilly cream or a lemon meringue pie. All desserts were very mouth watering and looked a work of art. The a la carte menu was also on offer. Our waiter also deserves a mention for the attentive service provided.
A solid bistro. Designer casual in a converted pub. Jaques Raymond heritage but is unpretentiously aiming at casual eaters. Service is very good. Food is fine. Not outstanding. Just fine. Had a generous plate of school prawns with a nice aioli followed by a Cape Grim porterhouse with bearnaise and fries. It won't compete with Rockpool but the dish was $40 so is a lot cheaper.
Drinks are reasonably priced. There's a nice bar to have a relaxed beer before dinner and serves draught Fat Yak in what was the old front bar of this converted hotel.
We had our Christmas dinner here Friday night and it was superb. We had the private dining room. The food was great and the service was excellent.
Had a delicious dinner at L'hotel Gitan on Saturday night. The restaurant was absolutely packed and had a great vibe. We were lucky enough to get seated in a special private booth which was nice. For starters we shared the scallops and the tempura prawns. I would definitely recommend both of these dishes. Then for main I went for the eye fillet which came with salad and both a chimichurri type sauce as well as a bernaise. The steak was exceptionally tender and perfectly cooked. Our waitress was also lovely and gave lots of great recommendations.
Modern French restaurant L’Hotel Gitan is focused on natural flavours and simple, impeccable presentation, using only the freshest sustainable products. Aside from the extensive menu, the inviting specials change regularly based on seasonal ingredients.
L’Hotel Gitan is one of a newer breed of restaurants that captures the best of the chef’s skills, without the pomp and ceremony of silver service. (Silver service may be taking it too far as a descriptor, but you catch my drift.) Yes, there are table cloths on the tables. Yes, the waiters are knowledgeable. And yes, the standards are high. But, the dining room has a buzz, and the accompanying din see-saws between loud and too loud. The atmosphere is created by the crowd, and by the open kitchen, allowing the goings-on to be centre stage.
Dined here on a busy Friday night to start we went with the stuffed cabbage meatball which had a funny name because of the waiters suggestion and I must say was one of the best things I have eaten in Melbourne for as long as I can remember ! Simple yet full of flavour and the creamy blue cheese mash was divine ! My partner had the snapper which looked great. The staff were very attentive & helpful will DEFINATLY be back
Another Melbourne hidden gem- to the passer by the exterior classic pub features are highly deceiving. The interior is a modern, yet art-deco style and creates a beautiful semi formal dinning experience. Pork Indochine?!? (Pork Bun) was next level and the highlight of my meal. The Citrus Tart for dessert and Lamb Cutlet special for Main was very enjoyable also. Very reasonably priced for the dinning experience we received. Staff are AMAZING! Knowledgeable, fun, will go above and beyond- Great Restaurant!
Our group of 12 secured the private dining table for a celebration dinner and it was perfect. The actual dining table was impressive - a massive piece of wood that had been carved out and set the scene for the room.
In terms of food, we shared an array of starters that were pretty tasty. Beef tartare really isn't my thing but it wasn't too bad.
For main I selected the Cape Grim scotch fillet and it was top notch. Served with chips and sauces we were pretty chuffed with our selection.
The place does have a great vibe and while not cheap it is a quality joint.
Went here for the first time yesterday and it was seriously good food and service.
Our waiter was a great guy (can't remember the name) tipped him $20 that went into a communal fund which sh!ts me to tears. Anyway the average dishes were the chicken ribs and croquettes, nothing special and the ribs were no better than doing chicken wingettes at home. Great dishes were the crab salad, light and fresh and so tasty, steak tartare which was perfection, we ordered the steaks which were cooked perfectly and side order of dauphinois and chips were absolutely awesome. I appreciate the waiter who new what the kitchen could do and what they could not, the kitchen itself was extremely quick and methodical, the food itself was so clean, light and refreshing. Will make this my local as its only the dishes I ordered that I could not give it 5 stars!
Went last night to this beautiful iconic pub/hotelThe whole place was so alive... to watch the chefs cook and prepare the meals and everyone's meals came out together.. the food was delicious...am planning to return again
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As a local I now eat here once a week. Ambience, decor, staffing/service all right up there. Oh yes, food, all really good.
As a small but fussy eater I find the small (Demi) staters with a Mid plate and a small veg side just right when I am eating alone. Sitting at the kitchen bar is fantastic. These chefs are poetry in motion. They must communicate by mind waves. No noise, no fuss, total efficiency with incredible attention to detail. Every plate is polished prior to plating!
When I get lucky and take a female, I do the full meal table scene. And it's all good. Actually the place is really good value - food (menu changes weekly) wine and very pleasant service at pretty reasonable pricing for what it is.
The building exterior looks like a pub (it used to be Max's) from outside. And it retains its licence although it's far from that inside. A really sensitive make over that has retained some nice architectural elements of the 50's. It still has a bar which is quiet pleasant. I think it's a Raymond family holding because I saw the great man himself smooging the staff one afternoon. That explains it all!
My only (past) criticism, is that booking and entry can be a bit cool until they get get to know you. But once seated everyone is welcoming.
This place sets a high standard.
Geoff
Eat Play Love Travel
+4.5
Don’t be fooled by the Carlton Draught sign. While L’Hotel Gitan might look like a pub on the outside, inside it’s an Alice in Wonderland epicurean feast. And there’s not a parma in sight. The ambience and interior, with its roaring 20s design smarts, creates for a relaxing experience. One that set us back $150 after three shared courses, plus two large beers and a glass of wine.
Steak is normally outstanding, dining is casual and not overly pricey for French food. However: kitchen is open so here's a tip guys: if your cooks don't like being told that the product is not up to scratch they should change profession. It is not cool to crack the sads in full view of the customer and berate the waiter to boot for just doing his job. Not cool. Great dining experiences can be ruined by the simplest things...
Really like this restaurant! The modern fit-out and decor including copper cookware on shelves and funky lighting blends well with the building's original period features of stainless glass windows. I like the open kitchen and the wait staff know the menu well. The lamb is delicious and fresh shucked oysters were good. We had a good time here and will definitely come back.
We went here last night while on the prowl for a place to eat since we didn't feel like cooking. Super glad that we didn't. Food was great. Both my wife and I had steak which was perfectly cooked. Our waitress was very friendly and knowledgeable. Only reason I'm not given a 5 star rating is that it's quite expensive for the amount of food served. However, we loved the night here.
We were here on opening night, so this review may not be a true representation. It was very busy, the staff tried very hard, but the food took aaaaaaages and then my rare steak came out well done. Faint from hunger at this point (a good hour and a half later) I sent it back, and was the last person of the evening to receive a meal, but in fairness it was cooked as ordered the second time around. I think the prices were too high for the atmosphere and menu - it was pretty much fine dining prices in a pub environment.
Came here for a midweek lunch and absolutely loved it. We sat at the bar and watched these chefs at work. Such great French food. Highly recommend
This place feels good from the moment you walk in. The open kitchen is awesome (chefs work hard!). Table arrangements cleverly done to create more intimate dining spaces. Excellent and imaginative use of the buildings 1950s native structures.
The food exceeded my expectations, loved the trout (slightly smokey, good), the duck was excellent as were the entrees and Creme Brulet. Shiraz by the glass was first class, full bodied and reasonably priced. Service was fully professional and welcoming. Surprisingly reasonable cost given the high standards.
I will be back and if my first impression is confirmed I will upgrade my rating to 5.
The reviewer who said it was pricey and suggested that they should get back to mainstream pub food should stick to her suburban pub and parmas. This is not a pub. It is a fine restaurant. Fortunately the crowd seemed to appreciate and know this.
Geoff Birtles
Wonderful. We four lunched here and the food, wine, service was excellent. We were all delighted with our various dishes, and the open kitchen added theatre. Sorry about the but, but so so noisy.
Impressed with the Steak Frites (Scotch Fillet was recommended by the waiter). Steak was tender and very tasty, along with the two sauces that came with it! I'd go back again just for the SF. We found the staff, very friendly, familiar with the specials, and service was prompt. Chocolate Fondant was also delicious, oozy warm choc lava. The vibe and decor at L'hotel Gitan is feels younger than Bistro Gitan. Parking was easy on the side street. Only thing that I did not like is the split seatings, which many restaurants are doing -- when you pick the earlier seating as you have younger kids, they rush you out for the next seating, and this breaks and ruins your night out :(
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My new healthy approach to life and project ‘SmallerFoodieBum’ means a restaurant with a bit of a walk involved is my new weekend destination. Anywhere with a good 5 – 10kms gets me up on a Saturday ready to get going and get up a pace with the promise of a little lunch and a sneaky glass of wine involved at the end. L’Hotel Gitan is a decent walk from South Melbourne, a lovely stroll through the park and up Commercial Road and we are soon there, perhaps a little red in the face, but we are there! The old Max Hotel has had a bit of a lift and has an art deco feel to the big front bar, with comfy booths, plenty of high tables and then through to the more white table cloth, bistro area. In the middle is a huge open kitchen, thankfully full of solid professionals – we have been to a few bad examples of when open kitchens go wrong lately! But there is a calm air as the team are preparing for the dinner service including lighting the huge rotisserie and loading up the chooks for those lucky people tonight. The bar menu offers more than enough to choose from for an little afternoon snack with your glass of bubbles, Moreton Bay bugs, crisp croquettes, chicken spare ribs and freshly shucked oysters. Those tempura Moreton bay bugs look well worth the walk. Sensational big, fat, plump, meaty bugs in a light perfect batter coating and then a bed of smokey baba ganoush – more, more, more!! OK brace yourself….. big call coming… The BEST oysters I have had in 2015! Firstly – perfectly shucked, completely shucked, no half arsed and then leaving me with a little fork to massacre them off the shell. Ready to slide off the shell and into my smiling,waiting mouth! Secondly – not nasty bits of shell, no picking anything out of my mouth or chasing some nasty crunch around my mouth ruining my beautiful, soft oyster. They were Oyster-licious! Beautiful San Daniele Prosciutto – smokey, wafer thin sliced, packing a bit meat punch – just delicious. Not sure about the verjuice smear, didn’t w
I have eaten here half a dozen times since they opened late last year. Without fail, I have thoroughly enjoyed myself each time. I am slowly working my way through the menu and am yet to fault a thing. Each dish has been beautifully presented and absolutely delicious. I do particularly love visiting for a steak which is always cooked to perfection. I have read a few reviews complaining about the wait on food, particularly the steak. After the steak is cooked on the grill, it must rest before being served. As such, it takes a little bit longer to come out. But be patient, as it is delicious! This is a gastro pub, not a quiet restaurant. Enjoy it for what it is and have an amazing time like me!
Yum. We had a fabulous lunch here on Friday. The only issue was trying to chose from the menu as I could easily have eaten everything on there. Finally settling on the tuna tartare appetiser, and the squid entre, both off the specials board. Delish. Service was great..and the place looks gorgeous.
Delightful. Our dinner last night was delightful. I would definitely return and recommend it to anyone. The staff was friendly, the food superb and well priced. Had the Moreton Bay Bugs to start with, than king prawns a la plancha for my partner and parsnip and smoked tomato for me, than the porterhouse and eye fillet followed by the Peach Melba dessert.
Good buzz and great service. We had dinner here on a busy Saturday night with a group of friends. The place had a really good vibe, the service was friendly and attentive. Food was delicious especially the peach melba dessert.
Thoroughly enjoyed every dish. It's a pleasure to hang out and dine in here
Im so so glad we came here. The food, flavour, drinks, staff and the interior space are great, fantastic. Its makes you wanna come back here more often. Came at a bad timing at 4pm when only snacks n nibbles are offered but that was more than enough that we are looking for. Definitely come back to try the full main menus. For sure.
An OK Experience. Having enjoyed the old 'Max' hotel just around the corner from our home, we were very excited at the prospect of a fine diner opening up in its place. Six of us went for dinner in the rear dining room on a Saturday evening and, I'm afraid, the buzz was better than the event. The ambient noise was appallingly loud - we could only really speak with the person seated next to us. This also impacted the service because our server couldn't hear us, nor us her. The food was delicious, although the menu is not expansive, and we didn't really understand how the "moyen" dishes were supposed to work. The price was about the range we expected and we will give them a few months to settle before trying again. So, I'd rate the event, "just ok" - and there is better competiton around.
Overpriced for what it is. We went with a group of friends. The service was very friendly and efficient. Food was good, esp the desserts, but for the price (we paid $100 per head) we expected more. The worst thing was watching the wait staff, in front of us, push their trolleys of food in plastic containers to the kitchen when we still hadn't finished our meals. There are comparable bistros in the area such as Bistro Thierry or France Soir which would be better value. Yet Since Gitain is in our neighbourhood we would like to support it and plan to re visit in a few months when we hope things are settled down.
We read the negative reviews about this place prior to attending and did not find them substantiated. We loved our dining experience- the food was amazing especially the moreton bay bug and duck liver parfait, and the service was great. Would definitely return and recommend.
Was very busy being a Friday night and a little noisy in that bar area, but that's expected in any gastro pub on a Friday night. The barman was good and served us quickly. We then moved into the dinning area which was a lot quieter. Stand out dishes were the steak tartare and peach Melba for dessert. Best peach Melba I've had yet!! Service is a bit "relaxed" but if you are not in a rush it's not a big deal. Would definately dine there again.
Big thumbs up. Visited yesterday (Thursday) lunch with our toddler in toe. Booth seat in the bar was perfect. Waitress with curly blonde hair was personable, knowledgable and had excellent attention to detail. The food was beautifully presented and equally delicious. Definitely hit the mark and upholds the reputation of bistro gitan with consistently great food. The standouts were the duck liver parfait (best we've ever eaten) and the beef tartare. The pork roll, crab salad and scallops were good too and our steak cooked perfectly. The only negative was that the food was a little slow to come out, the place was jamming though and with the open kitchen you could see the head chef was still training his staff with the menu. This didn't bother us, we had a well behaved toddler and we're happy to eat slowly and enjoy the gorgeous fit out and wine. Definetely wish this was our local!
Sympa resto! My new go-to local haunt!. The food was honest and sensational, with our steaks and duck magrert cooked to perfection. On a Wednesday night it was buzzing although the noise level was kept at just the right level. The clientele was a good mix across age groups slightly tilting towards the above 35-yo end, which fortunately results in a lack of whipper-snapper contingent. The place was beautifully refurbished and decorated inside out. Very classy but still fun !
The was teething problems regarding service speed and staff knowledge. These would no doubt be ironed out in no time by the the very professional veteran management. No doubt will be back for many a gsood meals!
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