Les Bistronomes

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

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!

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.)

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.