Canberra is home to only a few French restaurants but the few that we do have are superb. Les Bistronomes is an award-winning smart casual French bistro, located in Braddon. On the menu you’ll find a selection of beautifully plated, high-quality decadent French dishes that are created with seasonal produce. They also offer an incredible 5-course French lunch for only $55 on Saturdays.
Chef Clement Chauvin has worked at renowned restaurants around the world, including two-Michelin star restaurants and Gordon Ramsey’s Claridges, in London. He has also worked at other incredible restaurants in Canberra, including Water’s Edge and Sage Dining Room.
Les Bistronomes has a stack of awards under their belt, as well as multiple hats from the Australian Good Food Guide. Their most recent award is the 2018 Restaurant of the Year in ACT, awarded by the Savour Australia Hostplus Awards for Excellence.
They have an impressive selection of wines selected by owner of Les Bistronomes, Abel Bariller. Abel is a professional French Master Sommelier and is passionate about all things food and wine.
It’s suitable for all occasions and all group sizes. I had wanted to try their 5-course Saturday special for a while (it’s not new) and I finally made it there earlier this year. So I finally booked a table for two and took Mr Eat Canberra’s mum with me. You can book a table from 12pm on Saturday and the 5-course special is available for lunch only.
The chef selects each course so the options could change regularly. It gets really busy and the often books out so it’s best to make a reservation.
There’s an outdoor area that’s perfect for a warm, sunny day, or you can sit in the more formal indoor area. The tables are covered with crisp white tablecloths and the decor is simple but neat.
We were greeted by the friendly wait staff and were seated promptly. You can choose from a selection of dishes from the a la carte menu but we were there for the 5-course lunch for $55.
We started with a glass of sparkling and fresh warm bread with light and creamy whipped butter promptly arrived at our table. I knew we had 5 courses ahead so I didn’t want to eat too much bread, but it was hard to resist.
They didn’t have a physical menu for the 5-course lunch as it changes regularly but we’re told what’s included and we happily place our order.
Beautifully plated house made duck liver parfaits with pickled cherries on delicate thin toast arrive at our table next. The parfait is thick and creamy and not as strong as what you might think. The sweet and tart flavours from the pickled cherries cut through the richness of the parfait and the toast adds a crunchy texture. Each element compliments the other.
The staff at Les Bistronomes know their wine and a white wine was recommended to us after we finished our sparkling. We took the waitresses recommendation without hesitation and were happy with the choice.
A dome of golden pastry arrived soon after. My eyes lit up and I was instantly excited to try this dish. The pastry was everything you would expect a French pastry to be. It was golden, crispy, flaky and buttery.
I broke into the pastry and a steaming hot celeriac and truffle soup was revealed. Oh my….. A smile spread across my face and I wanted this dish to last forever. It was thick, creamy, rich and flavoursome with the perfect amount of truffle shining through. I could happily eat it every day but it might not be a good thing for my waisteline. It was my favourite dish and I still think about it.
Next to arrive were the house made fried scallop wontons with grapefruit and avocado. The freshness of this dish was a nice contrast to the rich dishes we had eaten. The wontons were crispy and the filling was light. I wasn’t sure how the grapefruit and avocado would work with the wontons but again, it was like they were meant for each other.
The last savoury course consisted of chicken mousse disks with crunchy chicken skin with perfectly cook roasted carrots and potatoes. It was topped with mushrooms and jus. It was another rich dish, as you would expect at a French restaurant, but it was another winner.
Dessert was bread and butter pudding with caramel sauce, berry compote and vanilla ice cream. I have to admit, I’m not the biggest fan of bread and butter pudding. It’s probably my least favourite way to enjoy bread but I enjoyed this dessert more than I thought I would.
It was a heavy dish to finish a rich meal and I was so full by this stage. I didn’t think I would be able to finish it but I pushed through. The pudding was buttery and the berries cut through the sweetness of the caramel sauce. Like all the dishes we had, it looked beautiful and again, each element worked beautifully together.
The price is fantastic and the food is outstanding. I’m already looking for another excuse to go back for the 5-course lunch. You can also order beef wellington, garlic snails and crème brulee, as well as lots of other French classic dishes . The crème brulee is obviously a must, and if you’re feeling adventurous, try the garlic snails. They are surprisingly delicious, just don’t look at them before you eat them….
Abel and Clement also run Baked on Mort, a beautiful French bakery and patisserie. It’s just around the corner from Les Bistronomes They do a special bragel – a cross between a bagel and a brioche.
Details
Address: Corner of Mort and Elouera Street, Braddon
All photos taken by Amelia Bidgood from Eat Canberra.
Amelia Bidgood
Amelia is the Founder and Editor of Eat Canberra and the Founder and Managing Director of Eat Canberra Food Tours. She's a qualified journalist, presenter, freelance writer and also runs a boutique communications agency working with small business owners on all things social media, content creation and marketing. She's taught cheesemaking classes, judged hospitality and tourism awards, completed the WSET Level 1 Award In Wines, loves to cook and has travelled to 23 countries. She's also passionate about mental health and has recently started studying to become a Counsellor.