A MODERN FRENCH AFFAIR IN BEAUTIFUL WANAKA

Whatever reservations you may have about the French, their cuisine is what makes it all worthwhile. Bistro Gentil brings the delights of French gastronomy to the beautiful shores of Lake Wanaka.

“We revisit typical flavour combinations using fresh seasonal ingredients from our kitchen garden and the best of our region. Lumina lamb, Red Tussocks venison, Lake Ohau Wagyu…”

— Mario Rodrigues, Head Chef

Just minutes from town, our bistro is a serene spot to unwind, with sweeping lake views and sunsets worth savoring.

“Enjoy timeless favourites from our À La Carte menu, from French Onion Soup and Beef Tartare to our signature Crème Brûlée.”

Pair your evening with a visit to the Maude Tasting Room earlier in the day, and don’t forget to reserve your table for dinner. 

Menu

Bienvenue au Bistro Gentil

Appetisers:

  • Oyster, mignonette/8 ea
  • Manuka smoked olives/8
  • Rosemary ciabatta and butter/9
  • Mushroom croquette, aioli/6 ea
  • Beef croquette, onion caramel, hot mayonnaise/7 ea
  • Salt cod croquette, preserved lemon mayonnaise/7 ea
  • Duck croquette, damson relish, parsnip purée/7 ea
  • Chicken liver parfait cigar, quince paste, ash/8 ea
  • French onion soup, gruyere crouton/16 small/23 large
  • Earth board, selection of 3 cheeses, house chutney, walnut, croutons, ciabatta/37

Entrées:

  • Aged beef fillet tartare, radish, egg yolk, soy gel, miso mayo, crispy shallots, croutons/26
  • Yellowfin tuna, leche de tigre, avocado mousse, cucumber, pickled red onion, puffed rice, tapioca cracker/27
  • Grilled courgette, burrata, nashi pear, smoked oyster mushrooms, preserved lemon vinaigrette, parmesan/25

Principals:

  • 250g peppered ribeye, sweet corn purée, dijon dressing, pickled onion, crispy shallots, spring onion/56
  • Market fish, prawn, creamy spinach, crying tiger dressing, crispy wild rice, almonds/49
  • Deboned duck leg, creamy duck breast, mushroom, leeks, plum chutney, parsnip purée cider jus/53
  • Royalburn lamb tenderloin, romesco, garlic harissa dressing, aubergine purée, cashews, broccolini/53
  • Roasted baby carrots, lemon labneh, carrot purée, mustard seeds vinaigrette, dukkah, parsley/44
  • 200g Angus reserve beef fillet, red onion relish, potato dauphines, café de paris butter, onion caramel/65

Accompagnements:

  • Bistro’s signature truffle fries/15
  • Perlas potatoes, tarragon butter, leek ash/16
  • Bistro garden salad, medlar dressing/15
  • Steamed broccoli, blue cheese sauce, pumpkin seeds/16
  • Roasted brussels sprouts, medlar dressing, cashews, preserved lemon mayonnaise/16

Desserts:

  • Mini Bistro dessert /8
  • Vanilla crème brûlée, peanut crumb, berry sorbet/20
  • Plum cheesecake, banana chips & caramelised, biscoff crumb/20
  • Tiramisu parfait, mascarpone and amaretto espuma, savoyardi, cacao/20
  • Caramelised sponge pudding, mixed berry compote, crème anglaise/19
  • Dame Blanche, vanilla ice cream, hot chocolate ganache, nuts/19
  • Selection of house-made ice cream and sorbet/17
  • Affogato, vanilla ice cream, espresso, liqueur of choice /24


Bon appétit !

  • star rating  My family and I came here for dinner a couple days ago and were amazed by the delicious food, incredibly kind and generous staff, and pleasant atmosphere. We were seated... read more

    avatar thumb nms04
    December 29, 2019
  • star rating  Eye watering prices mediocre food. Not fresh not tasty.Very pretentious.They call it french cuisine but I doubt any frenchman would want to make that comparison.

    avatar thumb Rwh011
    November 18, 2020
  • star rating  We had the pleasure of dining here recently during a weekend in Wanaka. The welcome was warm, food was both visually beautiful and delicious, and all three serving staff were... read more

    avatar thumb cowgirlNZ
    February 19, 2022
  • star rating  Take a stroll up past the golf course to find this charming little restaurant with a view even better than down by the lake shore ( those snow capped mountains... read more

    avatar thumb barbrajayne
    October 21, 2023
  • star rating  Warm welcome on a cold and rainy night. The food was excellent, the staff friendly and helpful and the wine selection great. Well worth the drive.

    avatar thumb Barms1005
    May 17, 2018
  • star rating  Outstanding food and out on terrace was exceptional. They even had hats until the sun dropped enough. Great local wines to enjoy as well as many others.A lovely garden and... read more

    avatar thumb H349ORpaul
    February 27, 2020
  • star rating  Onion soup was wonderful. My husband had the lamb & I had the duck.. both dishes were done perfectly. Service was excellent

    avatar thumb Wanggal
    July 26, 2019
  • star rating  This was an awesome dining experience.
    I ate off the menu and wife tried the “Trust the chef” option and was most impressed.

    avatar thumb peterw812
    November 6, 2022
  • star rating  We had an enjoyable birthday dinner at the cozy and romantic Bistro Gentil. The Chef and his team put much love into their dishes. They are beautifully plated. The menu... read more

    avatar thumb John W
    October 12, 2018
  • star rating  Great location . Good wine. Service standard but food worst in our experience in New Zealand - esp. For among the high end restaurants. Everything was overpowered with mayo type... read more

    avatar thumb Mary L
    December 6, 2023

Reservations

RESERVATIONS

To make a reservation, simply complete the form below, a credit card registration will be required to confirm your booking. No charge will be made to the card at this stage. In the case of ‘no show’ a $50 fee will be charged to the card. Please refer to our booking policy below. 

For private hire, large groups and special requests email bistrogentilwanaka@gmail.com.

For parties larger than 9 people, we offer a 3 course set menu so we can deliver the best service. Please email us for more details.

If you are unable to make a reservation online call us on 03 443 2299 as we may still have availability.

BOOKING POLICY
Please note that the cancellation must be requested 24 hours prior to the reservation time otherwise cancellation charges may apply. When booking we request credit card details via the secure Stripe payment platform in order to confirm the booking.

Bistro Gentil reserves the right to charge a cancellation fee of $50 per head when one of the following conditions has been met:

  1. Booking is cancelled with less than 24 hours notice.
  2. Guests do not show up for the reservation (bookings will be considered no-show after 30 minutes)
  3. Party size is less than the original booking by 2 or more guests without notice.
    The cancellation fee will be deducted from the registered card on file and the person responsible for the booking will be notified by email.

A request from us:

If you are unable to honour your reservation or would like to make any changes, please let us know as soon as possible. It is important that we reallocate seats to our waiting list during busy times.

We are a small restaurant, so the amount of staff on in an evening is based on our bookings. We will love you for it!

Merci!

Contact

Opening Hours

Monday – Saturday 6 pm – late

Sundays from 6:30 pm – late 

To Make a Reservation
Click here

For Inquiries
Ph: 03 443 2299
Email: bistrogentilwanaka@gmail.com

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