Bistro Gentil

  Before we went here we had only reviews to go on. The website suggests going up in the afternoon, enjoying the stunning views of the lake over a wine-tasting and... read more staying for dinner. So we did.
The views are lovely and the sun shining in on us was warming as we were welcomed by a wonderful host for our wine tasting. In the end, over a little over an hour, we enjoyed three tasting trays between the two of us before moving on to dinner. Our wine host was knowledgeable, helpful but never in our faces or the slightest bit pushy. It was all about enjoying the day.
Our dinner also proved to be stunning with great but again not in-your-face service. We enjoyed beautifully presented and delicious amuse bouches, tartare for entree, the duck for main, a delightful palate cleanser and creme brulee that I have to rate as the best I have ever tried. All the food was amazing. And the wines included a wide range of Maude wines but also a wide range of wines from other vineyards.
Rather than just a night out, this turned into the pinnacle of our 4 days of dining and wining around Wanaka.

  So glad we were able to snag a reservation at this lovely restaurant on our last night. The food was outstanding, the wines delicious, it had a lovely cosy atmosphere... read more and we arrived early enough to watch over the lake as the sun set. Definitely one to try and fit in whilst ever in Wanaka.

  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 sauces and too salty. Minute crab appetizer tasted more of fried batter stick than crab. French onion soup good. Main meal of lamb - so much mayo sauce that couldn’t taste lamb the way we should. Side dish of veggies again doused in mayo sauce - lost taste here again. Really disappointed . Compared to other many locations in New Zealand , very disappointing and cannot recommend . Liked other local lunch places better in beautiful Wanaka! Recommend to pull back on the very overwhelming sauces!

  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.

  Situated near the Golf Club,a bit out of town,this establishment is a wine tasting room by day & a beaut restaurant by night specialising in local produce...We particularly enjoyed the... read more steak dish,& the venison was really good..The onion soup was a bit sweet...but still very...More

  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 options cover a good spectrum. The self serve wine wall is a cool option. You...More

  We have a meal here each time we visit Wanaka, about 4 times each year. The food is always excellent- always a special night.

  We were massively impressed with this beautiful French Bistro! Staff and food were superb! Wish we had one in Sydney
Highly recommend

  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 inside, which was lovely, but the outside looked very nice as well. As for the food, every dish that I tasted was incredible. The duck confit was probably one of the best I’ve ever had and was so tender that it practically melted in my mouth. The french onion soup was warm and tasty and was the perfect dish to have on a chilly and windy night. Our waitress was amazingly friendly and charming and was able to accommodate any requests that we had. I hope I get the chance to come here again, as there was nothing about this meal I could ever complain about.

  In a tourist town its not always a good sign when you see a bus at your dining destination. Some things feel best kept off the package-tour radar. ... read more A large table of casually clad tourists dominated the main dining room but fortunately we were escorted...More