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, Canter Valley duck…”

— Mario Rodrigues, Head Chef

The quaint bistro surrounded by lavender sits just outside of town, offering tranquil lake views and beautiful sunsets. An ideal way to spend your evening.

“Indulge in the classics from our À La Carte menu such as French Onion Soup, Beef Tartare or Crème Brûlée.

Why not spend the day sampling local award-winning wine here at the Maude Tasting Room and book in for dinner.

Menu

Bienvenue au Bistro Gentil

Appetisers:

  • Oyster, mignonette/8
  • Manuka smoked olives/8
  • Rosemary ciabatta and butter/9
  • Venison tartare, potato rosti/10
  • Beef croquette, hot sauce mayonnaise/6
  • Wild mushroom croquette, aioli/6
  • Chicken liver parfait cigar, quince paste, ash/8
  • French onion soup, gruyere crouton/15/22
  • Earth board, selection of 3 cheeses, house chutney, walnut, croutons, ciabatta/36

Entrées:

  • Aged beef fillet tartare, radish, egg yolk, soy gel, miso mayo, crispy shallots, croutons/24
  • Seared swordfish, leche de tigre, peach, capsicum, lime oil, pickles, squid ink tapioca/26
  • Roasted butternut, smoked buffalo ricotta curd, carrots and kumara purée, bhaji shallots, cashews/24

Principals:

  • Market fish, tempura soft shell crab, bok choy, cauliflower, tarragon dressing, almonds/47
  • Red Tussocks venison, dijon dressing, spinach, parsnip purée, chorizo crumb/49
  • Lumina lamb tenderloin, smoked aubergine, courgette, sundried tomatoes, hazelnuts/49
  • 200g Reserve beef fillet, red onion relish, onion caramel, potato dauphines, café paris butter/58
  • Ask your server about our daily vegetarian option/40

Accompagnements:

  • Bistro’s signature truffle fries/15
  • Steamed broccoli, broccolini, tahini dressing, chilli oil, peanut/15
  • Seasonal garden salad, medlar vinaigrette/13

Trust The Chef:

  • 3 course/59
  • 4 course/69

Desserts:

  • Mini Bistro dessert /8
  • Vanilla crème brûlée, peanut crumb, berry sorbet/20
  • Chocolate torte & brown butter cake, passionfruit, mascarpone, plum sauce, peaches, boysenberry sorbet/21
  • Rhubarb compote, white chocolate crumb, almonds, crème pâtissière/20
  • Dame Blanche, vanilla ice cream, hot chocolate ganache, nuts/18
  • Selection of house-made ice cream and sorbets /17
  • Affogato, vanilla ice cream, espresso, liqueur of choice /23


Bon appétit !

  • star rating  A winery for tastings in the future and French bistro by night. The best meal in NZ to date. Confit duck leg with tart plums and sweetcorn puree and the... read more

    avatar thumb Ellen T
    March 6, 2019
  • star rating  I went to Bistro Gentil for dinner with my friends last week. Everyone loved it! Delicious and beautifully presented dishes, I personally had the pork belly, the fish and the... read more

    avatar thumb AnniePnz
    August 23, 2022
  • star rating  Really great place. We loved the location very much. Friday night and lots of locals there. Very friendly staff. Food tastet exquisit. Wonderful wines. It is a small place so... read more

    avatar thumb Christine8046
    February 20, 2024
  • star rating  Amazing! We loved this place, great food, wines and service. Right from when you pull in the driveway and see the whole place lit up like a Christmas tree you... read more

    avatar thumb ChrisD1982
    July 30, 2018
  • star rating  Tasty food, presented well. I felt the sauce on the aged steak masked the flavour of the steak a bit, but apart from that it was good. The proportions of... read more

    avatar thumb 943felixl
    October 25, 2021
  • star rating  Outside of Wanaka but worth the drive up. Great view across the golf course to the lake and the mountains beyond it. Food was very good but on a busy... read more

    avatar thumb jamesl680
    December 4, 2023
  • star rating  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

    avatar thumb JodieS397
    February 14, 2022
  • star rating  We ate twice. The beef tartare and monkfish were outstanding. Desserts looked amazing and we had the pavlova which is highly recommended. Lovely staff a bonus

    avatar thumb ScottM130
    January 8, 2024
  • star rating  What a dinner! Drinks, food, service and atmosphere were unbelievable, and very good looking chefs. Excatly what you are looking for on a girls night out.Good size portions; they don't... read more

    avatar thumb pavyy
    June 23, 2020
  • star rating  We had excellent food our entire wonderful Backroads trip but Bistro Gentil was my favorite.
    Beautiful setting, comfortable seating, elegant casual decor. Servers were excellent, even serving our group of... read more

    avatar thumb RandiFayeC
    March 24, 2020

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 Closed

Tuesday to Sunday 6 pm – late  

To Make a Reservation
Click here

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

Top