Bistro Gentil

  Lacklustre service but food food
If I was the chef here I would be disappointed to see this comment, food was generally pretty good however let down by poor... read more service and non attentive service staff.

I was hosting a table of 8 people on a quiet Tuesday evening, the wait staff were more interested in chatting to themselves than wanting to assure our needs were met. I had to get up and interrupt their conversation to get table service. Not good enough when paying their prices.

  We ate here during our three night stay in Wanaka and it was absolutely delicious. Both dishes were perfectly cooked and delightfully flavoured. Service was relaxed and friendly, a good... read more selection of wine on an enomatic machine so you can try a number. Highly recommend...More

  Lovely location with great views. Food delicious. Outside eating. Loved the "credit card" and wine dispenser

  Rare is it that I find a restaurant that can satisfy my tastes and feel comfortable dining in - the portions are just the right size, not too small or... read more large, and the atmosphere was warm and cosy, not to mention the vegetarian main was to die for. It’s incredibly difficult to make nice vegetarian/vegan food let alone amazing vegetarian/vegan food! its almost a shame there weren’t more vegetarian options on the menu to explore but they seemed very accommodating to special dietary requirements checking in with me numerous times before preparing the dishes and serving. You could tell that they really paid attention to great flavour combinations when crafting the menu, not just for the sake of coming across experimental.
I tend to struggle with regular dining experiences because of stomach issues but the food was easy for me to stomach without sacrificing unique flavour. Bonus - there is a mock tail of the moment (different every time) and you get a surprise amuse bouche between each course.
Overall I was thoroughly impressed and can’t wait to visit again!

  Recommended by both the waitress in the pub and our accommodation host!! Stunningly good. Casual atmosphere yet slightly poshy. The food was the winner. Monk fish was sensational and the... read more cheese board outstanding. Great bottle of French Chablis. Well worth the $’s. Attentive service. Would...More

  We went on a Friday night and there weren’t many people perhaps because it’s not in the downtown area. There’s inside and outside seating in an attractive setting. We had... read more the beef tartar and tuna apps with the lamb and fish special. All were memorable. One of the best meals on our trip.

  Totally blown away by the experience. Great food, wine and service. As locals, we tended to stick to ‘tried & tester’ but was game to try something for our Silver... read more Wedding Anniversary. It did not disappoint and will definitely book in for special occasions. My husband enjoyed trying a couple of wines with the meal. All the dishes were very well presented, were tasty and interesting. Thanks for a special evening

  Delicious modern French cuisine served in a cute restaurant overlooking the hills in Wanaka. Service took a little too long though, but overall was a good experience.

  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 twenty.
Great vegetarian options - I am pescatarian. Loved all three courses, had a goat curd and leak appetizer, moki fish entree - fish cooked perfectly, and creme brulee with sorbet for dessert. My husband had a cauliflower based entree that he loved.
Wine was good - like everywhere in NZ.

  Saturday night was a wonderful experience, lovely surroundings, greeted with a friendly smile on arrival, seated and offered a drink, completely unhurried to decide what you would like, mouth watering... read more flavoured food, when your food is placed in front of you, a full eplaination of what your plate contains is given by the wait staff.
Wait staff all gentle lovely people and very attentive.
You must make reservations before going.
Totally recommend this restaurant. Will certainly go back.