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.
Bienvenue au Bistro Gentil
TRUST THE CHEF 3-COURSE TASTING $79 pp
Indulge in a culinary journey curated by our talented chefs. Sit back, relax, and let us surprise you with a thoughtfully crafted 3-course menu highlighting seasonal ingredients and inventive flavours.
WEDNESDAY CLASSIC TRIO $79 pp
Join us every Wednesday for a delightful 3-course experience at Bistro, featuring some of our timeless classics for just $79 per person. Enjoy a French onion soup, a perfectly cooked reserve beef filet, and a decadent crème brûlée to finish. It’s a midweek treat you won’t want to miss!
APPETISERS
(GIVE ME A TASTE, OR JUST HAVE ONE!)
INDIVIDUAL OR SHARING
PRINCIPALS
Feel like a sweet wine?
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
john241Caloundra
Spent a week in Wanaka early December and had the great pleasure of two delicious dinners at Bistro Gentil. Interesting menu - beautifully prepared.Absolutely wonderful - the best food... read more in South Island.
Tessa C
The most inventive and delightful meal I've ever had - and I've been coming here once a year, every year, for the last four years. And each year surpasses the... read more last. If you're after exquisitely made food that makes your taste buds melt, then you...More
Maz H
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 outlook.
H349ORpaul
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
Jo R
Bistro Gentil is, far and away, the best restaurant in Wanaka. My husband and I have enjoyed a meal here every time we come to Wanaka, but we also had... read more our rehearsal dinner here the night before our wedding and everything about it was wonderful....More
Jackie L
Bistro Gentil is described in a major tourist brochure for Wanaka as '...our award winning restaurant ' and came up as #1 on Trip Advisor reviews. The online menu looked... read more exciting too, so off we went for dinner.
Now I don't like writing negative reviews but I really was disappointed.
Wild venison carpaccio as an entree had about as much venison as a single thin slice of prosciutto. And with more than that in the form of poached pear, cranberry gel and sun dried tomato, I just couldn't taste the venison. It's not that these things don't go with venison, but the dish was so mean on the venison that it just got swamped.
It didn't get much better with the fish main. Three tiny pieces of monkfish, while tasting good, just didn't show the character of the fish. The celeriac puree was good, and could have been the main counterpoint of the fish with maybe one other flavour. But add prawns, leek, orange and bok choy to a tiny serve of fish and it just got lost. Somewhere there was apparently black garlic butter too... I've had many entrees that were more generous.
On the plus side, the garden salad was good and so were the wines (though a bit on the high price side by the glass).
Overall I think Bistro Gentil is trying too hard, maybe to hold or rescue some past glory. But the meanness of the and better balanced than this.
A French onion soup was sweet but maybe at the expense of some flavour of the onion. It was saved by a crust of gruyere but we're still trying to work out where the crouton was.
Overall the meanness of the feature ingredients in the serves, and the overcomplicated and overcompensated accompaniments, really it down.
I'm hoping they were just having a bad night, as their menu should really set you alight.
Goodandsimple
We are Wanaka locals and have dined at BG many times over the past 6-8 years. Some time ago, I found that while the food was amazing, it was often... read more a little too fancy in the fact that the dish comprised of too many flavor's...More
Ski_Wanaka_NZ
This place was a gem. The food was superb, particularly the tartare and confit. Same room for dessert . The Maude wine selection was good. ... read more About 100% markup on their own cellar door which is a bit rich but nice reserve Pinot.
SteveK62
This was an awesome dining experience.
I ate off the menu and wife tried the “Trust the chef” option and was most impressed.
peterw812To 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!
Opening Hours
Tuesday to Saturday 6pm till close
To Make a Reservation
Click here
For Inquiries
Ph: 03 443 2299
Email: bistrogentilwanaka@gmail.com