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
  • Chicken liver parfait cigar, quince paste, ash/8 ea
  • Mushroom croquette, aioli/6 ea
  • Salt cod croquette, preserved lemon mayonnaise/7 ea
  • Beef croquette, onion caramel, spicy mayonnaise/7 ea
  • Duck croquette, parsnip purée, pear chutney/7ea
  • Earth board, selection of 3 cheeses, house chutney, walnut, croutons, ciabatta/37

Entrées:

  • French onion soup, gruyere, crouton/16 small/23 large
  • Aged beef fillet tartare, radish, egg yolk, soy gel, miso mayo, crispy shallots, croutons/26
  • Seared yellowfin tuna, buttermilk dashi, wakame, pickled fennel, citrus kosho, sesame tapioca cracker/27
  • Baked goat cheese, beetroot relish, roasted butternut, walnut crumb, crispy kale, butternut purée/25

Principals:

  • Deboned duck leg, creamy leeks, mushroom & duck breast, pear chutney, cider jus/53
  • Market fish, prawns, potato darphin, parsnip purée, bouillabaisse lobster sauce, spring onion and chives/50
  • Royalburn lamb rump, creamy polenta, yams, garlic emulsion, harissa dressing, comté cheese, hazelnuts/54
  • Jerusalem artichokes, pomegranate dressing, mushroom purée, smoked labneh, black garlic gel, cashews/44
  • 200g Angus reserve beef fillet, red onion relish, potato dauphines, café de paris butter, onion caramel/65
  • Pork tenderloin rolled in bacon, jerusalem artichoke textures, confit apples, mustard seeds, cider jus, shallots/53

Accompagnements:

  • Bistro’s signature truffle fries/15
  • Perlas potatoes, tarragon butter, crème fraiche, parsley, leek ash/17
  • Fried brussels sprouts, medlar dressing, preserved lemon mayonnaise/15
  • Steamed broccoli, blue cheese sauce, pumpkin seeds/16

Desserts:

  • Mini Bistro dessert /8
  • Vanilla crème brûlée, peanut crumb, berry sorbet/20
  • Plum cheesecake, caramelised banana, banana crumb, plum coulis/20
  • Dark chocolate mousse, chocolate custard, crumbs, sea salt tuile/20
  • Lemon curd slice, confit lemon, coconut crumb, vanilla ice cream/20
  • 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

5 Course Tasting Menu /99 pp

Wine pairing /60 pp

+ 4 oysters /32

Course 1: 

Beef croquette, hot sauce mayonnaise 

OR

Mushroom croquette, aioli 

Pairing: Maude Méthode Traditionnelle NV, Wanaka, NZ

Course 2: 

Soup of the day 

Pairing: Matawhero 2025 Pinot Gris, Marlborough, NZ 

Course 3: 

Beef tartare, radish, egg yolk, soy gel, miso mayo, crispy shallots, croutons

OR

Seared yellowfin tuna, buttermilk dashi, wakame, pickled fennel, citrus kosho, sesame tapioca cracker 

Pairing: TWR 2022 Riesling, Marlborough, NZ

Course 4: 

Wildshot venison, caramelised cauliflower purée, brussels sprouts, crispy bacon, roasted hazelnuts and marmite jus 

Pairing: Le Gentil 2022 Pinot Noir, Wanaka, NZ

OR 

Market fish, prawns, potato darphin, parsnip purée, bouillabaisse lobster sauce, spring onion and chives 

Pairing: Maude 2025 Chardonnay, Wanaka NZ

Course 5: 

Chocolate crémeux,  meringue, berry jam, hazelnut praline

Pairing:  Campbell’s Muscat, Rutherglen, Aus

Bon appétit!

  • 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  Fantastic location. Panoramic views of Lake Wanaka & Southern Alps. Excellent choice of beverages (including local wine) at reasonable prices. Great menu selection. Food and Service were excellent. Highly recommended

    avatar thumb Coralea56
    December 2, 2020
  • star rating  TA and our lodge host recommended this restaurant and booked for us. It was full and we can see why. Whilst it is not cheap ($100 a head... read more

    avatar thumb Myclare
    January 31, 2019
  • star rating  Like Kika, really really good food. Great atmosphere, great local produce, sophisticated dining and delicious meals. Highly recommend if visiting Wanaka.

    avatar thumb LeeseAnneH
    August 13, 2019
  • star rating  Had a delicious meal. Super impressed with the service, food and ambience. We both had fish of the day which was delicious. Very generous servings and the service was top... read more

    avatar thumb desertdwel
    July 27, 2021
  • star rating  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

    avatar thumb C2MeiD613
    March 5, 2020
  • star rating  You would be a fool to miss this restaurant. It is an absolute hidden gem. The food is to die for, perfectly cooked and plated beautifully. The ambience here is... read more

    sophie12342016
    July 9, 2019
  • star rating  Magnifique - what a delight it was to sit at a table and dine at Bistro Gentil. The food & wine was amazing and enjoyed by all.
    The service... read more

    avatar thumb RobynD1060
    March 15, 2021
  • star rating  We came here on the recommendation of our hotel, and had a thoroughly enjoyable evening. The views were stunning (although we wished we could have sat on the terrace area... read more

    avatar thumb RDLO1
    May 25, 2018
  • star rating  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

    avatar thumb Ski_Wanaka_NZ
    October 3, 2018

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

Tuesday & Wednesday 5:30 pm – Late

Thursday – Saturday 6 pm – Late

Sunday & Monday – Closed

To Make a Reservation
Click here

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

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