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.
Bienvenue au Bistro Gentil
Our Trust the Chef menu for June is designed as a true seasonal dining experience, inviting you to step back and let our kitchen lead the way. Available in either 4 or 5 courses, each menu is thoughtfully curated by the chef to highlight the best produce of the moment. While it may occasionally draw inspiration from our à la carte offerings, the dishes are composed to create a more complete and expressive journey.
Bon appétit !
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
Bistro Gentil created the BEST of problems- we wanted to eat more than we knew we could! After some haggling for favorites we had three entrees and two mains with... read more a local glass of 'liquid' dessert to finish. A busy Saturday night was expertly managed...More
curiousgrins
Authentic French with some touch of brilliant flavours! We had a range of selection from menu. Each and every one was exceptional. Taste is believing.
389joe
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
GZPCManager
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
C2MeiD613
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!
Mary L
We dined here this week and not only had wonderful food but the service was exceptional as well, in fact the best on Wanaka. We choose the chefs choice menu... read more and it was lovely. Wine recommendation was superb. Would highly recommend you try this place.
94suey
Absolutely surprised by the stunning food and ambience! The French onion soup was epic! 11/10 worth the visit alone...and the steak !
Glen C
After reading the reviews of Bistro Gentil we decided to go there for our special anniversary dinner. So disappointing! Overall the meals were poor to good.The Royalburn lamb dish that... read more I chose was overpowered by the merguez sausage in taste and quantity. There was very little lamb on the plate in the 2 lamb dishes that our group had! So I would rate this dish as being overpriced. However the venue, service and wine list was excellent.
Franklea123
I'm still digesting the delicious 3 course meal as I write this. The food was next level. If you're wanting the best of what Wanaka has to offer then this... read more is it. I'm a local of 5 years and I've tried every all the restaurants...More
BoabGlenTo 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:
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 & 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