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

APPETISERS

• Rosemary ciabatta and Bistro’s compound butter/9
• Manuka smoked olives/8
• Chicken liver parfait cigar, quince paste, ash/8
• Oyster, mignonette/8
• Venison tartare, potato rosti/10
• Wild mushroom croquette, aioli/11
• Pork croquette, apple sauce, parsnip purée/12
• White anchovy, celery, whipped buratta, aji verde, seeds cracker/11

POTAGES

(GIVE ME A TASTE, OR JUST HAVE ONE!)

• French onion soup, gruyere crouton/13/21
• Soup of the day/11/18

ENTREES

INDIVIDUAL OR SHARING

• Stracciatella, pickled beetroot, aji verde, compressed courgette, tamari seeds/23
• Oyster mushroom, crying tiger, wild rice, whipped miso tofu/23
• Seared swordfish, smoked buttermilk, kaffir lime oil, orange gel, pickle daikon, squid ink tapioca/26
• Aged beef fillet tartare, radish, egg yolk, soy gel, miso mayo, crispy shallots, croutons/24

• Earth board, selection of 3 cheeses, house chutney, walnut, croutons, ciabatta/35

PRINCIPALS

• Market fish, tempura soft shell crab, bok choy, cauliflower purée, tarragon dressing, almonds/46
• Red Tussocks venison, dijon dressing, spinach, parsnip purée, chorizo crumb/47
• Lumina lamb tenderloin, smoked aubergine, courgette, sundried tomatoes, hazelnuts,shallots/48
• Roasted baby carrots, cranky goats cheese, romesco, feijoa bbq, toasted cashews/39
• 200g Reserve beef fillet, red onion relish, onion caramel, potato dauphines, café paris butter/57

ACCOMPAGNEMENTS

• Bistro’s signature truffle fries/14
• Sautéed asparagus, fried egg mayonnaise, pecorino/15
• Peas, shallots, bacon, crispy kale/13
• Steamed broccoli, broccolini, tahini dressing, chilli oil, peanut/15
• Seasonal garden salad, apple vinaigrette/13

DESSERTS

• Vanilla crème brûlée, almond crumb, berry sorbet/20
• Tiramisu brownie, chocolate crumble, vanilla ice cream/20
• Lemon crémeux, kiwifruit shards, swiss meringue, coconut crumb/19
• Poached rhubarb, strawberry, meringue, crumb, white chocolate and ginger mousse/19
• Dame blanche, vanilla ice cream, hot chocolate ganache, nuts/18
• Selection of house made ice cream and sorbets /18
• Mini Bistro dessert /8
• Affogato, vanilla ice cream, espresso, liqueur of choice /23

Feel like a sweet wine?

• Pegasus Bay Finale Noble Sauv Blanc /20
• Campbells Rutherglen Muscat /17
  Bon appétit !

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!