Bistro Gentil

  Had a fabulous dinner last night at Bistro Gentil. Our waiters Richard and Scott were super friendly and very quick to help out on dietary allergies. We were seated next... read more to the fire so were warm and cosy. The ambience was lovely. We felt very VIP and the chef served up some amazing entrees, mains and desserts that looked and tasted extra special. Richard recommended some lovely wines to accompany dinner. Thanks to all for such a fine dining experience ❤️

  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.

  I went to Bistro Gentil for dinner with my friends last week. Everyone loved it! Delicious and beautifully presented dishes, I personally had the pork belly, the fish and the... read more hazelnut choux dessert. To be honest, haven't felt this way after a meal in a long time! Definitely the kind of dinner experience you want to have when you feel like treating yourself! Service was excellent. It has been recommended to us to go there and I would definitely recommend it myself!

  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.

  One of Wanaka's top rated restaurants with fine dining, Bistro Gentil didnt disappoint. Nestled on a road above the town - we walked two miles there - it was packed... read more full. For starters we had tomato and chilli soup and a seared salmon starter and...More

  So glad we were able to snag a reservation at this lovely restaurant on our last night. The food was outstanding, the wines delicious, it had a lovely cosy atmosphere... read more and we arrived early enough to watch over the lake as the sun set. Definitely one to try and fit in whilst ever in Wanaka.

  Really great place. We loved the location very much. Friday night and lots of locals there. Very friendly staff. Food tastet exquisit. Wonderful wines. It is a small place so... read more you do have to make a reservation. And it is a bit out of town.

  Onion soup was wonderful. My husband had the lamb & I had the duck.. both dishes were done perfectly. Service was excellent

  We had high expectations for our meal here, and Bistro Gentil delivered on them. We did the works. I had french onion soup, steak, and a canele for desert. The... read more steak was brilliant-perfect quality thick fillet, cooked exactly as requested. Blue cheese sauce, potato dauphines with an onion caramel and onion jam, washed down with a glass of Cote du Rhone. And all with a view to the majestic lake and mountains of Wanaka. Highly recommended.

  A final night dinner for our first trip down preparing for a big race later this year. The whole experience from arrival to completion was flawless, the atmosphere is very... read more relaxed and the staff do a great job at keeping it that way. Great decor and layout, the gentleman who advised it’s warm under the heaters outside was spot on. Food was sublime and we enjoyed the 3 course offer plus a few wines. Will definitely return.
On a side note I beloved you were understaffed last night but your staff made it seem easy running on the 2 front of house staff.
Will return next time for sure