Bistro Gentil

  Before we went here we had only reviews to go on. The website suggests going up in the afternoon, enjoying the stunning views of the lake over a wine-tasting and... read more staying for dinner. So we did.
The views are lovely and the sun shining in on us was warming as we were welcomed by a wonderful host for our wine tasting. In the end, over a little over an hour, we enjoyed three tasting trays between the two of us before moving on to dinner. Our wine host was knowledgeable, helpful but never in our faces or the slightest bit pushy. It was all about enjoying the day.
Our dinner also proved to be stunning with great but again not in-your-face service. We enjoyed beautifully presented and delicious amuse bouches, tartare for entree, the duck for main, a delightful palate cleanser and creme brulee that I have to rate as the best I have ever tried. All the food was amazing. And the wines included a wide range of Maude wines but also a wide range of wines from other vineyards.
Rather than just a night out, this turned into the pinnacle of our 4 days of dining and wining around Wanaka.

  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

  We had dinner here for 4 to celebrate our sons engagement to his lovely fiance and their last night In New Zealand before flying home to the UK. The meal... read more was totally delicious, including great vegan options and the wine was both excellent and good value Two of us went for the trust the chef option, which was superb – a ceviche of local fish with tasting sauces. Followed by seared venison and sauted garden vegetables, with amazing puffs of deep fried Dauphinois potatoes. Really good and friendly service, a beautiful view of the lake and an amazing sunset made a perfect meal. Great hats too!

  There have been a few places we have eaten in that were memorable but this is certainly one of them. Nothing we ate or drank came short of the mark... read more and the service attentive and overall experience notable. We both had the Ora King Salmon, tempura soft shell crab, avocado, soy glaze, grapefruit gel, pickled radish, fennel. Remarkable and perfect in every way. Our mains were the free range pork belly, crumbed rib, tomato relish, bok choy, broccoli, hot sauce, white bbq sauce, crispy kale, and the aged beef fillet, red onion relish, onion caramel, café de paris, potato dauphines. Both were faultless. Desserts were unbaked fig cheesecake and the salted caramel set mousse. With all this came a complimentary amuse-gueule to start and a surprise course for our wedding anniversary (which I had casually mentioned when I had booked). All in all a huge treat and one of the best meals out we have experienced (and we have a surfeit of restaurants in Wellington to compare). So nice to read that other reviewers have felt the same way. Keep on doing what you do!

  This is hands down the best meal i had during my entire 14 days trip in the South Island. Definitely amongst the top 10 meals , I had for ... read more past 18 months, which is saying a lot, since i have visited some top tier cities/countries...More

  We ate twice. The beef tartare and monkfish were outstanding. Desserts looked amazing and we had the pavlova which is highly recommended. Lovely staff a bonus

  Best steak I’ve had in NZ so far. From the Trust your Chef special - juicy, tender ribeye. cooked to perfection accompanied by foie gras butter, potato croquettes, broccolini. The... read more french onion soup starter and dessert was lovely too. Good pricing for the 3 courses at $65 - given quality and ambience

  One of our best meals during our 3-week holiday in New Zealand! Beautiful setting just outside Wanaka, friendly service, warm casual atmosphere and outstanding food! Creative, very well prepared and... read more presented dishes using the best local ingredients. For six of us, to begin our meal,...More

  It is sometimes said that there is no such thing as Perfection!

Well there is and it’s the food at Bistrol Gentil!

A fabulous experience!... read more as always!

  Been traveling throughout New Zealand for about 3 weeks now. Wanaka is a great town to rest on the way to/from the west coast. After reviewing other TripAdvisor restaurant ratings,... read more we called to make a reservation. On this particular night, the menu was called “chefs choice” rather than their published a la carte choices. My wife’s a vegetarian, but they assured us she would be provided with vegetarian options. We both thought that this was one of the most outstanding dinners we have had in New Zealand. The sauces and flavor pairings for each of our entree and main courses was exceptional. They also have excellent wines, and it’s all served in a beautiful small restaurant setting overlooking the lake. We rate this a solid 5 stars.