Menu

  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 ❤️

  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.

  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.

  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.

  This was a return visit to Wanaka and dinner at Bistro Gentil the first thing booked. Though a Monday, the bistro was open, but not busy. All diners accommodated easily... read more in the outdoor terrace section, for a glorious sunset. It's easy to get too comfortable in the woollen-rugged chairs. Service was attentive but not rushed. We had 'space' between entrees and main to sit and relax and imbibe.

Starters were oysters (fresh!), chicken liver parfait (made into 'cigars' and served in glass ashtrays - incredible), and soft shell crab (yum).

For entree we both had the French onion soup. This was a no-brainer and didn't disappoint. I had thought about going large but the waitress assured me the small size would give me space to complete mains. She was right. Tick.

For mains we had the duck (special) and I had the Red Tussocks venison, with truffle fries. Just divine, and both cooked just enough.

For dessert I had the vanilla brûlée. OMG what a treat.

The wine list was smaller than I remembered and a bit odd. Mostly wines made by the winery upon which grounds the bistro sits and provides wine-tastings for, but some others including one from Italy and one from France. I chose the Clos Marguerite Pinot Noir 2019 and it was sublime.

Overall, our expectations had been high and they were met.

  We came here because of the good review but was very disappointed by the terrible service. The waitress with curly ponytail serving us this evening probably shouldn’t be working in... read more the service industry. She was rushing us to order the food when we first sat down. Every table received a jar of water but because we did not order alcohol she did not bring the water jar to our table even after we requested it. She rarely came to check on our table and when we tried to get her attention by waiving at her a few times she just ignored. At the end I brought her the attention to refill us water on my way to the washroom. She came 10 minutes later and still did not bring us any water until after we ordered the dessert.

Their onion soup was good. Their fish and venison, and desserts have appealing display but tastes average.

  We really enjoyed the food last night which was exceptional. I cannot thank the staff enough for making the night extra special for our engagement and I appreciate the little... read more touches throughout the evening.

  We spontaneously went to the bistro in the evening. Without reservation and got a place outside. It was quite cold, but okay, since we had not reserved a table. We... read more got the menu and when we wanted to order, the waiter said we had to...More

  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.

  We had high expectations and it delivered. First off the wine experience is top notch. The ability to taste all types wines before you get a bottle is... read more fantastic. The sommelier worked with us in getting the right wine for our taste. The best part...More