Menu

  Fabulous. Great location, friendly service, and delicious food. Te loved everything about the meal. They have a card on each table and you are able to sample... read more wines. We ended up choosing the Maude 2017 Pinot Noir which was selected the Best Wine in New...More

  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.

  Gorgeous cosy space, wine tasting by Maude by Day. Gourmet dinner by night. Special occasion or just treat yourself, this is by far the best restaurant in Wanaka. Staff friendly... read more and attentive, the food presentation and flavour, awesome.

  This restaurant was recommended by our hotel. We sat outside on a covered patio with heaters. Fabulous views overlooking Lake Wanaka. The kitchen is open as you walk in,... read more and is a hive of activity. There is a wine machine for the local wines, which...More

  Bistro Gentil was absolutely amazing! Price is fantastic, servings are very generous and the staff go far beyond to make your evening so special. I cannot fault one thing about... read more this restaurant. They made our evening perfect, from answering all and any of our questions about the menu, to generously providing us with a glass of bubbles to celebrate my partners birthday. The food was incredible. With every bite, the texture and taste of these meals was even better than I was expecting.

Perfect. Sensational. Incredible. We will be back, time and time again

  Great service and New Zealand produce with a french flair
large selection of Maude wine .
a proper Creme burlee , done they way it is meant to be

  We always make Bistro a priority when we visit Wanaka, as the food is always spectacular. The meals are imaginative, well balanced and of course, delicious! Three of us dined... read more last night and ordered off the menu. We had the calamari, steak tartare and pork belly entrees. For mains we had the duck, market fish which was bream and the lamb and chorizo. All of the food was incredible but the lamb and fish dishes were something else! We left with full bellies and big smiles on our faces! Thank you to Mario and his creative team, we will continue to sing your praises and recommend you to others visiting Wanaka.

  Absolutely amazing food - it's art designed to wow your eyes and taste buds.
Definitely recommend for a date night, but also as a special occasion place to treat yourself... read more and your loved ones, or amaze a potential client or business-partner.

  My family and I came here for dinner a couple days ago and were amazed by the delicious food, incredibly kind and generous staff, and pleasant atmosphere. We were seated... read more inside, which was lovely, but the outside looked very nice as well. As for the food, every dish that I tasted was incredible. The duck confit was probably one of the best I’ve ever had and was so tender that it practically melted in my mouth. The french onion soup was warm and tasty and was the perfect dish to have on a chilly and windy night. Our waitress was amazingly friendly and charming and was able to accommodate any requests that we had. I hope I get the chance to come here again, as there was nothing about this meal I could ever complain about.

  This restaurant has it all. Amazing location with views onto the lake, charming building and interior, a French inspired cuisine to die for and very kind and subtle staff. Just... read more perfect.