Menu

  What a delicious meal. We all had Trust the chef, and we’re not disappointed. Service very friendly and wine was spot on, a good variety to choose from. Will definitely... read more be back!

  This is a busy casual place for lunch or dinner. In the evening, the bar scene is buzzing with locals, who all know each other and the lively barmaids on... read more a cheerful first name basis. We enjoyed beer, pizza and a hummus dish and the...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.

  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!

  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.

  Great location . Good wine. Service standard but food worst in our experience in New Zealand - esp. For among the high end restaurants. Everything was overpowered with mayo type... read more sauces and too salty. Minute crab appetizer tasted more of fried batter stick than crab. French onion soup good. Main meal of lamb - so much mayo sauce that couldn’t taste lamb the way we should. Side dish of veggies again doused in mayo sauce - lost taste here again. Really disappointed . Compared to other many locations in New Zealand , very disappointing and cannot recommend . Liked other local lunch places better in beautiful Wanaka! Recommend to pull back on the very overwhelming sauces!

  Magnifique - what a delight it was to sit at a table and dine at Bistro Gentil. The food & wine was amazing and enjoyed by all.
The service... read more was attentive with good knowledge of each plate offering. Highly recommend Bistro Gentil for your next dining experience.

  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.

  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.

  We had dinner here and it was super! Up on a hill with views out to the lake and across from a golf course. Beef tartare , fish and sorbet... read more with local wine. Delicious meal with great friendly service.